Jump Start # 3948
Ephesians 5:4 “and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”
Some things are just made for each other. They go well together. Peanut butter and jelly is one of those things. Popcorn and a movie. Hotdogs at a baseball game. Saturday afternoons and college football. Cool nights and warm soup. Just right. Just made for each other. They fit well together.
But, there are other things do not go well together. Like square pegs in round holes, they just don’t fit. And, in our verse today, that’s the direction the apostle is showing the Christians. Some things just do not “fit” with being a child of God.
In the context, Paul names six sins. These do not fit in the heart and character of a disciple of Jesus. They lead to a conflicting message. They create confusion in others. And, eventually, they will cause a critical crash of our souls. Some things just do not fit.
There were things that did not fit with the character and holiness of Jesus. We don’t see Jesus being inappropriate with a woman. There were times when Jesus was alone with a woman, such as in Samaria. But, nothing wrong took place. It doesn’t fit to see Jesus telling a lie, getting drunk or using bad language. That would be a square peg and a round hole. Just doesn’t work.
As children of God we must realize that some things just do not fit with the character of a Christian. Here are some lessons for us:
First, we need to make a clear distinction between right and wrong. We are to pursue righteousness. Far too many young believers want to build a bridge between Christ and the world of wrong. They try to fit the joys of drinking alcohol into the purity of Christ. It doesn’t fit. Stop try to squeeze and squeeze passages that make it seem possible. Be done with the ways of the world. That’s Peter’s message. Times up. You did that. Now be holy. There’s nothing positive about drinking alcohol. It won’t make you a stronger Christian. It won’t make your light shine brighter. But, oh, the negative things attached to drinking are numerous. Some things just don’t fit.
We need to stop trying to smoke the peace pipe with the religious community that is indifferent to the authority of the Scriptures and the patterns of the N.T. There is not bridge to be built. Either one is with Christ or he is not. You can’t journey with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom. You can’t journey with one foot in the Scriptures and one foot in error. Stop making excuses for what is wrong. Some things just do not fit.
Second, we should not expect the world to act like Christians. They won’t. Family members, co-workers, neighbors, friends, many of them have a sampling of Christianity, but not enough to make any real difference. Because of that, most people will be selfish. Don’t be shocked by that. Most do not have the heart of a servant. Most would not think of the golden rule. Most are not prone to forgive or apologize.
As a result, people lie. They lie when under oath in the court house. They lie when the have just said, “I’m telling you the truth.”
As a result, people cheat and take advantage of others. They will use people to get what they want. They will bend and break the rules to their favor. They can change their allegiance in a moment and are only loyal to self. And, the sure reason for all of this is that Christianity doesn’t fit into their lifestyle. They can’t keep doing what they are doing and follow Christ. So, they don’t follow Christ.
So, I should not expect a dishonest person to be honest. I should not expect the truth from one who lies. Some things just do not fit together.
Third, we fit well in Heaven. Jesus has prepared a place so we could be with Him in His Father’s house. We’ll find that Heaven fits us just fine. We won’t be out of place there. We won’t feel awkward there. We won’t hide in a corner or want to leave as soon as we can. None of that. Heaven is made for us.
Some things fit very well together. Other things don’t. It doesn’t go well when we try to put two things together that do not fit.
Roger