Shameful Sins
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1-2). Christians are expected to take on the character of God. This is not a new concept in the New Testament. Even in the law of Moses the people of Israel were told, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev. 19:2). Our work in imitating God can be even more successful because we also have the example of Jesus’ sacrifice of love to follow.
Ephesians 5:3-5 gives us a contrast between imitating God and certain shameful sins. These aren't necessarily the worst sins (it's futile to categorize sins by severity since God finds all sin to be an abomination), but they are common ones and easily mark us as children of the world.
Sexual immorality. Sexual immorality (along with “all impurity”) is an expression of excess and lack of self-control. Included in this would be lust, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, rape, incest, and many other related sins. The Bible tells us that sexual expression is to be enjoyed within marriage (Heb. 13:4) and marriage itself is tightly regulated. Because of the intensity of sexual desire common in man, this is often one of the first deviations from God’s plan that a person or society is willing to make.
Too many Christians have conceded the fight against sexual immorality. We readily claim that the desire is too strong or that everyone does it. This then extends to our children as they become teenagers. While we should not be naïve about the new temptations they face, we also should not make excuses for them or give up on the expectation of sexual purity.
Covetousness. Covetousness is the desperate desire for that which is not mine. This can sometimes tie into sexual immorality, but it is often about money and possessions (Ex. 20:17).
We are entering the season where the regular obsession with possessions reaches a fever pitch. A time to be with loved ones and exchange gifts has become an indulgence of covetousness in some. Many overspend during the holidays and unwisely go into debt. In 2022, almost a third of shoppers had not yet paid off their holiday purchases from the previous year when they started shopping for the holidays again[1]. If this is the attitude when giving gifts, how much worse is it when we buy for ourselves?
The truth is that the root of covetousness is a love of this world, which is why Paul also calls it idolatry. Whether it is about what we buy or wish we could have, Christians can’t be obsessed with the things of this world that will not last for eternity anyway.
Filthy speech. Filthy speech is described in several ways in this passage. Filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking are all contrasted with thanksgiving. Foolish talk is lacking in understanding. Words that are spoken too quickly or without discretion would qualify here. There are many proverbs warning against being a fool, and Paul reinforces that here by saying that there is no place for that kind of talk in the life of a Christian. Crude joking, on the other hand, refers primarily to innuendo – something that is innocent on its face, but with a sly look or certain tone of voice has an indecent meaning. Such jokes are common among worldly people but are not proper for children of God.
All of these sins are commonplace and I fear we are growing desensitized to them. Nevertheless, they are still improper and should not even be named among us.
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