Wake up sleeper! #2
Ephesians 5:1-18
What is idolatry in the church? – Ephesians 5:5
When we think of idolatry in the modern western church we can think it is an irrelevant or outdated thing referring to such things as Asherah poles (a tribute to the Caananite goddess) that were repeatedly condemned in the Old Testament or statues of Hindu gods in modern Hindu temples. Paul redefines idolatry in a way that reflects modern western culture. Idolatry is a matter of what we worship or place greater value on, above our love of Jesus. All those things Paul emphatically states we should put to death. ‘Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.’ Colossians 3:5 In Ephesians Paul includes practicing obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking. v4 How often do we let such things slide, thinking it was not that bad? A casual attitude towards sin in the church was found in the early church and is still found today. We have a natural tendency to conform to the standards of the world and kingdom we left behind when we became Christians. But sin or idolatry in all its forms is not a small thing to be treated casually. It is because of such things that God’s wrath is coming. v6 Paul’s command is not, to not do it most of the time, but to put such things to death in our personal lives. Dead things do not carry on doing what they were doing before. If there are teachers who teach otherwise they are deceivers, ‘Do not partner with them.’ v7
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