The world we live in is constantly offering us a platter full of things that overload our senses and can easily lead to destruction. That’s the importance of our passage today. We need to understand that our senses trigger our appetites and our appetites stir up our cravings and if our cravings go unchecked then the consequences will be severe.
Ephesians 5:1 – 6…
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
I’ve entitled this message “A Fragrant Offering” because verse one of our text tells us that “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” This reminder should be something that is pleasing for the Christian. There are many things in this world that are pleasing to our senses. God created us as sensory beings. He gave us the sense of smell, the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, the sense of taste and the sense of feeling. And when something smells good, looks good, sounds good, tastes good and feels good all at the same time we become intoxicated. This is also called sensory overload. Every sense loaded with what appears to be good.
God created us with appetites and those appetites get stirred up when our senses get triggered. And when those appetites don’t get satisfied then our cravings become more intense. And when our cravings become more intense we can be assured that danger is lying around the corner to cause mass destruction in our lives.
The world we live in is constantly offering us a platter full of things that overload our senses and can easily lead to destruction. That’s the importance of our passage today. We need to understand that our senses trigger our appetites and our appetites stir up our cravings and if our cravings go unchecked then the consequences will be severe.
The Text…
Our text today begins with the word “therefore”. And whenever we see the word “therefore” we must ask, “what’s that word there for?” In other words, what came before this that will shed light on what we are currently studying?
As we studied last week we saw that the apostle Paul is concerned with how the Ephesian church is walking out her faith. He knows that the Ephesian church has been planted in one of the most perverse cities of the time. So he has instructed the Ephesians to walk in a manner that is worthy of their calling, to no longer walk like unbelievers, to put on the new clothing of Christlikeness and to be renewed in their words, their thoughts and their actions.
He wants them to be like Jesus. He wants them to be honest instead of deceptive; kind and tenderhearted instead of angry and he wants them to be lovingly forgiving instead of bitter and slanderous and malicious. And that’s where the word “therefore” enters into Paul’s mind. It’s almost like a pause in a dialogue where Paul says, “ok… you got that? Does everything I’ve said make sense? Ok, good, now that you know that… in light of all that… there’s more that I want you to know. There’s more to this topic of walking in holiness. And in fact in light of all that I’ve already said, put these things in your mind too. I want you to walk in love as you imitate God. I want you to fill your walk and your talk with sexual purity. I don’t want you to persist in sexual sin. And I don’t want you to listen to empty deception.”
#1: Walk in love as you imitate God… (1-2)
Paul says, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The word “imitate” means to take or to follow something or someone as a model, or to copy or to simulate or to mimic someone or something. We are called to imitate, to follow, to copy, to simulate or to mimic our Father in Heaven. The way that we walk out our lives is to be characterized by true love and the model that have for what true love looks like is the love of Christ as he gives himself away on behalf of his enemies on a cross.
This picture that we have in Christ of what true love looks like is completely contrary to what the world we live in holds up as a model. Think of the models we see in the world we live in. TV programs, magazines, movies and social media all prop up models that are contrary to God’s design and purpose for what love is. Our pop culture has turned the model of love into a scantily clad sexual object that promises to be everything you ever craved for. Our culture has turned love into a feeling that demands immediate gratification rather than an act of personal sacrifice for the benefit of others. Our culture tempts our senses everyday with promises of personal satisfaction that shape us into takers rather than givers. Think about how your pursuit of satisfying your cravings shapes your daily life.
It was no different for the Ephesians. That’s why Paul instructs them to walk in love as they imitate God. The Ephesian culture was full of sexual perversion. According to one author, ritual prostitution was a way of life and the dominant religion was a religion that worshiped the naked multi-breasted goddess named Diana. Sexual perversion was the expression of the self-centered version of love that the Christians in Ephesus were being saved out of. Their concept of true love, the true and sacrificial love of Christ was radically altering their words, their thoughts and their actions.
But it would be a struggle to see victory and transformation in this area of growth in the Ephesian church. Why do I say this? Why do I say that sexual perversion would be a struggle? I say this because the Scriptures make it clear that sexual sin is not only a sin against our brothers and sisters and it is not only a sin against our Father in Heaven but it is also a sin against ourselves.
Sexual sin is a sin that runs so deep in the physical and the spiritual psyche of a human that many doctors today say that it is worst than trying to overcome a heroin addiction. When we sin sexually every sense that we were designed with becomes overloaded with pleasure to a point that even a heroin addiction would be easier to overcome. And Paul combats this by instructing the Ephesian church to imitate God by walking in true love that is modeled after Christ’s work at the cross. A selfless love that gives rather than takes. A true love that seeks the good of others rather than seeking to satisfy our cravings. So walk in love as you imitate God.
#2: Fill your walk and your talk with sexual purity… (3-4)
Paul says, sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. When we hear someone spinning a tall tale we usually say, “that person is full of it.” And the question is, what are they full of right? Full of deception? Full of pride? Full of themselves? Probably all of the above right?
And that’s the point of verses 3 and 4. Paul is concerned with what the Ephesians are full of and he knows that their walk and their words are proof of what they are full of. Jesus said that, “from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts and sexual immorality.” (Mk. 7:21) Whatever your heart is full of is what your walk and your talk will be full of. And Paul says that our hearts, our minds, our walk and our talk should not be full of sexual immorality, or impurity, or covetousness (which is being greedy for another person’s body), or filthiness, or foolish talk, or crude joking. These things are not proper for a person who has experienced the true love of Christ. These things are out of place for a professing Christian.
We should fill our walk and our talk with sexual purity. But what does that look like? In a world where everything outside of us is saturated with sexual overtones that trigger the senses and awaken the sin that lurks within us, what does it look like for us to fill our entire beings with sexual purity? The answer is in the text where Paul says but instead let there be thanksgiving. The opposite of thanksgiving is covetousness or being greedy for something we do not have that we desperately crave.
This is the essence of sexual sin: being greedy for someone that you do not have that every sense in your body says you must have. It’s the opposite of being grateful and being grateful flows out of a heart that is content. So in all reality, sexual sin flows out of discontentment. Discontent with the way your body looks. Discontent with singleness. Discontent with loneliness. Discontent with the spouse you have. Discontent with what God has given you. Hungry, craving what you want God to give you rather than being content and thankful for what God has given you. So fill your walk and your talk with sexual purity that is clothed in thanksgiving.
#3: Don’t persistent in sexual sin… (5)
Paul says, you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. The temptation at this point is for us to begin to justify ourselves and try to prove that somehow this text doesn’t apply to us. We might think that this is only an issue for single people. Or we might think that is only an issue for married people whose marriages are on the rocks. Or we might think that is only an issue that men struggle with. But let me remind you that Jesus said that anyone who looks upon another person with lust is guilty of adultery.
In this context lust is the craving for someone that is not your spouse. Men struggle with lust when they look longingly at a woman in the gym. Women struggle with lust when they look longingly at a male model without a shirt. There is only one person who could look upon another person with pornless eyes and his name is Jesus. Sexual sin knows no boundaries. No one is safe. Satan is no respecter of persons, sin is common to us all and our culture has made it popular to indulge our sexual appetites.
For instance, over the years the entertainment industry has consistently pushed the bar on what is acceptable, pure and good. Popular music on our radio stations bombard us daily with sexual imagery. Late night talk shows turn the things that God has called an abomination into humor. The movie industry promotes film franchises that glorify women as sexual objects and prop up weak and cowardly men masquerading as heroes.
The Fifty Shades of Grey franchise cost nearly $150 million dollars to produce and it raked in over $1 Billion dollars in profits. These movies have been dubbed as “mommy porn” and the general ticket sales were sold to an estimated 82% of women versus 18% of men. Over $3,000 per second is spent on pornography. The United States produces 89% of all pornographic websites. Pornography users are estimated to be 28% female and 72% male. 30% of women admit to struggling with lust, porn and sexual sin. And the average age of a person being exposed to pornography is 11 years old. No one is safe. Everyone is in danger.
No one in this room is immune to viewing the world through sexually saturated eyes. This is why Job “made a covenant with his eyes to never look upon a woman with lust”. This is why Paul said in Philippians 4:8 “finally my brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
And this is also why Paul says here in Ephesians 5:5 that you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. This is not just a warning to men. It’s not just a warning to singles. This is a warning to everyone that if we persist in sexual sin then the consequences will be severe as we are severed from eternal fellowship with God. We must do everything we can possibly do to guard our hearts, our eyes, our ears, our friends and our families from persisting in sexual sin.
#4: Don’t listen to empty deception… (6)
Paul says let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Do not be deceived my friends. Sexual sin will leave you as empty as the empty words you used to condone your foolishness and your selfishness. The world is full of empty and deceptive promises. My heart loves to listen to those empty and deceitful promises. It loves to believe that I’m tough enough, holy enough and smart enough to downplay the danger of sexual sin.
A little glance here. A second look there. A funny joke here. A social media post there. It’s not that bad my heart says. It’s only a two-piece bikini not full on porn. Victoria’s Secret commercials are only selling under garments. I don’t need the restraints that other guys use. Guys like me deal with heart issues and I don’t need to go to the lengths that other guys do. I don’t need the crutches of software, transparent confession, accountability and restricted internet use. I’ll be just fine. I only slipped up a few times this last month. I’m getting better.
Empty words. Deceptive words. Empty promises. Deceptive promises. They are empty and deceptive because they self-focused, independent words that are devoid of a true confession of sinfulness and helplessness that is required to become dependant upon God through the use of the good gifts and tools He has given to his bride. And on account of these empty and deceptive words and promises the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Don’t listen to empty deception.
The Cookie Jar Syndrome…
There’s a story in one of my commentaries about a lady who made some homemade cookies and placed them in a cookie jar on the counter in her kitchen. She had a son who was very young and she knew he would be tempted to sneak his hand into that cookie jar and take some cookies before dinner.
So she pulled him aside and instructed him to stay away from the cookie jar until the time was right and she also warned him about the consequences of his actions should he decide to ignore her warnings. A little while later she was in the living room folding laundry and she heard the lid on the cookie jar being removed in the kitchen. So she called out to her son and asked what he was doing. A small voice from the kitchen replied back “My hand is in the cookie jar resisting temptation!”
Now as funny as that is, the truth is, no one resists temptation with their hand in the cookie jar. And the other truth is that there are open cookie jars all over in our culture that we can easily stick our hands into if we are not careful. We need to protect ourselves from the cookie jar syndrome that has infected not only our culture but has also infected the church. We need to destroy the cookie jar and cut off the hand.
We need to safeguard our hearts and our lives and we need to interrogate our hearts with preventative questions and protective reminders. To that end I have compiled four questions that I often ask myself to interrogate and safeguard my heart against the cookie jar syndrome. #1: Who or what does my life imitate? #2: Am I walking with a limp and do I need a crutch? #3: Am I persisting in some kind of sin? #4: Am I listening to empty deception?
#1: Who or what does my life imitate?
We were created to be imitations of God but sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and every since then all of humanity has struggled to imitate God especially in the area of sexuality. There’s a tension to living in this world while not being of the world. I must constantly ask myself how my decisions will reflect upon the name of Christ and if they will bring glory or dishonor to him. When it comes to things like entertainment, movie choices, music preference, relational interactions and social media use I must ask whom my life will imitate. Am I imitating God with this decision or am I imitating some inner craving with this decision or am I imitating the world with this decision? Who or what does your life imitate?
#2: Am I walking with a limp and do I need a crutch?
It’s popular in our culture to posture ourselves as being tougher and better than we really are. America especially was founded on a rugged individualism that could weather many storms. We don’t like to admit weakness and neediness. These traits don’t seem to be attractive. But the truth is, I am a really broken and weak and needy person. Sin has caused me to walk with a limp. And to ignore that limp or to dress up that limp with religious language is to enter the slippery slope of moral decline and spiritual chaos.
We often view crutches as a negative thing that hampers our ability or we view them as something less mature people need. But I can assure you that the more mature you are the more you understand your need for a crutch because maturity isn’t about toughness. Maturity is about a realistic assessment and awareness of your weaknesses and your needs and a willingness to lean on a crutch. Immature people believe they don’t need crutches. A mature person knows he needs a crutch and he desperately clings to it for safety and purity.
Social media, television programs rated higher than PG13, the majority of pop music, magazine aisles, the gym at certain times of the day, internet accessibility… these are all areas that I walk with a limp in and I thank God for the crutches that he’s given me because they help me to walk in purity. Are you walking with a limp and do you need a crutch?
#3: Am I persisting in some kind of sin?
When I make a conscious decision to do something that I know has caused me to sin in the past or that could lead me to sin in the present then I am persisting in sin. When I ignore the warnings of danger around me, then I am persisting in sin. When I choose the easiest road to get to what I crave then I am persisting in sin. We often only think of sin as the final act of something that is clearly sin and we fail to recognize the many small decisions of compromise that we make along the way. Just like a little child who wants his cookies before dinner, my heart will search for smaller, seemingly safer, decisions that will satisfy my cravings. Persistence in sin looks like the child who has been told no but keeps pressing the issue from different angles to get what he or she wants. Is this you? Are you persisting in sin?
#4: Am I listening to empty deception?
The person that you and I listen to the most is ourselves. We have discussions in our heads 24 hours a day. We exploit grey spaces. We justify behaviors. We downplay little indiscretions. We ignore the warning signs. We position ourselves in places of least resistance. And we argue over the blurry lines of Christian freedom. This is why it’s a matter of life and death to be engaged in a loving and honest community. We need mote than voice courageously speaking into our lives. The bottom line here is that it’s too easy to listen to empty deception and then wonder later why I am not living in victory. Are you listening to empty deception?
Conclusion…
Those questions are not designed to get me off the hook. They’re not designed to find a way to justify my sinfulness or to exploit the grey spaces or to put stars on my chart. They are designed to prove to me over and over again that I am unable to obey God’s Word perfectly. They are designed to lead me to authentic confession and Godly repentance. They’re not designed to leave me in the darkness of my sin. They’re designed to expose my sin to the light where the darkness goes to die. They are designed to lead me to the cross of Christ.
If you are a follower of Christ then you are a beloved child of God. Jesus loved you before you loved him and he gave himself as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. You and I must rest in the truths of who we are. My identity is not dictated by my obedience. My identity dictates my obedience. Christ’s obedience on my behalf empowers my obedience to him.
The fragrance of Christ’s offering and sacrifice affects all of my senses. The smell of his death provokes my heart to broken repentance. The sight of him hanging on the cross provokes grief over my sin. When I hear his Word I am awakened to live in holiness. The taste of my sin becomes bitter when I feel the reality of his victory over Satan, sin and death. All of those senses trigger my appetite for more of him and I begin to crave his life giving presence more than anything else. And in his presence I experience a satisfaction that is pleasing to my senses.
Back To The Introduction…
There are many things in this world that are pleasing to our senses. God created us as sensory beings. He gave us the sense of smell, the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, the sense of taste and the sense of feeling. And when something smells good, looks good, sounds good, tastes good and feels good all at the same time we become intoxicated and our senses get overloaded. Every sense loaded with what appears to be good.
God created us with appetites and those appetites get stirred up when our senses get triggered. And when those appetites don’t get satisfied then our cravings become more intense. And when our cravings become more intense we can be assured that danger is lying around the corner to cause mass destruction in our lives. The world we live in is constantly offering us a platter full of things that overload our senses and lead to destruction. That’s the importance of this message today. We need to understand that our senses trigger our appetites and our appetites stir up our cravings and if our cravings go unchecked the consequences will be severe.
So if the picture of Christ as a fragrant offering affects your senses today, then all of your senses will trigger your appetite for more of him and you will begin to crave his life giving presence more than anything else. And in his presence you will experience a satisfaction that is pleasing. Christ is your fragrant offering. Can you smell it? Can you see Him? Can hear Him? Can you taste His goodness? What do you feel right now?