Ephesians 5:3-4 ESV
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
When we believe in Jesus Christ with genuine God-given faith
we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with him to
walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness. Our old self is crucified with Christ in order that the body of
sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no longer be enslaved to sin
but to God and to his righteousness (Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24).
Therefore we are to not let sin reign any more in our mortal
bodies to where we obey its passions, for Jesus delivered us from our slavery
(addiction) to sin so that we might walk in purity of devotion to him in
holiness and righteousness, in obedience to his commands. So we are to no
longer live as slaves to sin since Jesus set us free. For if sin is what we
obey, in practice, it will end in death, not in life eternal with God (Romans
6:1-23).
Therefore sexual immorality and all impurity, etc., must not
have any part with us. They should no longer exist in our lives and within the
gatherings of the body of Christ, his church. There should not even be the
slightest hint of such things as this among us. This is not to say that we will
never sin again (1 John 2:1-2), but that it is not fitting of those who profess
faith in Jesus Christ to be living in sexual immorality and/or in addictive sin
of any kind.
Ephesians 5:5-6 ESV
“For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
When this speaks of those who are sexually immoral and
impure, etc., it is speaking of those who make these sins their practice, for
we are what we do in practice. Like for example, those who make lying their
practice are considered to be liars, and those who make adultery their practice
are called adulterers. So, if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness and
holiness and obedience to our Lord are not our practice, we will not have an
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God no matter what we profess.
So, we are to let no one deceive us with empty words, for
because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. And
who are the disobedient? They are those who disobey the Lord as a matter of
practice (habit), deliberately and often premeditatedly. Now every act of
disobedience is disobeying the Lord, but it is those who habitually and
deliberately make disobedience their practice on whom the wrath of God will be
visited. For that is the standard that God has set for us.
And there is no wiggle room around this. Even if every time
you sin you confess your sin, if there is no genuine repentance, and if you go
right back to committing the same sins over again, in particularly without
conscience, and without concern or care for who gets hurt in the process, then
that is living in sin deliberately and habitually and those who make sin their
practice will not inherit eternal life with God.
But again, this is not to say we will never sin or that the
Lord will not forgive us if we do or that he will have no compassion on us. He
will. But if we choose to walk in disobedience and to deliberately and
habitually commit the same sins over again, especially without conscience, we
better be prepared to hear the Savior say to us one day, “Depart from me you
workers of iniquity for I never knew you.” For lip service only does not work
with God.
Ephesians 5:7-11 ESV
“Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
The gospel message which is permeating the church (or what
is called church) in America today, and perhaps in other nations, too, grants
permission for the sinner to keep on in his sin, for no death to sin is
required. No submission to Christ as Lord is required. And no walks of
obedience to our Lord are required. According to them you are saved and on your
way to heaven on a mere one-time profession of faith in Christ.
But that is not what the Scriptures teach. God has drawn his
line in the sand and he has set his boundaries and he has declared that if sin
is our practice, and if we do not repent and turn from our sin to follow Jesus
in obedience, that salvation is not ours, and heaven is not our eternal
destiny, regardless of what we confess with our lips or say we believe in our
hearts. So, we need to take God’s word seriously and we need to obey him.
Therefore we are not to be partners with those who are
living in habitual and deliberate sin and with those who are promoting a gospel
message absent of true repentance and of walks of obedience to our Lord. We are
not to shift from the narrow path which leads to eternal life with God in order
to follow the broad path, which is easier, but which leads to destruction. But
we are to stay the course until the day we die or until Jesus takes us home.
For our Lord Jesus cares deeply about our lives and he hurts
when we stray from him to follow after the gods of this world. He grieves over
us when we fall prey to temptation to sin, and this is why he gives us such
stern counsel here to not be deceived by those who would tell us that God is
okay with us continuing to live in sin. For he does not want any of us to end
up in hell. And so we need to listen to his teachings and obey them.
So, we are now to walk (in conduct, in practice) as children
of light (truth, righteousness), not as those still walking in darkness (in
sin). And we are to be those who are discerning of what is good and of what is
bad, and of what is righteous and of what is evil. And we must choose the good
and reject the evil. And now we are to live holy and godly lives which are
pleasing to our Lord, and we are to no longer take part in the unfruitful works
of darkness.
And now we are to be those who are spreading the truth of
the gospel, and who are calling sin what it is, and who are telling people of
God’s requirements, and who are giving warning to those who are still living in
habitual sin. And we are to be calling sinners to genuine repentance and to walks
of obedience to our Lord and away from walking in sin. And we are to be exposing
the lies so that none of us fall prey to the lies and not end up having eternal
life with God because we followed the lies and not the truth.
Does Jesus Care?
1 Peter 5:7
Lyrics by Frank E. Graeff, 1901
Music by Joseph L. Hall, 1901
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
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