Sunday, January 30, 2022

PT-4 "The Perversion" (Eph. 5:3-4)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/30/2019 10:02 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                          Focus:  “PT-4 “The Perversion”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Ephesians 5:3-4

 

            Message of the verses:  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.”  “3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 And coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks” (HCSB).

 

            I promised to continue looking at the definitions of different Greek words as found in my John MacArthur commentary:  “Filthiness has to do with general obscenity, any talk that is degrading, and disgraceful.  It comes from the same Greek root as ‘Disgraceful’ in verse 12, where Paul says that such vile things should not even be mentioned, much less participated in, and is related to the term in Colossians 3:8, meaning ‘dirty speech.’ 

 

            Morologia (silly talk) used only here in the New Testament, is derived from moros (to speak).  It is stupid talk, talk only befitting someone who is intellectually deficient.  It is sometimes referred to as low obscenity, foolish talk that comes from the drunk or the gutter mouth.  It has no point except to give an air of dirty worldliness.

 

            Eutrapelia (coarse jesting), on the other hand, refers to talk that is more pointed and determined.  It carries the idea of quickly turning something that is said or done—no matter how innocent—into that which is obscene or suggestive.  It is the filthy talk of a person who uses every word and circumstance to display his immoral wit.  It is the stock-in-trade of the clever talk-show host who is never at a loss for sexual innuendo.  But the low obscenity of sill talk and the ‘high’ obscenity of coarse jesting comes from the same kind of heart, the heart given over to moral filthiness.”

 

            I suppose that one of the things that many believers need to work on is their speech, and to follow the things that Paul writes about in these two verses.  Sometimes we say silly things before we even know that we have said them, and that of course does not please the Lord.

 

            I think that instead of being involved in the kinds of things that Paul has written about in these two verses we should be giving thanks to the Lord for the great salvation that He has provided for us. 

 

            It is my prayer for myself that in the event I hear this kind of talk and then desire to put in my 2 cents worth, that I would either walk away or bring up Ephesians 5:3-4. 

 

            John MacArthur concludes “If Christians are known for anything it should be for love expressed toward God and others by unceasing thankfulness (cf. 1 Thess. 5:18), where the injunction is clear:  ‘In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus).

            It is my desire to give a rather long quote from the pen of Warren Wiersbe in our next SD on what he has to say about these two verses.  Warren Wiersbe put the cookies on the shelf where we can reach them.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  To be loving and to be humble are two things that I need to work on in my walk with the Lord.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Humility is something that I suppose that I can learn about for a long time, and my prayer is that the Lord will continue to teach me more things about humility, and one of the ways that I can learn about humility is to continue to look and study the life of Jesus Christ while he was on earth, for His life was a humble life.

 

Today’s quotation is from Isaac Newton:  “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.”

 

5/30/2019 11:02 AM

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