Do Not Conform to their Sinfulness Page 3 of 3 (series: Lessons on Ephesians)

by John Lowe
(Woodruff, S.C.)

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

In Paul’s day, there were FALSE Christians who argued that believers could live in sin and get away with it. These deceivers had many arguments to convince ignorant Christians that they could sin repeatedly and still enter God’s kingdom. “You were saved by grace!” they argued. “Therefore go ahead and sin that God’s grace might abound!” Paul answered that foolish argument in Romans 6―“Sin in the life of the believer is different from sin in the life of an unsaved person!” Yes― it’s worse! God judges sin no matter where He finds it, and He does NOT want to find it in the life of one of His own children. I personally believe that no true Christian can ever be lost, but he will prove the reality of his faith by an obedient life.

In view of the fact that the WRATH OF GOD will be poured out on the unregenerate because of these sins, it follows that the child of God cannot participate in them without incurring the displeasure and judgment of God. If such a person is really a child of God, God will judge him. He judged David, you may recall. When David slipped into sin, God put the lash on his back and never took it off. “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

There are many professors who are not possessors (Matthew 7:21-23{9]). A Christian is not sinless, but he does sin less― and less― and less! The Christian is a king and it is beneath his dignity to indulge in the practices of the lost world that is outside the kingdom of God.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

If you can sin and get by with it, you are not a child of God. Do you know why? Because God would have to condemn you with the world, which would mean that you are NOT saved. If you are a child of God and do these things, God will chasten you―He will take you to the woodshed right here and now. If God doesn’t chasten you, you are in a dreadful condition. It means you are NOT His child, because God does not spank the devil’s children.

Immorality will exclude a man from “the kingdom of Christ and of God”—from full and final salvation. The immoral person, that is, “one who is COVETOUS (an idolater),” has his own category. “Covetousness” in its widest sense is worship of Mammon; in its narrower sexual sense it is worship of the flesh. The Christian, Paul continues, will pay no attention to the deceiver who tells him otherwise. “These things,” immoral actions, bring down God’s wrath on “the sons of disobedience,” the men who despised God and His laws. CHRISTIANS SHOULD SHUN THEIR COMPANY. Paul does not mean that we should leave the world all together (1 Corinthians 5:10{10]). Rather, we should have no natural connection with ungodliness—spiritually we have nothing in common with such darkness.


Scripture and special notes

[1} “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” (Eph. 4.31)
[2} “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:23)
[3} “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” (Galatians 5:22)
[4} “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)
[5} “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)
[6} “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:6)
[7} “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
[8} “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;”(2 Timothy 4:1)
[9} “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
[10} “Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.”(1 Corinthians 5:10)