Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6 [ESV]
Yesterday was a lot of ‘heavy’ and today the hits keep coming. Paul now moves to warn us about being deceived that the lifestyle described yesterday gets a free pass. Those who live this way are these ‘Sons of Disobedience’ and are destined for God’s wrath. However, that is not who the Ephesians are. Verse 7 is going to clue us in on this. The fact of the matter is, those whose identity is in Christ will see and respond as children of light.
Here Paul uses the statement that urges them not to be deceived with words that are empty, meaning ‘not true’. It appears that some people were suggesting that ‘it makes no difference how you live’. Paul makes it super clear here (and in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20) that these activities do not please God, so they should not exist among us or be advocated as in any way insignificant. If God judges these things, then His children have no business doing them.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8 [ESV]
This verse in Colossians says this in a way that looks at why such an approach to life is destructive. The present tense meaning of wrath ‘coming’ shows a relationship between the activity and the displeasure of God, something like a debt being stored up that one day God will assess because accountability is just around the corner.
Application:
As we let our vision wonder away from things of God, the other voices of the world and even false teachers in runaway churches, can grab the ear of the fleshly carcass our redeemed spirit lives in. I have to continually align myself with God’s truth through His word and my relationship with Him, to combat ’empty word deceivers’. We are all susceptible…we are kidding ourselves and opening ourselves to testing if we deny it. If I call myself a child of God, I must pursue living that way every day of my life. I cannot afford to let my guard down.
Today’s Psalm:
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
Psalms 39:7-8
My hope is in you.
Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Do not make me the scorn of the fool!