“But 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. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.” (Ephesians 5:3-7 NIV)
In other Bible translations it says, “not even be named among you,” or “not even be mentioned among you,” or “must not even be hinted at,” or “should not even be heard of among you.” Or as one commentator stated, “must not even exist among you.” So, this isn’t just about blatant and obvious sexual immorality, but this is about secret sins and delving into anything of a sensual or sexual nature, no matter how miniscule it may appear to be. For it doesn’t take much to get our minds and emotions in the wrong direction.
But this isn’t just about professing Christians being engaged in acts of sexual immorality and/or in being entertained by anything of a sexual or a sinful or a seductive nature, though it is that. But this has to do with the gatherings of the church and what goes on within those gatherings in the name of Christ, and in the name of Christianity, and in the name of trying to get the world into “the church.” There should not be even a hint of sexual immorality nor sensuality, et al, within the gatherings of what are called “churches.”
Sadly, though, so many of these gatherings have been incorporated under the state and turned into businesses, and thus are being marketed to the world just like other businesses, and so they have also been incorporating much of the world into their gatherings and into their sermons and music and videos and plays, etc., to where many of these gatherings are very similar to what you might find at a local bar and not something that should be within the gatherings of the body of believers in Jesus Christ.
But let me give you some examples of this. Twice we have attended “church” services where the singers were singing like bar singers with very sensual inflections in their voices while they were swaying their bodies to the music also in sensual manners and/or were dressed inappropriately for being up on stage while singing and moving their bodies in such a manner. And then in other gatherings they have showed video clips from secular movies that, if you saw the movies, you would find they had sexual situations in them.
And then you have preachers wearing T-shirts with the names of some secular Rock Bands on the shirts. And if you look up the lyrics to the songs that these bands sing, you will see very clearly that their lyrics are against Jesus Christ and his morals and his values. But the preacher is trying to relate to the people he is trying to reach to come to his place of business. And so he tries to become more like the world to reach the world with what is a compromise with the world in order to draw in people from the world.
And then you have some preachers telling jokes, which sometimes are mocking the Scriptures and making people laugh at what should be taken seriously, because they want to entertain the world. And then there are praise bands where the music sounds like bar music and where the lyrics are so repetitive and shallow that they do nothing to stir the human conscience and to convict of sin and to teach repentance and obedience to our Lord and to lead people to holy living. But what they do is stir human emotions.
But our gatherings are not to be mimicking the world in order to attract the world to our gatherings. And we are not to be unequally yoked together (partnered) with the ungodly. And we are not to turn our gatherings into places of business, being marketed to the world like other businesses. For the purpose of our gatherings is that the people of God might be strengthened and encouraged and exhorted in our walks of faith and in obedience and in surrender to our Lord, as we encourage one another.
[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]
But so many of these modern gatherings of what are called “churches” are all about becoming like the world to attract the world to their gatherings so that they can grow in physical numbers and build their earthly kingdoms. And so what they also do is that they dilute and adulterate the character of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – and of his church, and of the message of the gospel of our salvation, so as not to offend the world and so as to appease human flesh, so people will come to their meetings.
But what does this Scripture (and many others) teach us is the result if we become more like the world and if we live like the world, and in sinful practices? If sin is our practice, i.e. what we do deliberately and habitually in direct disobedience to God, we will not inherit the kingdom of Christ and of God, regardless of what we profess with our lips. So we are not to be deceived into believing that our sins no longer matter to God or that he will not judge those who live in deliberate and habitual sin.
For what did Jesus say? He said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father. And he said (in summary) that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands. For if we hold on to living in sin, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience, in practice, then we have eternal life (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26).
So, this is a warning of God to all of us to not take him and his word lightly, but to take the warnings of God seriously, for he means what he says. If we live in sin, we will die in our sins. But if we die to sin, and live to righteousness, and we obey our Lord’s commands (New Covenant), and we live holy lives pleasing to him, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. It is what Jesus and his NT apostles taught, if read in CONTEXT. So, let there not be even a hint of any deliberate sin taking place in your lives.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Beautiful Lamb
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
By Gary Miller
Beautiful Lamb of God, guiltless and pure as snow,
Gentle and merciful, beautiful Lamb of God.
Sent from the Father’s love,
Sent from the throne above,
Sent to redeem us with His blood.
Beautiful Lamb of God, guiltless and pure as snow,
Gentle and merciful, beautiful Lamb of God.
Behold the Lamb of God
Suff’ring great pain for us,
And by His wounds we all are healed.
Beautiful Lamb of God, guiltless and pure as snow,
Gentle and merciful, beautiful Lamb of God.
Like sheep we’ve gone astray,
Each turn to his own way,
But Jesus will take our sins away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo7wA3gZIgI
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