What does it mean to be a person of integrity? Well, the word derives from the word integer, which means something that’s complete or whole in itself. So when you’re reading a letter like Ephesians, which concentrates so much on unity in the Church, it’s appropriate that we think about unity of our persons as well. That is, integrity. You see, Paul has talked about what we are: our status as God’s sons and daughters, our being in Christ. He’s talked about what we believe, our theology: the forgiveness that comes through Christ, the unity we have as part of his body, the reconciliation we experience between us and God and with each other, and now, beginning with the passage Doug took us through last week, he wants to talk about the way we behave that reflects the other two things. He wants us to understand that to be an integrated person, our being, our thought, and our actions have to coincide. That is, to put it in Doug’s words we have to be what we were created to be. Be what you believe. The three can never be separated. So, he says, if you’re God’s dearly loved children, act like it: imitate him. If you’re a follower of Christ, then follow him, love others the way he did and gave himself up for us. Put off your old way of life and put on the new.
A. Be Holy in Your Actions
But what does that mean in practical terms? How will it show itself in the way we act? We looked at some of the implications last week, speaking the truth, being angry without sinning, working for giving not for having, using our tongues to build up rather than tear down, making Christ’s love the rule in our lives. But in this passage, Paul goes on to think about the impact of the dominant culture on our lives. You see, Ephesus was a very worldly city; a very modern city in fact. It was a large trading city and would have had all the sexual immorality that’s always been found in large cities. But as Doug mentioned last week, Ephesus was also home to the Temple of Artemis, or Diana, who was regarded as a fertility goddess, so sexual orgies were regularly associated with her worship. So there was a certain legitimacy given to this sort of immoral behaviour. It’s not so unlike our own situation, where sexual immorality is the norm. In fact I’m not sure we can talk of immorality any more. Just turn on your television and watch a sitcom or soap opera or drama series or even ads and sexual licence is portrayed as normal at every turn. The highest paid actor this past year was Jerry Seinfeld. That’s because his show was the most successful show on TV. And what’s the underlying premise of the show? It’s sex! Who will the main characters sleep with? Who will George be able to seduce this week? How can Kramer have such sex appeal? The same applies to most if not all of the other high rating sitcoms on our TV screens: Friends, Suddenly Susan, Newsradio. I’ve only seen the previews of Ally McBeal, but they’d imply that it’s much the same. It makes you wonder why anyone would worry about President Clinton having an affair with Monica Lewinsky doesn’t it? I mean everyone else is doing it, why not him?
Can you see how hard it is for us to maintain our integrity when we live in a society like this. Nothing much has changed in 2000 years really, has it? So what does Paul suggest?
Well, the first thing he says is that "fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints." These sorts of behaviour are to be totally banished from our life together. The NIV puts it, "There’s to be not even a hint of them". We’re not only to avoid indulging in them, but also to avoid talking about them. Now let me suggest that one reason for that is that as soon as you start discussing these things they begin to take on a legitimacy. If they’re a legitimate subject for discussion then there might be some situations in which they’re OK. Can you see how this works, particularly in the modern context of relativism, where what I think is true for me but maybe not for you? This is the real power of the forces of liberalism today, both in the Church and in the wider society. If we can get euthanasia on the agenda, then eventually we’ll get to the point where we can agree on the situations in which it can be applied. (Just substitute whatever controversial subject you like: abortion, human cloning, homosexuality, casual sex, electronic implants, legalised polygamy, legalisation of drugs, etc.) But Paul says, sexual immorality and impurity mustn’t even be mentioned among you. If you know that something is contrary to God’s law don’t even put it on the agenda. If you must discuss it with those outside the church, as we will because we live in a multi-faith society, then be united as a church in your attitude towards it. Why? Because we’re the saints, that is, God’s holy people, and such things are improper for the people of God, end of discussion. We’ll look at a moment at how we’re to judge what’s right for us to do, but for now, take this as a good rule of thumb for working out these sorts of ethical issues: if you were standing before God as you made up your mind, what decision would you make? But more of that in a moment.
Before we move on to the next section, notice that when Paul thinks about the way we act, he speaks of sexual immorality and impurity, and he lumps them in with greed. Now I think most Christian people here and in America are outraged at the sexual behaviour of Bill Clinton, but I haven’t heard anyone criticising his greed, his covetousness. We just take greed for granted don’t we? It’s the basis on which all modern economic theory is built. That greed is a good thing because it motivates people to be productive. But Paul says that greed, like sexual immorality is improper for God’s holy people. That’s because to be like God is to give away, not to hold on to what we have. What’s more in v5 he explains that one who is greedy is in fact an idolater and no-one who’s an idolater, or who’s immoral or impure, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
B. Be Holy in Your Words.
But Paul goes on to say that it isn’t just our actions that have to fit with who we are and what we believe. Our words are just as important. He says "Obscene, silly, and vulgar talk is entirely out of place." This is the sort of talk that goes with the actions he’s just talked about. Dirty jokes, sexual innuendo, suggestive language. They’re as bad as the actual actions, partly because so often, words lead to action, but also because, again, it’s the sort of talk you wouldn’t use if you were standing in God’s presence. In fact you probably wouldn’t use it if you were in your mother’s presence, let alone God’s!
No, rather than that sort of language, the words we should be using are words of thanksgiving. What a contrast! What do you find more uplifting: a dirty joke, funny as it might be, or words of praise and thanks to God. If you’ve got sex on your mind, better to give thanks to God for the gift of sex than to tell a dirty joke. Better to thank God for the right use of sex within the context of marriage. You see, it isn’t sex that’s wrong, it’s the misuse, the twisting of God’s good gift into immoral and impure uses that’s wrong.
Now again, we have to be very careful here, living in the sort of world we live in. Look at what Paul says in v6: "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient." People from all over the place will try to convince us that we’ve got it wrong. That this doesn’t apply any more. That we know better now. I can’t emphasise this enough. Even people from within the church will argue like this. Even Anglican Bishops! I’ll read you something that one of them said in a moment. This is a serious matter. "It’s because of these things," he says, "that God’s wrath is coming on those who continue to disobey." Of course those same people will try to argue that there’s no such thing as God’s wrath. Even if they allow the possibility that God exists, they’ll say that God is a God of love who would never punish those he loves. Well, that cuts out an awful lot of what Jesus had to say. No, this is a warning we ignore at our peril. We have to learn to see through the emptiness of the words our opponents throw at us and let the light of the gospel shine on them.
C. Be light in a dark world.
That’s how Paul continues: "For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light." Again it’s a case of living in a way that accurately reflects who you are. But notice he doesn’t talk of them coming into the light. Rather he speaks of them as being light. This is an important distinction. You see, too often we think of this as being enlightened. And we equate that with learning more of the truth. But that notion is so easily misused. Let me give you an example.
An interesting thing happened at the Lambeth Conference that’s just finished. When the issue of homosexuality arose, the lead in the debate was taken, not by the western bishops, but by those from the third world, particularly the African Bishops. It was quite a turn around. We’re so used to the western Churches being the leaders and third world churches following. But over this issue the opposite was true. The African bishops took the lead and the result was an affirmation of the place of Scripture in determining Christian behaviour, and in particular that the teaching of Scripture "upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage." Now I don’t want to discuss that particular issue today, though I’m happy to later. I raise it because of the response that the motion aroused from its opponents. One of the most vocal opponents was Bishop Spong who described the Christianity of the Africans as "superstitious and coming from animism." In an article in the Church of England Newspaper he explained the Africans’ problem like this: "They’re yet to face the intellectual revolution of Copernicus and Einstein that we’ve had to face in the developed world: That is just not on their radar screen." What he seemed to be saying was that they’re still waiting for the enlightenment to catch up with them." They need to learn some of the lessons that we in the western world have learnt over the past 100 years. Then they’ll see the light. Now apart from the patronising tone of that sort of comment, can you see the fallacy of his suggestion? It’s that scientific research, and sociological study, and discussion by ethicists and philosophers can change our understanding of what God thinks is right. It might change what we think is OK but it won’t change God’s mind.
You see, Paul isn’t saying you’ve been enlightened in that sense. If that was what he meant then further research will lead to further enlightenment. Rather he’s saying you are light. Think about this for a moment. How does he describe the Christian back in ch1. What’s the phrase he uses over and over and over to describe the Christian? "In Christ". Now if we’re in Christ then we’re not just enlightened, we are light. Remember the description of the new Jerusalem in Rev 21: (Rev 21:23 NRSV) "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb." Well, if we’re light because we’re in Christ what will that mean? Well, he says, (v9) the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. So the things we do will be good and right and true. But what are they? That’s the whole question isn’t it? Well then, "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord." (v10) He says the same thing in v 17: "do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." How do you do that? How do you work out what God likes? A good place to start is to ask him, isn’t it? Well, we can’t ask him directly, but we can look at what he’s already told us in his Word. But that means we’ll have to become bible students. You see, you won’t find out what God likes by reading odd bits and pieces of the Bible. You’ll find out some of it, but probably not enough. You won’t even find out what God wants by coming to church every week and listening to sermons, although hopefully that’ll help you on your way. No, to know what God wants means knowing God’s mind, and the only way to learn that is to be a student of God’s word. To be reading it and asking questions of it, applying it to the various situations of life, so you can shed light on these difficult issues I’ve raised today. So you can work out which words are empty and which words are sound when you hear them said in the course of an argument about some ethical issue.
Also, if you’re light, then one of your functions is to illuminate dark places, to expose the works of darkness, and show them up for what they are. I noticed in the Age this week there was an article on the safety of Melbourne City streets. One of the major reasons people said they felt unsafe in some parts of the city was poor lighting. So new lights have been put in all down King St to solve the crime problem there. This is classic isn’t it. Those who do evil prefer the night time when it’s dark so no-one can see their evil deeds. Well, we’re people of light, whose task includes exposing the deeds of darkness.
I received a newsletter this week called Saltshakers. Its purpose is to be a forum for exposing some of the evils of our society; for expressing a Christian view on issues that otherwise are often ignored by both society and the Church. Now I may not agree with everything that’s in it, but I thought it’s a great example of one group of Christians who are doing what Paul tells us to do. Exposing evil deeds for what they are. Naming them, rather than just ignoring them.
D. Be wise in the way you live
Finally Paul tells us to wake up and to live wisely. This wise living has two aspects to it. First it means making the most of the time because the days are evil. Have you noticed how it’s impossible to make up time. There are only ever 24 hours in the day. No matter how hard you try that’s all you’ll ever get. You can’t stretch time. All you can do is use it well, make the most of it. And the days are evil. That is, I think, time is running out. We’re in the last days and the time available to us to do what needs to be done is going fast. So use your time well. But secondly to be wise means understanding God’s will. I’ve probably said enough about that already, but just let me repeat, if you want to know God’s will, you have to know God and the only way to know God is through his revelation to us, which we find here in the Scriptures. Thirdly don’t get drunk but be filled with the Spirit. Drunkenness involves a loss of control over our actions, whereas the work of the Spirit is to give us control over our actions in a godly way. Fourthly, part of being wise is using our tongues wisely. He finishes this section with what appears to be a direct contrast to the evil use of words in v4. Rather than obscene, silly, and vulgar talk we’re to "sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among ourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in our hearts, 20giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." In other words true wisdom attributes the good things we enjoy to the one who gave them to us and encourages others to do the same.
Well, our time has gone. How are we to be people of integrity in a world that’s opposed to God? By being children of light, and living as light in the world. That means ensuring that the things we do are things that we’re proud of, things that we’d gladly do in the presence of God. It means exposing those things in our society and in our church that are evil, and it means striving to be wise in the way we use our time, in the way we think, in the way we live and in the way we use our tongues.
For more sermons from this source go to www.sttheos.org.au
