Do Not Look Back

 

By Pastor Nick Bibile

 

Reading of Ephesians Chapter 5:3-6

 

Previously we saw that Christ Jesus was altogether lovely, we saw how we need to lean on Jesus bosom and last week we saw how we need to be imitators of God.

 

Today we see Apostle Paul is giving some warnings to the pilgrim/saints that we need to be watchful. The world is full of temptations and ungodly are enjoying the passions of the flesh, but the Christians are purchased from the blood of Christ and not in darkness anymore but living in the light and we should not look back to the worldly passionate fleshly desires.

 

Science and technology have increased rapidly and have given much comfort to the flesh but morality is declining rapidly.  False teachers and increased, majority of the churches have become worldly, some have become cold. Jesus said; “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” (Mat 24:12)

 

We are living in a world today where the culture has taken over the word of God. Today you don’t have to marry first you can try it out by living together. God’s word if above culture, God’s word will not change according to society but society should change according to God’s word. The word of God is supreme; the highest rule in life and it is the ultimate rule. Everyone is judged by the word of God.

 

Fornication is sexual immorality; the Greek word is porneia which we get our word “pornography” it not only refers to graphic pornographic photos but also having sex outside marriage. Fornication is not a hidden thing anymore, it is done in public, you will see on movies, television and people applause for fornication to the world it is not a sin, there is no God for them, and Bible is an old fashioned book for older people. There is spiritual unseemliness rampant.

 

Then we see impurity which is sexual immorality and goes beyond like homosexuality, lesbianism, prostitution and people who openly approve these things.

Romans 1: 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

TELEVISION, the most devastating brainwashing device ever unleashed upon humanity.  The TV is the instrument for the destruction of the soul. Television controls 90% of the average person's thinking and behavior. Most of the romance and sex on TV are between people who are violating their marriage bonds. There is FORNICATION and ADULTERY, IMPURITY in color. There are pornographic materials available in every street corner, you can watch them on your personal pc and many have become a slave to these sins. We see in these last days Satan and his demons have openly declared a war, unlashed all its evil resources, sin is garnished with beauty and decorated with whip cream, presented to the world with great temptation.

 

1Co 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

 

I discipline myself to keep my soul clean before God. I stay away from worldly movies as it will bring forth nothing but temptations and sin to the house. 

 

Then there is covetousness the mother of idolatry. (Eph 5:5). Covetousness is greediness, desire to have more, longing to have more. It’s like the leech that creeps into your soul.

 

Prov 30:15 The leech has two daughters;
“Give” and “Give,” they cry. 
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough”

 

Again Television, surfing on Computers, Shopping Malls, Grocery Stores are breeding grounds for covetousness. Its amazing people work hard and keep buying and when there is no money buy on credit cards, and then get into massive debts, then keep on working hard to pay the debts.

Do you see covetousness is like a leech and when the leech gets into your body you don’t feel, it is the same way as it comes without your knowledge and sucks not your blood but your money.

 

The advertisements you see are very tempting to the flesh and covetousness breeds in the heart by these lustful ads. There is a hymn that says the following.

 

"Go you that boast in all your stores,
and tell how bright they shine;
your heaps of glittering dust are yours,
but my Redeemer's mine."

 

The true believer feels that his God is his portion he despises rather than covets the glories of the world.

 

 Jesus warned us against covetousness.

 

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21)

 

Also many flock to see the sitcoms, the talk shows which really produce foolish talk and crude joking which is out of place for the Christians. Some who call themselves Christians watch late night movies and on Sunday mornings during the service they fall asleep. Paul goes on to say:

 

Eph 5:5-6 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.

 

God’s word is sure as the as the sun that rises every day so those who live in sexual immorality and covetousness has no part in heaven. Heaven is a place for the saints, for the godly, it is a place where we praise and worship God

 

Do not compromise with the word of God and let know one deceive you to say it’s ok to sin a little bit here and there, it’s ok to be worldly and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, these are very deceptive to our soul. Many people have no fear of God and they are investing sin and depositing sin and hell’s mouth wide open for them.  How can you sit at the Lord’s Table and drink the cup of the devil too.

 

If you are living in disobedience then you are ungodly, it is God’s holiness that brings wrath and hell. A holy righteous God will not live with ungodly disobedient people.

 

 Jesus said of hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:48)

 

But the worm is bred in the corruption of sinners lustful hearts and the fire find fuel from worldly movies and TV. There is a bottomless pit and many are digging that pit daily with their sins.  God’s wrath is coming to those who live in disobedience. This wrath of God is sometimes called a second death. Imagine a man dying and rising again to die again. Continually dying and yet living in the everlasting fire.

 

Majority of the churches are filled with false preachers, they will not talk about sin or hell. Their churches are packed with worldly people as they preach a sensational worldly gospel to the worldly people. These false preachers do not care for souls but they care for the wallet, money of the people. It is better to be a devil than to be a preacher who is not true to our Lord. These false preachers have led millions of people to hell along with them.

 

Let not the T.V deceive or the media deceive you, let’s not the corrupt politicians or the corrupt judges deceive you, let not anyone deceive you by saying we need to live according to the society that accepted these evil things. Say no to ungodliness and yes to godliness.

 

We have a never ending battle with the world. The world will change its shape according to its times, like the chameleon, it can change colors of the rainbow, you will fight against the customs of the world until you die. Like Luther, he writes "Cedo nulli" on his banner—"I yield to none;" and he goes to war against the world, if the world goes to war against him.

 

Jesus said, "I have chosen you out of the world," "He laid down his life for his sheep:" "he loved his church, and gave himself for it "Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price." They have God's nature in them as you are partakers of his divine nature.

 

2 Pet 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire

 

Once you put your hand to the plough do not look back, remembers Lot’s wife she looked back at the world and turned to a pillar of salt. Satan, the world and the flesh will war against you till you die but be faithful to the Lord and be faithful unto death, that you can say at the end, “I have fought a good fight.” Some will grow old with gray hairs but gray hairs shows a crown of glory as they endure to the end, but to the non believer the gray hairs are a curse as they come closer to hell.

 

"Take your pen and write how much you owe to your Lord," you can never complete the list as it goes on and on. Oh the Depths of mercy, that I, a sinner, should ever have a hope of heaven, but oh, heights of mercy! That I should be adopted into the family of God, and made a joint heir with Christ Jesus, He is to be the portion of my cup, and this is grace indeed! My cup runneth over! Bless the Lord, O my soul!

 

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