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…sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

“Who are you to judge!?” The tired old refrain can be heard every time someone tries to talk about something Christians shouldn’t (really, cannot) do. It’s as though people think you can sleep-around with people you’re not married to, try to tear down “the rich,” use foul language, and tell disrespectful jokes at others’ expense, and somehow you can still call yourself a “Christian.” The Apostle Paul disagrees with you. If you are living with someone or having an otherwise intimate relationship with one who is not your spouse, you cannot call yourself a Christian unless you repent. Jesus is not your Lord, your passions and desires are your Lord. This is not to say that Christians are perfect, far from it, but genuine believers do repent. If our sin is not marked by repentance, then quite simply we are not saved. Are you so envious of others that you want to see them taken down? Does “income inequality” make you so jealous you vote to take things from the people who have “too much” while not realizing you too have more than about 99% of the world? That’s called covetousness. That too is not an unrepentant state of a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. The Bible has some hard truth for Americans to hear. There will be millions, perhaps billions, of people who prayed a prayer and attended a church service every now and again who are going to stand before Jesus on the Last Day and he is going to say “nope, I never knew you.” Please, don’t let that be you. Make Jesus your Lord, don’t just say He is… Wouldn’t we act differently if this were all true? Wouldn’t we act differently towards others if it were? Why don’t we?

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift… 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ… 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up… when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk. You’re a Christian, you should act like one. Humility, gentleness, patience, love. We should be on the edge of our seats actively trying to keep the church together. There is one Lord, there is one faith, there is one baptism. All roads do not lead to God. Regardless of the sincerity of the individual, only the God of the Bible, only Jesus Christ, can reconcile people to God. The church has been given the church a great gift, the people in it. The apostles and prophets have told us the truth. Evangelists keep the gospel front and center. Pastor-teachers keep the church rooted in the truth of the Bible, and all of these give us everything we need for every Christian to participate in ministry, to build up and expand the church (that’s ministry). We are told we need to grow-up in our theological thinking. We need to know the heart of God so well that when a strange teaching comes along we are not lead astray. We need to be telling each other the truth, Christians should never say of fellow Believers “that’s not my problem… that’s none of my business…” shame on us if we don’t grow up together. It takes EVERY PART WORKING for a church to grow, and we have everything we need to do just that, to the glory of God.

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14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Paul prays for his people, and so should we. That they (we) will be given strength and power by the Holy Spirit, inner strength. Allow Christ to reside in your heart. Love is the most important thing, real love, not pretend love. It takes a strong person to realize how much God loves us, sometimes He loves us so much He doesn’t save us from the pain that will make draw closer to Himself. Be filled with God, love big, trust the Lord, may Jesus live in your heart.

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4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Paul can speak of the reality of heaven because we are already there. We don’t have to wait to “go to heaven” we are seated there in Christ now! That’s how rock solid our promises from God are. It is only by grace that completely helpless people are saved when they cry out to God in faith. We don’t bring anything to the table except our sin and baggage, and he saves us, that’s how amazing God’s great love by which He is loving us. He is the one doing the work, and it’s amazing. He is molding and shaping us so that we can be of good for the kingdom. You have a job to do, you’ve been created for it, God has set them up for you, now get after it. Share the gospel, partner in this ministry with all the Saints in Christ Jesus, display the immeasurable riches of His kindness towards us!

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

It would be amazing if God were to look through the portal of time and see all those who would ever be His people and then give us enough forgiveness to cover all of our sins. But that’s not what the Bible says God did. No. We have been bought back (redeemed) from our sin, we are forgiven, not according to the amount of our sins, but according to the riches of his grace. God’s riches are far greater than all the sin there has ever been. I’m reminded of the time when I worked in a sno cone stand. It was in the 1990’s in the North Dallas area and a convertible Mercedes pulled up. Two guys hopped out, and I immediately recognized one of them as Michael Irvin. That’s a pretty big deal for a kid who grew-up watching America’s Team. He asked me “what’s good?” I said “I like Tiger’s Blood” so he responded “that sounds good, give me two mediums.” I made them quickly (and with super high quality as always, shaved-ice is an art, and I was a master) and I handed them over. He tried one and nodded his head “that is good!” then he nodded at his “guy” and said “take care of him” and the other guy handed me $20 and said “here you go, keep the change.” The bill was $5. I wasn’t paid according to the cost of the sno cone, I was paid according to the riches of the superstar who wanted a cold treat on a beautiful North Texas summer day. When Jesus paid for our sins with his blood, it was if he was saying a great cosmic “keep the change.” There was far more value paid by God than was needed to wipe-out every sin ever committed… but that’s who God is. How much forgiveness can you have? All of it. All of your sin. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever… paid in full, and then some. There is always more grace, receive it with gratefulness.