Introduction and Review of the Series

Weaver reviews previous messages in the 'Walking with the Lord' series, covering walking before the Lord, walking by faith, walking worthily, and walking differently, before introducing the topic of walking in love from Ephesians 5.

Bible say, if you would please, to Ephesians chapter 5, and we're reading verses 1 through 7. Ephesians chapter 5, verses 1 through 7. This will be number 9, "Walking with the Lord." Ephesians chapter 5, beginning there with verse 1:

In this brief series that we've covered so far, we've pointed out how that you must walk before the Lord before you can actually walk with the Lord, that is walking in His presence.

We talked about walking by faith. Then we looked in Ephesians 4 and three messages on walking worthily, what it means to walk worthy before the Lord. And then, of course, in Ephesians chapter 4, another three messages on walking differently and how to learn Christ and how to bring our lives into conformity to his word. And so now we come to Ephesians chapter 5, and this one is walking in love. Paul begins verse 1 and he says, "Be ye

therefore followers of God, as dear children." And when he gives us that command, he is following a simple principle. And the principle is followed out and enforced by the consideration of the fact that children ought to be like their fathers. He reminds us that we're the children of God, and we ought therefore as much as possible to bring our conduct in line with our Heavenly Father. Now our Lord used this same principle in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 48 when he said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." When you look in Matthew 5, and we're not turning there, but verses 27 through 47, He tells us how not to live and then he tells us how to live and then he culminates his message with verse 48, "Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." In other words, he is saying that we ought to resemble our Father.

Be Followers of God as Dear Children

Paul commands believers to be imitators of God as beloved children, emphasizing that children should resemble their Father, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:48.

We talked about walking by faith. Then we looked in Ephesians 4 and three messages on walking worthily, what it means to walk worthy before the Lord. And then, of course, in Ephesians chapter 4, another three messages on walking differently and how to learn Christ and how to bring our lives into conformity to his word. And so now we come to Ephesians chapter 5, and this one is walking in love. Paul begins verse 1 and he says, "Be ye

therefore followers of God, as dear children." And when he gives us that command, he is following a simple principle. And the principle is followed out and enforced by the consideration of the fact that children ought to be like their fathers. He reminds us that we're the children of God, and we ought therefore as much as possible to bring our conduct in line with our Heavenly Father. Now our Lord used this same principle in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 48 when he said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." When you look in Matthew 5, and we're not turning there, but verses 27 through 47, He tells us how not to live and then he tells us how to live and then he culminates his message with verse 48, "Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." In other words, he is saying that we ought to resemble our Father.

So, if his image is stamped upon our hearts, and if his grace runs through our veins, then obviously we should be like him. Now, if you look in verse 1, he says, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children." Now the Greek word for followers here is mimetes, which literally means a follower or an imitator. If the Greek word kind of sounds like our English word for mimic, that is because it's related and it is the source of our English word mimic as well. So he tells us that we're to be followers of God as dear children. So let me ask you this question. What are dear children? Think about that. What are dear children? I suppose that you could say that there are children, and then there are dear children. How in the world would you make a distinction between children and dear children? Well, the word for dear here is the Greek word, agapetos, which literally means beloved, esteemed, that which is dear, a favorite, one that is worthy of love and one that is dearly beloved. So Paul says, "Be followers of God as dear children." You see, the scripture says in Psalm 4 and verse 3,

So a dear child then is someone who is indeed a follower of God, someone who is obedient, someone who acts like his heavenly Father. So he calls us then dear children. Now in verse 2, Paul now tells us

that if we are going to walk pleasingly and acceptably to our Father, that we must walk in love. Look what he says: "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." So let me begin by asking you a question. Do you walk in love? You should know whether or not you actually walk in love. Unhappily the problem, as well as the truth is, most professing Christians have absolutely no idea what it means to walk in biblical love. Let me just tell you that love is not some warm fuzzy feeling. Love is not a desire to please everyone. Love is not a desire to not to offend anyone. Love is not emotions, nor is it emotional feelings.

Walk in Love: Love is Not a Feeling but an Act of the Will

Weaver argues that biblical love is not an emotion but a choice of the will, commanded by God, as seen in commands to love one's wife and the brethren.

Now the Greek word for followers here is mimetes, which literally means a follower or an imitator. If the Greek word kind of sounds like our English word for mimic, that is because it's related and it is the source of our English word mimic as well. So he tells us that we're to be followers of God as dear children. So let me ask you this question. What are dear children? Think about that. What are dear children? I suppose that you could say that there are children, and then there are dear children. How in the world would you make a distinction between children and dear children? Well, the word for dear here is the Greek word, agapetos, which literally means beloved, esteemed, that which is dear, a favorite, one that is worthy of love and one that is dearly beloved. So Paul says, "Be followers of God as dear children." You see, the scripture says in Psalm 4 and verse 3,

So a dear child then is someone who is indeed a follower of God, someone who is obedient, someone who acts like his heavenly Father. So he calls us then dear children. Now in verse 2, Paul now tells us

that if we are going to walk pleasingly and acceptably to our Father, that we must walk in love. Look what he says: "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." So let me begin by asking you a question. Do you walk in love? You should know whether or not you actually walk in love. Unhappily the problem, as well as the truth is, most professing Christians have absolutely no idea what it means to walk in biblical love. Let me just tell you that love is not some warm fuzzy feeling. Love is not a desire to please everyone. Love is not a desire to not to offend anyone. Love is not emotions, nor is it emotional feelings.

Too many times I've heard people say concerning love, "But I don't feel anything." And oftentimes when you find a couple that are on the verge of divorce, one will say to the other, "But I have no feelings for you." Well, there may be truth in that statement. Only because love is not a feeling. Love is an act of the will. You cannot command feelings. You can command the will. I can't look at Steve and say, "Steve, I command you right now to feel sick." Or "I command you right now to feel happy." Or "I command you to feel strong." I can't command feelings. But I could command him to do something because whatever he does would be an act of the will. Now listen carefully. That's why the Bible says in Ephesians 5 and verse 25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it." So what is He doing when He says, "Husband, love your wives"? He's commanding us to love our wives. So husbands must therefore choose to obey and to love their wives.

It has been commanded by our Heavenly Father. Now, we may not always have certain feelings for our wives, we may not always be emotional, or we may not always get that warm and tingly feeling when we're around them, but that's beside the point. We've been commanded to love them. Love is not feelings. Let me show you. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 3. Then we're going to go to 1 John and then to the book of John. So look in 1 Peter chapter 3 and notice if you would please at verse 8. 1 Peter 3 and verse 8. I'm just trying to show you that love is not some warm, tingly, fuzzy feeling. Notice in 1 Peter 3, verse 8, the Word of God says, "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." Now God has commanded us here to love as brethren.

So let me ask you a question. Are you warm and fuzzy and emotional with the brethren? Well, I hope not. I hope not. We are never ever commanded in the scripture to have certain feelings toward anyone. I've never had warm fuzzy feelings toward Pat. I've never had warm fuzzy feelings toward Steve. And I don't want them either, brother. No, you understand. Listen to me carefully. Love is not feelings. And when you think about this, when we've been commanded to love the brethren, there are some brethren that are not too lovable. There are some brethren that are irritating.

And there are some that have idiosyncrasies, things that you and I do not like. But that's immaterial. God does not even command us to like the brethren. He commands us to love the brethren. Isn't that interesting? And you've got to consider this. Say, for instance, I said, "Boy, that Steve, he's got some idiosyncrasies. He's got some strange things, and I don't know if I like that or not." You know, he might be looking at someone and says, "You know, that preacher, he's got those idiosyncrasies. He's got some strange things, too. I don't know if I like that or not," you see. So what we can say about one, that one can say about us as well. So it's not whether we have feelings, it's God has commanded us to love each other whether we have any feelings or not.

Now, look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 3. Let me show you. 1 John chapter 3 and look at verse 14. And I think after you see this passage, you might want to decide, yeah, we probably better love the brethren. But notice, if you would, 1 John 3, verse 14, the scripture says, "We know"—note, underline that now—"we know," here's how, one of the ways that we know, "we know that we've passed from death unto life," that is, this is one way we know we're saved, "we know that we've passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

A new commandment I give

Love as the Mark of Discipleship and Evidence of Salvation

Loving the brethren is a sign of passing from death to life (1 John 3:14) and the mark of Christ's disciples (John 13:34-35), commanded repeatedly in Scripture.

And there are some that have idiosyncrasies, things that you and I do not like. But that's immaterial. God does not even command us to like the brethren. He commands us to love the brethren. Isn't that interesting? And you've got to consider this. Say, for instance, I said, "Boy, that Steve, he's got some idiosyncrasies. He's got some strange things, and I don't know if I like that or not." You know, he might be looking at someone and says, "You know, that preacher, he's got those idiosyncrasies. He's got some strange things, too. I don't know if I like that or not," you see. So what we can say about one, that one can say about us as well. So it's not whether we have feelings, it's God has commanded us to love each other whether we have any feelings or not.

Now, look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 3. Let me show you. 1 John chapter 3 and look at verse 14. And I think after you see this passage, you might want to decide, yeah, we probably better love the brethren. But notice, if you would, 1 John 3, verse 14, the scripture says, "We know"—note, underline that now—"we know," here's how, one of the ways that we know, "we know that we've passed from death unto life," that is, this is one way we know we're saved, "we know that we've passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

A new commandment I give

And that's amazing. Now our Lord has commanded us to love each other. Moreover, he says this is the true mark of my disciples, that they love each other. Look in John 15 and verse 12. Here's what he says. John 15 and verse 12, "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. This is my commandment." Skip down to verse 17, "These things I command you, that ye love one another." Wow. Turn right over to Romans chapter 12 and look if you would please at verse 10. Romans 12 and verse 10. Romans 12 verse 10. Here he tells us, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another." Now look, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."

Now, before I get to try to explaining Ephesians 5 verse 2, let me just tell you, we have some limitations in the English language. In fact, a good example is the word love. I could say, "I love my wife." Everybody understands that. I can also say, "I love my dogs." And I can also say, "I love avocados." Now obviously I don't love avocados the way I love my animals. And I certainly do not love my animals the way I love my wife. The point being is we have one word for love and we use it for everything. I love hot dogs. I love hamburgers. I love french fries.

You hear people talk about that all the time. But in the Greek language they could express things a little differently. There are three main words in the Greek language for love. The first one everyone knows is the Greek word agape. Agape love. It's the highest form of love. It is used over and over in the scripture concerning God's love. It's also used concerning our love. But even when you get to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world." Agapao is the verb, I love, God loved us. So he's using the word agapao or agape the noun to indicate love. Agape love is the love that gives

Greek Words for Love and the Meaning of Agape

Weaver explains the three Greek words for love—agape (giving without expecting return), phileo (giving and receiving), and eros (sensual)—and notes that Ephesians 5:2 uses agape.

Now, before I get to try to explaining Ephesians 5 verse 2, let me just tell you, we have some limitations in the English language. In fact, a good example is the word love. I could say, "I love my wife." Everybody understands that. I can also say, "I love my dogs." And I can also say, "I love avocados." Now obviously I don't love avocados the way I love my animals. And I certainly do not love my animals the way I love my wife. The point being is we have one word for love and we use it for everything. I love hot dogs. I love hamburgers. I love french fries.

You hear people talk about that all the time. But in the Greek language they could express things a little differently. There are three main words in the Greek language for love. The first one everyone knows is the Greek word agape. Agape love. It's the highest form of love. It is used over and over in the scripture concerning God's love. It's also used concerning our love. But even when you get to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world." Agapao is the verb, I love, God loved us. So he's using the word agapao or agape the noun to indicate love. Agape love is the love that gives

and expects nothing in return. The second word that is used in the Greek is the word phileo. It's also translated I love. But it is also where we get our English word family or phileo. Phileo love is the love that gives and receives. I could say I love my wife and my wife loves me. Or I love my children and my children love me. Or I love my dogs and my dogs love me. But it's the love that gives and receives. There's a third Greek word that is never used in the Bible. It is the word eros. It is where we get our English word erotic. It has to do with nothing but sensual or sexual pleasure or lust. It is the word that is used when someone takes.

Now, the interesting thing is when Paul says in Ephesians 5 and verse 2 that we're to walk in love, he uses the word agape. When he says that we're to walk in love, your walk imports your everyday life. It's how you go about your business. It's what you do on a daily basis. It is your lifestyle.

Love is Obedience to God's Law

Walking in love means fulfilling God's law (Romans 13:10) and keeping His commandments (John 14:21, 1 John 5:2-3), which is an act of the will, not dependent on feelings.

Now, the interesting thing is when Paul says in Ephesians 5 and verse 2 that we're to walk in love, he uses the word agape. When he says that we're to walk in love, your walk imports your everyday life. It's how you go about your business. It's what you do on a daily basis. It is your lifestyle.

Now, so here's the question. How do we walk in love? How is that accomplished? Obviously, many times we do not feel lovingly or even loving. We do not have warm, tingly, fuzzy sensations and feelings. And if the truth were known, sometimes we feel downright mean. We do. And we want to be nasty and we want to be ugly. I mean, that's it. Now, let me emphasize the fact that love is not feelings. I've already told you that love is an act of the will. But more than that, love is also obedience to the law. So the truth of the matter is this, when God commands us to walk in love, He's actually commanding us to be obedient.

He is saying that we should choose to obey, and that choosing to obey is indeed our duty and our responsibility, regardless of how we feel. Feelings have nothing to do with it. Let me show you. You're in Romans. Look in Romans chapter 13 and verse 10. Romans 13 verse 10. Look what the scripture says. Romans 13 verse 10, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Now, what is love? Love is the fulfilling of the law. Wow! How do I walk in love? The answer is, I fulfill God's law.

I do what God commands me. Love works no ill, and the reason it works no ill is because it is the fulfilling of God's law. Now, go back in your Bibles very quickly to John chapter 14. Then we're going to end up in 1 John just momentarily, but look in John chapter 14 and look if you would please at verse 21. Interestingly our Lord equates love with obedience. In John 14 verse 21, He says it like this:

Now note,

How do we know that we love God? We keep His commandments. Skip down to verse 24. Look what he says.

So obviously, love then is indeed the fulfilling of the law. If we love Christ, we obey Him. If we do not love Him, we disobey Him. Love is obedience. And we choose to obey or we choose to disobey. Obedience and disobedience do not rely upon feelings or emotions.

They are an act of the will. Obedience is our submission to God and disobedience is our rebellion to God. Has nothing to do with feelings. Either good or bad. Look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. And notice if you would please verses 2 and 3. 1 John 5, verses 2 and 3. Watch. "By this we know"—by the way, you might underline that in your minds and in your Bibles—

So, I could look at Ron and say, "Ron, here's the truth.

I've never had warm fuzzy feelings towards you." Does that mean I don't love him? Of course not. What is love according to verse 2? He said, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments." That means this: how do I know that I love Ron? Because I respect him. I respect his wife. I respect his children. I respect his property. I act toward him the way God commands me to act toward him. And regardless of whether I ever have any emotions or feelings or anything like that, I still love him because love is the fulfilling of the law. And so if you look at verse 3, he makes it even clearer. "For this is the love of God." You want to know what the love of God is? Here it is. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." Note if you would, "and his commandments are not grievous."

It does not grieve us that we obey. It does not grieve us that we cannot disobey. It does not grieve us that we cannot murder and pillage and plunder and loot and steal. No, no, no. We love him and we keep his commandments and it doesn't grieve us. We're thankful to be able to keep his commandments.

Walking in Love as Christ Loved Us

Believers are to love qualitatively as Christ loved, giving Himself as an offering and sacrifice, a sweet-smelling savor to God, and are called to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2).

Now, I want you to go back to Ephesians chapter 5 and look at verse 2 because what I've just covered in one sense of the word is the easy part of verse 2. He says, "Walk in love," and I've just told you and showed you from the Bible that love is obedience to God's law and love is an act of the will so we can choose to obey God and we can choose to obey his commandment now that we've been regenerated by his grace. But look at the rest of verse 2: "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." Now you say, "What do you mean that 'and walk in love' is the easy part?" Well, I want you to look next at verse 2 at the little word "as." You see that? "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us." The little word "as" is the Greek word kathos, which is translated in our Bibles, listen to me, as "even as," "just as," "in proportion to," "according to," "agreeable to the fact." So here he's telling us then that we're to walk in love just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us. Wow.

That's a pretty tall order. We're to walk in love just as, commensurate with, agreeable to, and in proportion to that Christ loved us. Now let me tell you, we may never ever in this life be able to love like Christ quantitatively. We're not God; he is God. We cannot ever have the depth of his love. But although we may not be able to walk and to love as he loved quantitatively, we may love as he loved qualitatively. In other words, we may not have the quantity, but we have the quality. And so this is what he's saying: our love should be of the quality of and of the kind that Christ had who loved us.

Now I want you to note what he said in verse 2. "And walk in love, just as Christ also hath loved us." Well, how did he love us? Watch. "And hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." Do you understand that Jesus Christ gave himself for us? Everything that he did was for us. When he left his home in glory, it was for us.

When he became incarnate, it was for us. When he walked on this earth, it was for us. When he gave an obedience to God's law, it was for us. When He sacrificed Himself, it was for us. Yes, it was done in obedience to the Father, and yes, the Father was glorified, but He did it for us. Everything that He did was for us. For instance, the Bible teaches us in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21 that Jesus' obedience was for us as well. Now listen to what 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 says, "For he," that is God the Father, "hath made him," that is God the Son,

So that is the doctrine of imputation. So here it is right here. And if this cell phone is the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ—and remember Jesus Christ is the only one who's ever given to the law that which it demands. He's the only one that ever gave to the law a personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience. So what God did was this: he took our sins and imputed them to Jesus Christ. He put them on Christ's account, and Christ died as our substitute, as our sacrifice in our place. And then he took that perfect righteousness that Jesus Christ worked out and imputed that and put that to our account so that we're not only forgiven, we now have a perfect righteousness in Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ, then, is not just our substitute and our sacrifice. He is our righteousness.

Now, if you look in verse 2, he says, "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering." Now, the word offering here is prosphora, which means an offering, or the act of bringing, or that which is presented, or that which is given as a gift. So Christ then literally gave himself as a gift. Ah, but that's not all. He says, "and a sacrifice to God." So his offering and his sacrifice was to God. The word sacrifice is the word thusia and it's translated sacrifice 29 times in our Bibles. Now, so Christ loved us. And he gave himself, watch if you would please, as an offering and a sacrifice to God the Father for a sweet-smelling savor. Now I want you to think just for a moment on the sweet-smelling savor. Before I go any further, I want to give you a quote by John Calvin. Calvin is commenting on this sweet-smelling savor, and here's what he says.

"While this statement leads us to admire the grace of Christ, it bears directly upon the present subject. No language indeed can fully represent the consequences and efficacy of Christ's death. This is the only price by which we are reconciled to God. The doctrine of faith on this subject holds the highest rank. But the more extraordinary the discoveries which have reached us of the Redeemer's kindness, the more strongly are we bound to His service." "Besides, we may infer from Paul's words that unless we love one another, none of our duties will be acceptable in the sight of God. If the reconciliation of men affected by Christ was a sacrifice of sweet-smelling savor, we too shall be unto God a sweet savor when that holy perfume is spread over us." Now, remember if you would, the Bible says that Jesus Christ has offered himself as a sacrifice unto God.

I want to call your attention to something. When we think of the word sacrifice, we think of something dead. All of those lambs and oxen and rams in the Old Testament died. Even in the New Testament, before Christ accomplished our redemption, those animals that were given for sacrifice died. And we think of Christ as the great sacrifice and what did he do? He died. But although we are commanded to walk in love and to emulate Christ, our sacrifice is a little different. Let me just quote one passage and we'll look at another. You should be able to quote this passage.

At least you should remember it, for Paul said in Romans 12:1-2,

So he tells us that we're to offer our bodies now as a living sacrifice. Christ gave Himself and died in our stead. Now Paul says we're to live in His stead. Our bodies to be a living sacrifice. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 13. Look in Hebrews chapter 13. And let's begin reading there with verse 15. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15. Watch carefully. And of course, in the context, we're talking about Jesus Christ. In fact, if you'll go back to verse 12, "Wherefore Jesus also," so Christ is in the subject here in the context. So verse 15, "By him"—that is by Jesus Christ—"therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,

The Sweet-Smelling Savor of Obedience vs. the Stench of Sin

Obedience delights God like a sweet aroma, while sins such as fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting are a stench in His nostrils and must not be named among saints.

that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." But note in verse 15, "By him"—that is by Jesus Christ—"therefore let us offer"—there's that word—"the sacrifice"—there's that word—"the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." So just as Christ loved us, we're to love and we're to walk and we're to give an offering of praise and sacrifice to our God. But we are a living sacrifice and that praise is to be given constantly and continually. Now, if we are walking in biblical love, we're going to be walking obediently. We're going to be walking in accordance with the law of God. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5 in verse 2 that the work of Jesus Christ was a sweet-smelling savor to God the Father.

All of us understand what it's like to smell a good steak on the grill or barbecue chicken. You know, we like that smell. Well, that's what a sweet-smelling savor was in the Old Testament. It was the offerings or the incense that was going up. That's what it was. So Jesus Christ has given Himself as a sweet-smelling savor.

Now, the point I'm going to make right now is this. Our Lord delights in our obedience. Our obedience is a sweet-smelling savor to our Heavenly Father. Let me quote just a few scriptures and I want you to listen because in each of these passages the word abomination is going to be used. The word abomination literally means a stench in the nostrils. And that means a stench in God's nostrils. So the Bible says in Proverbs 11 and verse 20, "They that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in the way are his delight." Now God says the froward, that is the perverse and the rebellious, they are a stench in my nostrils, but the man that is upright, that walks according to my word, that is my delight. And then when you get to Proverbs 12 and verse 22, the Bible says, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight." Now, how do you deal truly? You deal honestly, you deal justly, you deal righteously.

You're not defrauding someone, you're not stealing from someone, you're not trying to get the best of someone, you're just dealing honestly and truly. So God says that lying lips are a stench in his nostrils, but they that deal truly are his delight. That's a sweet-smelling savor to him. Then when you get to Proverbs 15 and verse 18, the Bible says,

So anything that a wicked man can do, even a sacrifice, is a stench in God's nostrils. He doesn't like it. But the prayer of the upright is his delight. In other words, that is the sweet smell unto God.

Now, let me ask you a question. I'm not trying to be funny, but I am trying to prove a point. Do you know the difference between a sweet smell and a stinking smell? If I were to ask you, how many of you really enjoy smelling a skunk? Do you enjoy the smell of a rotten egg? Do you like to smell that which is putrid and rotting? And the answer is no.

We find those odors offensive and we get away from them as quickly as possible. And when such odors arise, we just don't want to have anything to do with them. We leave the area or we erase those odors as quickly as we can. I don't know if you've ever tried to wash the scent of a skunk off of your clothes or off of your body. I used to catch skunks. They make wonderful pets once they are deodorized. And by the way, a skunk is a better mouser than a cat. My uncle, when I was a boy, would pay you to catch a skunk and bring him because he had 100,000 chickens and he liked those skunks to catch those rats. But have you ever tried to wash the scent of a skunk off a dog? It's a chore.

I tell everybody, Alice and I love our dogs. But if everyone gets in a fight with a skunk, they all belong to Alice. They don't belong to me then, they belong to her. But we find those odors offensive.

Now, have you ever stopped to think if the work of Jesus Christ and of obedience and godliness are a sweet smell to God, what is the stench in his nostrils? Well, he tells us. Look, if you would, let's read verse 2. He says, "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." That's a sweet smell.

Now he's coming with the offensive odors. "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." Now I want to point out first of all that in verse 3 that fornication is a very broad term which would include all illicit sexual relations. Uncleanness is another very broad term and it refers to that which is impure and lustful.

It's not only used in a physical sense, it's also used in a moral sense. And then covetousness, in verse 3, is connected both to fornication and uncleanness. Because it is a covetous desire, an unclean desire, that leads to fornication. Stop and think about this. Because these sins are a denial of God's supremacy and God's sovereignty, it also makes one an idolater. Look down, skip down to verse 5. "For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater." He said the same thing in Colossians 3 in verse 5: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." So the man that is covetous is

has already in his own mind, in his own heart, in his own life dethroned God and enthroned himself. Because by his very actions he is saying, "I don't care what God says. I don't care what God commands. I want what I want. I'll do what I want to do." It's just that simple. So God tells us here that fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness, "let it not be once named among you." Now, interestingly, when you look at verse 3, he says, "let it not be once named among you." The Greek word literally means, not so much as one time. In other words, one time is one time too many. These sins should never ever be named among the saints of God. Paul had to deal with a very horrific offense in 1 Corinthians chapter 5. If you want to turn back there, hold Ephesians chapter 5, but turn back to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Here was a man who was living in fornication and I would probably go ahead and say even incest with his stepmother. In 1 Corinthians 5 in verse 1, the woman is not called his mother, but his father's wife. So evidently his mother had died, his father remarried probably a younger woman. And the Bible says, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles," or among the heathen or the pagans, "that one should have his father's wife."

Warning: No Inheritance for the Wicked and the Deception of Vain Words

Those who practice such sins have no inheritance in God's kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) and will face His wrath; believers must not be deceived by empty professions or partake with the disobedient.

"And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." But go back to verse 1. He said, "It is reported commonly there's fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles." What is he saying? Even the heathen have better sense than this. So Paul makes it clear in Ephesians chapter 5, if we're walking in love, that this is not to be named at all among the saints. And by the way, this should show you how far we have fallen and how much we have strayed from the truth of God's Word. Very seldom is there a church today where there's not fornication and adultery and covetousness. Look at the pastors even that have to leave the ministry every year because they get involved with the church secretary or some other woman in the church.

I'm just simply pointing out the fact. He says this is not to be even once named among the saints. Now skip down to verse 4. He goes on, he says, "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."

Now, filthiness refers to that which is obscene, ugly, and dirty. I never will forget, this was years and years and years ago. I had a Christian brother. My wife was out of town. His wife was out of town. And he invited me. In fact, they'd gone to some meeting on Jekyll Island, I think. But he invited me over to his house to watch a movie. Well, we didn't have TV, and I hardly ever go to a movie theater. And so I went over to fellowship with him and to watch the movie. The movie was not on five minutes because all the foul, filthy language. I looked at him.

I said, "Turn it off." He said, "Why?" I said, "I'm not going to sit here and listen to that language. I said, I don't talk like that. I don't know anybody that talks like that. That's not reality. That's not real life." He looked at me. He said, "Pastor, I'll turn it off." But he said, "I'll tell you one thing. You're sheltered." He said, "Where I work, the women speak worse than that." I said, "Well, they might, but I'm not going to listen to it." So when he talks about filthiness, he's talking about that which is ugly, dirty, filthy, and obscene. Then he talks about foolish talking. What is foolish talking? It's that which is foolish, impious, and godless. The word for foolish talking is morologia in the Greek. It's made up of two Greek words, moros, which means foolish, and logia, words.

The verb is lego, I say. So actually, foolish talking is moronic talking. It's talking like a moron. It's talking as if you have no sense and rationality. God says, that's not to be named among you. And then he talks about jesting. Jesting is scurrility, it's ribaldry, it's low jesting, it's that which is bad, obscene, and vicious. Now, I want you to look what he says. He says, "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient." Oh! Does that mean there is a convenient time for filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting? No, that's not what he's talking about at all. He says you put these things off because these things are not convenient. The Greek word for convenient is the word aneko which refers to that which is fitting or that which is due. Here's what he's saying: neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting—it's not fitting for the child of God. It's not our due. It's not what we are owed, and it's not what we owe God. What do we owe God? Well, he says in verse 4, "but rather giving of thanks."

Now, if you would turn right over to Colossians 1, just a few pages over, and look at verses 12 and 13. Colossians 1 verse 12 and 13. I'll cover this more next week, Lord willing. But look what he says. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet or suitable to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. In other words, God has saved us so we are to be continually giving Him thanks. So he says, obviously, that neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting, these are not things that are fitting for the child of God, nor are they fitting for God. It's not our due that we owe God. We owe Him thanks, and that should consume us. Now, watch if you would please at verse 5. Watch. He says, "For this ye know"—wow—"for this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

Now, if you will note something, if you would please, that what he mentions in verse 5 are the same sins that he just mentioned in verse 3. He said you better understand this, you better know this, that any whoremonger or unclean person or covetous man who is an idolater does not have any part or parcel in the kingdom of God. He is not going to inherit it. Now if you would hold this and go back in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Let me show you what he said again. 1 Corinthians 6, notice if you would verse 9 and we'll read through verse 11. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9, here's what Paul says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." He said, don't be deceived, anyone who lives like this is not saved. And then he goes on to say, watch verse 11, "And such were some of you."

Now that's past tense. "Such were some of you." Yes, God saves these kind of people, but the people who are living like this now are not saved. That's what he's saying. "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." So when you go back to Ephesians chapter 5 and look at verse 5, you understand now that he says, "For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." I don't care if you've been baptized. I don't care if you're a church member. I don't care if you're a Sunday school teacher or even a preacher. If you're living like this, God says you have no part in the kingdom of God. Wow. He says they're lost. It's just that simple. Not saved, not converted. Now, skip down to verse 6. Look what he says. "Let no man deceive you with vain words.

For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." Wow. "Let no man deceive you with vain words." Do you realize the average Christian is so easily deceived? Why? Because the average Christian does not know his Bible. All you have to do is look at the area of politics. Look how many politicians promote themselves as Christians and Bible believers, and when they get elected to office, they turn around and do everything contrary to Christ and contrary to the Bible. We've been conditioned to think that somehow everybody who professes to be saved happens to be saved. That's not true. He says, "Let no man deceive you with vain words." It is not your lips that determine whether or not you've been converted. It is your life. And if your life does not back up your lips, then you're a liar. It's just that simple. That's what he is saying.

Now, anyone who thinks that he is a Christian, while living in such rebellion and wickedness, is deceived. And God says we're not to be deceived. Moreover, look what he says, "For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." These things bring God's judgment. They bring God's wrath: fornication, covetousness, uncleanness, filthiness, foolish talking, jesting. These things bring God's judgment. Now, look what he says in verse 7. After he told you, "Let no man deceive you with these vain words," he says, "Be not ye therefore partakers with them." In other words, here's what he's saying.

If somebody wants to live ungodly, let him live ungodly. You can't stop him. But you be not partakers with him. You don't be deceived. You don't get in that line of thinking, "Well, everybody's doing it, so I might as well do it too. Well, look at so-and-so. It looks like he got away with it. Maybe I can get away with it, too." No, he says, you better not be deceived, and you better not be partakers with them, and you better not envy them. One of the problems that we have today is so many Christians, who happen to be poor, like most of us, envy rich men that are wicked.

You know, Asaph had this problem in Psalm 73 in verse 1, and he confessed it. He said, "For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." I mean, all you got to do is look around. Look at the Clintons. Look at the Bushes. Look at George Soros. Look at the Kennedys. Wow. Yeah, they got it. But the Bible says in Proverbs 24 verse 1, "Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them."

Applications: Walking in Love Through Obedience

Weaver concludes that walking in love means obeying God's law regardless of feelings, putting off fleshly lusts, refusing to partake with the wicked, and not being deceived by false professions.

But you stay as far away as possible. Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. Walking in love signifies walking in obedience to the law of God. When we walk in obedience out of the grace and mercy that is found in Jesus Christ, we're walking acceptably and pleasingly to our Heavenly Father. So to walk in love, we walk in obedience. There's a second implication here, according to verses 3 through 7. If we walk in love, we're putting off the lust of the flesh. We're not walking where we're pleasing our flesh, and we refuse to be involved in and participate in anything that is contrary to our Lord and His words. We refuse to be partakers with those who are disorderly and disobedient.

Moreover, we're not to be deceived simply by someone's profession of faith. That's what he said, "Let no man deceive you with vain words." Unless a person's life backs up his profession, his profession is false. And ultimately, the wrath and the judgment of God is going to fall upon such individuals. So God says, "Be not partakers with them." So if we're going to walk with our heavenly Father, we must only walk in faith and walk worthily and walk differently. We're to walk in love and walking in love is walking in obedience to the law of God. We don't have to have feelings to obey. "Well, I don't feel like praying." That's beside the point. God commands you to pray. "Well, I don't feel like reading my Bible." That's beside the point. God commands you to study the Word of God. "Well, I don't feel like loving my wife." I'm sorry. God commands you to love your wife. "Well, I don't feel like loving Pat. He's mean and cantankerous." I don't care. God commands me to love him anyhow. Isn't that right, Steve? Even Effie, you have to love him. I'm glad we can pick on somebody. Love is not feelings. Love is an act of the will. And love is obedience to the law of God.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee. We thank you for your word, for your truth. And I pray, Father, you would indeed make us more holy, more godly, more biblical. And may we learn to walk in love as we learn to walk differently, and walk worthily, and walk in faith, and walk before thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.