Free Bible Commentary
“Ephesians 5:3-5”
Categories: Ephesians“But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
--- End of Scripture verses---
Paul is still writing about laying aside the old self and putting on the new self (4:23-24) when he lists these two groups of three sins. It is interesting to me that he starts this combined list by condemning sexual “immorality” (verse 3), and ends with denouncing “coarse jesting” (verse 4). I think most people understand in their hearts that fornication is sinful, even if they refuse to admit it and have hardened their hearts to the truth. But usually people can justify telling “dirty jokes” because it is all done in “fun” and theoretically no harm is being done to anyone.
The Holy Spirit is telling us here that, in God’s eyes, the one is just as bad as the other. And I believe that there is a reason that the sins of sexual immorality and “filthiness” and coarseness of speech are condemned in the same context. Quite often the sinful talk leads to the sinful act. We have commented that all sin is a problem with the “heart” or the “mind” because it originates there. What we let into our hearts through sight, sound and touch, often finds expression through our thoughts, words and deeds. We must learn to control our thoughts and our tongues if we ever hope to control our bodies and our actions.
It is also interesting to me that “immorality” and “greed” are grouped together in verse 3. There may appear to be no common ground with these sins, but they are really both issues of lust. The Apostle John wrote about this problem in 1 John 2:15-17. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
A full two-thirds of the worldliness that plagues mankind comes from lust. If we think that lusting after other people’s bodies (immorality – lust of the flesh) and possessions (greed – lust of the eyes) is not a problem for us, we have probably deceived ourselves. Greedily coveting (strongly desiring) what the world offers is actually a form of idolatry in God’s eyes (verse 5). These are sins (the thoughts and the actions) that are common to mankind and must be admitted, addressed and confronted if we want to have “an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God,” and live forever.
Please read Ephesians 5:6-10 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
- Louie Taylor
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