Ephesians 5:3-7 Podcast
3 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. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
(Ephesians 5:3-7)
Why do you think that Paul would tell Christians not to engage in sexual immorality? Because, even though we are born again and guaranteed heaven, we can still do some bad things, like having sex with someone whom we are not committed to.
In our text today, the Apostle is addressing the alternative for the believer in Christ. These are the appetites of the flesh and even though we should not feed the flesh, we will. And, it is the dumbest thing in the world, because the flesh brings with it destruction.
Paul isolates sexual immorality, impurity (demoralizing behaviors), greed, obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking, and immorality. He is doing this because these believers in Ephesus had a propensity (natural inclination) toward these sins. Remember, Paul had spend about two and a half years in Ephesus, he knew these believers real well.
Every day, we have the choice to feed the flesh (the sinful desires in us) or to feed the Spirit (letting God's definition of things define us). Having sex with someone who is not our wife or husband is driven by greed or covetousness. Covetousness is a deep discontented craving that dominates us.
On the other hand, if we are overflowing with thanksgiving to God, then we are not dominated and driven by discontentment at what we have been denied. Gratitude is what we feel when we believe God is for us and not against us. Gratitude is what we feel when we believe God .
So you can see how thanksgiving is the alternative to a life driven by cravings for what you don’t have (whether sex or money). Thanksgiving says, in God I have all that is good for me, and I will not be driven to engage in the alternative lifestyle.
According to v.5, our root problem is this sinful lifestyle is in opposition to God. Paul puts gratitude in the place of covetousness, he is simply putting God in the place of our fleshly desires. Gratitude enthrones God. Greed or covetousness dethrones God. Gratitude says that God is the satisfaction of all my longings. Covetousness says that God is not adequate . I must have money or I must have sex, God is not sufficient!
And, those who are defined by the sinful desires, not those who are occasionally tripped up by these sinful desires, will not be found in heaven. There is a huge difference between dabbling and totally embracing. Mind you, to give in the least bit will be bad for us. You see, this is where the battle is won. God is not out to rob us of our fun, the problem is that we have long believed a lie. The enemy has convinced us that feeding the flesh is the answer, yet the second we finish feeding the flesh, we feel that sense, that convincing message in the back of our heads that says, that was wrong. This is where confession comes in. Confession is agreeing with God that this behavior which is contrary to His way, is wrong.
Finally, Paul ends our text for today with a very important principle: do not hang with those who embrace such a lifestyle. He says this because it is much easier to pull someone down than it is to pull them up. When I was a kid, I spent most of my summer days in the neighborhood pool. By the end of each day, I was like a raisin. I remember vividly all those times when my friend, Billy Herrin, would yell at me to help him out of the pool. I would go over to him, grab his hand, and you guessed it, he would pull me in. You see, it is much easier to pull someone down than it is to pull them up. This principle is also true in the world of whether we feed the Spirit or whether we feed the flesh. The first builds us up. The second invites destruction. It doesn't take a PHD to figure out the smart decision.
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