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You can turn in your Bibles to 
Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians 5, as we continue to 
work our way through Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. Our 
focus this evening will be on verses 3 to 7, but I do want 
to read the entirety of chapter 5, beginning in verse 1. Therefore, 
be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also 
has loved us and given himself for us, an 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. 
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous 
man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of 
Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty 
words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the 
sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers 
with them. For you were once darkness, but 
now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for 
the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, 
and truth, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have 
no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather 
expose them. For it is shameful even to speak 
of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things 
that are exposed are made manifest by the light. For whatever makes 
manifest is light. Therefore, he says, awake you 
who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. 
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming 
the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, 
but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be 
drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with 
the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual 
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. giving 
thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of 
God. Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, for 
the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head 
of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore, 
just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be 
to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just 
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that 
he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water 
by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, 
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she 
should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their 
own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes 
it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of 
his body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this reason, a 
man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 
and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, 
but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, 
let each one of you, in particular, so love his own wife as himself, 
and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Amen. Well, 
let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
Your Word. Again, we pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit 
now to guide our thoughts and see this transition from darkness 
to light for the saints, the believers, the new men and women 
in Christ Jesus. Grant us help, God, not only 
to receive that Word, but to put it into practice to avoid 
the things that Paul condemns, to pursue those things that Paul 
commends, and help us as individuals, as families, as a church, to 
certainly display the glory of the gospel, or to adorn it, rather, 
by our good works. Forgive us, cleanse us, and wash 
us, and guide us now by the Spirit, we pray through Christ our Lord. 
Amen. Well, in this particular section, 
the apostle continues to encourage the people of God to live consistently 
with their calling in Christ Jesus. Remember that in chapter 
two, verses one to three, he describes what we looked like 
before we came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And 
he uses the language of walk. In chapter two, verse one, He 
says, and you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and 
sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this 
world. So now that we've been justified by grace through faith 
in Jesus Christ, according to chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, he 
comes to the practical section in chapters 4 to 6, and look 
at chapter 4, verse 1. He says, I therefore, the prisoner 
of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which 
you were called. Verse 17, this I say therefore 
and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as 
the rest of the Gentiles walk. Verse 2 of chapter 5, and walk 
in love. Chapter 5, verse 8, walk in wisdom. I'm sorry, light. And then in 
chapter 5, verse 15, he says to walk in wisdom. So there's 
this emphasis on our conduct. It must be appropriate in light 
of the saving grace of God operative in our lives. And here he takes 
up that theme of movement from darkness to light. He's been 
dealing in the categories of new man. If you look back at 
chapter four, specifically in verse 20, he says, you have not 
so learned Christ. If indeed you have heard him 
and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. that you 
put off concerning your former conduct the old man, which grows 
corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the 
spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which 
was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness." 
So as new men and women in Christ Jesus were to live in a particular 
way. So he's still operating in that 
context, still giving us sort of instruction on how to live 
as Christians, But it's not new man emphasized, it's rather darkness. 
No longer be in the darkness like you were as the old man, 
but pursue that light in which the new man traffics, in which 
the new man has his orientation. So he deals specifically in verses 
3 to 7 with sins of the flesh. These are unsavory things. These 
are not happy thoughts, to be sure, but they're things that 
the people of God need to get their minds wrapped around. I'm 
mindful that there are children, so I will try to be delicate 
in terms of explanation and exposition, but he describes the deeds of 
the darkness in verses 3 to 7. He's done this a bit in chapter 
4, verses 25 to 30, but the reference there is more corporate. It's 
our conduct toward one another. It's our conduct within the life 
or context of the church. When we come to these deeds of 
the darkness, they're more private. They're sins committed by individuals 
before a holy God. Obviously fornication involves 
two people, but the other sins I think are all sexual in nature, 
both the actions in verse three and then the speech in verse 
four. I think what Paul is dealing with is seventh commandment transgression. He is dealing with the violation 
of sexual ethics as God's ordained relative to His people in this 
present evil age. So I want to look first at the 
prohibition of the sins of the flesh in verses 3 and 4. Secondly, 
the consequences associated with the sins of the flesh in verse 
5. And then finally, the exhortation 
to resist the sins of the flesh in verses 6 to 7. So notice the 
prohibition of the sins of the flesh in verses 3 and 4. So I 
said verse 3 deals with the specific actions and verse 4 deals with 
speech. The speech obviously reflects 
the condition of our heart. Jesus taught that in Matthew 
chapter 15, 18 to 20. The things that come out of our 
mouth are symptomatic of the condition of our heart. So it 
makes sense for Paul to couple not only the actions but the 
speech together. because the believer not only 
has to resist these particular actions, but the believer is 
not supposed to talk about these particular actions. We're supposed 
to refrain. We're supposed to show or demonstrate 
the changed heart of the new man by the manner in which we 
speak. So, with reference to the sins 
of the flesh, notice the action of fornication. He says that 
in verse 3, but fornication, and that simply means sexual 
relations outside of marriage. The Old Testament condemned this 
in Exodus 22, 16 and 17, Deuteronomy 22, and then again, I'm sorry, 
Deuteronomy 22, specifically at verses 28 to 29. So fornication 
is unlawful sexual relations outside of marriage. God has 
not got a problem with relations inside of marriage. God ordained 
it thus. When he made Eve and brought 
her to Adam, he knew precisely what was going to happen. So 
God is the Lord and gives that gift, but it's supposed to be 
utilized in the context of covenant marriage. You're not supposed 
to engage in that particular activity unless you're married. 
In other words, there's no privilege without the responsibility. There's 
no privilege of that activity without the covenant sign involved 
that you will be faithful and that you will be committed and 
that you will indeed serve that other person. So the apostle 
condemns the act of fornication. And with reference to this brief 
vice list that he gives us in verses 3 and 4, it's not comprehensive. As I said, it focuses primarily 
on sexual sin, and I think there's reasons for that, because sexual 
sin is rampant in the godless culture. We think that Canada 
and America in the 21st century is sort of the pinnacle or apex 
of godlessness. Well, the Roman Empire was certainly 
no friend to Christian virtue. The Roman Empire was not a consistent 
place in terms of sexual ethic. The Roman Empire was debauched, 
and certainly when there's a debauched culture, the people of God are 
tempted. The people of God don't always 
easily relinquish those past activities. So the apostle deals 
with some symptomatic sins that do describe the condition of 
a darkened heart. And so, with reference to this, 
he deals with sin that is rampant in a godless culture, as well. Personal versus corporate. These 
are sins that are intimate. And I don't mean that literally, 
but they're intimate in terms of persons versus churches. Now, it certainly happens, unfortunately, 
within the church. But there's a personal dimension 
here versus the corporate dimension in verses 25 to 32. And then 
as well, look at verse 2, walk in love as Christ also has loved 
us and given himself for us. So what's Paul's command there? 
What's Paul's exhortation? We're to engage in self-sacrificial 
love. Now, sexual sin is the opposite 
of that. That is self-indulgent. That's 
not self-sacrifice. That is self-indulgent. And so 
the very height of, or epitome of, or the stark contrast to 
walking in love the way that Christ does is to walk in darkness 
and to engage in this sort of activity that is contrary to 
the law and the will of God. So fornication is denounced by 
the Apostle Paul. Not just here. As I said, it's 
an Old Testament. There's a condemnation in the 
Old Testament. But this appears in several vice lists in the 
New Testament. A vice list is just that. It's 
a list of vices. It's a list of sins. It's a list 
of things that people of God are supposed to avoid. People 
of God are prohibited from partaking in. He does this in Romans 1 
at verse 29. He deals with it in 1 Corinthians 
5, verse 1, 1 Corinthians 6, verses 12 to 20, 1 Corinthians 
7, verse 2, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 8, 2 Corinthians 12, verse 
21. Why? Because the Corinthians 
came out of a culture that was very debauched. I think I've 
told you before there was a verb coined in the early first century 
called to Corinthianize. It meant to engage in sexual 
immorality. So those people who had been 
called out of darkness into light had still that remaining corruption. And so Paul has to exhort them 
on several occasions to refrain from that activity. It's in the 
vice list in Galatians chapter five. Galatians chapter five, 
but turn specifically to 1 Thessalonians chapter four. 1 Thessalonians 
chapter four. While you're turning there, it's 
also in Revelation 21, verse eight, and Revelation 22, 15, 
where it is symptomatic of those excluded from the presence of 
God. That's gonna be the argument 
that the apostle uses in this particular context to caution 
the people of God. Know that people who practice 
these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But notice 
in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse three, for this is the will of 
God. Have you ever struggled with 
the will of God? People do from time to time. I want to know 
what the will of God is. And typically it's in the context 
of, should I go to college? Should I work in HVAC? Should 
I marry this particular boy or this particular girl? Well, man 
or woman, let's not marry at boy and girl age. But what should 
I do? I want to know the will of God. 
And there's this desire to kind of peer behind the curtains, 
as it were, and know God's particular plan and providence for your 
life. Well, brethren, you don't get 
that in the pages of Scripture. I think that the teaching of 
Scripture is clear. If what you pursue is not a sin 
against God, you're free to pursue it. You could buy the yellow 
house or the brown house. The Bible doesn't tell you to 
buy one or the other. Insofar as you're not sinning 
against God, God gives you liberty. God gives you blessed choice. 
God doesn't say, thou must buy yellow houses at every single 
step of the way. But with reference to the will 
of God, it is sufficiently defined for us in Holy Scripture. It 
is to do what God commands. It is to do those things that 
are pleasing in the sight of God. It is to resist doing those 
things that He condemns. And here specifically, we have 
a statement about the will of God. For this is the will of 
God, your sanctification. that you should abstain from 
sexual immorality. So if you ever come to my office 
and say, Pastor Butler, I want to know what the will of God 
is for my life, I'm probably going to point you to 1 Thessalonians 
4, verse 3, at a minimum. And then we can deal with college, 
and we can deal with HVAC, and we can deal with men and women 
and that sort of thing. But this is the will of God, your sanctification, 
that you should abstain from sexual immorality. So back in 
Ephesians 5, as the apostle comes to describe the deeds of darkness, 
it ought not to alarm us or to cause any sort of surprise. Well, 
I can't believe that God has an axe to grind against unlawful 
sexual relations outside the covenant bond of marriage. Of 
course He does! This is consistent from the beginning 
to the very end of God's revelation. Now, notice he goes on to say, 
all uncleanness. And again, I think each of the 
sins that he mentions are sexual in terms of their orientation. 
With reference to uncleanness, a popular dictionary or a famous 
dictionary says it's a state of moral corruption, immorality, 
vileness, and especially of sexual sins. To avoid fornication and 
avoid uncleanness. So even if you don't actually 
engage in the particular act, if you get close to the particular 
act, you are sinning against God Almighty. You need to resist 
fornication, obviously, but you need to resist all uncleanness 
as well. In other words, as he's going 
to say later on in his admonition here, he says, which are, I'm 
sorry, he says in verse 5, for this reason, or for this no, 
that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, 
has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. And then he 
says in verse 7, therefore do not be partakers with that. And 
then specifically in verse 3, let it not even be named among 
you. A good injunction would be don't 
do it. but let it not even be named among you. Don't even let 
it get close to you. Don't even get near it. Yes, 
that's precisely why. Why do you think that is? I think 
Solomon answers the question, can a man take fire into his 
bosom and not be burned? Can we dance around this particular 
sin and not trip? Can we dance around this particular 
sin and not stumble or fall? This is a powerful sin. Why? Because the actual sort of drive 
is not necessarily sinful, but it's to be utilized, again, in 
the context of covenant marriage. Once you're in covenant marriage, 
according to Hebrews 13, the marriage bed is undefiled. It's 
a blessed thing. It's a gift given by God to his 
people. But prior to that time, prior 
to that covenant, prior to the I do, don't. Avoid it. Stay far away from it. So fornication, 
uncleanness, and Gil, I think, nails it. All uncleanness takes 
in adultery, incest, sodomy, and every unnatural lust. So there's a lot of things going 
on in terms of the seventh commandment. And then notice he says the act 
of covetousness. So verse 3, but fornication and 
all uncleanness or covetousness. Now, I think the covetousness, 
again, is regulated or conditioned here by the Seventh Commandment. 
It's not a Tenth Commandment infringement that he's dealing 
with. He's not saying it's okay to be covetous in the sort of 
general sense of Tenth Commandment, but I think it's a sexual orientation, 
a sexual sin here. a greediness relative to this. If you look around at our society, 
you have to conclude that this particular sin, the rampant nature 
of this particular sin, and the lengths that people will go to 
pursue this particular sin indicates a covetous heart relative to 
the pursuit of godlessness in terms of the flesh. Again, Bidag 
says, the state of desiring to have more than one's due, greediness, 
insatiableness, avarice, covetousness. Gill, again, I think is right. 
He says, in covetousness, seems not so much to design that sin, 
which is commonly so-called, namely an immoderate desire after 
worldly things, he says, but as a greedy and insatiable appetite 
after the above lusts. Covetousness relative to fornication, 
covetousness relative to uncleanness, Gil's an older commentator, there's 
a newer one called A.T. Lincoln, and he goes the same 
way. He says, because of the context, covetousness should 
also be taken as the sort of unrestrained sexual greed whereby 
a person assumes that others exist for his or her own gratification. And that's ultimately what it's 
about, brethren. But I love her! But I love him! Then marry them! That's the biblical 
response. Not fornicate with them, not 
express your sexual desires on them, not use them as a source 
of gratification. So notice what he says after 
giving this brief vice list. He gives an exhortation after 
forbidding fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness. He says, let 
it not even be named among you. Let it not even be named among 
you. Again, the simple prohibition 
would be, don't do it. He says, not only don't do it, 
but don't let it be named among you. This brings a reproach upon 
the people of God. When the people of God look like 
the children of the world or the sons of disobedience, we've 
got a big problem. When those lines are blurred 
and where there is no clear demarcation, when the church is rampant in 
terms of divorce and in terms of abortion and in terms of all 
other manner of godliness, when we ape the world, brethren, We're 
not living to our high calling as conquered sinners by Jesus 
Christ our Lord. So he says, let it not even be 
named among you. Remember Joseph and Potiphar's 
house? When Potiphar's wife kept coming on to him, what does Joseph 
do? Does he dance around? Does he 
say, well, I'm going to get as close as I possibly can? No, 
he runs from her house. Why? Because he didn't want it 
even named among him. Proverbs chapter five, when Solomon 
comes to deal with his sons in terms of sexual sin, he says 
specifically in verse eight, remove your way far from her. He's talking about the woman 
that would entice you to sit in that particular manner. I've 
always appreciated that text and its absolute clarity on this 
issue. Remove your way far from her 
and don't go near the door of her house. He doesn't say don't 
go near her bed. He says don't go near her door. What does Solomon know? Solomon 
knows that if you go near her door, it's not going to be long 
before you're in her bed. So avoid it. Let it not even 
be named among you. This is wrong. This is wicked. This is identifiable with the 
old man and with those who traffic in darkness, fornication, uncleanness, 
and covetousness. Let it not be named among you. And then notice, so he gives 
the identification of the sins, he gives the exhortation concerning 
the sin, and then notice the motivation there in verse three. 
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even 
be named among you. Notice, as is fitting for saints. Now, saint in Protestantism is 
not a special class of believer. It's not a special class, the 
sort of graduated extra-holy person. In Roman Catholicism, 
that's the way they treat sainthood. You become a saint when you do 
extra-specially good things. That's not how the apostles used 
the word saint. It simply means one set apart. It means one sanctified 
by God's grace. And you see that constant reference 
to the people of God in Ephesians by Paul in chapter 1 verse 1, 
chapter 1 verse 15, chapter 1 verse 18, chapter 2 9, 3 8, 3 18, 4 
12, 5 3, 6 18. He's talking to believers. And notice the particular context, 
as is fitting for saints. What has he just got done exhorting 
the saints in chapter 5, verse 1? Therefore be imitators of 
God as dear children. We're to bear the family resemblance 
as the blood-bought children of God. If we've been saved by 
grace through faith, and we have, then we are to imitate God. We're to be godly, and we're 
to walk in a manner that is appropriate to that. So it is fitting for 
saints to resist and reject fornication. It is appropriate for them to 
resist uncleanness and covetousness. So that's the actions. Notice 
the speech in verse 4. He says, neither filthiness, 
which simply means behavior that flouts social and moral standards, 
shamefulness and obscenity, Yeah, I think it's sexually conditioned. 
I think the seventh commandment looms large behind the apostles' 
injunctions here. He is dealing. He's expounding. 
He's not making up sanctification. He's not saying, well, you're 
new men and new women in Christ Jesus. Now, just go with the 
flow, get the feeling, get the vibe, get led by the Spirit on 
how to serve God. No. It is concrete and defined 
for us. When Jesus prays the high priestly 
prayer in John 17, 17, he says, sanctify them by thy truth. Thy 
word is truth. He doesn't leave it up to us 
to try to figure out what is pleasing to God. We have the 
law of God. The law of God leads us or rather 
drives us to Christ. The law of God comes to us as 
sinful men and women and shows us how far short we have fallen 
to the glory of God. The law of God sends us to the 
gospel of God. Once we, by grace, come to that 
gospel, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we ask Jesus, how then 
shall we live? Guess what he does? He sends 
us back to the law and empowers us with the Holy Spirit. He internalizes 
it in our hearts. He gives us the desire. He causes 
us to say with David, oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation 
all day and night. And so with reference to this 
particular speech, he is condemning that of a sexual nature. So he 
moves from filthiness, which, again, obscenity is probably 
the thing there, foolish talking, which literally means foolish 
or silly talk. These Greek dictionaries are 
not for the academics always. It's pretty simple, foolish or 
silly talk. And then notice the third. He 
says coarse jesting. Coarse jesting or risque wit. Risqué wit. Not how I define 
it, but I get the point. Coarse jesting. So you see what 
the Apostle's tactic is. Okay, well, you aren't engaged 
in fornication, you're not engaged in uncleanness, you're not engaged 
in this sexual covetousness, but you talk about it. You sound 
just like the world. Again, Matthew chapter 15. Turn 
there, brethren, to see Jesus' connection between the mouth 
and the heart. The mouth and the heart, what 
we say, what we speak, what we reveal, or what we say reveals 
what's in our hearts. Matthew 15, the context, the 
Pharisees are upset that Jesus' disciples didn't eat, or didn't 
wash their hands before they ate. So Jesus gets into a tit-for-tat 
with them, and he goes head-to-head, and notice, let's get dropped 
down to about verse 16. Well, verse 13. But he answered 
and said, every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted 
will be uprooted. Let them alone. Interesting instruction 
there. Let them alone. We've got to 
evangelize. We've got to be missionaries. 
Yeah, but there's a point in time where you leave them alone. 
That's what he says later, or earlier, rather, in the Sermon 
on the Mount. He says, don't cast your pearls before swine. 
He's not talking about actual, what are they called, porcine 
pigs. He's not talking about pigs. 
He's not saying, take your pearl necklace, lady, and don't throw 
it in the pig pen. He's talking about people. Don't give what 
is holy to dogs. Again, he's not saying, you know, 
don't throw this to your canine instead of a treat. He is talking 
about human beings there. The Lord Jesus Christ says don't 
do that with reference to dogs and swine. So there is a point, 
there is a place, there is a time where you wipe the dust off the 
feet and you move on to the next city. And this is one of those 
particular scenes. This is one of those particular 
situations. I'm not saying I know everyone. I know these things. 
I'm just saying that it exists. There is a point in time where 
you don't keep going to your neighbor's house every time he 
slaps you in the face. As far as it depends on you, 
Paul says in Romans 12, be at peace with all men. Well, again, 
if I'm going over to my neighbor's every day and he punches me in 
the mouth, I don't have a biblical mandate to continue that path. 
So notice here, every plant which my Heavenly Father has not planted 
will be uprooted. Look at the sovereignty of God 
there. Let them alone. They are blind 
leaders of the blind, and if the blind leads the blind, both 
will fall into a ditch. Don't miss that. You're responsible 
as a follower to find leaders that lead you in the proper path. 
If you follow a blind man and you fall into a ditch, that's 
on you. That doesn't sound very nice, 
Pastor Butler. Sorry, that's what Jesus says 
there. If the blind leads the blind, 
both will fall into the ditch. If you travel to Arizona and 
you hire a blind man to take a burrow and take you down to 
the base of the Grand Canyon, and you fall off the ledge, again, 
sad event, but you shouldn't have hired a blind man on a burrow 
to take you down this canyon. You see, there's responsibility 
for the hearer. There's responsibility for the 
follower. You can't say, well, the church 
this, then leave the church. Talk to the pastor, use the means, 
do everything you can in your ability. But if it comes to the 
point where the guy's a heretic, and you keep putting yourself 
under the heretic, and you fall into a ditch, that's on you. 
That's what Jesus says. I mean, he says it a little bit 
more nicer than I have, of course. And Peter answered and said to 
him, But those things which proceed 
out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. Jesus says it's not the dirt 
that you ingest while you eat your food. If anything, that 
dirt has a positive effect on you. It trains your immune system 
to combat further dirt. It's a good thing. Dirt in the 
mouth is not our problem. It's the dirt in our hearts that's 
the problem, and that's what Jesus is saying. He says in verse 
19, "...for out of the heart proceedable thoughts, murders, 
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, these 
are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands 
does not defile a man." So going back to our particular text, 
he condemns these things very forthrightly. So verse four, 
neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting. Note 
the specific condemnation that he gives. He says, which are 
not fitting. Which are not fitting. They're 
obviously not fitting. And this is a play on or a contrast 
with what he just said in terms of saints in verse three, as 
is fitting for saints. So it's fitting for saints to 
reject and refuse these particular sins. It is unfitting for saints 
to embrace and engage in these particular sentences. It's not 
fitting. You're a new man in Christ Jesus. 
Don't do old man stuff. You're a new man in Christ Jesus 
living in the light of God. Don't do darkness stuff. It's not fitting. It's not appropriate. It's like handing a carrot to 
a dog. He doesn't ingest it. He doesn't 
process it. He doesn't say, thank you, master. 
I love carrots. It just bounces out of his mouth. 
But hand him a steak, and that's a different story. There are 
things that are appropriate, there are things that are fitting, 
there are things that are consistent with the orientation of the being. And for the new man and new woman 
in Christ Jesus, guess what? Fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, 
this foolishness and filthy talk and coarse chesting ought not 
to be named among us. And that's what he says. Notice 
that. He moves on now to say that he 
gives a contrast in terms of how we're supposed to deal. So 
at the end of verse four, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, 
nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but he says, but 
rather giving of thanks. So instead of using your tongue 
to engage in lawlessness and wickedness, what should you do 
instead? You should give thanks. See, 
the dynamic in sanctification is to put off and to put on. Romans 13, 14 captures this well. 
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the 
flesh to fulfill its lust. You don't need to be born again 
to stop smoking crack. You don't need to be born again 
to stop visiting prostitutes. You don't need to be born again 
to stop engaging in fornication. You see, when you're born again, 
though, it's not only put off those sins, but it's put on the 
virtue. I mentioned vice lists. There's also virtue lists. And guess what the new man is 
supposed to gravitate toward? He's supposed to gravitate toward 
the virtue list. He's supposed to avoid the vice 
list. So what's a good practice instead 
of using our tongues to engage in godless speech? We are to 
give thanks. This is a recurring emphasis 
in Paul's letters. We don't have the time to go 
through them all because there's so much. But consider the soteriological 
pattern in salvation. There's the guilt, grace, gratitude. We're not supposed to engage 
in guilt, grace, and more guilt. Guilt, grace, and now fornication. Guilt, grace, and now uncleanness. 
Guilt, grace, and now covetous. No. Gratitude, thanks, praise, 
be to God most high for what He has done in our lives. Put 
off the wicked speech and put on the good speech. Listen to 
the characteristic of the godless according to Romans 121. Because 
although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor 
were thankful. You see that? They weren't thankful. 
They didn't glorify God as God, nor were they thankful. That 
is characteristic, that is indicative of the old man, the guy who loves 
the darkness. It's not supposed to be the case 
with the people of God. Now notice, secondly, the consequences 
associated with the sins of the flesh. Verse 5. This is common 
knowledge. For this, verse 5, he says, for 
this you know. Well, how do they know this? 
They know it through general revelation, right? Romans chapter 
1 tells us that the godless know at least three things about God. 
They know His eternal power, they know His Godhead, and they 
know that it's righteous with Him to punish offenders of His 
law. Romans 1.32. In fact, I'll read 
that for you just so you can hear it. who, knowing the righteous 
judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving 
of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who 
practice them. So the people of God in Ephesus knew this. They knew that exclusion from 
the kingdom of God was what was consistent for those engaged 
in fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, and the kind of 
speech that is indicated here in verse four. We read it at 
the outset of worship, Psalm 97, six. The heavens declare 
what? His righteousness, the revelation of God in the created 
order, comes to man made in His image, and we know certain truths 
about Him. It's a beautiful thing. Belgic 
Confession says God reveals Himself in two books, the book of creation 
and providence, and then the book of the Bible. So there's 
general revelation, and then there's special revelation. So 
the Ephesians would have known this because of other letters 
that were extant in the New Testament church. We have this same emphasis 
in 1 Corinthians 6. You can go there. 1 Corinthians 
6, specifically at verses 9 and 10. 1 Corinthians 6 at verse 
9. He says, do you not know that 
the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be 
deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, 
nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor 
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will 
inherit the kingdom of God. So they would have known that 
from that. Galatians 5, we think of the 
fruits of the spirit. The fruits of the spirit come 
after the works of the flesh. And in Galatians 5, at verse 
19, he says, Now the works of the flesh are evident, which 
are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, 
hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, 
dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, 
and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told 
you in time past, that those who practice such things will 
not inherit the kingdom of God. So they knew this based on general 
revelation, God's revelation of himself in the created order 
that heavens declare the righteousness of God. They knew it because 
of Paul's emphasis in other letters. So it was common knowledge. So 
back to Ephesians 5, he says, you know this. It's a good motivation 
here, isn't it? If you understand what is the 
end of the old man, if you understand what is the end of the man who 
traffics in darkness, if you understand the dangers and the 
consequences involved in that life of sin and rebellion, hopefully 
that'll work upon your mind and heart in such a way as to caution 
you from a like pursuit. It's a pretty simple argument. 
look at and understand the consequences associated with a particular 
action. So verse five, for this, you 
know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, again, 
that nods back to what we've already seen in verses three 
and four, but notice, this is called an appositional phrase. 
So you've got covetous man, and then it's modified by a phrase 
that says, who is an idolater? Huh, a covetous man, a sexually 
covetous man is an idolater? Yeah, that's exactly what the 
apostle says. One commentator says, notice 
that he calls covetousness idolatry, for idolatry happens when the 
honor due God alone is given to creatures. Do you get that? If you are devoted to something 
above and beyond God, if you pursue something, it's not just 
sex, that's this context, but if it's money, if even it's a 
good thing, right? Well, my family. Well, your family 
is supposed to play second fiddle to God Most High. Now, if you 
think that's kind of insulting or harsh, your family should 
want to be second fiddle to God Most High. You husbands ought 
to want your wives to love Jesus more than you. You husbands, 
you get it. We should seek first the kingdom 
of God and his righteousness. That's the priority structure 
in the Christian life. What happens when we pursue a 
creature over and above God? That's idolatry, brethren. When 
we seek our comfort, we seek our benefit, we seek our stability 
and our security in that which is not God, in this context, 
sexual greed, that's idolatry. It is putting other pursuits 
above God. And that's why Paul can, in an 
appositional way, describe the covetous man as an idolater. Notice the condemnation. Notice 
the specific warning. Has any inheritance in the kingdom 
of Christ in God? In other words, what God has 
done in terms of salvation is to save people by grace through 
faith in Jesus. They will live in a manner that 
is consistent with that. And as a result, not as a result 
of their manner of living, but in the fact that they've been 
justified by God's grace freely through Christ Jesus, they have 
a right to heaven. But those who engage in these 
sorts of deeds, these sorts of activities, evidence that they 
don't have the saving grace of God. And that brings me to a 
qualification that I think Paul would agree with. Not everything 
can be said in every particular context, but he's obviously dealing 
here with people that aren't believers. Now, brethren, I don't 
want to undo everything I've just spent a half hour saying. 
You're probably thinking, it's not been a half hour. It was 
more like 37 minutes. Keep better track of time. Hopefully, 
you're not saying that. But I don't want to undo everything. 
But believers struggle with remaining corruption. I'm not trying to 
preach you out of the kingdom of heaven. But I want to make 
this qualification unrepentant. Unrepentant sinners are unbelieving 
sinners, right? It's justification by faith alone. What brings peace to the sinner's 
conscience? Why does Paul say, therefore, 
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ? Justification by faith alone. There will be conduct that adorns 
that doctrine. But brethren, unfortunately, 
that conduct is not 100%. That conduct is not even probably 
90% on most days. The good that we wish to do, 
we don't do. The evil we don't want to do, 
we find ourselves doing. Romans chapter 7, 14 to 25, Paul 
tells us that. Galatians 5, the flesh lusts 
against the spirit, the spirit lusts against the flesh. These 
two are contrary to one another so that you don't do the things 
that you want. The Spirit in us gives chat to the flesh, but 
nevertheless there is that challenge presented by the flesh. So I'm 
not suggesting that if you've struggled or you've had a bit 
of a difficulty with these things, then off to hell with you. Not 
what I'm saying. I'm suggesting that what Paul 
says elsewhere would indicate that it's an unrepentant sinner. An unrepentant sinner is an unbelieving 
sinner. Justification by faith carries 
with it that blessed assurance that for the most part, when 
we see sin, we will lament it, we will bemoan it, we will confess 
it, and we will seek to forsake it. But again, that doesn't always 
happen immediately. Remember David. David committed 
grievous sins, brethren. He committed adultery and then 
conspiracy to murder to get rid of Uriah the Hittite. There was 
a nine month period in there, brethren. Nine months, right? I'm not a biologist, but it takes 
that long to have a baby. And it was toward that time that 
the prophet comes to rebuke David. And so David sat on that sin. Again, I'm not endorsing this. 
I am not condoning this. I am calling upon you that if 
you have this sin in your heart, confess it to God, forsake it, 
and find mercy from God. He is benevolent. He is gracious. The blood of Jesus Christ, His 
Son, cleanses us from all sin. We have that promise. But with 
reference to that period, David writes in this altar, when I 
kept silent about my sin, my bones grew weary. There were 
psychosomatic effects upon that godly man because he kept quiet 
about his sin. So when we come to a passage 
like this, when we look at Galatians 5, when we look at 1 Corinthians 
6, when we look at the apostasy passages in Hebrews 6 and 10, 
these are genuine warnings for the people of God. But the people 
of God are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that 
blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, does cleanse us from all sin. 
Notice that he refers to these offenders as the sons of or children 
of disobedience. That's not characteristic of 
the new man or the new woman in Christ Jesus. Do we have remaining 
corruption? Yeah, unfortunately. Do we struggle 
with sin? Yeah, unfortunately. Do you know 
what? Fortunately, we do struggle with 
sin. Do you think those people out 
there that are advocating for child mutilation, those people 
out there that are advocating for abortion, those people that 
are out there sort of widening the parameters to kill people 
via medical assistance and dying, do you think they're struggling 
against sin? When people come to me and they say, Pastor, I'm 
struggling, I typically will say, that's a pretty good sign. I mean, you can't put all your 
eggs in that basket, but pagans don't. Do you really think that 
these abortionists have any pangs of conscience about what they're 
doing? They boast about it. They make 
money from it. They benefit in profit from the 
actual act of murder. there is a huge difference than 
the suffering saint or the struggling saint that hears a sermon like 
this and then goes home and cries because they think they're gonna 
go to hell. Brethren, these are the sons of disobedience. These 
unrepentant sinners are unbelieving sinners. So if you have remaining 
corruption, if you have struggles, if you have issues and challenges, 
that's probably gonna be your lot in life from now until the 
Lord Jesus Christ returns. But remember, you have an advocate 
with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. So don't invoke 
that and say, well, all my sins, all my wickedness, all my depravity, 
well, I'm just going to keep looking unto Jesus. No, we're 
not supposed to continue in sin. That grace may abound. But when 
we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father. So I think that's 
a necessary qualification. John Gill says, now the meaning 
of these words is not that all who have been guilty of these 
sins shall be excluded from the kingdom of God, but all such 
who live and die in them without the grace of God and righteousness 
of Christ. Matthew Poole says, hath any 
inheritance without repentance, for he speaks of those that persevere 
in such sins, whom he calls children of disobedience in verse six. 
And that brings us finally to the exhortation to resist the 
sins of the flesh in verses six and seven. Notice, he gives a 
warning against deception and a warning against participation. 
Verse six, let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, 
the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. That's 
interesting. Let no one deceive you with empty 
words. What does that mean? It means 
that there are people out there that will try to talk you into 
these sorts of sins. And those people might actually 
be in your church. They might say, you know, you're 
being overly scrupulous. You're a legalist. You know, 
this is a debauched age. We gotta be all things to all 
men. So, you know, go ahead. Go do your thing. Go be unclean. 
No. Let no one deceive you. The lie 
that these are not sins. I mean, we used to say adultery 
and sodomy and things like that. Now it's gay and playing around. Well, euphemistic changes do 
not help people at all. Euphemisms reduce meaning. Euphemisms put things into a 
different context. Now, these are sins against a 
holy God. So if somebody says, oh, these 
aren't sins, or the lie that God does not notice, you can 
look later at Psalm 94. The godless there say, yet the 
Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand. It's 
not paying attention to you. You go right ahead and do what 
you want. And then the lie that God just 
wants you to be yourself. No, he doesn't. Not even a little 
bit. I mean, he does. He doesn't want 
Mark to be Jim and Jim to be Mark, but he wants us to be like 
Christ. You see, that's the whole purpose 
of Romans 8. Those whom he foreknew he, what, 
predestined to be conformed unto the image of his Son. He wants 
us to be like Christ. Not like us. Us is the problem. Christ is the answer. So this 
idea that He just wants you to be you and He wants you to be 
happy. No, He doesn't. Well, He does, but be happy in 
Him. Be happy in that communion with God Most High instead of 
the godless behavior of the sons of disobedience. And I would 
imply or infer from this, let no one deceive you with empty 
words, the value and the utility of full words. Namely, the Bible. In other words, what is a sure 
help to us to avoid these particular sins? Psalm 119.11, your word 
I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. 
It's a beautiful thing. Scripture memory is not like 
it used to be. People used to really memorize 
scripture. Now with a phone, you just pull it out and you 
can see whatever scripture it was. It used to be where you 
didn't have phones. I know, kids, that's kind of 
hard to understand. We didn't used to all have phones in our 
pockets. That was just a thought that 
was way far out of the league. But now we don't memorize scripture. 
Memorizing scripture isn't so we can be, you know, looked at 
by others in the church as, wow, that guy knows a lot of Bible. 
No, your word I've hid in my heart that I might not sin against 
you. If deceivers operate through empty words, what do you think 
is the sure safe place for the believer? It's the word of God 
most high. So notice the reality. Let no 
one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the 
wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Basically, repetition 
of verse 5, they have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and 
God. And then the final admonition is simply a warning against participation. Therefore, do not be partakers 
with them. Do not be partakers with them. 
Two texts and then we're done. Look at 1 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Another admonition to not participate 
in these things, to not partake of these things. Notice in 2 
Corinthians 6.14, Same thing, there's light people, 
you don't traffic with darkness people. And then he goes on to 
say, and what accord has Christ with Belial? Remember the sons 
of Belial in the Old Testament, sons of darkness, sons of wickedness. 
Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement 
has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the 
living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk 
among them. I will be their God and they 
shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among them, and 
be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, 
and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and 
you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, 
having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from 
all the filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness 
in the fear of God. So in other words, he says, don't 
participate with, don't partake in, don't engage in these acts 
of wickedness and lawlessness. But one final text that I think 
we need to, you know, qualification, just like the qualification of 
the unrepentant, unbelieving sinner. Look at 1 Corinthians 
5, at verse 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 at verse 
9, because I think people take this doctrine of separation in 
a way that we really shouldn't, and it brings a bit of sort of 
tension with what we find here in 1 Corinthians 5, 9. So whatever 
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5, 9 to 11 can't upgrade what 
he writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. They're in 2 Corinthians chapter 
6. Don't participate with them. 
Don't be partakers with them. I think the language is suggestive. 
It means to enter into their lives of sin. But in 1 Corinthians 
5, he tells us very clearly, I wrote to you in my epistle 
not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet, I certainly 
did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world. 
He's saying, you can have your ungodly neighbor over for dinner. You can be their friend. You 
can set up a context wherein you can evangelize them. Look 
at what he goes on to say. Or with the covetous, or extortioners, 
or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 
You see what he's saying? Sin is so pervasive, it is so 
prevalent, it's such a comprehensive thing. If you think the doctrine 
of separation means you can't go near a sinner, then you better 
go to Elon Musk and see if you can sign up for Space X and get 
shot up to Mars, because, you know, this world is filled with 
sin and sinners. It's just the way it is. What's 
Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 5? Don't hang out with a person 
that says he's a brother that engages in that kind of activity. It's very clear. Now, I have 
written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother who 
is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, 
or a drunkard, or an extortioner, not even to eat with such a person. 
For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do 
you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God 
judges. Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person." 
So this principle of separation is absolutely positively correct 
in terms of participating or partaking of their sins. I think 
B.B. Warfield gets at this tension 
well when he says, we see then, the apostle's urgency here is 
against not association with the world, but compromise with 
the worldly. That's the issue that Paul condemns. So in verse 7, therefore do not 
be partakers with that. Do not participate in this. You are a child of light. These 
are sons of disobedience. Their orientation is darkness. 
They traffic in fornication, in uncleanness, and in covetousness. 
They speak vile things from their mouths, which reflect the vile 
condition of their hearts. Don't participate in those particular 
sins. It is not consistent with your 
calling as new men and new women in Christ Jesus. And the power 
behind the compliance is the cross. Never forget that. Christian ethics isn't slug it 
out, pull up your bootstraps, knuckle under, and just try harder 
and more. This whole section is governed 
by the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. Because he gave himself 
for us, because he has justified us freely by his grace, because 
we are forgiven and have received an imputed righteousness, it 
is based on that indicative that we then by grace and by the power 
of the Holy Spirit pursue compliance with the imperatives. So it's 
not just a do it, or else, but it's a rather do it because God 
has saved you and enabled you to comply. So embrace it, pursue 
it, and delight in it, and maintain vital communion with God because 
that will displace love for the sons of disobedience in your 
heart. And if you're not a believer 
here tonight, the issue is not stop fornicating and you'll be 
saved. The issue is look onto the Lord Jesus Christ and you 
shall be saved. And guess what? The consequence 
of that will be that you stop fornicating, because that's how 
it works. Now, if you stumble and you fall, go to the advocate 
with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous, and confess it 
and forsake it. And according to Solomon, you 
will find mercy. but not that grace may abound, 
but because God is gracious and merciful. Well, let us pray. 
Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you 
for its clarity at this point of Christian ethics and that 
conduct that is consistent of a new man in Christ Jesus. Help 
us to pursue those deeds of the light. Help us to pursue those 
things which are pleasing in your sight and to resist and 
reject and to put off these things associated with the old man. 
We thank you for this Lord's Day. We thank you for this coming 
week. We pray that you would be active in our hearts and lives 
and cause us to glorify and to honor you. And we pray through 
Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. We'll close with a brief 
time of meditation.