Ephesians 5:3-5
(3) But fornication, and
all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as
becometh saints; (4) Neither filthiness, nor
foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of
thanks. (5) For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God.
It
is almost as if Paul is saying, "The reason you shouldn't live at all like
the world is because we know that the world does not have an inheritance with
God. Why then, should we, as believers, desire to live like those who will not gain
the kingdom of God?" And that is a very good question - yet how often do
we think of it like that? For a moment, let us get our eyes off the temporal
and onto the eternal. These people who live with "no rules" and are
enjoying a free and loose life however they please, enjoying the sins of the world
for a season, do not have the hope of eternal life (unless they change). These
people are hiding their pain, hopelessness, and hurt of defeat - and yet we
want to be like them? We need to raise our sights higher: on God and Christ
Jesus. Instead of allowing ourselves to flippantly be followers of the world,
we must choose to be followers of
Christ (vs. 1-2). If we find ourselves desiring to do and be like the world,
how we must tear our focus away from that and instead turn it to Christ!!
Amen, reminds me of what C.H. Spurgeon said:
ReplyDelete"If we would follow the Lord wholly, we must go right away into the wilderness of separation, and leave the Egypt of the carnal world behind us. We must leave its maxims, its pleasures, and its religion too, and go far away to the place where the Lord calls His sanctified ones. When the town is on fire, our house cannot be too far from the flames. When the plague is abroad, a man cannot be too far from its haunts. The further from a viper the better, and the further from worldly conformity the better."
Thanks for sharing the quote from Spurgeon, Becky! Don't we all need more and more reminders to leave this world and cleave to our Savior!
ReplyDelete~Amanda
"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;" (1 Peter 2:11)