Therefore be imitators of God
as dear children.
And walk in love, as Christ
also loved us and given
Himself for us, and offering
and a sacrifice to God
for a sweet-smelling aroma.
But fornication and all
uncleanness or covetousness,
let it not even be named among you,
as is fitting for saints,
neither filthiness, nor foolish talking,
nor coarse jesting, which are not
fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Ephesians 5:1-4
How are Christians to be imitators of God? How did Jesus Christ walk in love? How did Jesus Christ offer a sacrifice to God? What does it mean to be a Christian? Paul gives several points that Christians are to cast away from their lives. In fact, those displeasing things to God are not even to be named among a Christian! The Greek word that is translated, "named" has a greater meaning that just being "named," for the root word carries the meaning of not even to style, or be entitled to, to make mention of, to make known, or in this verse for a person to not even be known as being what is displeasing to God, a person is in no way to profess, either by word or exercise of life to be known as those who do not live according to God's word. Paul in writing Romans tells us something important that occurs with us when we believe upon Jesus Christ: "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6). Are you Co-crucified with Jesus Christ? If so, then sin in you must be killed, cast away from you never to return. You may be convinced that Jesus Christ is God, is the promised Savior, and in your earnestness you believe, but the decision that must be made is exactly what Paul is preaching; you must put away those things that are displeasing to God and He has not left us destitute wandering in confusion as to what He has told us is displeasing to Him. We must stop! Stop making excuses for our sins, our sins are nothing more than blasphemy against a Holy God, and against His Son, sent for His children and as a child of God when we sin we need to repent, change our lives, from the inside out, our outside demonstrates what is inside. It is the life of Christ that has been crucified for us and as His child our lifeblood is Him and until all that is left is the life of Christ in your flesh. Paul makes it clear under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we are not to have even a "hint," as the NIV puts it, and is a good translation of the Greek word, in our lives, we are to flee: "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (1Corinthians 6:18). Paul in writing to Timothy says: "By you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (1Timothy 6:11).
When I examined my own life I find that my life did not reflect my Savior even though I professed Him to be my Savior: Have you examined thoroughly your own life and if you find things that are hints of displeasure to God, make those necessary changes? Little things slowly crept into the Church changing the way some live, for they live as the world, not having left behind worldly things: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed to the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). A couple of illustration will aid us to understand how the world has affected our witness and our lives that cannot be acceptable to God. This morning, once again, I heard a dancer from the show "Dancing With The Stars," give thanks to God for her being on the show, in other words she was giving claim to belong to God; but how can she be glorifying God when she dresses like a "wh..e" and does an exact imitation of a lap dance on her knees in front of the audience with her breasts being exposed for all to see? Would Jesus Christ be pleased with her and want to sit in front of her and watch such things as is performed in bars where women and men expose themselves, and do things that would be considered porn? No! Or, a MMA fighter who has just beat up an opponent by smashing his face, not once, but several times, until the opponent is bloody, and at times even unconscious, then standing up with arms raised in celebration that he just beat the "cr.p" out his opponent and isn't he so powerful? Would you take Jesus Christ to such an event? If not, then why do you or me watch this performance, it smacks of the amphitheater where Christians were slaughtered, gladiators were killed, and maimed, just for the pleasure of the crowd. In the MMA case we find women dressed in almost nothing parading around showing off their bodies......How can this be pleasing to God, to our Savior, and how can we participate with such things? Are you, am I crucified with Christ? If so, then should we not live as though we are? Are we as Christian, those who were chosen by God before the foundation of the world to become sanctified in this life, and this by making the necessary changes even if those changes are at odds with the world? Yes! "For if we have been united with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. For is we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection" (Romans 6:4-5).
With the interjection of liberality of theology into the Church there has been a displeasing teaching among those who call themselves Christian. We can see the results of this liberal theology everyday. Almost every show on TV is full of men and women doing things that would be considered soft porn, and even admitting with some pleasure homosexuality, and we sit there and laugh, and smile, in tacit agreement. We seem to have trouble turning off those things that we would not take Jesus Christ. We desire pleasure rather than that which is right, those things, such as taking time to teach our children the word of God, to do things with them, and to love our spouses, and show that love by not ogling on those exposed bodies, having our wives do things that only promiscuous people do, as with that person who I spoke of above, and having her children and husband watch her do those things, and by doing so has taught them that it is ok. Of course she gave glory to God. I wonder what god, for it is not the God of the Bible that she is glorifying, and her husband by sitting silently watching with their children is tacitly given his approval.
"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves leading to death, or of obedience leading to life" (Romans 6:16). Is your life changing first in the inside and then having that inside change be seen on the outside? Are you willing to lay down your life, your ambitions, your desires, and pick up your cross and follow Jesus Christ? It is not enough to celebrate the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ if that celebration does not change you and cause you to desire to be more like Him. One final question for this blog: "If God did not give you anything, nothing, and all you ever had in this life is affliction: would you still love God, would you still be in love with the Savior?"
For if when we were enemies
we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son,
much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life.
Romans 5:10
Take Time To Allow God To Communicate With You
Richard L. Crumb
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