A Stirring Summons to Purity, Part 3

Soundview moral purity as a barrier to personal liberty, maintaining godly standards feels like a restriction, and yet the biblical paradox suggests otherwise. Today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching from the fifth chapter of Ephesians the first seven verses, Paul delivers a bold call to upholding God's standard for wholesome relationships as will see purity not only protects us from harm the pathway to contentment as well.

No matter your age or status in life.

These biblical principles apply to us all. Chuck titled today's message a stirring summons. Paul is writing to the people of Ephesus, some of whom lived in it before the cross so he is addressing the behavior of the Christian as being altogether different from the pagan lifestyle of their past so he can specific this kind of writing would have never been found among the intellectual secular writer of that day or any writer from the pagan world.

This is unique truth, even the day in which it was written. Now if that isn't enough, he goes a little further and talks about filthiness. It's translated filthiness here. The same word. Look at verse 12 is translated disgraceful see that in 512.

It is disgraceful same Greek word the next term is called silly talk, look at that silly talk interesting, colorful Greek word, it means pointless and unnecessary. Talk in this context, it would be unnecessary dirty comments shaded words is not referring to those who are intellectually deficient. But those who are morally debauched silly talk obscenities silly talk course suggesting look at that there must be no filthiness, silly talk.

Of course, jesting. That word means turning something that is said or done.

No matter how innocent into something suggestive, sensual or immoral. This world has come in like a flood and contaminated the mind so that as a result, we have picked up the Victorian mentality that all his dirty and once you have that family even touch each other again.

Now he says keep giving thanks before I move on beyond this, I want to I hope help by adding a couple of three thoughts here is to what is wrong with falling into the trap of these other things. The six areas we touched on to give it to your really quick. Number one it plays to near the edge it placed to near the edge of what can degenerate into what is the inappropriate place to nearly edge of that which can degenerate and become inappropriate teacher children. This, by the way, rather, no, no, no, no stop dog dog quit stop don't explain why, explain to them why it's best that they stay away from this, it gets you to near the edge of what can degenerate into that which becomes inappropriate. Second, it breaks down the resistance within us. The Lord is working to cultivate an intimacy with himself when you deal with the dirt you break down the resistance and you're not able to be intimate with God. Three. It promotes a warped and degrading view of sex that hinders marital intimacy. Now you say what you know what Chuck I know I know people who absolutely can't get past. I mean it.

It's like it's like it. It's in every other every third phrase I understand.

I did a hitch in the Marine Corps. I was in a barracks for 1617 months in Okinawa, a thousand miles from home living around depravity media married man red-blooded the cookie jar was open every day and I'm telling you I I heard sex talked about and described about 27 hours a day may have been 28 hours a day until you'd want to throw all I'm not a prude. I have more fun than most people around and I didn't come across as some kind of friar or bishop or or or pious saint, but I'll tell you, even I red-blooded American boy finally just got sick.

It was everywhere the disease in our outfit was was scandalous. 93% either head-to-head or head at the time of venereal disease. It was everywhere he say Chuck and I know people that are like coming start bringing this message.

Wait a minute. I have just described the unsaved who have no power to change that to try to get them to clean up their mouth is trying to get the pig out of the slop. They have a nature that's depraved and therefore they have a mouth that's depraved.

They have a mind that's depraved.

Look at verse in verse five. Know this with certainty. No immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God know what he saying he's talking about a blatant continuation in a sinful lifestyle, unchanging, and listen unchangeable. When you come through the cross to Christ, you are able to be changed. Until then, you're all lost soul.

You can't change attempt said it are futile. You're dead in trespasses and sins. There is no hope for there to be a change. That's why I never address the lifestyle of the lost and condemn them for it. That's how they live without Christ. This is not behavior for the lost person. This is behavior for the one who says you believe Paul makes it clear that there is a category of those who will have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. And then he says now don't be deceived because summer standing on the fence don't be deceived. Verse six. Don't let anyone deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience that mean there will be some who will want to deceive you and take look. God is too kind to condemn anyone there couldn't possibly be an eternal hell. He is a God of love and grace, a God of goodness they never mention righteousness and purity, holiness is a God of love and goodness and PDD loves you too much to put you there to let that happen. That is called empty words and they are deceptive of a friend who attended the church where they just loved him and loved him, and never told the truth and they loved him and loved him, and finally got exposed to the truth and he said you know, as I look back on that ministry, they would've left me right into hell black comment. This is a church bashing. This is this is a standing for truth in the world was being deceived and being told it's not that way anymore.

That's dated. Oh no, this is timeless. This is nothing to do with first century 12th-century 21st century or 30th century culture.

This is truth for all the time and so he says let the beliefs let the behavior square with one another and remember there will be those who want to tempt you with clever reasonings and very appealing and fully humanistic thinking. For this reason the wrath of God comes in the sons of disobedience. Therefore, verse seven. Don't be a partner with them. Do not become a partner with them. It's another way of saying don't be unequally yoked me wrap this up.

Cannot do that with the three or four principles that I think will be helpful. I hope so.

Each one of them ends with a never so maybe that'll help underscore the number one sexual perversions degrade our humanity. Sexual perversions degrade our humanity.

They never enhance it. You were never enhanced in your character because you are engaged in sexual immorality and perversion. Second, since you will talk and gutter humor serve no beneficial purpose.

Since you will talk and gutter humor serve no beneficial purpose.

They never make us better people you'll never be a better person because you engaged in gutter talk and sexual innuendo pointless. It's wasteful the cookie taste rotten when you eat it. Number three. Constant trafficking trafficking in these things is incompatible with the Christian faith. Constant trafficking in these things, and I mean constant and habitual constant trafficking in these things is not compatible with the Christian faith. It's never appropriate for the Christian. Staying away from anyone who wishes to convince you otherwise is why staying away from anyone who would wish to convince you otherwise is wise one offer: cheap grace for people to use the great turn grace and then apology and ended without apology, try to convince you that an immoral life is not all that much of a problem. I will say something to you without looking at my notes Pretty well delivered that I how I want to tell you how honored I am to pastor this church said to Cynthia late last evening and then over coffee early this morning I said I can't wait Sunday morning. I can't wait to be with these great people. Jesus, I know I can. I can tell you love it don't you just absolutely love it. I want to know how much I believe in the work of God in our midst. I don't want this ever to be named among us. But you know how jealous I am for our flock.

I want us to have fun forever. Good fun clean fun great laughter. I don't think the laughter belongs in the bar.

I think the laughter belongs in the church, but because the church stopped laughing and wound up in the bar. This is a great place to laugh without a hangover. This is a great place to have fun and to laugh at ourselves at end of life. Never God. What a great place to live free and to cultivate a grace kind of living out of a better place to start than right here at Stonebrook Community Church of the better place to infect our kids with a good positive dose of winsome Christlike Christianity that here if there were a better place. I'd be there but don't think the enemy hasn't heard every word that's been said and before you are in your car with your little key in your little ignition start in your big car before that happens, he's gonna start convincing you know Chuck has these old convictions that just don't fit 21st century well, that's when you gotta make a decision please introduced to me.

A person lost in immorality who is fully satisfied happy free of any of life's concerns and I'll think about retracting my words. They don't exist. When you look at verse number close with the story. Romans 13 the last two verses Romans 1313 to 14 on read the verses and I will tell you the story, let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But I love this put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust that a great couple of verses take another look at the movies you spend time in. Take another look at the programs to continue to watch. Take another look at the magazines you spend time over are they enhancing your character great, don't stop, or the taken a toll stop only smart don't make any provision for the flesh Augustin in his unregenerate days was held captive by the sin of lust. He says so in his book confessions. He told the story of his miserable bondage, and his ultimate emancipation, which was remarkable at the crisis of his conversion, he was plunged in horrible distress between the force of inflammation, on the one hand, and the call of conscience. On the other, but it was a power far above his own rescued him at last he was sitting in the garden with his companion and Libya's when he suddenly rose to seek a lonely place for he might give way unobserved to his emotion and his sin's as he went.

He heard a voice, as of a boy or girl playing, which said take and read take and read. He turned back and lifting of the book, which happened to be the epistle to the Romans from the table at which his companion was still seated his. He let his eyes fall on the first words which met him and they were these Romans 1313 and 14 which in his rendering read let us behave decently as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Eugene Peterson renders them. We must not squander these precious daylight hours and frivolity and indulgence and sleeping around and dissipation in bickering and grabbing everything in sight get out of bed, get dressed, don't loiter and linger. Waiting until the very last minute dress yourself up in Christ and be up and about.

The story continues. These were God's own words and in them the hand of God gripped him. He felt that the long struggle had been taken in hand by the one mightier than himself.

Christ had redeemed him from that time forth, and from then on he became a holy man of God like us to bow our heads like us to close her eyes will linger here needlessly. Sometime messages are delivered in the just have a way of sticking maybe you remember the congruent triangles.

Maybe you remember the story of the college professor who lived a lie and he was finally exposed.

Maybe one of those six descriptions pricks your conscience may be more than one you gotten loose you drawn others into it. I don't know where you are in this. I just I just know that I am convicted by, and I'm not here today to promise that once you come to terms with this, that you're freed them from any other any further temptation. You know better than that. Maybe you need this day as the day to put down the steak to drive it in dated dated in the margin of your Bible, put it in your journal today is the day before God. I determine that I'll deliberately put put an end to the immorality in the impurities and the filthy talk in the course suggesting that moronic needless comments the innuendos junk today. If you find yourself hopelessly lost and without power to change the answer is because you don't know Christ you don't know the Savior.

If you are habitually in this lifestyle. Unable to find the power to change it's because you haven't the power you've never come to the cross at the close of virtually every one of our services.

Someone comes to know Christ to talk to us.

We remain here upfront. Talk to whoever would wish, and they share how they just in their their seat sitting right there come to terms with her salvation. I invite you today. That's where you find yourself whole. Lord I thank you for helping with the strength that was needed to deliver this message.

I thank you for convicting me of it all through this week for giving me the passion to deliver what I believe to be the truth. To say it in a way that is reasonable and accurate with the text and applicable hell or the last thing we need is is to feel pious, as though this is good that somebody else heard it the other extreme, Mr.'s to feel that we are absolutely out of touch with the real world, Lord, show us the balanced answer here.

Help us to come to terms with it to remain easy to live with. To be people of great joy and great grace, but pure hearts and clean minds, and wise lips maybe become an influence for good in this lonely and aching lost world which you've left us you not isolated this you've insulated us Lord and we pray that we will live insulated by your spirit in touch with those who've never met you. May our lives be for them and attraction a magnet because of the contrast between the way we live and what they would wish were true in their lives and now want to him who is able to guard us from stumbling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy exceeding joy to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty and dominion, and power. Now and forever as we live out the truth of what we have heard in Jesus name and all God's people said a man in Chuck's window titled, today's message is during summons to purity and we encourage you to keep listening because Chuck is in the studio with the personal comment coming up in just a moment to learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online@insideworld.org before we hear from Chuck. If you're looking for a resource that will guide you in your daily pursuit of godliness in the coming year. The kind that you described today then we are recommending a devotional book called good morning Lord. Can we talk it contains 365 devotions, providing a brief and refreshing oasis for every single day in 2021.

Walking a spiritual purity requires that we stay focused on the truth of God's word and this devotional will help you do that throughout the new year and it would make a thoughtful Christmas gift as well.

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