Episode 10: Ephesians 5:3-20: Are you walking in the light?
Wisdom, folly, light and dark. There are some big themes in this next chunk of the letter, as we continue to apply all that we've been taught so far in Ephesians.
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What most strikes you about the contrast between light and dark in this passage?
Where does this personally challenge you?
What does it look like for you to embrace v18-20 more wholeheartedly in the coming weeks?
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This episode is sponsored by Crossway.
Crossway publish gospel-centered, Bible-based content that honours our Savior and serves his church. They seek to help people understand the massive implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word, for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God.
Check out their website for all their up-to-date resources.
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The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy.
Sarah: You're listening to the Two Sisters in a Cup of Tea podcast, the Bible Study podcast for everyday life. We're here for a 20 minute burst of Bible chat over a cup of tea and an English style biscuit as we make our way through a Bible book and drive it to our hearts. And this season we're in Ephesians and whether you've been listening for a while or you've only just found us, we are so pleased you're here.
Felicity: This season has been sponsored by Crossway and I've been using the ESV Women's Study Bible for a while. And as with all the Crossway Study Bibles, this is a treasure trove of resources interspersed with the Bible text. The distinctive thing about this iteration is that it's beautifully designed and it has some fantastic articles from a range of women scattered throughout seeking to help us apply the Bible as women in various different areas definitely worth the investment. Grab your copy from Crossway.org
Sarah: Welcome to Two Sisters in a Cup of Tea. My name is Sarah, I'm in the UK. I'm here with my sister Felicity, who's in the USA. And today we are in chapter five of Ephesians, starting from verse three, going through to verse 20. Felicity, it's a passage all about light and dark today. So let me ask you this as we start off. How light or dark is your preferred cup of tea?
Felicity: Another excellent segue, Sarah. From Bible to tea, tea to Bible, you know, back and forth.
Sarah: Thank you! I'm really working hard on these
Felicity: I find that when I'm having a good old Yorkshire tea, which I actually am because it's the morning here, I like it quite dark actually, just a splash of milk I'd say, and maybe a generous splash, but then if I'm having an Earl Grey I actually quite like quite a bit more milky, a bit paler.
Sarah: And from what I remember, from where you live, the milk cartons are very big. How do you control that splash? Do you have a milk jug?
Felicity: I mean, that is very perceptive of you to even consider that that does impact my splash because it definitely does. And I don't have a milk jug. I know our mother would be very pleased if we did, but I do just kind of dollop rather than splash. Lacking control, to be honest. Let's draw it to Ephesians kind of darkness and light. As we seek to live in the light. What does it look like to invite others in to challenge you as a Christian? How can I kind of bring that light in how you're living, particularly as you get older, position of leadership in church, what does that mean to kind of let others bring the light?
Sarah: I think it's a helpful question isn't it because we always want to be those who are hearing the truth, responding to the truth and growing in what it looks like to walk in the light and we need, as we've been hearing all the way through Ephesians, we need others to help us. We are not lone rangers in this. For me I think it's being willing to be vulnerable with others, it's being willing to invite others in. So as I was kind of studying this passage just last week, I was really convicted of the need to just, I sent a voice note to one of my good friends here and just said, please keep doing this, please keep kind of encouraging me to walk in the light, please keep challenging me on my sin, I just, to just be that upfront really with one or two friends and just saying I need you, I need to be accountable here. And of course with my husband, yes, but actually just a couple of people outside of marriage as well for us and for you. You aren't in my everyday life but you do know me very well so again being able to speak the truth in love to me and just for us to call one another out I think is just is a healthy dynamic isn't it of our friendship and of our sister, sisters in Christ kind of nature. What would you add to that?
Felicity: Yes. I think the key has just always been honesty for me. In fact, I was in a small group discussion with our home group last night and it was a pretty, it's on a pretty sensitive kind of sin issue and making myself kind of lead the way in honesty, just so everyone knows that I am in no way above this battle. Like I am in that battle as well. And I don't need to splurge all my deepest, darkest secrets, but just an honesty in that because I know that I am forgiven. I know that I am covered by grace. Therefore, I can confess my sin and that the necessity of doing that in community is really, I'm more and more, I just think that is key, especially being in leadership. And there are kind of, know, sensitivity issues as to whether who you're telling everything to. And I have a couple of really close friends here that I'm as you say, really asking them to just keep me accountable in that. But I think an overall policy of honesty, even about my sin, is just being a real game changer actually on that and allowing people to just, yeah, see that and to speak into that and to know that just because I lead the women's work does not mean that I am in any way less sinful.
Sarah: Yeah, above, yeah, yeah, no, I think that's really helpful and I think that's really, yeah, I wholeheartedly agree on that in terms of in group dynamics and even, yeah, when leading from the front in church and all the things actually just, just modelling what the Christian life looks like, which is the first part of Port of Call is always confession, isn't it? And repentance and yeah, that's really helpful. Okay, we're gonna get into this passage. Felicity, you're gonna read for us from verse three in chapter five of Ephesians.
Felicity: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity or of greed because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure no immoral, impure or greedy person, such a person as an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. And find out what pleases the Lord have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It's shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. That is why it is said, wake up sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Sarah: Brilliant, thank you, Felicity. I'm struck again with this kind of repeated pattern of Paul saying, is what you were, or this is what it looks like to live without Christ, and this is not the way that you now are to live. And we've had that in chapter two, with you were dead and now you're alive. We've had it in chapter, where is it? We've had it in chapter four as well, haven't we? This is your former way of life, in our last passage and this is how you should be living as putting on your new self and here it's like another iteration of that isn't it? There's another kind of language to describe the kind of before and after moments of with Christ in the middle.
Felicity: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. And that's really helpful, isn't it? That's always helpful. It's a reminder of our identity. That's what's been going all the way through the letter. This is who we are. And therefore, verse three, but among you, who you are in Christ, there must not even be a hint of that which you were. There's a distinct difference between who you were and who you are now. And he goes for sexual immorality, doesn't he? Interestingly, the sexual immorality, instinctively I think is a kind of an action, it spreads out into words here and that's no surprise that he's bringing in words. We've had words and speaking all the way through the letter. But this idea that we're talking about sexual immorality nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, that's all running down that same path. I think just as a starting point, that's a helpful reminder that actually the way we use our words can be reflective of well, so much, it can benefit others and it also can take us down this kind sexual immorality kind of route and that is a bit of a shock and actually just a really good warning, I think, as to what that looks like.
Sarah: Yeah. That's nothing different to what Jesus has said in terms of, at the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak. So actually, if our hearts are any way gripped in this kind of sin or partnering as this language uses down in verse 7, then actually that is going to overflow into how we speak, isn't it? I think that language of partnership is really powerful, isn't it? He's saying, therefore do not be partners. There must not be even a hint. It's this language of fleeing, it? Of kind of not even associating with this sin, not letting this sin kind of deceive you in any way because it's not fitting for God's holy people. It's not fitting for heaven and so don't partner now with what will absolutely not be in heaven where your inheritance is stored up for you, that hope that we've been talking about all the way from chapter one. I think what's really striking here though is that it's not just the immoral or the impure but greed and the kind of the nature of these sins. It's idolatry. It's idolatry. It's serving things or people or ideas that are not the Lord and like it's just really clearly laid out here isn't it?
Felicity: Yeah, it's kind of calling out, it's placing in its right place what is going on when this happens. even just that phrase, we let no one deceive you with empty words. Don't let anyone make you think that this is not what it is. This is idolatry and it has no place among us. I think the thing about not having any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God is not, it's not so much like, if you're into this, then you're probably out. It's more like, this is who you are. Again, emphasizing that identity, like, be clear, this is who you are. And he goes on in verse eight to highlight that difference. Again, you were once darkness, but now, and it's such a wonderful picture, isn't it? You are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Like, is a repetition of light. Yes, I want to be that. That is way more desirable than one has just been described there.
Sarah: Yeah, yeah. And you can't get a kind of, you know, other than the dead and alive kind of analogy that he's already used, is there any stronger analogy than darkness and light? Like he's already gone to the top trump back in chapter two, hasn't he? So like what else can he use? dark and light. That's the next thing I'm going to do. And it's just so powerful, the light here, isn't it? The light exposes, the light makes things become visible, the light illuminates, it shines and it's actually a really attractive thing. He says, as children of the light for the fruit of light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth. I mean, that is a beautiful thing to have your days and your weeks and your months and your heart and your mind to be filled with, goodness, righteousness and truth.
Felicity: And echoes again of what we've heard previously, created in truth and in righteousness and holiness, created in the likeness of Christ. So as we are in the light, of the light, we are actually in the likeness of Christ. And we know that that is desirable. We know that that is a beautiful thing. so verse 11 then makes more and more sense, doesn't it? As that speaks to our heart and persuades us that not only are we of the light, but we want to be of the light. We want to be characterised by these things, therefore have nothing to do with the darkness. Rather expose them and expose them being a kind of like bring them into the light, isn't it? Like why wouldn't you bring these things into this better stream, this better way?
Sarah: Yeah. And what stops us doing that is shame, isn't it? Shame stops us bringing sin into the light, doesn't it? Because we're ashamed. We feel like it's just too embarrassing. It's just too much of a stain. We don't want people to know that this is the kind of sin that we've been indulging in anyway. But actually, shame here is talked about in what the disobedient do in secret. But no, actually, that like we don't need to be full of shame. We need to acknowledge that light brings health. Light brings freedom. Light brings forgiveness. And when you're walking into the light and you've got someone by your side preaching, speaking the truth in love to you, saying Christ has done it, he's nailed it, it's done, it's finished, like peace has been brokered, it's complete. I think that's when this kind of comes to bear, doesn't it? That you can really say, yes, I don't want to have anything to do with that fruitless deed of darkness anymore because I'm confident of what I know in Christ. And it comes back to all that we've been saying about Christ in the gospel through the rest of the letter, doesn't it?
Felicity: Yeah, that's right, that's right. And so he then takes us to wake up, sleep, arise and the day of Christ will shine on you. And there's this kind of an element there of whoever has maybe been sleeping, you know, if you're a believer and you've kind of stumbled into the darkness, you're kind of almost asleep in that you've mixed up where you're supposed to be as we live in the light, the impact of that. And part of being in the light is, as he said, goodness, righteousness and truth. As we then speak that, proclaim that speaking truth and love to one another, we bring someone back to, back to awake-ness, back to the light. And that, what a power, what a power actually, and what a gift, what a grace to draw others back to the light. And again, as we've been seeing all the way through the letter, the impact of the ordinary believer speaking truth and love, bringing the light, causing people to run back to Jesus. Be very careful then he says verse 15, how you live not as unwise but as wise. And that's not just an instruction kind of parachuted in, that's because of the amazing power of this. Be very careful, like live in the light because there is good, just glorious things happening when as believers we choose to live in the light rather than in the dark. And I love this phrase, making the most of every opportunity. Again, it's kind of elevating ordinary faithfulness, isn't it? This feels like very normal life kind of stuff. Every opportunity, like even as I'm on my own in the morning with my Bible, every opportunity as I'm interacting with my kids over the laundry, I'm interacting with the register, the cash register at a shop, like every opportunity is valid and valuable for all that's being described here.
Sarah: Yes, absolutely. And I think in that sense it's really striking then that he says be filled with the Spirit and what does being filled with the Spirit look like here? It looks like speaking to one another with Psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. So literally speaking the truth to one another, speaking God's word to each other, applying Psalms, like letting that work, you know, letting those songs, letting the truths of those laments and those prayers and those kind of songs filled with praise, letting those shape your conversations and also sing, sing and make music from your heart to the Lord giving thanks to God and just that reality that I think I just think that's striking that what is it like to be filled with the spirit? Well actually it looks like walking in the light. It looks like speaking the truth to one another and fuelling your heart with with some worship, whether that's on your own in the kitchen, whether that's at church on a Sunday, whatever it is, fuelling your mind and heart with the truth, with the knowledge of Christ, that is going to overflow in thanksgiving and is going to really impact how you then be wise, how you then make the most of every opportunity, because what I'm filling my mind and heart with is going to impact what overflows into how I speak and how I go about my days.
Felicity: Yeah, and how you interact in verse 19 with one another. So we are speaking this to our, we're filling our hearts with this, we're clinging to the truth, we're loving the revelation that's being given to us. And as a result then we speak that truth to others. And as we've been seeing through the whole letter, that is where the power is. Like that is how God is working. We've heard it from Paul being the messenger, the steward of this truth. And so we have the truth and then as we speak it, sing it. Like, write it, whatever it may be, others are also impacted by that. And again, just realising, I think for me, just the big reminder, that is what is going on. So it's worth doing it. Like, it's not huge, but the impact of it is huge. it's, yeah, make every opportunity in light of what God is doing through it.
Sarah: Yeah. And the more that you are doing that and feel convinced of that, the more that we will want to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, the more that we will think, I don't want even a hint of that, because we'll recognise how stark the difference is. So they kind of, it feeds one another, I think, in that, doesn't it? Felicity, will you pray for us that we would be those who want to walk as children of the light?
Felicity: Absolutely. Heavenly Father, we praise you that we are children of the light because of Jesus. Thank you for the security we have in him. And Lord, we thank you for the clarity of dark and light here. We pray, Lord, that you would draw us more and more into the light. Would we be wise? Would we be making the most of every opportunity to pursue that which is of you? Pray that for ourselves. Pray that for those around us. Pray that we be those who speak truth, that others might be drawn into the light more and and we pray this in your name. Amen.
Sarah: Amen. Well, brilliant. I'm kind of sad that we're already inching towards the end of our time at Ephesians. Next Friday, we will have a guest joining us. We're really looking forward to you hearing that conversation. Before then, we have a range of free downloads on our website made for you, from prayers to pray when Bible reading is hard, to conversations about reading the Bible one-to-one, and resources to go alongside different seasons. Do head to twosistersandacupoftea.com/freedownloads and take a look. And we look forward to seeing you next Friday as we get into the rest of chapter five and the first part of chapter six together. And we'll see you then.
Felicity: See you then, bye bye. This episode is sponsored by Crossway.
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