Presents
Pamphlet #5171 KCEphesians11

If you worship some "thing", be it sex, money, whatever, or some "one" other than our Father, then you have no inheritance.

We now come to chapter 5 of Ephesians.

Let's go for it, asking His help along the way.

We have spent a great deal of time in chapter 4 listening to Paul tell us to grow-up and become mature, adult, Christians.

Now he says to be as children.

So what gives?

Actually there is no conflict here at all.

Paul is simply talking about our "relationship" to our Father.

You know how children will imitate their fathers and do as they do, like father, like son?

And they have complete trust in their moms and dads?

Well, we are to do the same, i.e. imitate our Father in heaven, be as much like Him as we can.

Like Father, like son (or daughter).

Now here's what we are not supposed to do!

It is the quickest way I know for a Christian to obtain the label of "hypocrite", preceded with a few choice adjectives.

All that is unbecoming, un-Christ-like.

There should be thanksgiving instead.

The word "jesting" used here is the Greek word eutrapelia.

Paul is not telling us that we can't be humorous or even witty at times (Thank God! I'd be in deep trouble).

It means specifically "vulgar witticism", or "ribaldry", which is coarse indecent humor.

He's a realist.

The Greek word for "whoremonger" is pornos, while"unclean" means impure or "lewd".

And know this, he says: to be obsessed or "eager for gain" is a form of worship, called idolatry.

So very simply put, if you worship some "thing", be it sex, money, whatever, or some "one" other than our Father, then you have no inheritance.

That is not to say that at times we fall short and sin, but let's not "wallow" in filth.

We must repent, i.e. change our ways, and ask forgiveness.

It is the children of disobedience that are at the "root cause" of these things, including deception.

Our Father is not happy with them.

Remember also, back in chapter two, we identified these children of disobedience as the huios, the offspring of satan, the tares of the parable in Matthew 13, i.e. Kenites.

Christ admonished His disciples (are we not His disciples?) in Matthew 16:12 "Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

We should chose carefully those with whom we associate.

Stick with those in the family of God.

We were once blind, being led around in darkness by the blind.

Notice the contrast between the "children of disobedience" in verse 6 and the "children of light" in verse 8.

Isn't it amazing that the Apostle John said the very same thing?

Want to chase away the darkness?

Be a doer and believe on Jesus Christ, for He is the light.

Naturally, number one is love, that which we are to be rooted and grounded in.

(But don't be surprised if the politicians figure out a way to tax them.

I can see it now, the Good Samaritan Tax, etc.)

I'm sure, too, that he encouraged the Bereans to go home and "search the scriptures daily" and check him out (Acts 17:11).

"Look it up for yourselves", he probably shouted when he quoted the scriptures.

Prove them by shining the light, God's Word, on them.

And don't forget, all wisdom comes from God, and therefore, so does common sense.

Sometimes all that is needed in testing fruit is a mild application of common sense.

If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then don't let some spin-meister, or spin-minister convince you it's a chicken.

Not for your entertainment (though it can be fun), but because our foundation is rooted in love, which at times requires that we exercise reprove and correction.

They may scoff at you and even "jest", but they will leave knowing the light was turned on and they were exposed to the truth.

The Greek word for dead is nekros, which means dead either literally or figuratively.

By the context we know in this case it is figuratively "dead",  dead to the truth, i.e. spiritually dead.

In other words, just as an acrobat walks the straight tightrope, so should we walk the straight and narrow.

Be careful with your time and don't waste it.

Especially don't waste an opportunity to shine some light in the darkness of this world.

Jesus Christ is the light in us.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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