Ephesians 5:1–10

Bible Studies for Life 
Assistant to the President for Church Relations, Samford University

Ready When Sex Destroys

Ephesians 5:1–10

Luke writes of a great revival that came to Ephesus in Acts 19 that so greatly impacted the city that Paul’s life became threatened by the local business owners. Ephesus was home to one of the seven great wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Diana (Artemis). Located in the center of the temple was a statue of the Diana that the Greeks believed fell from heaven. Since Diana was the goddess of birth and fertility the Greeks believed this statue had powers of fertility. 

The temple was populated by servants of the goddess who were nothing more than prostitutes. The Ephesians believed intercourse with these temple servants was a legitimate act of worship to Diana so the region became highly sensual and debased. This was the ministry field Paul was serving. 

Thus it is no surprise that Paul renders such strong words to the Ephesians when it comes to sexual ethics.

The conduct of purity. (1–4) 

The highest conduct of purity is to imitate God. It is important to note that you cannot imitate someone you don’t know. Therefore it is vital that a person walks in an intimate relationship with Jesus so that he or she can be an imitator of God. We are most like him when we walk in sacrificial love according to verse 2. To do this we must realize our bodies don’t belong to us, they belong to Him. 

Our bodies should imitate His life. Therefore we must abstain from sexual immorality, greed and impure speech. For the Ephesians this called for a total change of mindset toward their local religion. 

Diana beckoned the citizens, “come and indulge — the more sensual you are the more I approve of you.” Their new belief in Christ called for them to completely avoid sexual temptation. No other temptation trips up God’s people quite like sexual temptation. Satan is a master at twisting the beautiful things God created into something that is hardly recognizable with its original intent. Paul is calling the Ephesians to a lifestyle of holiness. Some translations say, “Let there not be a hint” of immorality or may it “not be named among you.” 

Godly purity doesn’t allow even a hint of sexual impurity, whether in act or thought. As imitators of God our lives should reflect the “fragrant aroma” of the life of Christ.

The consequences of impurity. (5–6) 

These verses are a stern warning of dire eternal judgment to those who continue to live in open rebellion to the call of Christian purity. Our society embraces the sexually perverse lifestyle as being an “alternative” lifestyle. Couples now “cohabitate” with no regard to the biblical prohibition of sex before marriage. The lifestyles we now celebrate are the very lifestyles Paul spoke so strongly against. Similar passages are found in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, Galatians 5:19–21 and 1 John 3:7–10. 

Though we don’t like to talk about it, the Scriptures consistently speak of the eternal judgment of the unrepentant sensualist. “Let no one deceive you with empty arguments” or “empty words.” This speaks to those who would argue for justification of these lifestyles. It is amazing how these words from Paul speak so clearly to our situation today. Culture consistently speaks empty arguments that seek to justify the perversion of God’s original gift of sex.

The call to purity. (7–10) 

The clear call of purity is to run from the darkness of sexual perversion and into the light of purity. Only light can reveal true purity. Darkness only hides and distorts. Notice Paul said, “For you were once” living in this darkness. It can be said of every Christian that “we were once” in darkness, but God has called us to live in His light. Christians are the “light of the world” (Matt. 5:14) and we are called by God to spread that light in a way that penetrates the darkness of this perverse world.