Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
— Proverbs 19:1

Main Text:
(Ephesians 5:1-21)
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Pertinent Questions:

1. What is the main purpose of Paul writing Ephesians 5:1-21 to the Church in Ephesus?
Paul writing was a call to the people of that congregation to live a life of integrity, a life worthy of the calling of Christ. A high calling equates to high standards of living, and living with the corporate and personal upright living expected by God, who gave Christ as the perfect example.

2. The bible calls us to walk in integrity. Yet, we know from Paul writings in Roman 7:7-25 that we cannot attain sinless perfection on this side of eternity. How can integrity exist alongside imperfection?
Of course, we are not perfect people and it may seem that integrity in this sense means perfection, that we always do what is right. But let’s not confuse integrity with sinless perfection. Integrity is the honesty and genuineness of ones’s own moral character. What we know, as we think of consistency over the long haul, is that there will always be slips off the path along the way, but a person of integrity is a person who does not wait for others to point out their inconsistencies, but who does it first. He rises to the occasion and honestly admits that he is wrong, or that he is weak, or that he has failed– and gets on with the business of sorting it out (Eph 5:11-14). And in so doing, they maintain their integrity.

3. How do we preserve our integrity?
By grace and grit:
• Find out what pleases the Lord (Eph 5:10)!! Develop the discipline of feeding on the word of God by grace and grit.
• Challenge ourselves, by grace and grit, to make the bible the final authority over ALL matters in our sphere of life. No selective submission. Confess and deal with all secret compromises. Let us not fool ourselves into thinking that secret slips and unseemliness do not matter. Do we think that the Lord ever lifts His eyes from us?

4. Why are both grit and grace needed?
Grace enables us, but it does not negate the need for grit. It is by grace that we receive divine power to engage in a genuine struggle to ensure accordance between our public live and our secret live. But it is spiritual grit that goads us to stay in the struggle and persevere in our battle against inconsistencies.

The Challenge:
In which aspects of our lives have the Holy Spirit has found us to be ruefully inconsistent? Bring these inconsistencies to light by confessing them to God and man.