Ephesians is not just a letter that outlines the way God would include the Gentiles in His plan for salvation. It is also a letter full of practical advice, ways for us to respond to God’s love. Chapter 4 concluded “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you“, and chapter 5 commences “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love“. We have been forgiven by God, and so Paul encourages us to imitate God, as a child imitates their parent, showing to those around us the same love a parent has for their child.
Paul warns against sexual immorality, a warning we hear often. But Paul puts covetousness at the same level. I think this is a significant challenge for us in a consumer-driven society; covetousness is reinforced on a daily basis, yet Paul strongly warns against it.
Paul exhorts instead to “Walk as children of light… and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” Discipleship is not passive or blind, it is up to us to use the light of Christ’s example to see what we should be doing, and where we should be heading. “when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light… look carefully then how you walk“. So let’s put on the whole armour of God, daily battling against sin, strengthened by the knowledge that God is rich in mercy.