Guarding and Maintaining Relationships

Eph 5:1-7

5:1 Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

NKJV

Relationships hold the greatest value to God and are highest on Satan’s list to target for destruction. In 2 Corinthians 2:10 -11, we see that uncertainties about our forgiveness toward offending brothers can leave a door open for the devil to take advantage and abort the process of restoration.

If we are to be imitators of God, as a child would imitate his father, we must follow the example of God’s son, Jesus Christ. He freely gave himself as an offering, a sacrifice with a sweet smelling aroma. Fornication, uncleanness and covetousness had no part in His life and should not even be considered among those who are His saints. Filthiness, foolish talk and coarse jesting found no place in His vocabulary: it was filled with goodness, thankfulness and encouragement. Let’s not be deceived; not all who claim an inheritance as children of God will receive the kingdom, but only those who are like Him. All those who follow after promiscuous, filthy, and covetous men, who are in fact idolaters, will partake of the reward of the wicked. They will not inherit the kingdom of God; His wrath will come upon them. So, let us flee from all these things lest we be partakers with them.

The bottom line is that God loves the aroma of a sacrifice that is given up to save, restore or protect relationships. But acts of sexual immorality, uncleanness and idolatry, coupled with foolish speech and degrading comments toward others, are destructive to the very relationships that He paid so great a price to redeem. Those who practice these things are offering up relationships as sacrifices, enjoying the aroma of the destructive flame, while sending up a stench into the nostrils of God.

Eph 5:8-14

8 Walk in Light

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

"Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light."

NKJV

Now that you have stepped out of the darkness and into the light of the Lord, walk in His light. Only in the light will you bear the fruit of the Spirit, goodness, righteousness and truth and be able to discern what is acceptable to the Lord. Walking in the light will remove those who hide in darkness from your fellowship; in fact, it will expose them for who they really are. You will, not only want to avoid their company, but the shameful things they do in secret will not enter into your conversation. The light not only exposes the acts of sin, but evil thoughts and words as well.

We are no longer children of the darkness; we are now of the light. It is time to wake up and arise from the dark grave and come into the light of Christ.

Our relationship with God, and His children, must be in the light. There can be no mixing with darkness because the two have no fellowship, or communion, one with another. (See 2 Corinthians 6: 14-15) Fruitfulness requires light. Darkness only provides a hiding place for evil’s destructive work.

Eph 5:15-21

15 Walk in Wisdom

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

NKJV

Be careful how you walk; spend your valuable time wisely, not allowing evil to claim even one minute. The unwise spend their time foolishly and will not understand what the will of the Lord is. You that are wise know that too much wine will lead to a wasted life of drunkenness and debauchery, under the control of alcohol. Let us rather become regular partakers of the Holy Spirit, filled until we overflow with songs and hymns, even spiritual songs that result in an inner melody from our hearts to the Lord. Overflowing with thankfulness to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, results in a holy fear of God and a willingness to submit to one another in love.

We need the infilling of the Holy Spirit, regularly, to walk with wisdom and light. Darkness has the ability to present itself as light by using half truth. We need the Holy Spirit’s guidance into all truth. Remembering that relationships are of utmost value to God, and are Satan’s number one target, makes us aware that he will use what appeals to human flesh in order to lead us astray into darkness. Those who indulge in too much wine are easily led to defile relationships through foolish talk, sexual immorality and covetousness. All the sins listed in the previous verses can more easily manifest in the lives of those who practice drunkenness. The bottom line again is: avoid anything that threatens holy relationships and be willing to sacrifice temporary, earthly pleasures, protecting that which has eternal value.