Mon., 3/25/13 Devotion (Eph. 5:6)

Today's encouragement comes from Ephesians 5:6, where the Apostle Paul wrote these words:

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." (ESV)

The "these things" the Apostle is referring to are Satan's twin towers of deceit: immorality and idolatry--just mentioned in the previous verses. Paul's world, like ours, believed that God "overlooked" these things; and that a person could be perfectly "religious," and still carry on with immorality and idolatry (which are always linked, in the Bible).

Instead, God's "wrath" falls on those who persist in these sins. This punishment is a reference to personal wrath in *this* life; and eternal fire in the world to come. The only remedy for this is genuine faith leading to true repentance. Faith in Jesus' blood and righteousness (and no one else's) is absolutely necessary.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The same Hebrew word for sin signifies rebellion. Now, can the Lord endure to be thus saucily confronted by proud dust?" --Thomas Watson, in, "The Mischief of Sin"]