Ephesians 5:3-7 – Lives Pointing to Jesus
By Pastor Paul Georgulis
“3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.” – Ephesians 5:3-7 (New Living Translation)
Today, in the world in which we live, some don’t like to hear about anything but love, particularly when it comes to God. So when Paul talks about immorality and other sins, that there will be some who will not inherit the Kingdom of God, and the anger of God, it can be disconcerting. While God IS love (1 John 4:8), there is also more to God than love. Actually, I should say that the other aspects of God’s character all point back to His love for us.
Paul is very matter of fact here when he states that there shouldn’t even be a hint of sexual immorality among us and that we shouldn’t partake in impure talk. Obscenity and coarse joking are so common today that we begin to think they are acceptable and normal – we have almost become desensitized to them. Paul cautions, however, that improper language should have no place in the Christian’s conversation because it does not reflect God’s gracious presence in us. Paul’s point is that this kind of language has no value because it does not build anyone up, and it does not line up with how followers of Jesus should live their lives.
James focuses on this as well in James 3:10:
“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”
We are called to point others to Jesus and to show them what a relationship with Him looks like by letting them see our lives. How can we praise God and remind others of His goodness when we are sometimes no different than the rest of the world?
However, Paul offers a solution. He says that instead of living in these ways, we should live in – and show – thankfulness to God. Every year, I see posts on social media where people post something for which they are thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving. What if, instead, we tried something like this with speaking encouragement to a random person each day? What if we spoke only kind and uplifting words?
Does the way you live your life point others to Jesus? Do the words that come out of your mouth show that you are a follower of Jesus and point others to Him?
Prayer:
God, help us to remember that we are called to a higher standard than the rest of the world and that we are often being watched to see how we will react and respond to the situations in which we find ourselves. May our reactions, words, and everything in our lives point to You.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!
