Ephesians 5:3 - Meaning and Application

These verses warn against every kind of sexual sin and give reasons to avoid it. If we are to walk in love, we must also turn away from fornication and every kind of impurity. Fornication is sexual sin between unmarried people. “All uncleanness” includes every other filthy desire common among the Gentiles, the non-Jewish nations.

Paul also mentions covetousness, which means an unhealthy love of gain or riches. Because it is joined here with sexual sin, some understand it as unnatural lust. Others take it in the more common sense, as a greedy craving for money. In that sense, it is spiritual adultery, because the soul that belongs to God turns away from him and clings to a stranger.

These sins must be hated deeply. They should not even be named among God’s people in a way that sounds approving or careless, because believers are saints, holy people set apart for God. Paul is not only warning against open acts of sin. He is also warning against things some may excuse, things they may think harmless.

He says, “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting” (Ephesians 5:4). Filthiness can mean shameful gestures and indecent behavior. Foolish talking is obscene or pointless speech, or any talk that shows little wisdom and does no good for the hearers. Jesting here likely means dirty, mocking, or filthy speech, not innocent humor, which Scripture does not forbid.

The apostle says such things are “not fitting.” They do more than offend good taste, they harm people by polluting and poisoning their minds. They do not suit Christians or match their calling. Believers may be cheerful and pleasant, but they should be merry and wise.

He adds, “but rather giving of thanks” (Ephesians 5:4). So instead of using wit in a dirty or profane way, Christians should refresh their minds with gratitude for God’s goodness. They should bless and praise him for his mercy. We should take every chance to give thanks to God, and thinking about his grace should cheer the Christian heart.

Some think the word here may also mean gracious and religious speech in general, set against the speech Paul rejects. Our cheerfulness should not spill into sin or dishonor God’s name. It should show itself in words that bring glory to him. If people spoke more often in good and holy ways, they would be less likely to speak in corrupt and shameful ways.

Paul then gives strong reasons to avoid these sins. First, they shut people out of heaven. He says, “For this you know” (Ephesians 5:5), meaning this was already taught by the Christian faith. A “covetous man” here may mean either a lewd, lustful person, or, more commonly, a greedy person. In the common sense, such a person is an idolater, because he gives his heart to money. He serves mammon, riches, instead of God.

Such people, Paul says, “have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” The kingdom is called Christ’s because he is the Mediator, the one who brings God and people together, and because he purchased it. It is called God’s because it belongs to him by nature and gift. Heaven is a kingdom of glory, fullness, and satisfaction. The saints have an inheritance there, but those who live in stubborn sin do not belong to that kingdom.

Second, these sins bring God’s wrath. Paul says, “Let no man deceive you with vain words” (Ephesians 5:6). No one should flatter us into thinking such sins are harmless, tolerated, or safe. Those are empty words. People who promise peace in sin are cheating themselves and others, just as Satan deceived Adam and Eve when he said, “You shall not surely die.”

God’s wrath comes on the children of disobedience, meaning stubborn sinners who refuse the gospel and will not turn from rebellion. Disobedience is the ugly heart of sin. These people are called children of disobedience because they act from that spirit, often from the beginning of life. God’s wrath comes on them because of these sins, sometimes in this life, but especially in the life to come. So we should not join ourselves to them.

“Do not join with them in their sins, so that you do not share in their punishment.” We share in other people’s sins not only when we live in the same sinful way they do and agree to their temptations, but also when we encourage them, stir them up to sin, or fail to stop them when we can.

Think about how strongly Christians are bound to live differently from such people: “You were once darkness, but now…” (Ephesians 5:8). Paul means that these actions fit very badly with your new condition. In your former Gentile and unconverted state, you were darkness, and that shows how deep that darkness was. You lived wicked and ungodly lives, without the light of God’s teaching outside you or the Spirit’s light and grace within you.

A life in sin is a life in darkness. Sinners are like people walking in the dark, going they know not where, and doing they know not what. But God’s grace has brought a great change in their souls. “Now you are light in the Lord,” meaning you have been saved and enlightened by God’s word and Spirit, after believing in Christ and receiving the gospel. “Walk as children of light.” In Hebrew-style speech, children of light are people who live in light, marked by knowledge and holiness.

Since that is what you are now, let your life fit your condition and your privileges. Live in a way that matches the knowledge you have and the blessings you enjoy, “proving what is acceptable to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10). That means carefully examining what God has revealed as his will, and showing that you approve it by obeying it. We must not only fear and avoid what displeases God, but also seek to understand what pleases him, searching the Scriptures for that purpose. In this way we stay as far from these sins as possible.

The apostle then gives remedies against them. If we do not want to be trapped by the desires of the flesh, we must produce the fruit of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:9). This is what is expected from children of light, that being enlightened, they should also be made holy by the Spirit. Then they bring forth his fruit, which includes all goodness, a readiness to do good and show mercy, and righteousness, meaning fairness in how we deal with others. More broadly, all true religion is goodness and righteousness. Along with these must be truth, meaning sincerity and a straight heart.

We must also have no fellowship with sin or with sinners in their sin (Ephesians 5:11). Sinful deeds are works of darkness. They come from ignorance, they try to hide in secret, and they lead to the darkness of hell. These works are also unfruitful works, because in the end nothing is gained by them. Whatever profit sin seems to offer, it cannot make up for the loss. It ends in the total ruin of the unrepentant sinner. So we must not only refuse to do these things ourselves, but also refuse to support others in doing them.

There are many ways we can help others in their sin, through praise, advice, agreement, or silence. If we share in their sin, we must expect to share in their punishment. Indeed, if we join them in this way, we are in great danger of soon acting like them ourselves. Instead of joining them, we must reprove them. That means if we never speak against the sins of others, we are in fact sharing in them. We should wisely, and in our proper place, bear witness against the sins of others and try to show them their evil, when we can do it at the right time and in a fitting way, by our words. Even more, we should do this by the holiness of our lives and our Christian conduct. We reprove their sins best by being diligent in the opposite duties.

One reason for this is, “It is shameful even to speak of what they do in secret” (Ephesians 5:12). Their deeds are so filthy and vile that it is shameful to mention them except for correction, and even more shameful to have any part in them. The phrase refers to the things done by them in secret. Paul seems to be speaking of Gentile idolaters and their dreadful mysteries, which were full of disgusting wickedness, and which no one was allowed to reveal under pain of death. A good person is ashamed to talk about what many wicked people are not ashamed to do. Yet as far as their wickedness is known, good people should reprove it.

Paul gives another reason for such reproof: “Everything exposed by the light becomes visible” (Ephesians 5:13). This may mean that those unfruitful works of darkness which you are called to reprove are brought into the open and shown in their true colors to the sinners themselves. That happens through the light of doctrine, God’s word in your mouth as faithful reprovers, or through the instructive light shown in the holiness of your lives and your example. God’s word, and the way it is lived out in a Christian life, are the right means to convince sinners of their sin and evil.

He adds, “For whatever makes things visible is light.” That is, light is what reveals what was hidden in darkness. So it is fitting for children of light, who are light in the Lord, to uncover others’ sins and try to convince them of their evil and danger. In that way, they shine as lights in the world.

The apostle presses this duty further by pointing to the example of God, or Christ: “Therefore he says…” (Ephesians 5:14). It is as if he were saying, “By doing this, you are following the great God, who works to wake sinners from sleep and raise them from the death of sin, so they may receive light from Christ.” The Lord is always saying this in his word, especially in Isaiah 60:1. Or Christ, through his ministers who preach the gospel, is continually calling sinners in the same way: “Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead.”

These different expressions point to the same truth. They remind us how dull and careless sinners are, how little they feel their danger, and how little they are naturally able to move toward spiritual life and action. When God calls them to wake up and rise, he means they should turn from their sins by repentance and begin a life of holy obedience. He encourages them to do their utmost in that path with this gracious promise, “Christ will give you light.”

God will bring you into a state of knowledge, holiness, and comfort. He will help you by his grace, refresh your mind with joy and peace in this life, and reward you with eternal glory at last.

When we try to convince sinners and turn them from sin, we are copying God and Christ. This is a main goal of the gospel. Some understand this as a call to both sinners and believers. Sinners are to repent and turn back, and believers are to stir themselves up to duty. The one must rise from spiritual death, and the other must wake from spiritual dullness.

Another remedy against sin is carefulness, caution, and watchfulness (Ephesians 5:15). “See then” can be taken in two ways. It may mean that if you are going to correct others for their sins, and be faithful in that duty, you must also watch your own life and conduct. In truth, only those who walk carefully themselves are fit to reprove others. Or it may mean something broader, that careful walking is itself a protection against the sins just mentioned. That, I think, is Paul’s purpose, because no one can keep a pure and holy heart and life without great care.

Walk carefully, or, as the word means, accurately and exactly in the right way. To do that, we must often look back to our rule and to the directions found in Scripture. Do not walk as fools, who go on without thought and without understanding their duty or the value of their souls. Through neglect, laziness, and lack of care, they fall into sin and ruin themselves. Instead, walk as wise people, taught by God and given wisdom from above. Careful living is the result of true wisdom, and careless living is the result of folly.

Paul then says, “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16), which means buying up the opportunity. It is a picture taken from merchants and traders who watch for the right times to do business. A large part of Christian wisdom is to redeem the time. Good Christians should use their time well, guard against temptation, do good while they have the chance, and fill their days with useful work. This is one sure way to keep from sinning. They should make the best use they can of their present seasons of grace. Our time is a gift from God for a good purpose, and it is wasted when we do not use it as he intended. If we have already wasted time, we must try to redeem it by being more diligent in duty from now on.

The reason is that the days are evil, either because of the wickedness of the people living in them, or more likely because they are troublesome and dangerous times for those who live in them. These were times of persecution when Paul wrote, and Christians were in danger every hour. When the days are evil, we have one more reason to redeem the time, especially since we do not know how quickly things may become worse. People often complain about bad times, and it would be good if that pushed them to redeem the time. Because the times are bad, Paul says, do not be foolish, meaning ignorant of your duty and careless about your souls, but understand what the Lord’s will is (Ephesians 5:17). Study God’s will, think about it, and learn it more fully, so you may know your duty.

Ignorance of duty and neglect of the soul are clear signs of great folly. But knowing God’s will and wanting to obey it show the best and truest wisdom.

In the next verses, Paul warns against more sins and urges more duties. First, he warns against drunkenness: “Do not get drunk with wine” (Ephesians 5:18). This sin was very common among pagans, especially at their festivals for their gods, and most of all at their Bacchanalia, their wild feasts for the god of wine. There they would stir themselves up with wine, and all kinds of sinful desires followed. That is why Paul adds that drunkenness leads to excess, or wild living. The word can mean luxury or looseness, and drunkenness certainly helps neither purity nor self-control. It carries people toward shameful behavior and gross sin.

Drunkenness rarely stands alone. It often pulls people into other sins, it is highly offensive to God, and it badly harms spiritual life. Paul may also be warning against all kinds of excess and disorder that go against the sober and careful life he has just urged. Then, instead of being filled with wine, he says to be filled with the Spirit. People who are full of drink are not likely to be full of the Spirit, so this command stands against the former sin. The meaning is that we should seek a rich measure of the Spirit’s grace, the kind that fills the soul with joy, strength, and courage. That is what worldly people expect wine to do for them. We cannot seek too much of these graces. In fact, we should not be content with a little of the Spirit, but should aim to be filled with the Spirit.

This will also help us understand the Lord’s will, because the Spirit of God is given as a Spirit of wisdom and understanding. And because those who are filled with the Spirit will be moved to worship and to express that worship rightly, Paul goes on to urge us to sing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). Drunkards often sing dirty or ungodly songs. Pagans, at their Bacchanalia, sang hymns to Bacchus, their god of wine, to show their joy. Christian joy should show itself in songs of praise to God. These songs should also build up the church when believers meet together.

By psalms, Paul may mean David’s psalms, or other songs fit to be sung with instruments. By hymns, he may mean songs that are filled with praise, like the songs of Zechariah and Simeon. Spiritual songs may include a wider range of material, including teaching, prophecy, and history. Singing psalms and hymns is a gospel ordinance. It is appointed by God for his glory. And though Christianity is against sinful and foolish laughter, it does encourage joy and gladness, along with the right expressions of them in believers. God’s people have good reason to rejoice and sing for joy.

They are to sing and make melody in their hearts, not only with their voices, but with inward love and devotion. Then their singing will be as pleasing and acceptable to God as music is to us. They must do it with the aim of pleasing him and promoting his glory. In that way, they sing to the Lord.

Thanksgiving is another duty the apostle urges in Ephesians 5:20. We are appointed to sing psalms and the like as an expression of our thanks to God. But even when we are not singing, we should never lack a thankful spirit, because we never lack reasons for thanks. We should keep this practice through our whole lives.

We should give thanks for all things, not only for spiritual blessings already enjoyed and eternal blessings still hoped for, since we already hold the one and expect the other, but also for earthly mercies. We should thank God not only for our comforts, but also for afflictions that he has made useful for our good. And we should thank him not only for blessings that touch us directly, but also for signs of his kindness and favor shown to others.

It is our duty in everything to give thanks to God and the Father, that is, to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him. In his name we are to offer all our prayers, praises, and spiritual service, so that they may be acceptable to God.