Trials and Tribulations

Trials and Tribulations

I thought that perhaps today we should take a closer look at the passages we ended with yesterday.

Ephesians 5:3-7 But 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 man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

In the above passage Paul lists a number of things that are not to be part of our lives and says that God will discipline us when they are part of our lives. The temptation here is sometimes to look at this list as a check list and then make sure we don’t do “those things”. That can be helpful at times, but there’s more to it then just a check list. Notice in the first sentence Paul says that the reason he says this is because these kinds of things are improper for us who have been born again. We are holy now, we are not like the rest of the world.

This reminds me of what one of my teachers in high school told me. He was a godly man, and in those days it wasn’t a crime to be known as someone who is born again. Anyway, he was teaching 10th grade math. We were all very excited because it was our first day of “high school”. We thought we were really “grown up” now! Well, he brought us down a peg or two right at the start when he informed us that we really weren’t 10th graders yet! We thought he’d lost his mind! He explained it to us though by saying that throughout that year we would be learning how to be 10th graders, but that we really wouldn’t completely know how to be 10th graders until we finished the year! Well, that certainly gave us something to chew on for awhile!

So how does what Paul said relate to what my teacher said? Often when we are born again, we’re all excited thinking that now we are “new creations” and we are holy people, God’s chosen ones, all of which is true. However, we haven’t really learned “how to be” that new creation”, that “holy person”, that “child of God” yet. This is why Paul and the others often explain to us how we should be acting; what we should be doing, etc.

The Lord knows that we’re still learning too, which is why He disciplines us, just as any good human father would do. He also has Paul add a further admonition to us at the end of this passage that says, “therefore do not be partners with them”. God has told His people, first the Jew’s and now us, that we are to be separate from the world. That means we are to separate ourselves from those who are not born again. We can witness (and should) to those not born again, but we are not to have close personal relationships with them, such as being close friends, or married etc. If we have married someone who is not a believer, that too is forgiven us of course, but it is God’s Will for us to be separate from those not born again, and He has many good reasons for that. I don’t want to get into that for now because it would make for a very long study, so I will do that another day. Suffice it to say for now, that when we are disobedient and insist on being close with non believers that we invite discipline and hardship into our lives just as Paul says.

These then are some of the reasons God might discipline us. I realize this has gotten kind of long so I will close for now. But before I do, let me quote a little more of that passage for us so we can think on it over the weekend.

Ephesians 5:1-21 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  But 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 man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.  Therefore do not be partners with them.  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit.  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

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