Warning against sexual impurity

WEEKLY DEVOTION

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

“For you know this, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous one (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.” Ephesians 5:5-6 (Read Ephesians 5:1-14)

Many in our day think nothing of sexual impurity and sexual relationships outside the bonds of marriage, but God says differently in His Word. In fact, the Scriptures make clearthat one who continues in fornication and uncleanness (sexual impurity contrary to God’s purpose and design when He created man and woman and instituted marriage, as recorded in Genesis 2) has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Yes, that means one cannot be a Christian and have eternal salvation and at the same time be continuing on in willful sin against God, whether sexual, covetous or other (cf. Gal. 5:19-21; 1 John 3:1ff.).Though all Christians are still sinners in this world and sin daily (cf. 1 John 1:7ff.), one cannot continue in faith and at the same time purposefully and willfully reject God’s counsel and will and turn back to a sinful way of life (cf. 2 Pet. 2:20-22; Heb. 10:26ff.).

That is why the apostle Paul cautioned the believers in Ephesus concerning using the grace and mercy of God as a license to continue in baseness and sexualsin: “Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.”

Rather, the Christian lives in daily repentance, acknowledging his sins and failures and looking to the LORD God for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Christ’s innocent sufferings and death on the cross for the sins of the world. As a fruit of faith, he then seeks to conform his thoughts, desires and actions to the will of God revealed in the Scriptures.

O gracious and merciful Father, forgive me for my sinfulness and receive me as Your child for the sake of Jesus’ blood, shed upon the cross for me. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture taken from the Modern King James Version of the Holy Bible Copyright © 1962 - 1998 by Jay P. Green, Sr., used by permission of the copyright holder.]

Opinion, Pages 6 on 08/24/2011