ON THE VANGUARD

THE LIST CONTINUES
“Also out of place are obscenity and stupid talk or coarse language; instead, you should be giving thanks. For of this you can be sure: every sexually immoral, impure or greedy person – that is, every idol worshipper – has no share in the Kingdom of the Messiah and of God.”
Ephesians 5:4-5

Yesterday we spent time defining the terms of sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. I think these were well needed definitions as we have tended to conform our personal definitions to that of our rational. But if we are going to do as Jesus did and walk in His steps, we must understand the terms and boundaries according to Him. We must stop trying to fit God in our box and instead place ourselves within His freedoms. I understand it may sound strange to equate His ways with freedom, but only in Him do we have all we need. Only in walking in His steps will we find the fullness of life that we search for. And so, Ephesians 5:4-5 continues from where we left off yesterday in helping us to see what traits we need to delete from our current lifestyle.
The passage continues on with next telling us that obscenity is out of place. Obscenity in the Greek is AISCHROTES and means filth. Filth is out of place in the Kingdom. As one who has recently moved from one apartment complex to another, I can attest to the fact that my unit had filth. Now when the furniture was in its place, the unit looked clean. But as I moved the furniture from the unit into the truck, I began to find the trash and overall junk that was tucked in hidden in between the furniture and walls. I was amazed at how much filth there was. And I am just as amazed at how much filth I find when I begin to ask Jesus what He would do in my situations. For so long I have been trained in thinking that my ways were right. While they didn’t hurt anyone, they also weren’t the true version of what God commands. The filth I find needs to be removed, and fast.
Stupid talk and course joking are named next. MOROLOGIA, or foolish talking, and EUTRAPELIA, which is facetious humor and the trying to be funny, are also characteristics that God warns us against. These are not the behaviors that He is involved in and should not be the behaviors that we too are involved in. Instead He urges us to live in a place of giving thanks. This word in the Greek is EUCHARISTIA, which we derive the word Eucharist from. The Eucharist is also commonly known as the Communion, which in and of itself is the giving of thanks for the sacrifice of Christ. So instead of all this pointless and degrading talk, we are to fill our words with thanks.
In putting it all together starting from the beginning of Ephesians 5, we see we are to mimic God as children who love their parents do. We are to live a life of love and let this be our trademark. We are to do away with the sexually immoral behavior, the impurities, the greed, and the inappropriate talk that comes from our mouths. Instead we are to speak thanksgiving to our Father. All these other sins and behaviors lead only to one thing – idol worship. Too many already worship the body, worship the profligate living of impure motives, and worship what they feel they need. But Paul writes that in the Kingdom of God this bowing down unto idols of any sort has no place.
So again I challenge myself, and perhaps you as well. What would Jesus do? If He would not do these behaviors, then why should we as His followers? Maybe like me, you are seeing more clearly just what it means to walk in the ways of God and mirror His example.