Title: HOLY LIVING

Focus: Holy living flows from being an authentic Christian; it flows from being shaped by the life and work of Christ, and it flows from being indwelt by the Spirit of God.

Function: To move the people to shape their daily living by the grand story of the Triune God, seeking the indwelling Spirit of God.

Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:21

This past week, Senator Ted Kennedy died. I realize that you don’t need this reminder from me, because it seems that the mainstream media in N.A is eager to keep his memory before us. And the dominant portrait or message from the media is that America has suffered the loss of “a lion of a senator,” an icon of American glory, a man of exceptional stature, kind-hearted, and charitable. In short, we have lost a saint—so it seems.

I will not touch upon the politics and accomplishments of the late senator. Historians and common folks will do that in the days and months to come. But there’s one thing about Senator Kennedy that has bothered me for a long time. It was his failure to be an authentic Christian.

Senator Kennedy always wanted to be known for being a devout Catholic--a member of the Church governed by the pope in Rome. And many of Senator Kennedy’s close associates were always quick to bring up the Senator’s allegiance to the teachings of the Christian church.

But his lifestyle and his political stance on a number of critical moral issues such as abortion and sexual morality did not authenticate the Senator’s religious heritage or convictions. In fact, the Senator, like many others who profess to be Christians, was profoundly able to divorce his lifestyle and actions from the teachings of the Christian faith. His faith was his personal and private business. His daily affairs were entirely separate from his faith.

In my view, the senator failed to be an authentic Christian. Of course, I can be criticized for sitting in judgment over another person. And I’ll be the first one to admit that no one of us, including myself, can live a perfectly authentic Christian life. Sin will always cling to our actions, motives, and thinking. But the Scriptures do teach us that we can recognize a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ by the fruit he produces, by the life she lives. Not only that, Scripture also teaches that followers of Christ must strive to live holy lives. Such striving is part of belonging to Christ and his church.

The Apostle Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4 and 5 that striving to live a holy life flows from being an authentic Christian; Holy living flows from being shaped by the life and work of Christ and from being indwelt by the Spirit of God. That’s the message I wish to explore together with you this afternoon.

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The passage that we covered is large in scope and filled with details that call for our attention. Let’s begin with the flow of Paul’s thought (cf. John Stott). Think of the passage as having three platforms for holy living: 1. A doctrinal platform; 2. An ethical platform; and 3. A motivational platform for holy living.

For example, verses 17-24 in chapter 4 make up the doctrinal platform. In these verses Paul stresses the importance of biblical teachings, of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ—his person and his work. We’ll come back a little later to this doctrinal platform for holy living.

Verses 25 through verse 4 of chapter 5 make up the ethical platform. On this platform we encounter at least 6 “coins” of ethical behavior, that is, 6 examples of holy living.

The last platform comes to us in chapter 5 verses 5-21. On that platform we bump into a number of incentives or motivations for living a holy or pure life. I will not be able to explore with you in this message all these motivations for Christian living. But I will state four such motivations and read to you the text:

Motivation 1. The certainty of judgment at the time of Christ’s final coming is a powerful incentive for Christians to live holy lives. Listen: (vs. 5-7) “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man (or person) is 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.”

Motivation 2. Living in the light of Christ produces fruit such as goodness, righteousness, and truth; the fruit of darkness leads to death. Listen (vs. 8-14) “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light…Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.”

Motivation 3. Living a pure or holy life displays a wisdom that comes from God and that conforms to God’s will. Listen: (vs. 15-17) “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Motivation 4. Seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit leads to purity and joy, which enrich our journey and pursuit of living sanctified lives. Listen again: (vs. 18-21) “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalm, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Thus we note that Paul’s thoughts move from a doctrinal platform to an ethical behavior platform to a motivational platform. That’s the structure of thought.

Knowing this structure of thought will help us to pick up an overriding theme in chapter 4 and part of chapter 5. Pastor/theologian John Stott puts it this way: (p. 193)“These chapters are a stirring summons to the unity and purity of the church; but they are more than that. Their theme is the integration of Christian experience (what we are), Christian theology (what we believe) and Christian ethics (how we behave). They emphasize that being; thought and action belong together and must never be separated. For what we are governs how we think, and how we think determines how we act.”

This is why I say that holy living flows from being an authentic Christian. And being a “for real Christian” calls for being shaped by the life and works of Jesus, and it calls for being filled with the Spirit of God.

I now want to go back to that first platform of Paul’s thought—the doctrinal platform for living a pure life. We note that the Apostle begins by making a contrast between pagan (or secular) and Christian living. In vs. 17-19 Paul explores the Gentile or pagan life, and in vs. 20-24 Paul highlights the Christian way of life. The pagan way of life is a life lived separately from Christ; the Christian way of life is shaped by and deeply rooted in the life and person and work of Christ.

Here’s what’s so striking about Paul’s approach toward holy living: he emphasizes that holy living begins with the mind. The attitude of the mind, the way we think about life, the mindset by which we approach all of life—is critical when it comes to living an authentic, pure life. For Christians to live with authenticity there must be a renewal of the mind. And that renewal cannot conform to the schemes of the world, but must adhere to the life and person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen to Paul explaining the Gentile or pagan way of living. “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” Here we have a reference to the mindset of unbelievers.

That pagan mindset influences the affections or emotions (the heart) of unbelievers. And thus Paul says “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”

Then Paul goes on and he makes the point that a pagan way of life starts with a dark mindset, affects the hardening of the heart (which results in the refusal to listen to or respond to the gospel with faith. A sinful heart resistant to God leads to sensuality, impurity and eventually judgment and death. Listen: “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” The pagan mindset leads to impure living.

In contrast, the Christian way of life begins with the renewal of one’s mind or thinking. Paul uses the language of education. And he works with the notion that new believers have gone to “the school of Christ,” that is, they have been and are being catechized, taught the way and life of Christ.

Listen: “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.” Familiarity, then, with the story and work of Jesus is crucial for the Christian way of life and purity. That’s why Paul says: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

So I say it again: holy living flows from being an authentic Christian. Being shaped on a daily basis by the life and works of Christ and by being indwelt by the Spirit of God, we can live pure lives.

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Earlier, I made reference to 6 coins of ethical behavior. You find them in vs. 25-5:4. These coins of ethical behavior are examples of holy living. I call them “coins” because the Apostle Paul describes these 6 behaviors from both sides—from a negative and a positive angle.

Here’s coin #1 (vs. 25) “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” In other words, “don’t lie; tell the truth.”

Coin #2 (vs. 26-27) “’In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” In other words, “watch your temper, work through righteous anger.”

Coin #3 (vs. 28) “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” In other words, “don’t steal, but work for a living and be charitable.”

Coin #4 (vs. 29-30) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” In other words, “watch your tongue; edify people with wholesome speech.

Coin #5 (vs.31-5:2) “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loves us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” In other words, “away with unkindness and bitterness; hello charity and love.”

Coin #6 (5:3-4) “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because they 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.” In short, sexual immorality—in its zillions of forms today--are out.

Christians must learn to cash in these 6 coins of ethical behavior. There are many more coins, no doubt. But this much is clear:

Holy living is not an option. The Lord God calls for authentic Christian conduct. Sunday living and weekday conduct must go together. Singing hymns in church on Sundays and tooting our horn of business throughout the week must resonate with holiness.

And remember: (especially those of us who have a distaste for doctrine or so-called catechetical teachings of the church) Holy living begins with the renewal of the mind; is shaped by teaching and learning the story and work of Christ; and it is nurtured by the formative teachings of Scripture, and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Thus I say it one more time: Holy living flows from being shaped by the life and work of Christ and from being indwelt by the Spirit of God. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.