SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 5:1-20 NLT

“Imitate God [be imitators of Christ], therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dearchildren.2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, iurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” '所以，你们该效法　神，好像蒙慈爱的儿女一样。 也要凭爱心行事，正如基督爱我们，为我们舍了自己，当作馨香的供物和祭物，献与　神。 至于淫乱并一切污秽，或是贪婪，在你们中间连提都不可，方合圣徒的体统。 淫词、妄语，和戏笑的话都不相宜；总要说感谢的话。 因为你们确实地知道，无论是淫乱的，是污秽的，是有贪心的，在基督和　神的国里都是无分的。有贪心的，就与拜偶像的一样。 不要被人虚浮的话欺哄；因这些事，　神的忿怒必临到那悖逆之子。 所以，你们不要与他们同伙。 从前你们是暗昧的，但如今在主里面是光明的，行事为人就当像光明的子女。 光明所结的果子就是一切良善、公义、诚实。 总要察验何为主所喜悦的事。 那暗昧无益的事，不要与人同行，倒要责备 行这事的人 ； 因为他们暗中所行的，就是提起来也是可耻的。 凡事受了责备，就被光显明出来，因为一切能显明的就是光。 所以 主 说： 你这睡着的人当醒过来， 从死里复活！ 基督就要光照你了。 你们要谨慎行事，不要像愚昧人，当像智慧人。 要爱惜光阴，因为现今的世代邪恶。 不要作糊涂人，要明白主的旨意如何。 不要醉酒，酒能使人放荡；乃要被 圣 灵充满。 当用诗章、颂词、灵歌彼此对说，口唱心和地赞美主。 凡事要奉我们主耶稣基督的名常常感谢父　神。 ' 以弗所书 5:1-20

**1) WALK IN LOVE

1）行在爱中**

• We are all imitating, learning from, or being influenced by someone! 我们每个人都在模仿、学习或受某人的影响！
• We are called to imitate Christ, like a child imitates a parent! We need to learn our behaviours from Christ. 我们被呼召模仿基督，就像孩子模仿父母一样！我们需要从基督那里学习我们的行为。
• Imitating Christ in Our Lives: John Comer comments that we are to: “Be with Jesus; Become Like Jesus; Do as He did!” Dallas Willard states, “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you!” 在我们生命中模仿基督：John Comer评论说，我们要“与耶稣同在；变得像耶稣；效法祂所做的！” Dallas Willard指出：“门徒训练就是一个过程，使我们成为如果耶稣是你，那祂会成为的样式！”
• One way that we can imitate Christ is to walk in agape, “extravagant, self-sacrificing” love, in every area of our lives. 我们模仿基督的一个方式就是在生命的每个领域行在阿加佩爱——“奢华、自我牺牲的”爱中。
• Our lives should be characterized and driven by our love for God and for others. 我们的生命应当以对神和对他人的爱为特征并被它驱动。
• Learning to imitate Christ, by walking in love as Jesus did is not easy and can be messy and difficult at times. Leonard Ravenhill put it this way: “If you want to be like Jesus, remember, He had a wilderness, a Gethsemane, and a Judas.” 学习效法基督，像耶稣那样行在爱中并不容易，有时会混乱、艰难。 Leonard Ravenhill 这样说：“如果你想像耶稣一样，记住，祂有旷野、有客西马尼，也有一个卖祂的犹大。”
• We can’t walk in a love like Christ, unless we allow Holy Spiritto develop and grow a love in us that does not settle for how we used to live (immorality/sin) but instead to live a life of discipline, obedience and holiness. 除非我们允许圣灵在我们里面发展并增长一种爱，不满足于我们曾经的生活方式（放荡/罪），而是活出有纪律、顺服和圣洁的生命，否则我们无法行在像基督那样的爱中。
• When we choose the new transformed life, a life of love and holiness**,** our lives become a sweet aroma to Him! 当我们选择那被改变的新生命——一个充满爱与圣洁的生命，我们的生命就成了祂悦纳的馨香！

**2) LIVING IN THE LIGHT

2）活在光中**

• If we want to imitate Christ we must learn to live in the light and shine like “lights in the darkness” (John 9:5). 若我们想效法基督，就必须学会活在光中，并像“黑暗中的光”那样发亮（约翰福音 9:5）。

  有时我们对别人身上的光和暗要求太高，却忽视了自己身上的暗

• Everything is Revealed in the Light: We need to be okay to step into the spotlight, letting Holy Spirit reveal the areas we need to work on, and transform us, so we can walk in the fullness of our Kingdom calling. - Our daily prayer needs to be: “Search my Heart O God” (Ps. 139:23-24). 光中显明万物：我们需要勇敢走到聚光灯下，让圣灵显明我们需要修正的领域，并改变我们，好让我们行在神国呼召的丰盛中。 我们每天的祷告需要是：“神啊，求你鉴察我，知道我的心思”（诗篇 139:23-24）。

• We need to stop hitting the “snooze button” on our lives and spiritually wake up! 我们需要停止在人生中按“贪睡键”，在灵里清醒过来！

• We need to come alive and walk in the new life that Christ has given us and then begin to walk in boldness and shine “light” on that which is not of Him in our culture/communities. 我们需要活过来，行在基督赐给我们的生命中，然后开始大胆行事，将“光”照在我们文化/社区中那些不属祂的事物上。

• Arise & Shine:We are called to go to the darkest areas of our world and society and show His loveand be a light! 兴起发光：我们被呼召去到世上和社会中最黑暗的角落，彰显祂的爱，成为光！

**3) LIVING BY THE SPIRIT’S POWER

3）靠圣灵的大能而活**

• We can’t imitate Christ without living by the Spirit’s power. 若不靠圣灵的大能而活，我们无法效法基督。
• A transformed Spirit-filled life includes:A life of applied wisdom (v. 15), holiness (v. 18), fulfilling the will of the Father (Heaven to Earth) (v. 16-17), and a life of praise and thanksgiving (v. 19-20). 被改变、被圣灵充满的生命包括：行出运用的智慧（第15节）、圣洁（第18节）、成就天父的旨意（天到地）（第16‑17节）、并且是一个充满赞美与感谢的生命（第19‑20节）。