1. The Three Walks of Ephesians 5

2. Three Walks
Many times when the Bible talks about the way we “walk” it is talking about how we live our lives.
Ephesians 5 mentions three ways we should be walking as Christians.
First we will read Ephesians 5:1-20
Then over the next few lessons we will come back and discuss each of these “walks” in more detail.

3. Three Walks Eph 5:1 ¶ Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 ¶ But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

4. Three Walks
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any 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.

5. Three Walks 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
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 Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

6. Three Walks
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

7. Three Walks
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

8. Three Walks
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul tells these Ephesian Christians to:
Walk in Love
Walk as Children of Light
Walk Circumspectly

9. Walk in love Walk in Love
Paul tells us in verse 1 to be imitators of God
Then he tells us how to imitate God
2 And walk in love…
He then gives us the perfect example of love
2…as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

10. Walk in love
Christ loved us so much He was willing to die on the cross for our sins.
The love Christ has for us is a love that was willing to sacrifice for our benefit.
Our love should be a love similar to Christ’s love.
Vs 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us…
Is our love the type that is willing to sacrifice for the what we love?

11. Walk in love Webster’s defines sacrifice as:
“to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end”
Have we “suffered loss” of or “given up” anything because of love?
In order to “walk in love” we must love God and our fellow man.
Listen to Jesus’ response after being asked what was the greatest commandment.

12. Walk in love
Mt 22:37 Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 "This is the first and great commandment.
39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

13. Walk in love If we are going to “walk in love” then we will love God!
Do we have the same type of sacrificial love for God that Christ has for us?
Are we willing to give up things in this life in order to please God?
If not, then we are not “walking in love” towards God!

14. Walk in love
Romans 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We become a “living sacrifice” by obeying God instead of our own sinful lusts and desires.

15. Walk in love On Sunday morning I may want to:
Sleep in: It’s been a tough week and I just want a little extra rest.
Go fishing: Because of work and other things in my life I just don’t have any other time to fish and I really like to fish.
Are we going to walk in love and sacrifice the things of this life in order to please God?
Or, are we going to sacrifice our relationship with God

16. Walk in love Our love for God is demonstrated by us obeying God!
Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Joh 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.“
If we want to “walk in love” towards God we must keep the commandments of God!

17. Walk in love We must also “walk in love” towards our neighbor.
Matthew 22:39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
Do we have that same sacrificial love towards our neighbor that Christ has for us?
In Luke 10 the Lawyer asks Christ who his neighbor is.
In response to this question Jesus gives a parable that shows who our neighbor is and also a willingness to sacrifice for them.

18. Walk in love
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 "Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

19. Walk in love
32 "Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33 "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 "So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

20. Walk in love
35 "On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'
36 "So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"
37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

21. Walk in love The Samaritan “walked in love” towards the injured Jew.
Our “neighbor” is not limited to the people who live next door or to our friends and family.
We should treat all people as our neighbor even our enemies.
Mt 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

22. Walk in love It’s easy to do good for and pray for those who love us.
When is the last time we prayed for or did good things for those we don’t like and who don’t like us?
Jesus gives us a very good reason to walk in love towards our enemies.
Mt 5:45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

23. Walk in love
Not only do we see who our neighbor is in the parable of the Good Samaritan but we also see the attitude of self sacrifice.
He stopped and took time to help the man.
He put the injured man on his own animal while he walked
He made arrangements for and paid for the injured man’s care.
Walking in love cost the Samaritan his time, his effort and his money

24. Walk in love Has walking in love toward our neighbor cost us anything?
Have we been willing to sacrifice anything to help our neighbor?
We have a responsibility to help people when we can.
Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

25. Walk in love
I think this certainly would apply to helping others in physical ways when possible.
I heard this equation many times in Bible class growing up:
Ability + Opportunity = Responsibility
Helping in physical ways is certainly good but helping those who are in spiritual need is far better!
What have we sacrificed in order to bring lost souls to Christ?

26. Walk in love
Many of the early Christians sacrificed their health and wellbeing in order to take the gospel to the lost.
The Apostles certainly did.
They were arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin Council to answer for what they had been teaching.
Acts 5:40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

27. Walk in love
41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
The Apostle Paul sacrificed his position of power and prominence among the Jewish people in order to spread the Gospel.

28. Walk in love
Phillippians 3:4 ¶ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

29. Walk in love
Many sacrificed their own lives in order to walk in love towards other men by preaching the Gospel.
Walking in love cost Stephen his life
Ac 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

30. Walk in love
So many have sacrificed so much in order to spread the Gospel to a lost world.
What have we sacrificed?
Are we willing to give on the 1st day of the week in order for the Church to support preachers in other areas?
Is what we give a sacrifice or do we give what we don’t need?

31. Walk in love
Are we willing to walk in love by sacrificing our time to teach others the Gospel.
How do we expect the lost to hear the Gospel if we don’t take the time to teach them?
We often pray that we will be ready with an answer if someone asks us about what the Bible teaches.
Are we willing to sacrifice the time to study God’s Word so that we can be ready if asked?

32. Walk in love
Are we willing to sacrifice social standing in order to walk in love towards our neighbor.
When we do what is right when everyone else is doing wrong it may cost us some of our friends. Some people will say bad things about us.
But, the example we set in such situations may encourage others to take a stand for what is right as well.
Are we willing to set that example?

33. Walk in love
The day may come in this country when it will be against the law to teach against the sin of homosexuality.
What will we do when that time comes?
Would we be willing to walk in love and continue to teach against this sin and possibly sacrifice our freedom?
How sad it is that some would claim this teaching is “hate speech” when in reality it is love.

34. Walk in love
In 2015 several “religious volunteers” were terminated by the Kentucky department of Juvenile Justice because they refused to sign letters agreeing to never teach an inmate that homosexuality was a sin.
A navy Chaplain in 2015 was removed from his position by his commander for teaching against homosexuality.
He hired a lawyer and since that time has been returned to his position.

35. Walk in love
An Oregon bakery was fined $135,000 and ultimately had to closed down because it refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian marriage.
“Transgender” (another word for homosexual) people are allowed by law in some areas to use either bathroom.
The time is coming when good people will be thrown in jail for teaching homosexuality is a sin!

36. Conclusion Walking in love takes sacrifice.
It cost the Son of God His life
If we are going to Walk in Love towards God and our neighbor we must be willing to sacrifice:
Our own desires
Our money
Our time
Our relationships
Our freedom
Our life