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Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. We share God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory... ... Dr. Robert Jeffress. You know, as Christians, we are called to a higher standard of living, a standard of living that reflects the very nature of God Himself.
But how can imperfect people possibly imitate our perfect Creator? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress shares three ways we can walk in the footsteps of our Heavenly Father. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. In the hours of Jesus Christ, it's imperative that we spend a few moments every day reflecting on the truth of God's Word. For me, over the years, I found that daily quiet times are like taking a sip of cool water on a hot summer day.
It can be life-giving. Well, Pathway to Victory publishes a periodical designed for this very purpose. I'm referring to our best-kept secret, Pathway magazine. For daily devotionals that I've written for you, this is your opportunity to spend a few moments every day drinking from the deep wellspring of living water. I'd like to get you started with your first three editions of Pathway magazine.
They are my gift to you when you follow the simple instructions at ptv.org. And then most Christians don't realize that they're sitting on a treasure chest of spiritual benefits. In my brand-new book called Holy Living in an Unholy World, I show you the catalog of blessings that you possess. And I also explain how to employ these blessings in the hostile days in which we live. Please take advantage of this special offer while there's still time. Let me send you my book, Holy Living in an Unholy World. It's yours when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory. More details about my book and other resources later in today's program. But right now, let's give our full attention to Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 5. In this passage, we'll discover three ways to walk in the footsteps of our Heavenly Father. I've titled today's message, Like Father, Like Son. No matter how hard we try, we can't keep from becoming like our parents.
Have you noticed that? That's not altogether bad. I've told you about my dad before. He was a wonderful Christian. He had many positive qualities that I certainly have tried to emulate. He was a hard worker. He was an independent thinker.
He never went with the flow. But he had some idiosyncrasies that my siblings and I noticed early on that we vowed we would never repeat. And yet now, as we look at each other, we laugh because we can see our dad in one another.
The culinary habits, the particular likes and dislikes, the facial expressions. We have become like our dad. In the passage we're going to look at today, Paul tells us we need to become like our father. Not our earthly father, our Heavenly Father.
And that's the theme of the message today. Why we need to become like our father and how we do that. If you have your Bibles, turn to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 1. Paul says here, he says, Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. That Greek word imitators is mimita in Greek, mimitai.
It's the word we get, what, mimic from. It's through the Holy Spirit's effort in our life and our effort combined that we can become imitators of God. Now Paul's going to get real specific in this section. He said here are three characteristics of God you're to seek to duplicate. In verse 2 he says we are to walk in love. Secondly, we are to walk, verse 8, in light. And finally, verse 15, we're to walk in wisdom. If you want to be like God, walk in love, light, and wisdom. First of all, the command to walk in love. Look at it in Ephesians actually begins in verse 32 of chapter 4. Remember there were no chapter divisions in the original text.
This is one long letter. And so this thought actually begins in chapter 4 verse 32. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God and Christ. Underline that, just as God. Just as God and Christ has also forgiven you. Therefore, and this is chapter 5 verse 1, be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love.
Here it is again. Just as Christ, underline that, has loved you and has given himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. What I want you to see is when Paul says we're to love one another, he's not talking about some syrupy emotion that's hard to define.
He's talking about a very specific kind of love. A love that forgives. How do you forgive?
Well, the key is in this section. We're to forgive just as God and Christ has forgiven us. We're to forgive just as Christ also loved us. You'll never be able to forgive others until you understand the great debt from which God has forgiven you. Forgiveness is the obligation of those who have been forgiven. Notice what he said in verse 2 of chapter 5. Walk in love just as Christ also loved you, gave himself up for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. That's a reference to the Old Testament sacrifices. There was nothing fragrant about burning an animal.
The smell was anything but fragrant. But God, to God, it was fragrant because it resulted in forgiveness. In the same way, God did not delight in the death, the torture, the crucifixion of his own son, but he delighted in the result, and the result of Christ's death for us was the forgiveness of our sins. If you want to be like God, then you walk in love.
That means forgiving other people. But he also talks about a second way we imitate God, and that is by walking in light. Look at verses 8 through 10. For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. The Bible says God is light.
He's pure. He's holy. He is righteous, and we are to imitate that in our life and not walk in darkness. Think about how much God loves light. Do you know what his first words recorded in Scripture were?
What is the first thing God said? Let there be light. God is light. John talks about that in 1 John 1, verses 5 through 7. This is the message we have heard from him and announce to you that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we do not practice the truth. Earlier in chapter 4 of Ephesians, Paul talked about people who were darkened in their understanding because of the foolishness that is within them, because of the hardness of their hearts. He was talking about the way Gentiles live and immorality and murder and covetousness.
He said they do that because they've hardened their heart through the truth. But we're not to be like that. We're to be children of light.
Well, how do we pull that off? How do we walk in the light? Well, first of all, we have to understand what darkness is. And notice his description of walking in darkness in verses 3 to 4. He says, But immorality or any impurity or greed must not be named among you as is proper among the saints. And there must be no filthiness and silly talk or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather the giving of thanks. This is a list of dark deeds.
It's not a complete list, but it's some that were especially meaningful to the Ephesians because of what was going on in the Temple of Diana. He said, first of all, you put aside immorality. The Greek word there is porneia. It is the word we get pornography from. It's an umbrella term that really covers all sexual immorality. Immorality, porneia.
We're to put aside immorality. Then secondly, he says put aside impurity. This word means uncleanness. It literally refers to the foul smell that comes from an open wound. That's what impurity is. Probably Paul has in mind here some particular sexual perversions that were common in the Temple of Diana. Homosexuality, pedophilia, prostitution. Put that aside.
That's darkness. Thirdly, he says put aside greed. We're to avoid greed.
At first that seems misplaced. We've been talking about sex. Why does he talk about money? Because greed and immorality come from the same base emotion, and that's covetousness. Wanting something more or something different than what God has provided for us. God hasn't given me enough money. I need more in order to be truly happy. God hasn't given me the right mate.
I need someone else to fulfill me. That's all covetousness. By the way, unless you think I'm making this connection up, that's what Paul says in Ephesians 5. He said know this with all certainty that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of God. You know where the heart of idolatry is? It's believing.
If I had something more or different, I could truly be happy. It's looking to things or people to fill a void in our life, to become an idol in our life, a void that only God can fill. He says fourth, put aside filthiness.
That's darkness. This refers to obscene or shameless speech. In fact, in verse 12, he's going to say it's disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done in secret. Fifth, he says avoid silly talk. You know that word silly literally means in Greek moronic. Talking like a moron, just silly talk.
We're to avoid that. Finally, he said darkness includes coarse jesting. Now, it doesn't just say jesting. There's nothing wrong with being funny and enjoying a joke. In fact, Ecclesiastes 3.1 says there is a time for everything under heaven, including a time to laugh. Proverbs 17.22 says a joyful heart is good. It's good.
It's good medicine. But the word coarse here literally means a well-turned wit, a well-turned word. Coarseness is turning something clean into something that's dirty.
We call it in our culture innuendo. Everything is dirty. Everything has a dirty connotation to it. Double entendre. We think it is so clever for people to take something clean and pervert it. God doesn't think it's humorous at all.
It's coarse. Just think of late night talk show hosts and how they'll take things and turn them into something dirty. In my day, it was Johnny Carson. He was a master comedian, but he also had a way of just turning things into something that was unclean.
Somebody said the distance between talking about immorality and committing immorality is a shorter distance than you can possibly imagine. Don't let these things become a part of your speech. Instead, be known for giving thanks. John R. Stott, the late pastor, said, all of God's gifts, including sex, are subjects for thanksgiving rather than for joking. To joke about them is to degrade them.
To thank God for them is a way to preserve their worth as a blessing of our creator. Now, that's a description of walking in darkness. Now, Paul is going to give a defense for walking in light instead. Why should we choose to walk in light, holiness, righteousness, instead of darkness?
Notice the two reasons Paul gives. First of all, he says, because we are recipients of God's light. Look at verse 6. Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things, the immorality, the impurity, the uncleanness, because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them, for you were formerly darkness. You used to operate in darkness, but now you are light, and the Lord walk as children of light.
We're to walk in light because God has shown his light on us. You know, while I was reading that this week, I thought about Amy and I when we were dating in high school. We would go out on a date, or maybe to a movie, or to eat, and then we would come back to Amy's house, and we'd go into the living room, and we'd be seated on the couch, and we'd enjoy a little bit of fellowship together. You know what I'm talking about. Nothing immoral, just a little fellowship.
A holy kiss, or two. But Amy's father, who by the way is still with us at age 96 and watching this broadcast right now, Amy's father had the most annoying habit. He had the ability to move around quietly like a cat burglar. You never knew where he was. You could never find him, and suddenly, we'd be enjoying our fellowship time when the lights would turn on, just about giving me a heart attack, and there he would be standing, just checking in, just checking in. Do you think turning on that light had any effect on my behavior? You better believe it did. Light is a motivation to do the right thing, and we need to remember the light is shining on us right now, whether we realize it or not.
I remember a thing about being a teenager. We used to have these Bible teachers who would say, now, before you go out parking on Friday night, just ask yourself this question, what if Jesus were to come back and see what you were doing? What would he think about it? Now, the only problem with that is, where is Jesus right now? Is he in heaven with blinders on and can't see anything? He's watching right now.
It's not just some future day. He's watching, evaluating, and judging. The light is shining on us. Therefore, we ought to walk in the light. We're the recipients of God's light, but not only that. Secondly, we are the reflectors of God's light. We're like the moon.
The moon doesn't generate its own light. It reflects the light of the sun, and so we are to reflect, not block. We are to reflect the light that comes from God the Father.
That's what he's talking about in verse 11 through 13. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them. We are God's floodlight to expose wickedness. Now, you know, sometimes non-Christians are repelled by that. Have you ever heard a non-Christian say, oh, I don't like hanging around Christians.
They're so judgmental. Well, they may never say anything, but that unbeliever is convicted of the way he's living by the way that they live and obey God, and so they're repelled from the light. But there are other unbelievers who are attracted to God by the way they see Christians walking in the light. Albert Schweitzer had a great word about influence. He said, example is not the main thing in influencing people. It's the only thing. The way we reflect God is through our behavior by walking in the light, and that's why Jesus said in Matthew 5, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We are to walk in the light because we are recipients of the light and we are to be reflectors of God's light. I have a story in my file, and I don't know. I got it years ago, and I honestly don't know where it came from, so whomever I stole that from listening right now, my apologies, but it's a great story. It's a summary of an episode from the old Alfred Hitchcock show.
Do some of you remember Alfred Hitchcock? He was the master of suspense, and in 1964, there was an episode called The Final Escape. It was about a woman who was convicted of murder. She was sentenced to life in prison, and she was so angry, she yelled at the judge and said, this is unfair, and I will find a way to get out of this prison. So she's taken to prison, and while she's there, she befriends an old man who works in the prison. His job is to build the caskets for anyone who dies, and he needed cataract surgery, so she said, I will give you the money if you'll help me escape from this prison. What the old man would do was, whenever somebody would die, he would place their body in the newly-made casket, wheel the casket outside the wall of the prison, and bury it in the cemetery, so she had this idea. She said, the next time somebody dies, I'm going to get into the casket, you'll wheel me out, bury me in the casket, and then the next day, when nobody's looking, come back and rescue me.
What could go wrong with that plan? So a couple of days later in the TV show, the bell begins to toll, signaling a prisoner has died, and this woman gets out of bed, makes her way down to the little room where they make the caskets. It's dark. She climbs into the casket in complete darkness, pulls the lid in. She waits, and she can start to feel the wheels turning as the casket makes its way outside the prison and outside the gate. She can feel as it's lifted up and it's put into the ground. She can hear the clumps of dirt being thrown onto the casket. She smiles.
Her escape is complete. She waits and waits. The next morning comes. Nothing happens. The morning turns into another nighttime, and she begins to panic.
Something's wrong. She takes a match, and she lights it and sees that the corpse she's with is the body of the old man who made the caskets. And the last scene of the show is the camera tilting up from the cemetery to the sky as you hear the woman wailing uncontrollably, realizing she will be in that grave forever. I told that story one time in a church service on Easter Sunday. And a man wrote me the letter the next week, said, that is the worst story I have ever heard.
I am never coming back to church again. It is a creepy story. It's an eerie story, but I'll tell you something even more eerie, and that is Christians who have been raised to a whole new way of living to walk in the light, who voluntarily choose to climb back into that casket of sin, death, darkness, judgment, and live there forever.
What a poor choice. That's why verse 14 closes with these words, Arise, O sleeper, verse 14, and arise from the dead, for Christ will shine on you, walking in the light instead of the darkness. During today's message, maybe God revealed an area of weakness where you're not fully reflecting His character.
Isn't it time that you started walking in the light instead of the darkness? Well, all this month, I've been offering a special resource that will guide you in this process. I'm referring to my brand-new book called Holy Living in an Unholy World. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul showed us that living a holy life begins with understanding the rich spiritual heritage we already enjoy.
In other words, it's simply tapping into the blessings that God has already given His children. If you're ready to reignite your passion for God, then this book will equip you. And for a few more days, you're invited to request your copy when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.
Plus, David will describe the collection of audio CDs and video DVDs for this study. There's even a group study guide for your Sunday school class or small group Bible study. And then let me take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to anyone who supports Pathway to Victory. Your commitment to our mission is advancing God's kingdom in tangible ways. In fact, our mailbox is filled with grateful messages from people just like you. They tell us amazing stories about personal transformation.
And it's possible because friends like you give generously. So thank you for joining forces with Pathway to Victory as together, hand in hand, we're piercing the darkness of our culture with the bright light of God's Word. David. Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we're going to say thanks by sending you the brand-new book by Dr. Robert Jeffress, Holy Living in an Unholy World. To request your copy, call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. And when you give $75 or more, we'll also send you all 19 messages from the brand-new Holy Living in an Unholy World teaching series.
Now, these messages come on both DVD video and MP3 format audio discs, along with a companion study guide. But this really is the final week that this offer will be available, so get in touch right away. Again, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to send your donation by mail, write to P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. That's P.O.
Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. Next time, Dr. Jeffress will talk about the third godly trait that we're called to imitate, wisdom.
How can we walk wisely in a foolish world? That's our topic Wednesday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Picture yourself relaxing aboard a luxury cruise ship as you sail the Mediterranean Sea on the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise. This 11-day journey will take you to unforgettable destinations in Italy, Turkey, and Greece.
Plus, you'll have the option to extend your trip with additional adventures in Rome. To book your spot on the 2025 Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, go to ptv.org. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
