Good morning! Boker Tov! Welcome in to the Mishkan Katan broadcast. We have been studying the book of Ephesians, and today we are going to focus our attention on the first 14 verses of chapter 5. Over my lifetime, I’ve heard many pastors and teachers expound on the latter verses of this chapter, the verses concerning godly marriage. But, I’ve heard less on the earlier verses of this chapter.
What comes to mind when you think of the word "imitation"? Most often, I think "a cleverly disguised fake". One time, on a trip to NYC, I bought a "designer purse" - - except that it truly wasn't. I watched the vendor furtively sneak behind a curtain to get the model I had selected, quickly attach the designer insignia on the front and take my cash. Voila! Designer purse! Right?
No. Instead, I got a cleverly designed fake, which fooled most people.
This is not what the apostle Paul is talking about in Ephesians 5:1-2, today's text.
1Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children 2and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. (NET)
In the beauty field, there is a dirty, little secret. When you look at an ingredients list, you will often see the word “fragrance”. This term is a deception. When we see that word, we usually think, “Oh, they put something into this product to make it smell pleasant.” But, that is not what it means. “Fragrance” is an industry term that allows for the inclusion of many ingredients that are undisclosed, hidden under that term. I have often said, “they could put eye of newt (a shakespearean reference) into a product, and on the label all you will see is the word ‘fragrance’.” Fake. Deception. This kind of practices stinks.
Here is Ephesians 5:1-2 in The Message version:
1-2 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.
In 2011 I retired from my full-time education career.
In the field of education, there is a principle of excellent instruction, and it is this: you want your students to watch what you do, and then to model their learning after you. I used to tell my language arts teachers, when I was an elementary school principal, "Show the students an example of excellent writing, and show them in detail what makes it excellent." This is an approach of going from "the whole" and deconstructing, which is easier for most folks than looking at all the small, disparate parts and then putting something together.
In Jesus Christ, we have "the whole enchilada" of Father Yahweh. Isn't that marvelous? All we need to do is to study how He lived, and then model our lives after Him. This results in a life grounded in love.
As I read today's passage, I thought of the fact that I was blessed with a wonderful mother and father, who lavished love on us, their children. My daddy went on to be with Jesus nearly 27 years ago, but my mother continues to love all three of us and indeed celebrated her 93rd birthday earlier this week. She prays for us, offers to help us, chides us when we need it and is generous with all she has. She is a model of both love and virtue. I realize, though, that some of you have trouble with the parent analogy, because your parent(s) was/were despicable.
My Daddy used to tell me, "You won't know what love is until you have a child." I found his statement presumptuous and annoying as a teenager; but, wow, did I ever understand it after becoming a parent. God's love for us is absolutely perfect, and He longs for us to first embrace it so that we may imitate it in our own, daily lives.
So, how does one imitate God? Or Yeshua, as other scriptures prescribe?
Here, we are exhorted to imitate God “as little children”. Young children are constantly soaking up lessons from our behavior, us, the vastly imperfect parents. I remember when our boys were young, one of them began to start many of his sentences with the descriptor, “Actually....” Once I noticed he was doing this, I began to analyze why. And, I realized that this was a word I frequently used to begin my sentences, when I was countering some false belief or situation or practice I had observed in them. That was funny to me at the time, but it really drove home the point that they were watching and imitating what they saw my husband and me do.
About imitating our perfect Savior, however, we don’t have to worry about His imperfect examples, because He had none!
Dr. Robert D. Luginbill1 emphasized that this spiritual imitation is impossible apart from the power of the Holy Spirit and the virtues of scripture. He defines "virtue" like this: "Virtue is truth, distilled and applied to the individual life." I love that! What I see often is that we want to embrace the "love of God" without truly understanding His ways. We reject much of the Tanakh, the Old Testament, because we don’t like it. We embrace the love of a god of our own imagining. That is, by definition, an idol, by the way. To truly love God and to love others as He loves demands an understanding of, and a habitual practice of, His truths, revealed in Scripture. Otherwise, all you've got is a fake purse.
God's model demands that we love through self-sacrifice and with humility, not in an odious, sanctimonious fashion....that we love our way through trials, under pressure, with great prayer and surrender of our strong will. Only the Holy Spirit can teach us this, as we yield to His leading.
Here are some related verses on imitating Christ:
Phillipians 2;3
John 13:13-14
1 Peter 2:21
2 Cor. 3:18
I’m sure that most of you who will hear this broadcast don't want to be a "fake purse" or a "fake disciple" of Yeshua and that you long to be as much like Him as it is possible to be. I confess that daily I fall short of this goal. There was a dean of women at a Christian university decades ago, a pious woman, who was leading in prayer and said “Please forgive us of our "falling shorts", Lord! A curious choice of words, surely. But, her meaning, of course, was to ask forgiveness for those times we miss the mark of holiness our Lord has ordained in which we should walk. IF you call yourself a disciple of Yeshua, live like it, because if you don’t you probably aren’t. And, this is going to be a controversial assertion, but most people who claim to follow Yeshua...don’t.
Allright, let’s continue on, with verses 3-10.
3But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. 4Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. 5For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them, 8for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – 9for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – 10trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
I am fond of saying, “I hate to use personal experience, but it's the only kind I've had.” :) (See what I did there?!)
When, as a youth, I accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, I knew that my life had been forever changed. I was standing in church, after hearing a powerful sermon on Hell. And, I knew I didn't want to go there. I also knew very well that I was a sinner of the worst order, in desperate need of a Savior. So, I "walked the aisle", was counseled by a godly woman, prayed to receive Christ as Savior and made my confession of salvation to the church, right then and there. Later, I was baptized to show the decision that had been made in my heart. From that moment on and to this day, I am as sure of my eternal salvation as it is possible to be, for several reasons, the chiefest of which is that God's Word is certain. He will keep His promises. He never changes.
Not everyone who "walks the aisle", however, is a Christian. Walking down an aisle doesn't make you a Christian anymore than walking into a McDonald's makes you a customer. It's not until you "buy in" that you become a partaker of either God's grace or a hamburger, whichever the case may be.
I told the story of a lady who was the wife of the pastor of a congregation. She described herself as an “AGG”, an “always good girl”. She had been “morally upright” her entire life, but in reality, she had no relationship with the one, true God, through His Son, Yeshua. She obediently went through the motions, and had done so her entire life! But, she was “lost as last year’s Easter egg.” (You may have to think about that one for a moment.)
Can you imagine being this woman's preacher husband?! He's standing down there in front of the church, as the "invitation" song is being sung, when out of the choir loft comes....his WIFE, to accept Jesus as Savior. It's a wonder he didn't faint! As I shared this with some friends online, one of them volunteered that her pastor had made a similar "I was a faker" confession some few weeks ago.
What is my point here? I'm asking that you examine your heart to see whether you truly belong to Yeshua’s Body, to His Bride, or not. In most cases, if you are honest, you know the answer already. We all fall into one of several categories:
1. You call yourself Christian because either you did some "churchy thing" or it was done to you, such as being baptized as an infant. Wearing the label "Christian" or “Messianic”, does not mean you ARE Yeshua’s child, whether you are a "good girl" or "good guy" or not.
2. You know for sure you have not been converted, transformed, “saved”, because you know you have definitely NOT thrown your hat into the ring for Father Yahweh, through the merits of Yeshua, His Son. You may have been resisting His call to you, or you may not have yet heard it. Regardless, you are confident that you are "on the other side" - - - "lost as a ball in tall grass", as we say in the South. (I am going through all the Southern idioms today, it seems...)
3. You know for certain that you belong to Yeshua, because you made a personal, genuine decision to follow Him, and your life has never been the same. That doesn't mean you've never had a sinful lapse or a moment of doubt....Satan is a masterful deceiver, who will try to get you to question the promises of God. In times of doubt, Satan can be shut down with his nonsense by your affirming, "God's Word says it; I believe it; and that settles it."
As Paul emphasizes, the way people live their lives (vs. 9) are strong indicators of whether they actually have met and embraced Yeshua/Jesus as their life-changing Savior...or not. They are trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord, and are doing their best to live it. A person's public persona is not a fool-proof barometer. Back to that concept of "always good girl" (or guy). NO ONE would have suspected she was anything other than a true believer! Yet, she was lost and on her way to Hell. I thank God for her powerful testimony and others like it - - - that PRIDE did not prevent her from making her salvation decision for Jesus Christ and "walking the aisle" to testify to that fact. You may have, in your life, as have I, been "burned" by fake Christians. Some knew they weren't "the real deal", and others did not because they had been duped by Satan.
My pastor says that we will find ourselves very surprised in Heaven. Many we "expect" to see won't be there; many we don't expect to see ... will. Only each individual who honestly examines his or her heart knows for sure.
One last point: you can become a member of Yeshua’s Body, of His Bride, without walking down an aisle. All it takes is a true, heart-felt yielding to the Holy Spirit, as He calls you to salvation. In your heart (not just your head) believe on Jesus as God’s Son, as your Messiah, and as the ONLY way to God; confess your sinfulness and need for Him as Savior; accept Him into your life forever. No "aisle" needed. However, I do believe it is important to become part of a Bible-believing congregation and confess your decision to them as evidence of the transformation that has taken place in your heart. Same with baptism...both these are outward signs of inward grace. A godly congregation is also the best place to learn more deeply of the halacha, the godly walk of the redeemed, and begin to apply it to your own life in ever-increasing ways.
Where "are you" today? Are you on the outside, examining this Savior, wondering if He can be truly trusted? Are you "in the choir loft"? Don't be in bondage to your pride and/or your "church robe". I'm begging you to be honest with yourself and be sure of your decision today.
Thankfully, we have returned to DST, in real time that this broadcast is occurring, and so there are more hours of daylight with each passing day. The nights seem less long. There were times in my childhood when I had to navigate down a dark path. My memories of feeling safest were when I was led by an adult with a flashlight. My adult guide would shine the flashlight on the path and sometimes back and forth into the darkness as we walked. I felt completely safe. Later, as I got older, I received my own flashlight and gained the confidence to walk down dark paths with Him to guide my steps.
What sensible person carries a flashlight down a dark path but does not shine it out in front, to illuminate the path? Possessing the light is useless unless it is directed by the light bearer and "shone forth". This is truly "walking in the light, as He is in the light". (1 John 1:7)
In Ephesians 5:6-14 Paul is describing the resplendent, halachic walk:
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear, 14 for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:
"Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you."
As previously mentioned, in the verses just prior to these, Paul exhorted believers to imitate God by walking in His love. Here, he begins to talk about our associations with others. There are times when love must be courageous.
First, he warns us of making alliances with phony believers - - - those ungodly deceivers who talk a good game, but who have souls empty of the Holy Spirit, who have no flashlight at all. He labels them as still walking in darkness, that is, not having experienced the salvation of Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ, regardless of their words. Indeed, their actions stand in direct conflict with their words. We are not to line up with them or to become partners with them.
Secondly, since we have the light of life in our hearts, we are not to participate in "works of darkness". Ok, so, we are to walk in the light, down the path of life, and avoid sinful behavior.
Thirdly, and this is very, very unpopular today - - - we are not merely to go skipping down the path shining our light along the way, refusing to participate in sin. Oh, that is certainly a necessary part of godly living, but it is not enough. In verse 11, Paul goes a step further, saying we are to expose the sin that surrounds us.
In a recent Sunday School lesson the emphasis was on learning from, and coming back from, failure. The majority of the discussion focused on the "crash and burn" types of failures, where we made an unfortunate choice, or an error in judgment or a naive decision and came to an unfortunate condition called "failure". Well and good.
However, I pointed out that perhaps an even worse failure is one of omission, that is, we omit the holy behavior, in this specific case the kind of behavior where we refuse to obey the Word of God. Verse 11 of this passage is one such example where in modern-day America followers of Jesus Christ have failed.
There is a pernicious lie which has permeated much of Christendom since the mid-1950s. It says, "Live and let live." I can remember seeing this slogan on bumper stickers in years past. A more modern incarnation of this philosophy is the popular "Coexist" bumper sticker.
In other words, "you do your thing, and I'll do mine." "You leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone."
OH! Let’s not forget this supposed virtue “tolerance”... I remember when “tolerance” was added to the weekly list of character traits, and I was suspicious of it back then. As if the preceding “hands off” attitude called “tolerance” were not bad enough, it soon became “not only will you tolerate my sin, you will both accept it and celebrate it.”
This type of permissive behavior has also redefined the word “kindness”. You see memes frequently in this day, exhorting us to “Be kind.” or “Above all else, be kind.” And, kindness is great, in its original meaning. But, like much of our language, the godless have re-defined this character trait to mean something like this: “No matter your neighbor’s immoral behavior or belief system, you must not stand against it. To do so would be ‘unkind’.” The problem with the Body of Messiah falling for this lie is that it has resulted in an ever-encroaching tide of godlessness across our nation. It's not quite as egregious as anarchy, "anything goes," because the people of would have openly rebelled against that philosophy. However, it is equally pernicious. Death by inches, as opposed to one, swift blow.
Case in point:
On June 25, 1962, nearly 62 years ago as of the date of this writing, the U.S. Supreme Court removed daily, corporate prayer from the public schools of this nation. One year later, Bible reading followed.1 The court's reasoning on this matter was that, although Bible reading and prayer had been taught in public schools for the previous 100 years of American public schooling, somehow it came to amount to "establishment of a particular religion." This was a lie, but the American church bought it, and did nothing to stop it. Looking back, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, I think the people of that day believed that the Judeo-Christian ethic was SO pervasive, that they could not even conceive of it becoming overpowered by the lawlessness, the a-Torah, without Torah, we see today.
The truth is that the Bible's tenets, like it or not, formed the foundational moral principles of Western Civilization. Ask an American law student, who is familiar with Old Testament law. One of my nephews became an attorney. When he was in law school, he recognized the Torah all over what he was being taught, the underpinnings of American jurisprudence. This is undeniable, incontrovertible.
It was the Bible that enabled us to accurately define positive traits, such as love and kindness.
It was the Judeo-Christian halacha/moral law which civilized and modernized Europe in the 1400s-1500s. It was the very same that under-girded American civilization for this country's first approximately 175 years. Instead of standing up to the lie perpetuated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962 and '63, the American churches and synagogues hid its flashlights under its jackets. As the past 60 or so years have rolled on, additional losses of freedom have followed, one after another, until this assemblage of 50 states, though still in some ways "united" are certainly not "one nation under God".
Walking down the path, boldly shining the light into the darkness takes tremendous courage. It is much easier to "go with the flow", to "get on board", to "go along to get along". I want to share with you this morning a famous poem, written over 100 years ago. It is in the public domain, so that I am not committing any copyright infringement. The name of the poem, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”
The Charge of the Light Brigade
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade ?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred! 2
The battle this famous poem describes was the result of a British military blunder, a miscommunication between a general and his subordinates during the Crimean War. Yet, these soldiers did not question their orders, nor did they shrink from the battle. They charged forth into the Russian army, heedless of the enemy's numbers, and made military history for their bravery, so much so that "all the world wonder'd".
As the bride of Messiah Yeshua, a Light Brigade, we have no need to fear that our "General" is wrong-headed or confused.
Most of the 12 apostles of Yeshua died martyrs' deaths, rather than renounce the truth of the gospel. They were not content to "live and let live". They were certain and single-minded, shining their lights so brilliantly and blindingly that the darkness, for a time, fled.
The same challenge given to these heroes has been also given to us. Will we take it? Paul uses a well-known saying (even we don't know for sure its source) in verse 14, when he shakes us by the collar to say, "WAKE UP! Rise up, from the dead souls who surround you!" Will each of us who claims the name of Yeshua the Messiah, who bears His light ... shine? Will we courageously expose the deeds of the unrighteous in our world, as the Lord gives each of us opportunity, no matter the personal cost, so that all the world wonders at our outrageous love for our Lord?
That is our challenge as we walk through this ever-increasingly evil day.
Now, when we get together next time, we will take up the remaining verses of chapter 5. Purim is almost here! I hope you will have a great celebration with your family and friends. Teach the children of the marvelous victory Father Yahweh worked on behalf of the Jewish people, in the days of Mordecai and Esther. Don’t let that huge truth get lost in all the merriment. And, please continue to pray for Israel and the Jewish people, as they continue to fight the terrorists in order to protect their homeland.
Father, thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of my Lord, the Light of Life. Every day You give me opportunities to shine Your Light into dark places, to expose and oppose wickedness. May I shirk not the challenge or shrink from the battle! May I emulate the example of my Lord, who did not retreat from the agony of the Cross, as well as those courageous saints who have gone before me in this ages-old war. In Jesus' name, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment