Today’s passage: Ephesians 5:3-10
Helpful thoughts:
- In comparison with the context of Ephesians 4:17, since Christians are changed and changing, it wouldn’t make sense for a person who is living like an unbeliever to be accepted as a member of the church.
- A sinful lifestyle should not be characteristic of the members of the church.
- A person who has no inheritance in the kingdom of God should not be falsely recognized as a child of God in the church. That kind of acceptance would require “empty words”.
- That kind of acceptance would result in automatic disunity.
- The believers in the church would be seeking what is pleasing to the Lord.
- The unbelievers who are accepted in the “roles” would be seeking what is pleasing to themselves (Verse 19, “Greedy”).
Questions to consider:
- Why is thanksgiving mentioned as the opposite of all sin listed in this passage? What are we to be thankful for? Who are we to thank? How does thanksgiving help us in our fight for purity and righteousness?
- How do we learn what is pleasing to the Lord? Where has He shared His values and will with us? Why do we want to please Him?
- How does this passage reaffirm the need for church membership and the blessing of accountability? Why is it MORE loving to tell someone they are not in the church when/if they are unrepentant and rejecting the lordship of Jesus Christ?