Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:3. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:3

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”

A more literal translation of this verse is: “ But fornication, and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among the saints.” (NRSV)

These things, according to Paul, should be so far from our normal thinking that we who are the holy ones of God should not want to even mention them, much less commit them.

It’s might be asked, how can we avoid thinking about sexual immorality, impurity, and greed, when these are rife in our society. Well, they were common enough in the Roman Empire as well. The lusts of the flesh have always and In most places been a stumbling block for Christians.

At the very least, we should make sure that we live a life worthy of our high calling as children of God, putting Jesus first in all things.

We should review our entertainment sources. So many forms of entertainment normalise attitudes of sexuality and greed which are opposed to the holiness of God.

We should monitor our conversations and ensure that our speech does not revolve around sex or desires for new cars, faster computers, and better houses in better neighbourhoods. These are not things that should be at the centre of our thoughts and discussions.

Sexual immorality or fornication refers to the undermining of marriage. Men and women are meant to be faithful to their partners for life. The traditional marriage vows speak of “ forsaking all others for as long as you both shall live.”

Our society glamorises infidelity. Having an affair, hooking up, a bit on the side, booty call, are common terms which denote a generally permissive attitude to sex beyond marriage. Marriage is often seen as confining, boring, and suffocating. Seeing someone else can be liberating, refreshing, exciting.

On the contrary, Paul will, later in this chapter, describe marriage as being a representation of Christ’s relationship with the church. It is impossible to conceive of Christ abandoning the church to have a different covenant with a different group of people. This goes against His nature. Similarly, sexual immorality goes against the nature of God’s holy people, the saints.

The phrase “any kind of impurity” takes the standard further. Here it is not just about unfaithfulness in marriage, but any kind of sexual desire or practice which lies outside of the covenant of marriage.

We might throw into this category such things as pornography, sexualised banter, double-entendre, homosexual acts, prostitution, and much more.

The church is meant to be pure and holy, and a representation of the original pre-Fall state of Adam and Eve.

Our aim should be to pursue Christ, and when we pursue these other things, we miss the mark of our holy calling.

The word covetousness implies a ruthless kind of greed that tramples over the rights of other people in order to gain what is wanted. The classic cases of this in scripture King David’s desire for Bathsheba (2 Samuel chapters 11-12) and Ahab’s desire for Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings chapter 21). In both cases, covetousness leads to unforeseen consequences, escalating quickly to murder.

The original sin in Genesis was to covet something that God had forbidden. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.” (Genesis 3:6, NRSV)

These things (sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness) are not fitting the God’s holy people. They relate to the fleshly nature, the old nature which is supposed to be crucified when we come to Christ.

We should not approach these things from a legalistic point of view, laying down laws in a new form of Pharisaism. The solution is not to “mortify the flesh”, but to look to Christ. As we gain a more perfect and exalted vision of Jesus, and make pursuing Him our prime objective then all of these desires will just fade away.

 

Key points in this verse:

• There are some things which Christians should be careful in talking about in their gatherings
• Sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness should become removed from our thoughts
• We need to monitor our own speech, our entertainment, and our desires to ensure that we are not pursuing the desires of the flesh
• The solution does not lie in legalism, but in putting Jesus Christ at the centre of our thoughts and desires