17. The Blessed Christian Life (3)

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Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians

Knowing Your Privilege in Christ

 “The Blessed Christian Life (3)”

Ephesians 5:5-8 (KJV) 

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. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are yelight in the Lord: walk as children of light.


OUTLINE

  • Judgment of God upon the Ungodly (v5)
  • Separate from the Ungodly (v6-7)
  • Walk as Children of Light (v8)

INTRODUCTION

The blessing of the Christian hinges very much on living a holy life. Meddling with sin brings the judgment of God. Christ has paid the price for the redemption of our souls. Will the dog go back to its vomit? This is a crude but true chiding from the Lord.

The Apostle Paul is addressing the Christian’s walk. He tells them the Christian must not meddle with sin. The kingdom of Christ, God’s kingdom has no place for the unrepentant sinner.

And he tells us the lure of the sinner to entice the unguarded Christian. Solomon said to his son in Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

God through Christ has wrought a wonderful, miraculous work in our lives, freeing us from the bondage of sin. Know your blessed status with God.

Walk as children of light!

Three thoughts:

  • Judgment of God upon the Ungodly (v5)
  • Separate from the Ungodly (v6-7)
  • Walk as Children of Light (v8)
  • Judgment of God upon the Ungodly (v5)

5For 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.

There is no escape for the unrepentant, recalcitrant sinner. God will bar such a one from receiving any heavenly inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. 

Lloyd-Jones said well, “In this fifth verse of Paul’s fifth chapter we find ourselves with a solemn warning and an alarming pronouncement concerning unclean living…The Apostle felt it necessary to administer this severe warning to the Ephesian Christians, and we cannot conclude that it is a necessary as a warning for Christians in all ages and in all places.”[1]

He further observed, “We have that tendency to rationalise our own sins and failures. We recognise the thing in somebody else, and we condemn it. But somehow or other, we do the same things, there, there is an easy explanation, and we are perfectly satisfied. We are all experts at that process. We are all on very good terms with ourselves, we do not like to be made miserable, and we do not like condemnation; and therefore, we become experts at defending ourselves by adducing reasons and arguments and explanations – the thing really was not quite what it appeared to be! – and so we end on good terms with ourselves.”[2]

There are three sins that are highlighted here – the “whoremonger”, the “unclean person” and the “covetous man”.

The first, the “whoremonger” in the New Testament describes a man who has sexual relationship with a prostitute. He is called a fornicator, sexually immoral person (1Corinthians 5.9). The word is from the root word “pornos”.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

He is here distinguished from μοιχός (adulterer) in 1Corinthians 6:9 and ἀρσενοκοίτης (sodomite or homosexual) in 1Timothy 1:10. [Friberg]

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1 Corinthians 6:10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

The second, the “unclean person” describing one who is morally impure and unclean. This pertains to his thought and his life. [Waite]

Steve Cole said well, “To be morally pure, you’ve got to commit yourself to God’s standard and fight to maintain it. To fight for purity, you must guard your thought life and restrict the kinds of media that you expose yourself to … you must make a covenant with your eyes (Job 31:1) … It is a battle and it won’t happen automatically. You must actively fight against it. Cut off your hand! Pluck out your eye if you need to (Matt. 5:27-30)!”

Matthew 5:27-30 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast itfrom thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thatthy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast itfrom thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thatthy whole body should be cast into hell.

The third, the “covetous man” is one who wants more than his share, especially of material possessions covetous, greedy or grasping person.

Covetousness is here described as idolatry. “Idolatry” means “to look at and worship that which is seen.” A idolator is like covetous people. They want to worship that which is seen. When they see a house, they want it. When they see another’s husband or wife, they want them. When they see money, they want that. [Waite]

Here is described one who as a habit and lifestyle indulge in sin, such a one God says is not saved and are not a part of His kingdom. [Waite]

Luke 6:43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

  • Separate from the Ungodly (v6-7)

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

The warning is therefore to stop being deceived, an action that is already in progress. The deception here is with the empty words of man’s wisdom. 

How to receive the blessings? The Means! 

Separating from the ungodly 

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

The first step, notice that the psalmist presents the negative in a triac “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Notice there is an increase of sense in successive phrases. 

The first are ungodly, as to their mind, the second are sinners, who not only think, but carry out the workings of their evil mind. The third scorner glorying in their wickedness and scoffing at righteousness. The first continue in that mind of taking evil counsel, the second carry it out, as the principle of their walk and the third settle down in their evil, as on a seat. 

The next step of rebellion to stand in the way of sinners. A logical progression in the slippery downward slide to destruction, to “stand” here means to have made a choice, to choose the way of sinners. To stand with someone is to agree with him and to take the side of him, who? The sinner! The way of the world, ruled by the prince of this world, Satan himself. Eve chose to stand with the lie of Satan instead of the truth of God’s Word. That influenced her to pick the forbidden fruit and eat. 

The third-degree of sinful indulgence is “sit in the seat of the scornful“. Having listened to the enticement of the Serpent, now Eve becomes chief advocate for Satan, she gave the forbidden fruit that she has eaten for Adam to eat, plunging all humanity into total depravity and utter hopelessness. 

A study of the word “scorner” used in the Bible tells us that he is one who is proud and haughty, delights in boasting, deriding, mocking, incapable of discipline, reproof or rebuke, cannot find wisdom, is an abomination and should be avoided. Hence the importance of separation from sinful companion, such is the potency and influence of evil companions, separation from the world – dear friends, we must be careful to choose our friends, and help our loved ones in the choice of friends, especially for every father and mother our children! 

God is holy and righteous. He is angry with sin and unrighteousness.

Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

How to avoid and escape God’s wrath?

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Come to Jesus and forsake your sins!

  • Walk in the Light (v8)

8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are yelight in the Lord: walk as children of light.

The Apostle Paul pleads with the church in Ephesians to choose holiness, cultivate godliness in their lives. Flee from the snares of sin. The influence of evil company that comes assailing against your mind, action and destiny.

There is a need to be separated from sin and darkness.

Principle and Practice of Biblical Separation

  1. The doctrine of separation from sin unto God is a fundamental principle of the Bible, one grievously ignored in the church today.
  1. This doctrine arises out of the holiness of God. Both the purity and righteousness of God (Luke 1:75) are involved. “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Pet 1:16, also 3:11; Exod 15:11; Isa 6:3; 2 Cor 7:1)
  1. The Bible does speak of cooperation (“be of one mind,” “that they may all be one,” “labourers together,” “keep the unity of the Spirit,” “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord,” also 1 Cor 12:25). However, biblical cooperation is based upon TRUTH. It involves the united effort of God’s people. This is not a cooperation borne of a spirit of undiscerning pluralism, or that of seeking “truth” in all religions.
  1. We maintain that Scripture teaches a separation that is based on the holiness of God, producing purity in all of life, personal and ecclesiastical.
  1. It is the duty of all true churches of the Lord Jesus Christ to make a clear testimony to their faith in Him, especially in these darkening days of apostasy in many professing churches, by which apostasy whole denominations in their official capacity, as well as individual churches, have been swept into a paganising stream of modernism under various names and in varying degrees.
  1. There has been a notable growth of autocratic domination on the part especially of modernistic leaders by whom the rightful powers of true churches are often usurped and are now being usurped.
  1. The commands of God to His people to be separate from all unbelief and corruption are clear and positive: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Cor 6:14; see also Matt 6:24; Rom 16:17; Gal 1; Eph 5:11; 2 Thess 3:6, 14; 2 Tim 3:1-7; Tit 3:10; 2 Pet 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7-11; Jude 3, 20-24; Rev 18:4). We reach out to those who are part of any human system which involves compromise with error, and who thus ought to “come out from among them” (2 Cor 6:17), separate themselves unto the “Father… the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:18), thus “cleansing themselves” and perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor 7:1).
  1. In loyalty to the revealed Word, we, as an organised portion of the people of God, are obliged to oppose all forms of modernism, cultism, Romanism and false religions. Dialogue for the purpose of reaching a compromise between all true Bible believers and representatives of such beliefs is impious, unbiblical, treasonous and unfaithful to the holy God, as He has revealed Himself to us in His infallible, inerrant Word.
  1. We are opposed to all efforts to obscure or wipe out the clear line of separation between these absolutes: truth and error, light and darkness. (See Isa 5:20; 2 Cor 6:14-18.) We refer to such efforts by New Evangelicals, Charismatic Christians, promoters of ecumenical cooperative evangelism and of the social gospel, and all churches and other movements and organisations that are aligned with or sympathetic to the Ecumenical Movement.

CONCLUSION

May the Lord be merciful to protect and save His people. Amen.

[1] DM Lloyd-Jones, Darkness and Light – An Exposition of Ephesians 4:17 to 5:17, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1982, 342.

[2] Ibid., 343.