October 24
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Paul then reminds us that we formerly were of darkness, that we formerly participated in these evil deeds. How then can we go back to those deeds after tasting of the glories of Jesus Christ and His righteousness? How can we who have been freed from sin plunge headlong back into it? This is a very sobering reminder. Some among us think that their freedom in Christ is freedom to sin and be forgiven. Although we may not think of it in those direct of terms, yet we do it all the time. We presume upon God’s grace. We assume He will forgive us, and we use His kindness as an opportunity to sin.
But Paul says that we were formerly darkness, now we are children of light, and so we ought to walk in that light and not be partakers with those who are in darkness. Obviously, it goes without saying that when we commit sins of immorality and view pornography that we are partaking with those of darkness and walking as children of darkness. Let’s not deceive ourselves about this. Walk as children of light.
I love this next exhortation Paul makes to be “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” Is this your goal in life? Do you set yourself to try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord? Well, one thing is for certain, that immoral behaviors and lusts are displeasing to Him, so the first key step we can take in trying to please the Lord is to eliminate from our lives those things that are displeasing to Him, starting with immoral behaviors.
But seriously consider this passage. Are you one who is seeking to please the Lord, or are you seeking to please yourself? Do you give no thought to what the Lord wants you to do or what pleases Him, or are you so bent on gratifying your own sinful lusts that you don’t care about what the Lord thinks or wants and don’t care about the needs of others? You really can’t have it both ways. Immoral behavior and viewing pornography are exercises in self-centered fleshly gratification, nothing more, and because it is through evil behavior and images that it is carried out, it destroys you and others and is highly displeasing to the Lord. Don’t be deceived in thinking that you can indulge your fleshly lusts and somehow be pleasing the Lord in other areas of your life. God is not fooled by our little games of hypocrisy. The first step in pleasing the Lord, if you are serious about it, is to eliminate all those things from our lives that are evil in His sight, starting with immoral behaviors and pornographic indulgences.
More on this passage tomorrow.