Understanding the Will of God- Part 5

Scripture Reference

Ephesians 4:17-24; 25-32; Ephesians 5:1-14 KJV

Introduction

Title: “Understanding the Will of God – Part 5” preached by Dr. Terry LeQuieu. In this message from Ephesians 4 and the opening of chapter 5, the preacher leads us through the idea of the illuminated person of God. As we seek to understand God’s will—His plan and purpose—we must allow God to illuminate Himself to us. That illumination is both inward (renewal of mind and heart) and outward (our words, actions, and witness). This sermon shows how obedience brings revelation, how the Christian is to be a light in a dark world, and practical steps for putting off the old man and putting on the new.

Stand with me when you get there. Ephesians, chapter number four. We’re going to continue on our study in the book of Ephesians here. And we have covered already in the first three chapters we dealt with the immutable plan of God.

Outline

The Revelation-Obedience Principle
1. Obedience opens illumination. The preacher emphasizes: “The revelation of God is given through the obedience of the child of God.” As we obey Scripture and follow Christ’s commands, God reveals more of Himself—His purpose, plan, and person. This is not mystical speculation but the practical promise: walk as Christ taught and God will make Himself known in your life.
2. Paul’s pursuit as model. Referencing Philippians 3:10, Paul desired to know Christ. We grow in knowledge of God by obeying His Word and drawing near to Him in daily life.
Five Aspects of the Illuminated Person (Part 1 tonight)
1. Light the world with the mind of Christ. The battle is fought in the mind (Ephesians 4:17-18). Renew your mind (Eph. 4:23; Rom. 12:1-2). To be effective, we must retrain our thinking—replace worldly wisdom with Scripture-based truth. Practical help: daily Bible intake, meditation, memorization, and resisting pragmatic, relative thinking.
2. Light the world with the heart of Christ. Understand the lost operate in ignorance and spiritual blindness (Eph. 4:18-19). Our response should be compassion—people are not merely “bad,” they are often lost and hardened by sin. Christ reached out to the rejected; so must we. Compassion motivates evangelism and ministry to the needy and broken.
3. Light the world with the truth of Christ. Live by the Word, not by private opinions (Eph. 4:20-24). The preacher warns against reshaping Scripture to fit our preferences. The Bible has one true meaning; applications may vary but not the core truth. Renewing the mind leads to true application and obedience.
4. Light the world with the standards of Christ. Practical standards flow from putting off the old and putting on the new. Ephesians 4:25–32 lists behaviors and attitudes to renounce and adopt: saintly speech, appropriate anger, loving labor, adopted attitudes, and godly goodness (truthfulness, controlled anger, honest work, forgiveness, kindness).
5. Light the world by increasing imitation of Christ. Ephesians 5:1–14 calls us to become followers of God, to walk in love and avoid fornication, filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting that harm. The transformed life proves what is acceptable to the Lord and reproves the unfruitful works of darkness—our walk should awaken those who sleep in sin.
Putting Off, Washing, and Putting On (Practical Process)
1. Put off the old man (Eph. 4:22). Identify and remove habits, words, and practices that mark your former life outside Christ.
2. Be renewed in the spirit (attitude) of your mind (Eph. 4:23). The “spirit” can mean attitude—renewed perspective that enables obedience. This renewal comes by the washing of the Word.
3. Put on the new man (Eph. 4:24). Replace old garments with holy character—righteousness and true holiness. This is not a one-time act but a daily spiritual wardrobe change.
Practical Standards (six examples emphasized)
1. Saintly Speech (Eph. 4:25, 29). Put away lying; speak truth in love; avoid corrupt communication; speak what builds up.
2. Appropriate Anger (Eph. 4:26-27). Be angry and sin not. Control sudden anger, conquer stubborn anger, and channel sanctified anger to address the problem and not destroy a person.
3. Loving Labor (Eph. 4:28). Work honestly so you can help those in need—service expressed in productive giving.
4. Adopted Attitudes (Eph. 4:31). Put away bitterness, wrath, clamor, and evil speaking with all malice; choose attitudes that reflect Christ.
5. Godly Goodness (Eph. 4:32). Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
6. Increasing Imitation (Eph. 5:1-2). Follow God as dear children, walking in love and offering your life as a sacrifice—live so others see Christ through you.
Witness and Reproof
1. Be light in a dark world. You were darkness; now you are light (Eph. 5:8). Walk as children of light so your life will prove what is acceptable to the Lord and will reprove unfruitful works of darkness.
2. Expose sin by godly living. “All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light” (Eph. 5:13). Our holy, consistent life calls sin into the light where repentance and change can begin.

Summary

Dr. LeQuieu teaches that to understand the will of God we must be illuminated by God—and that illumination grows as we obey Him. The process is practical: put off the old man, be washed and renewed by the Word, and put on the new man. Our minds must be retrained to think like Christ, our hearts must be compassionate like Christ, our lives must be governed by the truth and standards of Christ, and our conduct must increasingly imitate Christ. Obedience brings revelation; sanctified living proves truth and reproves darkness. The Christian life is meticulous and intentional—true transformation is not accidental.

The revelation of God is given through the obedience of the Child of God.

Application for the Week

Practical, actionable steps you can take this week to become an illuminated person of God and better understand His will.

Daily Renewing Schedule
1. Morning meditation (10–15 minutes): Read Ephesians 4:17–5:2 each morning this week. Pray for God to renew the spirit of your mind and to illuminate any area of disobedience.
2. Memorize one verse: Choose Ephesians 4:23 or Ephesians 4:24. Repeat it through the day and use it to guard thoughts and choices.
Practice Saintly Speech
1. Before speaking, pause and ask: “Will this build up or tear down?” If it tears down, keep silent or speak grace.
2. On one occasion this week, intentionally speak encouragement to someone—thank someone genuinely and specifically.
Control and Channel Anger
1. Apply the 24-hour test: if anger arises, wait until you have prayed and evaluated before acting. Ask: “Is this righteous or sinful anger?”
2. When disciplining a family member, follow the rebuke-embrace-pray pattern described by the preacher.
Loving Labor
1. Identify one practical need in a neighbor’s or church member’s life and do one tangible work of service this week (yard work, childcare, groceries, a meal).
2. Make a plan to tithe and give to meet needs—give with the intent to help others, not to be noticed.
Guard Your Mind and Company
1. Audit your media: remove or limit one source that consistently darkens your thinking (social feed, show, music, websites).
2. Choose one friend or small group that will encourage your walk with Christ and spend time with them intentionally.
Evangelistic Compassion
1. Pray this week for one person you normally might think is “too far gone.” Ask God to give you compassion and an opportunity to share the gospel.
2. If possible, visit or engage with a ministry or outreach (e.g., an effort near an abortion clinic or other places of need) where you can show Christlike love and share the Gospel.
Journal Your Progress
1. Each evening write a short note: what you failed at, what you succeeded in, and one lesson learned from Scripture application that day.
2. Bring this journal to church or a mentor next week and ask for accountability and prayer.

These steps are practical and measurable. They follow the biblical pattern taught in Ephesians: remove the old, be renewed, and put on the new. As you do this in obedience, expect God to reveal more of Himself and His will to you.