The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ephesians 5:3-5,
"Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Paul describes lifestyle choices in this passage that identify an "immoral, impure or greedy person" and then makes a rather pointed statement, that no such person "has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
He makes a very similar statement in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, "do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
I don't see much gray in these two passages. The Holy Spirit, who directed Paul to write these things, is quite the "black and whiter", isn't he?
What comes next in that 1 Corinthians 6 passage, however, could not be more uplifting, bringing so much hope to someone like me. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11.
The hope of mankind! The hope I cling to is that as an immoral, impure or greedy person, I have been cleansed from my sin! I have been washed, sanctified and justified!
Paul points out that as a changed person, a regenerated person, our lifestyle choices are impacted by the new life within us. We can no longer live as we used to before we met Jesus Christ. Our new life in Christ will be manifested in how we live our lives.
John puts it this way, "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister." 1 John 3:9-10.
John is not saying we are incapable of sinning as believers in Jesus Christ, but he is saying we cannot continue to live a lifestyle of sin, just as Paul spoke in Ephesians 5:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Earlier in his letter John said, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1-2.
"Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Paul describes lifestyle choices in this passage that identify an "immoral, impure or greedy person" and then makes a rather pointed statement, that no such person "has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
He makes a very similar statement in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, "do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
I don't see much gray in these two passages. The Holy Spirit, who directed Paul to write these things, is quite the "black and whiter", isn't he?
What comes next in that 1 Corinthians 6 passage, however, could not be more uplifting, bringing so much hope to someone like me. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11.
The hope of mankind! The hope I cling to is that as an immoral, impure or greedy person, I have been cleansed from my sin! I have been washed, sanctified and justified!
Paul points out that as a changed person, a regenerated person, our lifestyle choices are impacted by the new life within us. We can no longer live as we used to before we met Jesus Christ. Our new life in Christ will be manifested in how we live our lives.
John puts it this way, "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister." 1 John 3:9-10.
John is not saying we are incapable of sinning as believers in Jesus Christ, but he is saying we cannot continue to live a lifestyle of sin, just as Paul spoke in Ephesians 5:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Earlier in his letter John said, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1-2.
How wonderful is that?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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