TRUE LOVE EXPRESSES ITSELF IN SEXUAL PURITY
Ephesians 5:3-5
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 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.
Message begins at the 24:30 min mark
Good morning! I invite you once again to turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians 5. This morning we are going to be meditating on verses 3-5. We are going to start our reading in verse 1 though.
I would just like to remind you of what we left off with last week. Last week we talked about imitating God. And one of the things we said was that there is one thing in particular about God which we are to imitate. We are to imitate his love.
Our passage today picks up by talking about sexual conduct and the need for purity. Now, that might seem like an odd transition. But if you think about it, I’m sure you can see the connection. The idea of love is one that easily can be corrupted. We can easily make it become carnal in its orientation. So the idea of love can devolve into any kind of eroticism.
This is what has happened in our own day and age. “Love is love.” What does that mean? It means that whatever lust or desire you have (whether it is for a child, a person of the same sex, or fill in the blank), it is love and it should not be questioned. It’s perfectly fine because it is supposedly under this umbrella we call “love.”
And so, the transition is a logical one. Paul wants to clarify what he means when he talks about walking in love. With that clarification, let’s read Ephesians 5:1-5
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 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.
Archaeologists have done quite a thorough excavation of the ancient city of Ephesus. There is a great deal to see if you would ever take a tour through Asia Minor. One of the interesting things that may be found is that located right across the street from the city library was, of all things, a brothel.
That might give you an indication of how prevalent sexual sin was in the ancient world. Sexual deviance was not something that you hid or kept tucked away in a back alley. It was right out in the open. It was part of your everyday traffic.
Another thing that will show you the prevalence of sexual misconduct in Paul’s day is his use of the word “porneia.” It is the word that we translate sexual immorality in the Bible. In all of his letters this word is referenced more frequently than any other sin.
It is obvious that sexual sin was a great problem in the ancient world. And in that regard, it was much like our own. We could look down on the Ephesians, but it would be better for us to think of it more as a reflection of our own.
Lest we turn up our noses at the idea of a brothel, we should remember that we have whole websites which advertise themselves with the slogan, “Life is short; have an affair.” 70% of men in our culture are said to look at pornography once a month. That number only drops to 65% when it comes to men who identify themselves as Christians.
There are certainly more statistics and anecdotes that I could pass on to show the prevalence of sexual sin in our culture and in the church in particular. However, I don’t think that I have to labor the point. I’m sure that we are all all too acquainted with the problem and know that it is well beyond epidemic proportions.
And like Paul’s day it is important for us to have clear teaching on this matter. We need to be a people who stand out from the culture in this realm. We need to aim for purity. We need to make a commitment to true love; love as God defines it.
By that I do not mean a prudish view of love or a commitment to suppressing any kind of physical desires. Not at all. If anything, we must put a value on marriage. It will put a value on the satisfaction our desires can (and should) have within marriage. And, above all, it will put a high value on preserving the boundaries of biblical purity and celebrating the satisfaction that may be had in those boundaries..
True love will manifest itself in sexual purity.
But, of course, we know that--given our culture’s state--that isn’t an easy thing to do. The world around us is not only preaching perversions, it is pressuring us into those perversions. It’s telling us that breaking God’s law is fine, there is a great deal of pressure to go ahead and break loose and join them in their orgy of practices.
So the question becomes, “How do you maintain this spirit of sexual purity?” What do we as Christians need to do in order to walk in love as God wants us to when it comes to physical intimacy?
This is exactly what the Apostle Paul outlines for us in this passage. He gives us three things that we need to do that will help to preserve us in the kind of purity that God wants.
The first thing we must do is to uphold the standards God has set.
I. By upholding the standards that God has set
You’ll notice in verses 3-4 that Paul lists a number of sins which qualify as violations of the 7th commandment. What he essentially does is lay down the standards which are to define our conduct. If we are really going to be pure and show love like God wants, then we must avoid these things. As he says, these should not even be named among you. That is to say, they shouldn’t exists. We might say that there shouldn’t even be a hint of these sins.
Well, let’s walk through this list and just get an idea of some of what kinds of things we should be avoiding.
We know that God’s design for us is that we be married and share our love with one person. That’s been the standard since the beginning when God created Adam and Eve. And any sexual activity outside of those bounds is forbidden under this concept of sexual immorality.
So in this category would be perversions like homosexuality, bestiality, and incest. In our day the whole “trans” movement is all the rage. We would probably place all that stuff under this category.
Really, anything LGBTQ would fall here as it would be defined as an uncleanness. Those types of things are particularly unnatural. Since they are, they qualify as uncleanness or impurities.
So you see here something of a progression. Paul first deals with the sinful actions. Now he is dealing with the inward life. He moves from the outward sins to speaking of our desires.
You shouldn’t forget that the law of God deals with your inward life. It judges your thoughts. When I was younger some of my peers would say, “Well, you can look but not touch.” That’s not at all true. Jesus tells us that if we have problems with looking at people and lusting, we need to gouge out our eyes. Job said that he made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. He recognized the limits God had set and how it dealt with a covetous heart.
There’s also a big thing today called “Side B” Christianity. You should be aware of this. Supposedly these are Christians who would identify as LGBTQ, but they would take a traditional view of sexual practice regarding abstaining from that lifestyle. In other words, they believe that though they have these desires and this (what they would call) orientation, they should not act on those desires. They would say that they are only sinful if they practice that lifestyle and engage in homosexual activity.
This is, of course, wrongheaded. The Scripture deals with not just the outer life, but also the inner life. It judges the intentions and desires of our hearts. So we know that “Side B” Christianity is no Christianity at all. It is just a mask for covetousness.
Now, you might have expected Paul to stop right there. But he doesn’t. In verse 4 Paul goes on to show that our standards for purity reach even further. For instance, he mentions...
It’s interesting to note that immodest dress is often considered to be cool. But it is actually a form of filthiness.
Sometimes people can talk about things that make them “feel dirty.” That would be something that qualifies as filthiness. Unfortunately, some people can have a seared conscience and they don’t have the shame that comes with such things. But filthiness has to do with any kind of perverted act or titillation because it goes against proper sexuality as God wants it to be expressed.
And this is the way we need to think of it. It is filthy. It is dirty. It is not in anywise innocent. If you are tempted to go to those websites, this is what needs to shape your mind. This is not at all right. It is a gross violation of what is right and proper.
Lastly, Paul says our standards also apply even to the way we talk.
In that regard, do you know why the LGBTQ thing is so popular today? One of the main reasons is the old TV show Three’s Company. That was a sitcom in the late 70’s and early 80’s. It was a little edgy because it poked fun at the idea of being gay. It made light of it. And by making fun of it, it made it more acceptable.
That’s what happens when we are not circumspect in the way we talk. We might not think much of it. But the way we talk about such things can be a gateway to greater declension.
Now, after going through this list, someone may think that it sounds absurd. I could hear someone in our day and age, “Well, what’s it going to hurt? What’s the matter with a little joke? What’s wrong with two consenting adults doing what they choose to do in the privacy of their own home?
The problem is that it is wrong. It isn’t about sexually transmitted disease or the emotional harm that may come. Those are possible consequences, but those are not the arguments we use. The fact of the matter is that God has laid down a standard. And we need to recognize that standard. Anything that violates that standard is unacceptable.
And we are called to uphold these standards. We will likely look weird in our day because we are not participating in such things or saying its okay. But we are to understand that true love is going to look a certain way. Love is not love when it can be perverted.
We know that love has limits. And true love will uphold the standards that God has set.
But when it comes to imitating God’s love, you’ll notice that true love also means maintaining the attitude God wants.
II. By maintaining the attitude that God wants
At the end of verse 4, we find something that might first sound a little odd. Paul is listing all these lurid things like sexual immorality and filthiness and crude joking. But then he says, “Instead, let there be thanksgiving.”
One might wonder where that came from?
But it makes sense if you think about it. If you have been used to derogatory speech, then here’s a way you can rectify things. Instead of the negative connotations, you can easily have a more positive impact by training yourself to be more thankful.
Look at it this way: Someone who doesn’t care about sexual purity is a selfish person. He’s only been thinking of how he can gratify his desires. Lust is just another form of greed. And we all know that greedy people are not thankful. People who are sexually defunct are similar in that they lack contentment. And they are not thankful for what they have because they are are always focused on what they don’t have.
So, if you are seeking to make headway into a more pure lifestyle, there’s no better place to start than by recognizing all that God has done for you. If you start listing the blessings in your life, you are not only going to have a much more appealing personality, you will find that there is a lot less room in your life for sexual deviance.
You can think of how this applies on a bigger scale. Imagine a guy or gal who is being tempted into an adulterous relationship. Maybe the woman finds that her husband isn’t as emotionally connected as she would like. And maybe she’s finding that another man fills that need in her life. She’s being tempted to connect with him emotionally and physically.
Or maybe a guy is finding that there is more “fun” to be had with this girl he has met at work. His wife isn’t as fun as she used to be. She’s not as spontaneous and alluring as she was 10-20 years ago. But this lady at work has that little spark that he feels is missing in his current relationship.
What is the problem in both of those cases? It boils down to discontent, doesn’t it? She’s not happy because she’s spotted some deficiency in her husband. He’s not happy because he feels his wife isn’t as impulsive or playful. In both situations it is a matter of greed. They are craving something more. They have allowed themselves to become selfishly inclined and they are now starting to find that their desires can be met somewhere else.
You know what the solution to each problem is? It almost sounds silly because it is so simple. It is a spirit of thankfulness. I thank God that he has given me my husband/wife. I thank God that he works hard to provide for me. I’m thankful that he is reliable and constant.
Or, in the other case, the man may need to say: I appreciate how she has so many responsibilities. I’m thankful that she has to tend to those things and she never fails to accomplish all those tasks. She may not be able to jump up and ditch all those activities, but she’s a blessing to me and to my household.
In being lured away what is happening is that you are finding things to appreciate in another place. You appreciate the emotional connection. You appreciate the new found fun or flattery that you feel that you haven’t been getting. And what needs to happen is that appreciation needs to be properly directed. It needs to be directed towards your spouse and the relationship God has given you.
Obviously, there is more to it than that. I’m not saying that a thankful spirit will solve all your problems. But it certainly can make a significant difference. And you no doubt can see the connection that Paul is making: Purity of life--a love that imitates God, will be one that overflows with thanksgiving.
So how do you maintain sexual purity? How do you go about maintaining a God-like love? You must first uphold the standards God has set and then you must maintain the attitude that God wants.
But there’s one more thing that Paul says we must do. You must also recognize the judgment God will bring.
III. Recognizing the judgment God will bring
Look at verse 5. Notice what the Apostle says there. He says, “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.”
Those are some serious words that Paul lays down. He has just said that the sexually impure will undergo an eternal excommunication. To not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ is to be excluded from heaven. And there is only one other alternative: You end up condemned to hell.
In other words, Paul is talking about judgment. And he is saying that your eternal welfare is on the line. If you are not seeking to live a sexually pure life -- if you are not seeking chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage-- you cannot expect that you will enter heaven when the time comes.
Now, I want you to recognize that Paul is talking about lifestyles. Paul is not saying that if you tell a crude joke or if you have some sort of unnatural desire, then you immediately lose your salvation.
We know that none of us will be able to uphold all of these commands. We will no doubt violate them at some point. But even though we won’t be perfect, we don’t have to make a practice of them. This is what repentance is all about.
A person who is not repenting of his sexual immorality or is not seeking to modify his speech patterns, that’s the kind of person who is in danger. He’s going to come before God and the Lord will say, “You’ve not shown any kind of repentance. You’ve had no desire to follow me. There’s no way I’m giving you this inheritance.”
Again, it is the lifestyle that is being talked about here. One who has turned from sin and is seeking to follow Christ does not have anything to worry about. His soul is safe with God.
But the point that Paul is making here is that God is not one who you want to test. Yes, God is a God of love, but don’t think that he is so loving that he will never send anyone to hell. Just as you cannot redefine love to be a sexual perversion, neither can you re-define God’s love to make it an indulgent love.
Just because his love is infinite, doesn’t mean that you can go on living in sin. He requires that you respond to his love with faith and repentance.
Now, think about where our culture is. It should not be a surprise that the rise in sexual misconduct corresponds to a decline in the belief in God’s judgment and hell. The more you misconstrue the nature of God’s love and think that he is so loving that he will never judge, the more libertine you will find people becoming.
That’s why these words are placed here. It is to remind us that there will be a day where we give account for our actions. And as long as we keep that in perspective, we will be less likely to follow our culture down into the dregs of its sexual licentiousness.
Conclusion:
This past week on the World and Everything In It, the news podcast by World Magazine, there was a great story of redemption. There was a story about a woman who had given herself over to the LGBTQ lifestyle. As a matter of fact, she had gone through the transition with testosterones and other procedures which made her to look like a man.
Even though she was pretending to be a man, this woman was highly involved in the church. She decieved a lot of people. She posed as a man and a lot of people didn’t know her true identity. So she led men’s bible studies and was very active in the church. She attended worship and participated in other types of church ministries.
But there came a point that this woman became convicted. All this time that she was in the church, the word of God was actively working. She came to realize that she was not who she was pretending to be. She realized that God’s word had a standard that she needed to uphold. And she began to recongize that God was not happy with her lifestyle. He was not accepting of it.
So she confessed her sin and she began to transition back to her female self. Now, there has been some incredible damage. They do not know the full extent of it yet. But you can tell by her voice that there’s no regret when it comes to her decision. She’s seeking to live with a new contentment in her life in who God has created her to be.
That’s a beautiful story of redemption. And it is a story that clearly outlines what we see here in our text. This is a story of one who was brought out of the life of darkness. She’s now living a counter culteral lifestyle in the purity that God wants her to have.
And it illustrates how we too may do the same. It all comes down to upholding the authority of God’s standard and recognizing that he will not budge on that standard on the day of judgment. And understanding all that we can be thankful for will give us the grounding we need to maintain the purity of life that we are called unto.
So let us follow in her footsteps. Better yet, let us imitate God and show the kind of love that we need to by chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage.
I would just like to remind you of what we left off with last week. Last week we talked about imitating God. And one of the things we said was that there is one thing in particular about God which we are to imitate. We are to imitate his love.
Our passage today picks up by talking about sexual conduct and the need for purity. Now, that might seem like an odd transition. But if you think about it, I’m sure you can see the connection. The idea of love is one that easily can be corrupted. We can easily make it become carnal in its orientation. So the idea of love can devolve into any kind of eroticism.
This is what has happened in our own day and age. “Love is love.” What does that mean? It means that whatever lust or desire you have (whether it is for a child, a person of the same sex, or fill in the blank), it is love and it should not be questioned. It’s perfectly fine because it is supposedly under this umbrella we call “love.”
And so, the transition is a logical one. Paul wants to clarify what he means when he talks about walking in love. With that clarification, let’s read Ephesians 5:1-5
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 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.
Archaeologists have done quite a thorough excavation of the ancient city of Ephesus. There is a great deal to see if you would ever take a tour through Asia Minor. One of the interesting things that may be found is that located right across the street from the city library was, of all things, a brothel.
That might give you an indication of how prevalent sexual sin was in the ancient world. Sexual deviance was not something that you hid or kept tucked away in a back alley. It was right out in the open. It was part of your everyday traffic.
Another thing that will show you the prevalence of sexual misconduct in Paul’s day is his use of the word “porneia.” It is the word that we translate sexual immorality in the Bible. In all of his letters this word is referenced more frequently than any other sin.
It is obvious that sexual sin was a great problem in the ancient world. And in that regard, it was much like our own. We could look down on the Ephesians, but it would be better for us to think of it more as a reflection of our own.
Lest we turn up our noses at the idea of a brothel, we should remember that we have whole websites which advertise themselves with the slogan, “Life is short; have an affair.” 70% of men in our culture are said to look at pornography once a month. That number only drops to 65% when it comes to men who identify themselves as Christians.
There are certainly more statistics and anecdotes that I could pass on to show the prevalence of sexual sin in our culture and in the church in particular. However, I don’t think that I have to labor the point. I’m sure that we are all all too acquainted with the problem and know that it is well beyond epidemic proportions.
And like Paul’s day it is important for us to have clear teaching on this matter. We need to be a people who stand out from the culture in this realm. We need to aim for purity. We need to make a commitment to true love; love as God defines it.
By that I do not mean a prudish view of love or a commitment to suppressing any kind of physical desires. Not at all. If anything, we must put a value on marriage. It will put a value on the satisfaction our desires can (and should) have within marriage. And, above all, it will put a high value on preserving the boundaries of biblical purity and celebrating the satisfaction that may be had in those boundaries..
True love will manifest itself in sexual purity.
But, of course, we know that--given our culture’s state--that isn’t an easy thing to do. The world around us is not only preaching perversions, it is pressuring us into those perversions. It’s telling us that breaking God’s law is fine, there is a great deal of pressure to go ahead and break loose and join them in their orgy of practices.
So the question becomes, “How do you maintain this spirit of sexual purity?” What do we as Christians need to do in order to walk in love as God wants us to when it comes to physical intimacy?
This is exactly what the Apostle Paul outlines for us in this passage. He gives us three things that we need to do that will help to preserve us in the kind of purity that God wants.
The first thing we must do is to uphold the standards God has set.
I. By upholding the standards that God has set
You’ll notice in verses 3-4 that Paul lists a number of sins which qualify as violations of the 7th commandment. What he essentially does is lay down the standards which are to define our conduct. If we are really going to be pure and show love like God wants, then we must avoid these things. As he says, these should not even be named among you. That is to say, they shouldn’t exists. We might say that there shouldn’t even be a hint of these sins.
Well, let’s walk through this list and just get an idea of some of what kinds of things we should be avoiding.
- Sexual Immorality
We know that God’s design for us is that we be married and share our love with one person. That’s been the standard since the beginning when God created Adam and Eve. And any sexual activity outside of those bounds is forbidden under this concept of sexual immorality.
- Impurity
So in this category would be perversions like homosexuality, bestiality, and incest. In our day the whole “trans” movement is all the rage. We would probably place all that stuff under this category.
Really, anything LGBTQ would fall here as it would be defined as an uncleanness. Those types of things are particularly unnatural. Since they are, they qualify as uncleanness or impurities.
- Covetousness
So you see here something of a progression. Paul first deals with the sinful actions. Now he is dealing with the inward life. He moves from the outward sins to speaking of our desires.
You shouldn’t forget that the law of God deals with your inward life. It judges your thoughts. When I was younger some of my peers would say, “Well, you can look but not touch.” That’s not at all true. Jesus tells us that if we have problems with looking at people and lusting, we need to gouge out our eyes. Job said that he made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. He recognized the limits God had set and how it dealt with a covetous heart.
There’s also a big thing today called “Side B” Christianity. You should be aware of this. Supposedly these are Christians who would identify as LGBTQ, but they would take a traditional view of sexual practice regarding abstaining from that lifestyle. In other words, they believe that though they have these desires and this (what they would call) orientation, they should not act on those desires. They would say that they are only sinful if they practice that lifestyle and engage in homosexual activity.
This is, of course, wrongheaded. The Scripture deals with not just the outer life, but also the inner life. It judges the intentions and desires of our hearts. So we know that “Side B” Christianity is no Christianity at all. It is just a mask for covetousness.
Now, you might have expected Paul to stop right there. But he doesn’t. In verse 4 Paul goes on to show that our standards for purity reach even further. For instance, he mentions...
- Filthiness -
It’s interesting to note that immodest dress is often considered to be cool. But it is actually a form of filthiness.
Sometimes people can talk about things that make them “feel dirty.” That would be something that qualifies as filthiness. Unfortunately, some people can have a seared conscience and they don’t have the shame that comes with such things. But filthiness has to do with any kind of perverted act or titillation because it goes against proper sexuality as God wants it to be expressed.
And this is the way we need to think of it. It is filthy. It is dirty. It is not in anywise innocent. If you are tempted to go to those websites, this is what needs to shape your mind. This is not at all right. It is a gross violation of what is right and proper.
Lastly, Paul says our standards also apply even to the way we talk.
- Foolish talk & Crude joking
In that regard, do you know why the LGBTQ thing is so popular today? One of the main reasons is the old TV show Three’s Company. That was a sitcom in the late 70’s and early 80’s. It was a little edgy because it poked fun at the idea of being gay. It made light of it. And by making fun of it, it made it more acceptable.
That’s what happens when we are not circumspect in the way we talk. We might not think much of it. But the way we talk about such things can be a gateway to greater declension.
Now, after going through this list, someone may think that it sounds absurd. I could hear someone in our day and age, “Well, what’s it going to hurt? What’s the matter with a little joke? What’s wrong with two consenting adults doing what they choose to do in the privacy of their own home?
The problem is that it is wrong. It isn’t about sexually transmitted disease or the emotional harm that may come. Those are possible consequences, but those are not the arguments we use. The fact of the matter is that God has laid down a standard. And we need to recognize that standard. Anything that violates that standard is unacceptable.
And we are called to uphold these standards. We will likely look weird in our day because we are not participating in such things or saying its okay. But we are to understand that true love is going to look a certain way. Love is not love when it can be perverted.
We know that love has limits. And true love will uphold the standards that God has set.
But when it comes to imitating God’s love, you’ll notice that true love also means maintaining the attitude God wants.
II. By maintaining the attitude that God wants
At the end of verse 4, we find something that might first sound a little odd. Paul is listing all these lurid things like sexual immorality and filthiness and crude joking. But then he says, “Instead, let there be thanksgiving.”
One might wonder where that came from?
But it makes sense if you think about it. If you have been used to derogatory speech, then here’s a way you can rectify things. Instead of the negative connotations, you can easily have a more positive impact by training yourself to be more thankful.
Look at it this way: Someone who doesn’t care about sexual purity is a selfish person. He’s only been thinking of how he can gratify his desires. Lust is just another form of greed. And we all know that greedy people are not thankful. People who are sexually defunct are similar in that they lack contentment. And they are not thankful for what they have because they are are always focused on what they don’t have.
So, if you are seeking to make headway into a more pure lifestyle, there’s no better place to start than by recognizing all that God has done for you. If you start listing the blessings in your life, you are not only going to have a much more appealing personality, you will find that there is a lot less room in your life for sexual deviance.
You can think of how this applies on a bigger scale. Imagine a guy or gal who is being tempted into an adulterous relationship. Maybe the woman finds that her husband isn’t as emotionally connected as she would like. And maybe she’s finding that another man fills that need in her life. She’s being tempted to connect with him emotionally and physically.
Or maybe a guy is finding that there is more “fun” to be had with this girl he has met at work. His wife isn’t as fun as she used to be. She’s not as spontaneous and alluring as she was 10-20 years ago. But this lady at work has that little spark that he feels is missing in his current relationship.
What is the problem in both of those cases? It boils down to discontent, doesn’t it? She’s not happy because she’s spotted some deficiency in her husband. He’s not happy because he feels his wife isn’t as impulsive or playful. In both situations it is a matter of greed. They are craving something more. They have allowed themselves to become selfishly inclined and they are now starting to find that their desires can be met somewhere else.
You know what the solution to each problem is? It almost sounds silly because it is so simple. It is a spirit of thankfulness. I thank God that he has given me my husband/wife. I thank God that he works hard to provide for me. I’m thankful that he is reliable and constant.
Or, in the other case, the man may need to say: I appreciate how she has so many responsibilities. I’m thankful that she has to tend to those things and she never fails to accomplish all those tasks. She may not be able to jump up and ditch all those activities, but she’s a blessing to me and to my household.
In being lured away what is happening is that you are finding things to appreciate in another place. You appreciate the emotional connection. You appreciate the new found fun or flattery that you feel that you haven’t been getting. And what needs to happen is that appreciation needs to be properly directed. It needs to be directed towards your spouse and the relationship God has given you.
Obviously, there is more to it than that. I’m not saying that a thankful spirit will solve all your problems. But it certainly can make a significant difference. And you no doubt can see the connection that Paul is making: Purity of life--a love that imitates God, will be one that overflows with thanksgiving.
So how do you maintain sexual purity? How do you go about maintaining a God-like love? You must first uphold the standards God has set and then you must maintain the attitude that God wants.
But there’s one more thing that Paul says we must do. You must also recognize the judgment God will bring.
III. Recognizing the judgment God will bring
Look at verse 5. Notice what the Apostle says there. He says, “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.”
Those are some serious words that Paul lays down. He has just said that the sexually impure will undergo an eternal excommunication. To not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ is to be excluded from heaven. And there is only one other alternative: You end up condemned to hell.
In other words, Paul is talking about judgment. And he is saying that your eternal welfare is on the line. If you are not seeking to live a sexually pure life -- if you are not seeking chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage-- you cannot expect that you will enter heaven when the time comes.
Now, I want you to recognize that Paul is talking about lifestyles. Paul is not saying that if you tell a crude joke or if you have some sort of unnatural desire, then you immediately lose your salvation.
We know that none of us will be able to uphold all of these commands. We will no doubt violate them at some point. But even though we won’t be perfect, we don’t have to make a practice of them. This is what repentance is all about.
A person who is not repenting of his sexual immorality or is not seeking to modify his speech patterns, that’s the kind of person who is in danger. He’s going to come before God and the Lord will say, “You’ve not shown any kind of repentance. You’ve had no desire to follow me. There’s no way I’m giving you this inheritance.”
Again, it is the lifestyle that is being talked about here. One who has turned from sin and is seeking to follow Christ does not have anything to worry about. His soul is safe with God.
But the point that Paul is making here is that God is not one who you want to test. Yes, God is a God of love, but don’t think that he is so loving that he will never send anyone to hell. Just as you cannot redefine love to be a sexual perversion, neither can you re-define God’s love to make it an indulgent love.
Just because his love is infinite, doesn’t mean that you can go on living in sin. He requires that you respond to his love with faith and repentance.
Now, think about where our culture is. It should not be a surprise that the rise in sexual misconduct corresponds to a decline in the belief in God’s judgment and hell. The more you misconstrue the nature of God’s love and think that he is so loving that he will never judge, the more libertine you will find people becoming.
That’s why these words are placed here. It is to remind us that there will be a day where we give account for our actions. And as long as we keep that in perspective, we will be less likely to follow our culture down into the dregs of its sexual licentiousness.
Conclusion:
This past week on the World and Everything In It, the news podcast by World Magazine, there was a great story of redemption. There was a story about a woman who had given herself over to the LGBTQ lifestyle. As a matter of fact, she had gone through the transition with testosterones and other procedures which made her to look like a man.
Even though she was pretending to be a man, this woman was highly involved in the church. She decieved a lot of people. She posed as a man and a lot of people didn’t know her true identity. So she led men’s bible studies and was very active in the church. She attended worship and participated in other types of church ministries.
But there came a point that this woman became convicted. All this time that she was in the church, the word of God was actively working. She came to realize that she was not who she was pretending to be. She realized that God’s word had a standard that she needed to uphold. And she began to recongize that God was not happy with her lifestyle. He was not accepting of it.
So she confessed her sin and she began to transition back to her female self. Now, there has been some incredible damage. They do not know the full extent of it yet. But you can tell by her voice that there’s no regret when it comes to her decision. She’s seeking to live with a new contentment in her life in who God has created her to be.
That’s a beautiful story of redemption. And it is a story that clearly outlines what we see here in our text. This is a story of one who was brought out of the life of darkness. She’s now living a counter culteral lifestyle in the purity that God wants her to have.
And it illustrates how we too may do the same. It all comes down to upholding the authority of God’s standard and recognizing that he will not budge on that standard on the day of judgment. And understanding all that we can be thankful for will give us the grounding we need to maintain the purity of life that we are called unto.
So let us follow in her footsteps. Better yet, let us imitate God and show the kind of love that we need to by chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage.