5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
Dear God, I was reading an editorial yesterday a friend sent me about Jimmy Carter. It is from Good Faith Media and is called “Good Christians Make Bad Politicians: The Legacy Of Jimmy Carter” by Josh Carney. It’s what I thought of this morning when I read these words from Paul. There was one line in the piece that stands out to me: “While Jesus is an admirable sage that we love to quote as an antidote for our personal problems, his politics are too impractical for real American problems. It might be impossible for an American president to enact the politics of Jesus. The very idea of the nation-state carries implications that are at odds with the kingdom of God.” It’s sad but true.
I think a comparison would be the difference between me being a civilian and being in the army. As a member of society, I am willing (or I should be willing) to sacrifice myself for others. As a member of the army, I would be willing (or I should be willing) to take another person’s life for the sake of my country. Just that last sentence that I bolded about the idea of a nation-state being at odds with your kingdom. It reminds me of what someone said about your actions in the Old Testament. None of it was how you designed it, but you are just constantly triaging the situation and working with what you have with the Israelites. Are we any different.
But I’m not in the army. I’m not a politician. I’m just one of however many billions of people are on this earth. I’m just one of however many hundreds of millions of people who live in this country. I’m just a husband, father, son, brother, boss, employee, community member, and friend who has work to do today. How will I choose to do it? Will I seek myself and my own gratification, or will I work to help and love others? Will I be what Paul calls people to be in verses 1 and 2 of Ephesians 5, or will be be what Paul describes in verses 3-5?
Father, to quote the end of the Nicene Creed, I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Until then, I pledge myself to you as best I can.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Emails to God 