What To Watch Out For

Ephesians 5: 1-7

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.

We need to let our goodness outshine the evil that is growing all around us. 

But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 

Immorality is any quality, character or conduct of wickedness or evil. 

Impurity is an attitude that is mixed with extraneous matter of an inferior and contaminating nature; obscenity. 

Greed is excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions. 

These ways of seeing the World are not proper for a member of God's family, and need not even ever be mentioned among us. 

And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 

Filthiness is anything not clean; and it is paired with silly talk, which is
weak-minded or lacking good sense; so it is conversation that has no worthy purpose. Which goes with coarse jesting, which is vulgar, obscene and crude. Don't even try to joke about these things.

Instead we are to have an attitude of gratitude, be constantly looking for what we can honestly compliment and approve of. 

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolator, has an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

Immorality and impurity are attitudes totally opposite to what God's character is, and one who is covetous is inordinately and greedily desirous of this World's goods, which is taking the place of God in his life. 

Anything someone puts first in their life is their god. 

So we need to examine our priorities. Is our relationship with our Father the most important relationship in our lives? What are we putting between us and our Father, that we just need to finish before we turn to Him? 

And what are we allowing our eyes to look at? Or what are we letting into our minds through the TV or movies we're watching? Or the magazines we indulge in? 

Or what are we allowing our tongues to wag about? Bragging on someone's good points? Or the juicy tidbits we just learned and can't wait to share? 

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.

Don't fool yourself thinking that just a little of these things is all right. If your friends are into any of these things, at all, then just leave them and choose to do what's right. 

We are to run from evil and temptations, because they are too dangerous for us. We are too easily tripped up, dancing on the edge of the precipice. Run as far as you can from it. 

O my Father, please help us to be careful with what we allow in our minds. Our thoughts are the root of our attitudes, which come out our mouths and hands. What we say and what we do are to exemplify Your character, Father, before the World.

Help us to be immediately aware of when we're slipping off Your path the least bit, before we slide into the ditch; then need You to pull us out and clean us up again. 

O Father, You are so good to us. You're so patient to put up with so much that we do, that we're not even aware of. Help us to recognize our own depravity, Father, and strengthen us in Your thoughts and ways. Exercise our spiritual muscles to grow strong to not allow any of that weakness of our flesh trip us up any more. 

We are Your princes and princesses, teach us to comport ourselves accordingly. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!