The Lord's Work In The Walk Of Love

And our Bible reading this morning is taken from Ephesians

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5, and we're going to read through verses 1 to 8,

Ephesians chapter 5, verses 1 to 8,

Ephesians 5:1–8

Ephesians 5, verses 1 to 8. The words will come up on

Ephesians 5:1–8

screen. For those online.

We encourage you to get a copy of the Bible and read the

Scriptures for yourself, but you will also see as well as hear

the words online. Let's hear God's word.

Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk in

love, as Christ also have loved us, and hath given Himself for

us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling

savour. But fornication, and all

uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you,

has become a Saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking

nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of

thanks. For this.

You 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.

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the

Lord walk as children of light. Amen.

We know that God will bless this reading of His own precious word

to our hearts. Now my text this morning is

taken from Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 2.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

This is really a follow up sermon from the motto text of

last week and my theme today. I've entitled Christ's Atoning

Work and the Walk of Love. Now the apostle Paul repeatedly

describes the Christian life as a walk.

It's interesting that in this epistle, under the inspiration

of the Holy Spirit, Paul mentions this concept of walking

with God, which is our theme for the year. 7 times verse 2

chapter 2, chapter 2 verse 10 chapter 4 verse 1 chapter 417

chapter 5 verse 2, chapter 5, verse eight and five fifteen 7 *

7 I told you is the number of perfection.

The 5th reference is this command to walk in love.

Let's read it together and walk in love as Christ also have

loved us and given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice

to God for a sweet smelling savour.

Now this is not accidental. Notice this command to walk in

love is anchored and rooted in the atoning work of Christ.

True Bible believe in Christianity is not something

merely we profess with our lips, but something we actually live

out with our feet. See the word walk here.

This command walk in love. This implies a relationship.

The Bible says can two walk together to except to be agreed?

Do you have to ask yourself, am I in a right relationship with

God? Do I, no one, love Jesus Christ

as my Lord and my Saviour? It implies a direction of

travel. It implies progress step by

step. It implies consistency.

It implies an end goal and a destination to be reached.

Where are you walking to? Well, we're walking from earth

to heaven. So let me repeat, the Christian

life is presented often in the Bible under the metaphor of a

walk. It's not merely 100 metre

Sprint. It's not merely A momentary

experience. This command to walk and love is

a command about a lifelong pilgrimage.

A pilgrimage that begins at the moment of true conversion, when

you're born again of the Holy Spirit and you've received

Christ as Lord and Saviour. A pilgrimage that continues on a

particular course and a pilgrimage that ends either in

the day of your death or at the second coming of Jesus Christ in

power and glory. Notice the word and and walk in

love. What did he say in verse one?

Be there for followers of God as dear children.

I told you last week the word followers means imitators.

Here's the children of God are commanded to be followers or

imitators of God as dear children.

And the next thing he says to them is this and walk in love.

And I want you to notice this. Paul doesn't leave love

undefined. He anchors it.

He roots it firmly in the atoning work of the Lord Jesus

on the cross. You see, true love or the love

of God in Christ is not defined by our culture.

It's not defined by one's emotions.

It's not defined by one's preferences or tastes.

No, listen to me carefully. True love is demonstrated.

It is defined. It is declared by the person

work of the Lord Jesus Christ. See, to understand what Paul

means, we must understand the terms in the text.

Walk in love. That's his command.

So we'll ask, hi, in what way? Here's the answer.

As Christ also have loved us and notice these words and have

given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a

sweet smelling savour. Now what does all this mean?

As I pondered this and I could have left this today because I

had another text in mind that I wanted to preach on, What does

it mean when I read this? It means that the Lord's work or

Christ's atoning work in the cross is indissolubly connected

to the Christians walk in love. Let me repeat that.

Christ's atoning work on the cross is indissolubly connected

to the Christians walk in love. Notice three things.

There's a test to be experienced and walk in love as Christ also

have loved us. There's a consideration here.

Think of the mention of the words and walk in love as Christ

also have loved us. You see, I believe today that

the whole of the Christian life is to be ordered.

It is connected to, it is concentrated, lived out in the

realm of biblical love. We'll ask the question, what's

the yardstick? What's the standard by which to

ascertain and discern the validity of 1's Christian

profession? What's the yardstick to measure

the claim to be a Christian? Is it not here that true love is

the test? If we go back to First

Corinthians 13, Paul says this. Though I speak with the tongues

of men and of angels, and have not charity and become a

sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.

And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all

mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faiths so that

I can remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I

give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profited me

nothing. Charity, that's the old English

word for love, Suffereth long and is kind.

Charity envieth not charity. Vaunteth not itself, is not

puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, Seeketh not her

own, is not easy to provoke, think of no evil.

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeless all things,

Endureth all things. Every Christian profession,

every claim that we make, all of our activities rendered toward

God and rendered toward men are to be measured by the yardstick

of love. God is love and as children of

God we have just been commanded to be imitators of God as dear

children and walk in love. Now why mention this?

What does it really mean? How is this walk in love to be

manifested? Here is the summary answer.

The highest manifestation of God's love is that which we see

in the Lord Jesus Christ and his atoning work on our behalf in

the cross. And that brings us to John 3 and

16. For God so loved the world that

he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish, but have everlasting life.

And the moment Paul drops in this command and walk in love,

we have to ask what way Paul? And here's the answer, as Christ

also have loved us. Christ, as we said last week, is

our patron. He's not saying walk in love

seems right in your own eyes or walk in love is defined by an

ungodly world. No walk in love as Christ also

have loved us. John Calvin rightly said the

cross of Christ is the true mirror of love.

If you want to know what true love looks like, then look at

Christ and the cross. Think of Him bearing the curse

of the law for sinners. The cross is not merely the

motivation for love. It is, but it's also and more

importantly, the greatest manifestation, the greatest

demonstration, the greatest declaration, the greatest

definition of what love is. Jesus Christ in his atoning

death in the cross, shows us something of the height, the

depth, the breadth, the length of God's love to us.

Notice this, in the midst of this highest appeal, walk in

love, in this section of what scholars call to be the

practical section of Ephesians, Paul introduces us to a very

tremendous statement, and that statement is about or on the

doctrine of the atonement. It can't seem to leave it alone.

So in the test that is emphasised, think of the mention

of walk in love. There's a consideration here.

Notice quickly. There's also a connection here.

You see, I believe this morning there's a direct link between

one's doctrine and one's duty. There's a link between duty and

doctrine. Duty and doctrine are

indissolubly linked together. They must never be separated.

Paul knows that one's doctrine is shallow.

Then one's duty will be distorted.

He knows that there's no point preaching doctrine if that

doctrine doesn't impact upon our lives, isn't lived out,

exercised, and experienced in one's duty.

There's no point in preaching duty do this or do that without

true doctrine to back it all up. And in this epistle, Paul has

proclaimed the doctrine of election.

He has set forth the doctrine of predestination, the doctrine of

adoption, the doctrine of our union with Christ, the doctrine

of regeneration. And it's usually divided up this

book into a doctrinal section, chapters one to three, a

practical section, chapters 4-5 and six.

And that's the way many people look at it.

Many professing Christians sadly neglected doctrine.

Doctrine has seen as being cold and shallow and careless.

But Paul doesn't neglect doctrine.

Paul isn't finished with it. When he ends in chapter 3 here,

he is dropping it in to us when we least expect it.

He was one of the most objective statements on the doctrine of

atonement and the doctrine of the atoning work of Christ.

Notice how this doctrine of Christ's atoning work is to

impact upon our duty. This is like a creedal statement

that impacts upon our conduct. And that's the connection.

You see, many people neglect doctrine and as seen in their

lives, their lives as cold and careless and shallow.

But we're not to neglect doctrine.

As we walk in love, we're to remember the connection to the

atoning work of Christ. Also here in the test that is

emphasised, there's a confirmation.

You see, the Bible is never satisfied with a mere general

statement on or about the love of God.

That's the trouble with the modern church.

They talk of the love of God. They say nice things, they say

smooth words, but when they talk of the love of God, it's usually

discussed in very vague and general terms.

They never properly define their terms.

They never properly presented in light of the atoning work of

Christ. And you see, for the past 50

years, many ministers have stood in the pulpits and they have

preached to the people and they have said, well, you know, I'm

not really interested in doctrine, I'm interested in

love. And they use The Beatles slogan

of their song, All you need is love.

We've got to love one another. Let love be manifested among

men. Love your enemies.

But often times love is put up against Christian doctrine.

Now let me emphasise, and here's a confirmation, the Bible never

speaks of love in vague terms. It never speaks of love in a

sentimental, sloppy, sickly sort of fashion.

The Bible always confirms the terms it employs.

And the terms that it employs in this text, as in other places,

is firmly anchored and firmly rooted in the atoning work of

Christ. Remember what I've said to you

now. Our conduct is confirmed or

defined by our creed. And our creed, what we profess

to believe, has to have an impact upon our character or

upon our conduct. That's why Isaac Watts could

sing in the last verse of his hymn that we sang last week.

Love, so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my

all. That's the test that is to be

emphasised. I want you to think of the

second thing. Is this not only the test that's

to be emphasised, but the truth that's to be expounded.

Notice these words if you go back to our text and walk in

love as Christ also have loved us and have given himself for us

an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour

as Christ has loved us. We'll pause there.

Who are the US? Who do you think the US is?

Paul was including himself. I put it to you.

I believe it's a reference to sinful men and women.

And here is the measure of his love, not just mentions it, but

here's the measure of it. And walk in love as Christ also

hath loved us, not just love his heavenly Father, not just love

the work that the Father gave him to do, not just have a love

for, say, the angels, no, for us sinful men and women.

And Martyn Lloyd Jones said this, we can never know the love

of Christ until you've grasped the doctrine of sin, until

you've grasped the truth about yourself as a Sinner by nature

and practise. You see, if you were just a very

good person, kind, generous, hardworking, considerate of

others, honest, wouldn't it be strange if you were not the

object of love? But that wouldn't tell you very

much about his love, if he only loved people that were good and

kind and generous and hardworking and considerate of

others and honest. But you see, this is what the

Bible says about His love. It says in Romans 5, verse 6.

Romans 5:6

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ

died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man

will one die a peradventure for a good man.

Some would even dare to die. But God commended his love

toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us

much more than being now justified by his blood.

We shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the

death of his Son. Much more been reconciled.

We shall be saved by his life. And if you examine those four

pieces of scripture that I've given you, Romans 5 verses 6

Romans 5:6

through to 10, you will discover this is how God sees us.

God sees us as those who are without strength, who can't save

ourselves. God sees us as those who are

ungodly. Not only are we without God, but

with an anti God spirit and bias in our heart, He then sees us as

sinners. And what does sin send us?

Any want of conformity unto her transgression of the law of God.

He seizes as those who have transgressed as law, and He

designates us as enemies. For if when we were enemies, we

were heirs of divine hostility, and even in that state, without

strength to save ourselves, an ungodly Wretch with a bias

against God, who had transgressed God's law, who was

an object of divine wrath, in that state, vile, unclean, held,

deserving, guilty, a Sinner by nature and practise.

What do we read? Christ have loved us.

Here's the measure. Christ loves a world full of

sinful, messed up people. There was nothing to make Christ

to love us. We were vile, ugly, unclean,

foul, horrible creatures. Yet here's the sort of people

that he loved. Let that sink in.

Here's the reality of the truth that is emphasised.

Walk in love as Christ hath loved us.

Not only the reality of this truth, but think of this as an

act of work. You see, the Lord Jesus just

didn't allow certain things to happen to Him.

The first thing that Paul emphasises is this.

And hath given himself for us. When Paul's there and hath given

himself for us, Christ did something.

What did He do and hath given himself for us?

Christ was active in His atoning work.

This speaks of voluntariness. Christ was not a passive victim.

He didn't merely give up His possession on the throne.

He didn't merely give up his possessions.

He didn't merely give up His prerogatives in the Godhead,

much more He gave Himself not just things.

Remember what we read in Philippians 2.

Let this mind be also in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Verse 5, Verse 6. For being in the form of God,

thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself

of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was

made in the likeness of men, and they found in fashion.

As a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even

the death of the cross. In all of that Christ was

active. In all of that Christ gave

himself. That means He gave more than His

position, more than all His possessions, more than all His

prerogatives. He gave himself the whole of His

being, His whole life, His whole person.

He He submitted and sacrificed himself.

The activity here was entirely positive.

His death was not forced by men. His death was not extracted due

to an unwillingness in his part. No, Remember what he says in

John chapter 10 and in the verse 17 after he had spoke about

John 10 · chapter mention

being the Good Shepherd. He says, therefore doth my

father love me because I lay down my life, that I might take

it again. No man taketh it from me, but I

lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down.

I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received

of my father. Remember he said to Nicodemus

like as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even

so must the Son of man be lifted up the the the Bible tells us

that he said that he he must needs go to Jerusalem.

You see, he said for this RM come Christ's work was a real

work. Christ work was an active work

and when he died in the cross, His death in the cross was not

something that happened to Christ.

It was something Christ did because he was active.

I'll tell you something else. If you look again at the text

very quickly it says here an offering.

Did you pick that up? Ephesians 5 and two, an

offering. What is an offering?

It's a gift that is presented. Christmas has passed.

We presented gifts to one another.

It was offered to one another. It was received.

Christ gave up himself as an offering to God.

That means Christ was a willing offering.

The Old Testament animals that were sacrificed were brought

unwillingly, but Jesus Christ came to the cross willingly.

He wasn't dragged. He wasn't forced.

He came as an offering. And again, it's reinforcing and

teaching us what Christ has done.

He didn't die a victim of injustice.

He presented himself as an offering to God.

Notice the next word here and a sacrifice to God that draws it

directly from the Old Testament Levitical sacrificial system.

The word sacrifice indicates what?

What does it say to you when you read it?

Does it not say substitution? Does it not say bloodshed?

Does it not say identification? You see, when Paul used the word

sacrifice and the word offering, he was thinking about the Old

Testament teachings about offerings and the Old Testament

teaching about sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrifices

were temporary, they were repetitive everyday, they were

symbolic. But Christ's sacrifice was

final. It was once for all and of

course it was substitutionary. Whenever a worshipper came and

brought the animal, say it was a lamb, and he offered it to the

priest, the animal had to be free without blemish, no spot.

The priest. The high priest then placed his

hands and the head of the animal to symbolise the transfer of the

sins of the people to the head of the animal.

The animal became the sin offering and then the animal was

slain and the blood was taken and shed, collected in a bowl.

And the animal was slain because it had received the punishment

of death due to the guilt of the sins of the people.

And then the high priest was take the blood and he would

bring it into the inner sanctuary of the temple,

sprinkle it upon the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.

And the body of the dead animal was then placed on the burned

altar in the outer court, and it was burnt and the smell of that

animal would would ascend up to God.

That's what Paul had in mind when he used the word offering

and especially the word sacrifice and the Genesis to

Malachi. The message of the Bible is

consistent because that's what happened to the Lord Jesus

Christ on the cross. That's what happened when he

died. His death was not symbolic.

His death was substitutionary. His death was vicarious.

His death appeased the divine wrath.

The Bible says without the shedding of blood is no

remission. And remember what we read over

there in the book of Hebrews and Hebrews 9 and verse 26.

We read this for then must often He have suffered since the

foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the world, He

appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Not only was there an offering and a sacrifice, but notice

these words for a sweet smelling savour.

In other words, it brought satisfaction, it pleased God,

Christ once and for all sacrifice for sin.

God accepted it, God liked it, God was pleased with it, it

brought him joy and pleasure. God enjoyed it.

In other words, God the Father was fully, fully satisfied with

what the Lord Jesus had done. The law made certain demands.

The soul that sinneth it shall die.

And Christ came into the world and offered himself to God.

And Christ offered himself a once and for all sacrifice on

behalf of sinners, and that come up before God for a sweet

smelling savour and brought God joy and satisfaction.

The Bible says it pleased the Lord to bruise him.

I want to point out very quickly here, and I know where time is

going, Christ didn't die a passive victim of injustice.

Christ didn't die as a pacifist. You see, if Christ died as a

pacifist, it explains nothing about his cross, neither his

blood shedding his blood atonement, neither his curse

bearing, neither his satisfying the law of God, not even the

veal that's rent in the temple. And two, it explains nothing.

Christ didn't die as a pacifist resisting the violence of cruel

man. Christ didn't die as a martyr

for the truth. Christ didn't even die to

demonstrate what love is. Now it includes that, but that's

not the chief reason as to why he died.

Christ died as a once and for all offering and sacrifice for

our sins. And these erroneous views,

they're preached on in many pulpits.

Denounce them, turn away from them.

Close up your ears, because they've all emerged, because men

are in denial about God's holiness and God's divine

justice and God's divine wrath. See, let me point something out.

If God is not truly holy, then sin doesn't deserve God's wrath.

If sin doesn't deserve God's wrath, then there's no sacrifice

or offering for sin that's needed.

And if there's no propitiation, no sacrifice for sin, if there's

no proportionary substitutionary sacrifices needed, then the

cross is merely symbolic. Here's the Apostle Paul.

He explicitly states Christ's death was an offering, a

sacrifice, a sweet smelling savour.

Not to man, not to human conscience, not to the Church,

not to the devil, but to God. Christ's death fully satisfied

God's justice. It completely removes our guilt.

So young people, let me emphasise this.

Jesus Christ didn't die merely to show us what love is.

He died to satisfy God's divine wrath and justice.

And that's why when the Bible says he shall see if the travel

of his soul and shall be satisfied.

Isaiah 53 verses 10 and 12. The primary purpose of the cross

Isaiah 53:10

was not towards men, but to God. To satisfy divine holiness, to

satisfy divine righteousness, the law had to be upheld and the

Lord Jesus on the cross perfectly accomplished eternal

redemption for sinners. One final thing.

We've talked about the mention of walking love.

I've given you the measure of love.

There's a test here to be emphasised.

There's a truth here to be expounded, but there's a

testimony here to be experienced.

Notice these words and walk in love as Christ also have loved

us and have given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to

God for a sweet smelling savour. In light of this, if you think

of the mention and the measure, ask yourself what is the meaning

here and walk in love. What does walk in love mean?

It means that this walk in love is not something coerced, not

something manipulated, not something self-serving.

It's a sovereign, sacrificial, supreme, steadfast love.

It's a love that flows from a heart that's been transformed

and changed by the grace of God. Because Christ's sacrifices

finished and complete and accepted, we can now walk in

love before God. We can walk in love not to earn

God's favour, but because God's favour has been freely given.

We love out of a sense of gratitude, not obligation.

We love out of a sense of security.

We are in Christ. Christian love has to be

sacrificial. Christian love is not

self-serving. Christian love remembers never

atoning because only the blood of Christ atones for sin.

It's the blood of Christ to see us.

If I put it this way, to walk in love is to live out the

Christian life with your life being constantly shaped by the

cross work of Christ. Remember what John Calvin said

and he made it abundantly plain for us so that we can

understand. The cross of Christ is the true

mirror of love. As we look into that mirror we

are to reflect that love of Christ.

She walking in love will never avoid the offence of the cross

at all costs. To walk in love means that we'll

never refuse and accept peace without peace with God.

And the peace of God to walk in love means that we'll refuse to

be soft in sin. So it's not to avoid offence at

all cost. It's not to refuse truth for

peace or receive truth for peace.

It's not to be soft in sin if Christ gave himself voluntary,

if Christ gave himself as an offering and a perfect obedience

to God, if Christ gave himself as a sacrifice of

substitutionary and vicarious and a sweet spelling savour, it

was pleasing to God on our behalf.

So then we must display something of that love of

Christ. The fruit of our love to God has

to be the life of Christ lived out within us.

Remember what we read as we close in the words of Second

Corinthians and I've tried to keep the references as short as

possible in Second Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 14.

2 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

We read this as we finish now. Thanks be to God, which always

causes us to triumph in Christ and make manifest the savour of

His knowledge by us in every place.

For we are under God a sweet savour of Christ and them that

are saved and in them that are perishing.

You see, Christ just didn't die to manifest love.

Christ crosses not just a display of divine affection

alone, but the accomplishment of divine redemption.

And as we live for Christ, we must look to Christ's

sacrificial death. We remember the Old Testament

Saints were saved by grace through faith in the personal

work of Christ. It's the same Christ, the same

blood, the same gospel. And our walk and love is to be

shaped by a voluntary obedience. It's to be shaped by a life of

self denial. It's to be a shaped by

confidence in the finished work, and it's to be shaped by

steadfastness and seeking the highest good of others.

So when we're commanded to love God, when we're commanded to

love our neighbour as ourself, we can't do that in our own

strength and power. We can only do it by the grace

and help of God, through the example and the cross of Christ,

the atoning work of Christ, and the walk of love.

May the Lord take these few words, stumbling as they are,

and bless them to our hearts at this particular time.