Not Even a Hint

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 person 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.
Ephesians 5:3–7
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We are called to fight the sin in our lives so thoroughly that there wouldn’t even be a hint of it left among us. There shouldn’t even be a hint of sex outside of a monogamous heterosexual marriage in our churches. There shouldn’t even be a hint of any kind of impurity or sin. Not even a hint of greed. Not even a hint of obscene or foolish talk, or coarse joking.

‌Why? This passage gives us two reasons. First, because “these are improper for God’s holy people.” And second because “no immoral, impure or greedy person… has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” In other words, these are the kinds of behaviors that lost people engage in, and it’s because of these behaviors that God’s wrath is coming on the world. ‌You can’t expect to live like a lost person without bringing your salvation into doubt. And you can’t expect to live like a lost person without risking sharing their fate and suffering God’s wrath. 

Now, this passage isn’t saying that anyone who ever commits any of these sins isn’t saved or can’t be saved. If that was the case, then we’d all be bound for Hell. But, what this passage is saying is that anyone who continually lives in ongoing, unrepentant sin like this isn’t saved even if they call themselves a Christian. Saved people just don’t live like that.

Many people think they are saved and treat their salvation as a free pass to sin. But, this passage reveals the hard truth that their sin has blinded them to the very real danger they are in. They can’t see that they aren’t Christians at all. They can’t see that they are actually lost and are storing up wrath for themselves for the day of God’s judgment. And that is a dangerous place to be. Don’t let your sin blind you into thinking you are safe when you are not. A tree is known by its fruit. You can't live like the Devil and think you are safe from God's wrath.

Striving After Holiness

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Hebrews 10:14

We are not perfect now. We still sin. And yet, this verse says that Jesus has already made us “perfect forever.” How can that be? 

This verse is talking about the sanctified perfection that believer's will experience forever in heaven which Jesus has already purchased for us. We only know that perfection in part now, but Jesus in us is the guarantee that one day we will know it in full. One day every Christian will be made perfectly holy forever.

‌‌This is an incredible promise that ought to encourage us in our fight against sin. If you are like me then you probably feel like you lose more battles with sin than you win. And it can be very tempting to throw in the towel and give up in your fight against sin. But this promise shows us one major reason why we shouldn’t give up. You shouldn’t give up fighting sin in your life because one day you will win the fight. One day you will be completely victorious. One day you will be made perfect, sinless.

‌‌Until that day, we strive after holiness. We attempt to live as aliens and strangers, pilgrims passing through a world that is not our own. We seek to live holy lives that are set apart and different from the world around us. ‌We continue to fight against the sin in our lives and we ask Jesus for help to do so.  

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I want to challenge you to pick one sin in your life to go to war with today. Pick something to cut or prune out of your life. Pick one way you can strive after holiness. 

How to Celebrate Christmas

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

Isaiah 9:3–5

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Isaiah looks past the time when Assyria will take the northern part of their land and shrink Israel’s territory and he sees into the far distant future to the time of the Messiah when the territory of God’s people won’t be shrinking but expanding. He says, the Messiah will enlarge the nation. But Jesus didn’t come to enlarge a physical kingdom like Old Testament Israel. No. He came to establish and enlarge a spiritual kingdom, His church.

If you are a believer, then you are part of that kingdom of God. You are part of the church, and God’s church is meant to grow. It is meant to expand. As a church we must enlarge our borders. We must go out and find the hurting and hopeless and invite them in.

As we see Christianity losing cultural influence in America it can be easy to shrink back and watch and wait for the church shrink as well. But that isn’t what Jesus came to do and that isn’t what He has commanded us to do. His kingdom has been expanding for more than 2,000 years, and it is our job to continue to expand its borders. And we do that by obeying the His command to proclaim forgiveness in His name to all who will receive Him. You are commanded by God to call people out of darkness and into Jesus’ light.

And as Isaiah looks into the future he sees God’s people rejoicing because of the coming of the Messiah. He sees New Testament believers celebrating Jesus’ coming…celebrating Christmas you could say. And how do they celebrate?

‌‌He says that they rejoice as people rejoice at the harvest when many months of hard work and investment pay off. These were hungry families, seeing that they would in fact have enough food to make it through the winter. They had battled against the hardships of survival and God had given them the victory. So they would rejoice and have a big feast. That’s what Christian joy is like. That’s how we should celebrate the coming of Jesus.

Then he says it’s like men dividing the plunder of their enemies. In Gideon’s day the Midianites kept the Israelites under their thumb and nearly starved them to death. They invaded their land regularly and ate their crops and ruined their fields and stole anything good that they had. Israel had been plundered by them many times. So, you can imagine the rejoicing that took place when God defeated the entire army of the Midianites with only Gideon and his 300 men and the people of Israel raided their tents. On that day there was plenty of food in Israel and God’s people were given victory over their oppressors. On that day the burden was lifted off their backs. Can you imagine the rejoicing?

That is how we ought to celebrate Christmas. With joy! Not the joy of gifts, or even the joy of family, but the joy that comes from knowing that God is growing His church, the joy of knowing that God has met our deepest need and has delivered us from our greatest enemy. The joy of those who finally know peace. That’s how I want to celebrate Christmas this year. Will you join me?

All the Days of Your Life

Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

I Kings 15:14

King Asa wasn't a perfect man by any means. Nor is he particularly anyone's biblical hero. His place in the biblical record is small, and many Christians are completely unfamiliar with his name. But this verse tells us something about him that I think we often gloss over, and that is that his heart was fully committed to the Lord all the days of his life. 

Life is long. And the Devils' tricks are many. There is something to be said for simple consistency in the faith over the long run of life. It's difficult to walk closely with the Lord for many weeks or months, let alone for many years. Sin is always trying to get at us and tear us away from our God. The Devil is always laying traps for us and trying to lure us off the narrow path which we walk with our Savior. As humans we can grow tired. We can grow complacent. We can grow bored or inconsistent over the long term.

Sometimes believers say things to me like "I've already read the entire Bible. Why do I need to do it again?" And there answer is simply because there are more spiritual treasures there for you to mine out of God's Word. Some believers figure this out and persevere in the faith. I only recently had a believer in their eighties say to me with a smile on their face that they were working their way through the Bible for the fifth time. 

There is a special virtue to the believer who can get up and enjoy having quiet times, reading their Bible, praying and communing with God, and worshipping Him not only when they are young in the faith and it is all new to them but even when they grow old in the faith and it has become a habit. 

But I believe there is a special nearness to the Lord and a special reward for those who stay fully committed to the Lord over the long term, those who persevere in their loyalty and faithfulness to the Lord over many years. So, strive to not just be fully committed to the Lord but to be fully committed to Him all the days of your life.