October 21
“This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:17-24)
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
Those engaged in immorality and producing and distributing pornography fit the description above of being callous, ignorant, hardened in heart, darkened in their understanding, and excluded from the life of God. I think this is quite evident and instinctively we all know this. And if there is no God and this life is all there is, then our reasons for arguing against and refusing this behavior become few indeed.
But because there is a God who will judge the world in righteousness, because He will condemn the unsaved to hell, because these works of immorality are the works of the devil designed to deceive and enslave men and women and prevent them from coming to the knowledge of the truth and being saved, then these works of evil must be exposed, resisted, and removed from God’s people and society as a whole.
As a Christian, do you want these words to describe you? Do you want to be hardened in heart and callous towards God? Do you want to be darkened in your understanding, ignorant, and walking in the futility of your diseased mind? Do you want to be excluded from the life of God, at least a life of freedom and victory, and do you want your family members and others you may help come to repentance to be trapped in these sins and excluded from eternal life in Jesus?
Not only this, but being in this state of darkened understanding and exclusion from a fulfilling life in Christ, they give themselves over to sensuality and the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. This is so true of those who engage in immoral practices and those who produce pornography! What an apt description of degenerate man by the Apostle Paul nearly two thousand years ago, still as true today as it was then!
More on this tomorrow.