Difficult Text
This Sunday, I’m going to be dealing with a difficult passage of Scripture (Ephesians 4:17-5:21). The passage brings to light all the dark issues that so many of us struggle with…all of those “impurities” that stain us. The idea of dealing with the various issues that separate us from God and one another isn’t to make us feel bad about our sinful state and nature. Instead, the idea is to help us be honest with ourselves and come clean…turning from our old, sinful ways and to be made new.
The passage calls us to “put off falsehood” and to become honest. We’re called to deal with our anger. We’re told to no longer steal (if that’s something you do) and instead to fill our lives with something useful. We’re called to control our words…using them to build up and encourage, rather than to tear down and destroy. Then, we’re given this list of things to get rid of: bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, malice, sexual immorality, greed, drunkenness, and the like. Some may read this passage and say, “Well, I don’t really stumble with any of that.” My response would be, “Liar.” And, I believe Jesus said something along the lines of how we don’t necessarily have to act on things…that even our thoughts will make us guilty (see Matthew 5)
The big issue is that it tells us to get rid of any of those impurities that usher the darkness into our lives. We’re told that God’s light will expose all the hidden darkness in ourlives…that everything will be made visible. That alone should be motivation to get our act together. For me, this comes down to an issue of either choosing to be obedient and honoring God or choosing to be disobedient and dishonoring God.
For those of us struggling with issues that separate us from God and one another, we need to give an honest account of who we are and “come clean.” We need to name the issues we’re dealing with and hand them over to God and seek His help (and professional help, if needed) to get a grasp on these sins that darken our world.
I don’t want to be one of those pastors that deals with a passage of Scripture like this and presents it as a “you need to get your act together” message. Too many pastors present themselves as having it all together. There are pastors that preach sermons about various issues, giving the image that they have all the answers and have it all together, only to find out they are deep in the darkness themselves. We all need to be honest about who we are. Covering up our issues is only another way of sinking deeper into the darkness.
Sunday morning, I’ll be giving our congregation some time to name their issues…to just get them out there in order to deal with them. The first step in getting out of the darkness and into the light is giving that honest account of what it is that’s consuming us.