Epehesians 5:3-7
"Among you there should not even be a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed; these are utterly inappropriate for God's holy people. Also out of place are obscenity and stupid talk or coarse language. Instead give thanks. For you can be sure every sexaully immoral, impure or greedy person-that is, ever idol-worshipper-has no share int eh Kingdom of the Messiah and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty talk; for it is because of these things that God's judgment is coming on those who disobey Him. So don't become partners with them!"
compare: Galatians 5:19-21
"And it is perfectly evident what hte old nature does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding, fighting, become jealous and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism, intrigue and envy; in drunkeness, orgies and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such thinkg will have no share in the Kingdom of God!"
How easily we, as Christians, grasp the sinfulness of sexual immorality, drunkeness, the occult, etc., but miss the equation of "harmless" sins such as GREED as separating us from God! We miss that fact that the entire direction of the heart is the aim, not just some invisible line on some imaginary continuum... but an entire DIRECTION!
Do not all of these boil down to one root sin? What IS idol-worship... it is the belief in Satan's very first sin in the Garden of Eden where he basically convinced them that they did not need God's rules and the those rules were subject to individual interpretation ("Did God REALLY say that?") And that they could just be their OWN gods... self-rule!
It all boils down to SELFISHNESS... demanding one's own rights; a sense of entitlement. The first lie ithe core of all lies. "There is no god... you can be your own god. You will not surely die... etc." (See Genesis)
The contrast is based in absolutely NO footholds being given to Satan. NO indulgence in selfishness allowed, but rather ina prescription for self-control by submission to God-rule and Spirit-rule rather than self-rule!
(And that of God not just walking BESIDE us, but making His dwelling WITHIN us!)
Read on in Galatians 5: 22-26:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self-control. Nothing in the Law stands against such things. Moreover, those who belong to Christ have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires. Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
How different Self-Control is from self-rule... self-control is really submitting to God-rule and Spirit-rule rather than selfishness!
We all sin and the Bible says that "those who do such things have no place in the Kingdom of God"... is there any hope for any of us? Thankfully, I found out that particular phrase "Those who do such things" comes from the Greek word prassontes which means "PRACTICING". Those who make this lifestyle their PRACTICE instead of seeking God's forgiveness are in DANGER! But we must be very careful b/c it easily slips from the place of the occasional mockery, selfishness, pride, greed, etc... to being a habit!!!
We are surely NOT saved by our works, but our works can bear evidence of our direction and the position of our heart towards God!
Selfishness leads to abuses, excesses and broken relationships. A Spirit-filled and ruled life leads to abundant joy, thankfulness, fulfillment, healing and much, much more! The best part of all, though, it the healing it brings into our relationship with God!
God IS LOVE. Without Him, we cannot walk in love.
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