Who's Your Partner? Ephesians 5:1-6 By David Turner

Children of Immortality vs. Children of Immorality Children of God mimic their Father – God’s love is their focus – The Son of God is their model Children of God do not imitate the Children of Disobedience: – Immorality – Impurity – Covetousness – Inappropriate talk The behavior of The Children of Disobedience is inconsistent with Christ’s kingdom and invites God’s wrath. Don’t partner with those that behave as children of disobedience.

Ephesians 5:1–7 (ESV) 5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them;

Children Imitate their parents

As Children, Imitate Your Parent 5 Therefore be imitators (mimetes) of God, as beloved children. You can’t imitate what you don’t know. Get close to the Father so you can imitate Him. – Read His Love Letter to you. To learn what pleases him/displeases him. – Spend time talking to Him. – Be sensitive to the Spirit – And …..

Mimic the Son – Mimic the Father 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Follow Jesus’ Example. Rom. 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship

Don’t Imitate the Neighbors false love 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. God’s Children always had misbehaving neighbors: Sodom and Gomorrah Egypt Canaanites/Philistines Greeks/Romans

Don’t even entertain thoughts of sexual immorality 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Πορνεία (pornea) - extra-marital and unnatural intercourse.

Numbers 25:1–9 25 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the L ORD was kindled against Israel. 4 And the L ORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the L ORD, that the fierce anger of the L ORD may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

1 Corinthians 10:8,11 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day…… 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

Don’t even entertain thoughts of impurity 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Impurity (akatharsia, a-katharsis) – Unclean, impure. Includes sexual immorality, but here may refer to all acts of the flesh including idolatry, greed, etc.

Don’t even entertain thoughts of Greed 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Covetousness – Have more, receive more, or want more (Greek lit. includes property, power, pleasure). Selfish gratification. Way of the world, not God’s Children

Discontent expresses itself in inappropriate speech. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. Don’t use obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking. What comes from your mouth indicates what is in your heart. Replace it with thanksgiving.

Warning!!!! 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Such behavior is evidence that one is not really in Christ.

Similar Warning to Corinthians 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Same Warning to Galatians. Galatians 5:19–21 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Warning to the Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.

This Behavior brings wrath on the Unbeliever! 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; Do not partner with Sons of Disobedience. What about believers that behave like “Son’s of Disobedience”?

The World vs. those that behave like the world 1 Corinthians 5:9–11 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

Son’s of Disobedience: Have no inheritance Bring wrath upon themselves, Pity them for what they don’t have, Why would you want what they want, when their passions will always exceed what they will never have? The Flesh will never be satisfied! Video from Fireproof.

Why would a Child of Immortality partner with Children of Immorality?

Why Would you partner with them by behaving like them?