Are we living to please Jesus, or dying to please ourselves?
The other day, I was reading a book that summarized the history of the nation of Israel during the era of the Judges. It was an interesting, yet strange time in their history, and one statement stands out to just about any person who reads what Scripture teaches about the hearts of the people during that era of history. We're told that in those days, "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)
What do you think about that statement? When you read it, do you cringe for the people living during that era? I certainly do, but I have to admit that it sounds a lot like what I'm seeing today. I wish that wasn't the case, but I'd be lying if I wasn't willing to admit that.
Then again, I guess I shouldn't be surprised when the unbelieving world acts like unbelievers act. That seems entirely logical. In fact, if I'm going to be surprised, I should probably be surprised when someone who doesn't share our faith in Christ demonstrates character and behavior that aligns with His counsel.
But that's not Paul's primary concern in Ephesians 5:1-14. In fact, in this passage, he speaks about Christians who profess to believe in Jesus, yet demonstrate hearts that are still aligned with worldly values and practices. So the question we're going to wrestle with as we look at the words of this passage is, "Are we living to please Jesus, or dying to please ourselves?" What can we expect to see in a life that makes Christ's pleasure its priority?
I. Walk in love
Do you ever feel like as a Christian you're constantly trying to overcome stereotypes and characterizations of what people expect you to do or what they expect you to be like? I experience that frequently, especially when people learn that I serve as a pastor. I still remember a few years ago, another family in our neighborhood invited us to a birthday party. At the party, they were playing music from the 1980's, and they seemed shocked that I knew the words.
Sometimes, unfortunately, the stereotype or expectation someone might have of you or me is that we're going to be harsh and judgmental. They think that the only thing we're going to notice are the things we think they're doing that are wrong, and they expect us to have a critical spirit. That reputation is probably deserved, and there's certainly a place for expressing displeasure with certain activities (something Paul does in this portion of Scripture), but God's word explains that we're called to be known for more than merely what we're against. As followers of Christ, we're called to be beacons of His genuine and sacrificial love.
So, what does the love of God look like, and how was it demonstrated to us? The example that was given to us in this passage points us back to the sacrificial love of Jesus. We're told that He demonstrated His love through sacrifice. He gave Himself up for us. He endured the wrath that we deserved. His life was given in a sacrificial way in order to bless those He loved.
As Children of God who are dearly loved by Him, we're called to imitate that example by walking in love. And please notice that this Scripture isn't speaking about walking in "warm feelings." That's not the nature of the love being expressed in this passage. The kind of love we're being called to walk in is a sacrificial love. It's a love that looks at the needs of someone else and attempts to meet those needs. I heard two great examples of that recently.
Bobby Eaton was a well known professional wrestler in the 1980's and 1990's. I don't know anything about his religious faith, but I do know about the kind of impact he made on his peers because of his sacrificial spirit. When the wrestling promotions would tour around the country, he would pack what he needed for the trip, but he would pack many items in triplicate just in case someone else forgot to bring something. Chris Jericho tells the story of when he forgot to bring a toothbrush on one of those trips, and Bobby gave him one of the extras he brought.
I also was just told a story from one of my friends. They were walking with their three children near a beach. It was starting to get cold out, and one of their sons noticed a man who seemed like he might be homeless. He walked over to the man, took off his coat, gave it to him, then returned to walking with his family.
That's the kind of sacrificial love Jesus invites us to show each other. That's what He's encouraging us to imitate as we first observe that kind of love being shown in His actions.
II. Don't give in to deception
Admittedly, it can be difficult to think in a long-term way when we're facing so many present-day trials. Right now, I have close friends that are experiencing major health concerns, financial concerns, and family concerns. When those issues are pressing in on you, it can be challenging to think about anything other than today's struggles, but I'm grateful that the Lord gives us a glimpse into the future that's far greater than our present pain.
In multiple places in Scripture, the Lord speaks about our eternal inheritance in His kingdom. This is something that is being held secure for all who have genuine faith in Jesus Christ. We have an inheritance in God's eternal kingdom that cannot be corrupted, damaged, or stolen. That inheritance is only for those who know Jesus. And as Paul explains in this passage, those who still worship themselves and idolize the desires of their sin nature will not share in this inheritance.
Why would anyone trade the opportunity to have an incorruptible inheritance in the kingdom of God for a corruptible inheritance in the kingdom of man? The reason the human heart is willing to do that is because we are easily deceived. From our earliest days, Satan has taken great delight in convincing us that the fleeting pleasures of this world are more satisfying than the treasures of heaven. And sometimes, even we as believers can be deceived into believing that lie. How do I know that?
I know that because we often give in to our temptations. Paul lists many of the things we're tempted by in this passage. We're tempted to engage in sexual sin, covetousness, course humor, and foolishness. Sometimes, I think we're easy prey to give in to these things because there's a part of us that might actually want to be deceived. We want to believe these things will bring some level of satisfaction to our hearts, so we commonly find ourselves drifting away from Jesus and toward the very things that love to drag us down.
But Jesus came to this earth to lift us up. He knew the momentary and eternal consequences of our rebellion better than we did, so He reached into our mess, convinced our hearts that the promises of this world are empty, and offered Himself as the solution to our emptiness. It might take a while for us to realize that giving in to the deceptiveness of sin will leave us feeling utterly depressed, but once we get sick of sin's aftertaste, maybe our hearts will finally be ready to find joy, hope, and satisfaction in Christ.
III. Live in the light
I feel bad for kids living in this day and age. When I was a kid, it was easy to prank call people or ring their doorbells and run away without them having any idea who did it. Now that we have Caller ID and video doorbells, that's impossible. In fact, just the other day, one of the kids in our neighborhood rang our doorbell and ran away, and I didn't even get up from my chair to see who it was. I just watched the video of him doing it from my phone, then I shared it with everyone in our home.
This portion of Scripture reminds us that we used to live our lives like we were trying to get away with something under the cover of darkness. We thought we could sneak our way through life and that our craftiness would go unexposed, but that's not the case at all. Scripture teaches that eventually, everything will be exposed to the light. There will be no secrets or hidden motives. It's all going to come out eventually. And since we have been blessed with the light of Christ, and removed from the domain of darkness, there's no need for us to live in darkness any longer.
In fact, it's apparent from Paul's words that the early church used to sing about this very fact. He even quotes one of their songs when he says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Some believe this may have been a hymn the church used to sing when a new believer was being baptized.
Our calling is to walk in the light, not partner with the darkness. We're called to live the kind of life that we wouldn't feel ashamed to let others closely examine. We're called to be the same person in private that we appear to be when we're in front of others. And thankfully, through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in the light of Christ.
Are we living to please Jesus, or dying to please ourselves? Genuine faith is pleasing to the Lord, and faith that is genuine walks in the light of Christ, not the darkness of this world's empty promises.
© John Stange, 2021