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Subject 19 : The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the EPHESIANS
[Chapter 5-2] Do Not Partake in The Sins of the World (Ephesians 5:1-14)
(Ephesians 5:1-14)
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 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. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 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. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.’”
Today’s Scripture reading shows that the Apostle Paul was ministering to the saints in the Church of Ephesus. He spoke to them about how they ought to abide by their knowledge of and faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, what they ought to be careful of, and for what and how they ought to live. To nurture the flock there, Paul said to the Ephesian saints, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1).
Be Imitators of God as His Beloved Children
Ephesians 5:1 is a brief but crucial passage: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” That’s because this passage shows clearly how we ought to live. Since God has told us here to be His imitators, we need to examine here first who God really is and what His attributes are.
The Lord is the Son of God in Heaven. Although Jesus is God Himself, He loved us so much that He personally came to this earth and laid down His life for us. By thus sacrificing Himself, He has remitted away all our sins. Like this, the Lord is our Savior who has made us righteous.
Moreover, the Lord has saved us not only from the sins of the world, but also from the condemnation of sins and destruction. He had come to this earth to free us from all our sins, and by offering Himself to God the Father, He has blotted out all our sins; and the Lord has thereby delivered us from all the condemnation, curses, and destruction that we had to face for our sins. As we have thus received the remission of sins and been delivered from our destruction, curses, and condemnation thanks to the Lord, we have now become God’s own children, and we have also received all the spiritual blessings enjoyed by the children of God. In short, the Lord has adopted us as God’s children so that we would receive and enjoy all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.
Remember what the Apostle Paul said to the saints in the Church of Ephesus. He said that they ought to be imitators of God. What does it then mean to imitate the Lord in our lives and emulate what He has done for us on this earth? It means only one thing: The Apostle Paul is admonishing us to preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit in our lives.
There was a preceding servant of God before us who had lived solely for the spreading of the gospel in imitation of Jesus Christ, and this servant of God is none other than the Apostle Paul who wrote today’s Scripture passage. This implies then that if we imitate the Apostle Paul, we would imitate Jesus Christ Himself. Paul devoted all his life in spreading the true gospel of the water and the Spirit to every nation of the then known world. In emulating Paul, all of us should also dedicate all our hearts and devotion to spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit day and night.
What did the Lord want to do for us when He came to this earth? He wanted to blot out all your sins and mine. What did He then do to eradicate all our sins? He sacrificed Himself for us. God had sacrificed Himself to give us heavenly blessings. Therefore, all of us who have received the remission of sins ought to also sacrifice ourselves to preach this gospel of the water and the Spirit to those who still have not been remitted from their sins yet.
While ministering on this earth, the Apostle Paul admonished his flocks to imitate Jesus Christ, so that their faith would grow. Put differently, Paul is teaching us here that since Jesus Christ has saved us from all the sins of the world and given us heavenly blessings by sacrificing Himself, we ought to also sacrifice ourselves in imitation of the Lord for the salvation of other souls.
Now that you and I have received the remission of sins, it would be completely mistaken for us not to live for the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. If you and I have really received the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, then it is only a matter of course for us to live for the gospel. Given the fact that we the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit have received God’s grace and love freely, it is only fitting that we should offer this gospel of salvation freely to all who still don’t know this genuine gospel. If we have truly been saved from all our sins, it’s only our natural calling to devote our lives to this endeavor.
We Must Not Follow the Steps of the People of This Depraved World
The Apostle Paul also said the following words to the saints in the Church of Ephesus and us alike: “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks” (Ephesians 5:3-4). Through this passage, the Apostle Paul is admonishing us not to conduct ourselves lewdly or covet anything. Such behavior is expected from the sinners who still have not been remitted from their sins, and therefore it’s only right that we the redeemed should refrain from it. However, even among those who had become God’s people in Paul’s days, there still were some saints who committed such sins. Paul is therefore admonishing us again in today’s Scripture passage that as we already believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, none of us should ever partake in the sins committed by those who still have not been born again.
Of course, there is no guarantee anywhere that we the saints would never live like the people of the world. Even though we believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, our fleshly nature is still intact, and therefore it’s quite plausible for us to live like the people of the world. Nevertheless, whenever you feel tempted to live like this, you ought to remember what God said to you in today’s Scripture passage: “Fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you” (Ephesians 5:3).
This passage clearly shows us just how important it is for us not to commit such sins, for they are so vile that God told us not to let them even be named among us. God is admonishing us to never let our guards down from the very beginning, always be wary of such sins, distance ourselves from them, and not even mention their names. In other words, God is warning us that if we allow ourselves to be carelessly drawn to such sins even slightly, we will end up committing them.
It’s very important for us to consider and understand this passage in spiritual terms. Even though all of us now believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, sometimes we are still drawn to lewd things, such as pornographic images and movies. If we give into such lustful desires and temptations carelessly, we would be committing idolatry.
When we turn to the Old Testament, we see a king named Jeroboam who turned Israel into a nation of idolatry. This man sought after only three things all his life: Fame, power, and sexual gratification. What was the result of his going astray? First of all, he replaced God with golden calves of his own making. He went as far as placing these golden calves in God’s temple, bowing before them, and even teaching his people that these golden calves were the god that had led them from their slavery out of Egypt. And Jeroboam abandoned the Law of God. In doing so, he sought to attain the same fame and power as God Himself. He also slept with all kinds of gentile women just as he pleased.
What does this account of Jeroboam teach us as those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit today? It teaches us that whoever practices fornication has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God, and that such people are the same as Jeroboam in the Old Testament who replaced the Lord God with golden calves.
Although I am well aware that this present world is filled with sins, I am not completely familiar with the kinds of sins that are actually being committed nowadays. So, a while ago, to find out what kinds of sins were rampant around the world, I asked one of our Evangelists in Western Europe to explain to me how the situation was in his country. In his reply he wrote down in detail what kinds of evil things were being done in his country, and I would like to share this letter with you. The following is what this Evangelist wrote to us:
“Dear Pastor, I hope that this will be of help to you. Many of the things, which I have written down here, are not tolerated in some European countries, but so long as they are preformed out of sight of the public, then anything goes. Particularly here in Holland, there is almost no law against sins.
Homosexuality is in fact encouraged. Homosexuals and lesbians are officially married. And now the churches have found a way to bless their marriages. Because they are legally married before the law of the land, the government says that the priests can ask God to bless the marriage.
The Dutch government is at this moment led by a Christian party that has just instated homosexuals into their party leadership; government also have a say in the way things are done in the churches; it also decides what the churches are allowed to do and what not to do, what they are allowed to say and what not to say. Both homosexuals and lesbian couples are allowed to adopt children.
Prostitution is legal. Prostitutes have accountants to help them fill out their tax returns. And the money the government receives from their income taxes goes into the government treasury to help pay for land, education, hospitals and the like. It also helps to pay for the people working on governmental organizations.
Sex with animals is not illegal; it only becomes illegal if it can be proven when the animal has suffered. There are a few places where this is done, in Amsterdam, Den Haag and Rotterdam. It is also illegal if photos of the sex act were to be put on the Internet.
Drugs are legal. The coffee shops where the drugs are legally sold also pay income taxes into the treasury. I don’t think that there is one town or village in Holland that does not have a local coffee shop. Children over here are addicted by the time they are 12 years old. This is also the same for alcohol laws; there are so many child alcoholics.
Abortion is legal. Holland is so proud of a ship which they have; it travels round the world offering abortions to people in the lands where it is forbidden, the ship remains outside the twelve mile limit in international waters, and there they preform abortions. This is also funded from the taxes collected from the government and this sin is approved here in Holland.
Porno is legal; it is a big money earner for the treasury.
Euthanasia is legal. In the place where my daughter Claudia works, she has been asked to give injections for a mercy killing. She refused on the grounds of her faith. But she is paying the price for her belief. She is not allowed to proceed further in her nursing career.
Normal marriages take place in our local government town halls. The first thing the couple is confronted with is the legal proceedings for divorce, and there is even an insurance company where you can insure against divorce. Over here you can take out a joint contract that legally allows couples to live together without marriage so that when they separate there is no divorce proceedings required.
Possibly the greatest sin of all is that all of these sins are being overlooked by the churches. The churches over here don’t dare to speak out against such atrocities, and because everything is legal and government-approved, anything said against the above is classed as discrimination. Discrimination over here is the one thing that is illegal.
When we try to show in God’s Word that these sins are an abomination to the Lord, we are accused of discrimination. And in so doing, the government has its own given right to close the offending church.
Because all the above are allowed to happen, the churches are being forced to bow down and accept the laws of the land, and to allow these sins to enter the church.
I hope that this will be of help to you. When I see just how God sets those lewd people out of His Church, I know that these things are an abomination to Him.
If you need any more info, just let me know.
In Christ,
Your coworker in Netherlands.”
How do you feel about this letter? How would you like it if it were legal in our country for individuals to possess firearms? How would you like it if our country legalized marijuana and other drugs? How would you like it if our country gave legal recognition to same-sex marriage and legalized bestiality? I’m sure most of you would be incensed.
Of course, it’s not entirely inconceivable for some of us to think that it would be ok to legalize such sins that are presently criminalized. After all, everyone has freedom of thought. But most of us think that if such sins are legalized, then the wickedness that had been suppressed would naturally be vented out outwardly, producing even more wickedness in the world, bringing even more confusion, turning people even more insensitive to their sins, and consequently making it even more difficult for Word of God to enter their hearts.
A few days ago I read in a newspaper about middle aged women in their 40s and even 50s prostituting themselves in parks visited by the elderly. These women, dubbed “soft drink aunties” by the media for offering soft drinks when approaching potential clients, targeted lonely seniors strolling in a park to pass time. In one particular park in Seoul alone, it’s estimated that there are over 100 “soft drink aunties.” Although prostitution is illegal in Korea, it’s legal in the Netherlands. In reality, though, such sins are rampant all around the world regardless of whether they are legal or not.
If You Follow Your Lust Wholly, You Cannot Be an Imitator of God
Jesus Christ has saved us from all our sins by sacrificing Himself. Having finished all His righteous work of salvation, He ascended to the Kingdom of Heaven promising that He would return to us one day. Now we are His ambassadors we who are to obey His Great Commission on this earth. As we now seek to carry on with the Lord’s work, we must be imitators of God.
If you and I succumb to our lustful desires and just follow their direction, then we will end up replacing God with golden calves and turning ourselves into idolaters. If this ever happens, even the born-again will perish in the end. Given the fact that we have become the light of the world by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, what a tragedy would it be if we were to return to our past and revert back to darkness and doom? So it’s absolutely important for us to always remember what the Apostle Paul told us, that we ought to find out what is acceptable to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10). And we must take it to our hearts what Paul admonished us in the following verse: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).
Is there anyone here who can live a perfectly flawless life in this world? Is there anyone who never commits any sin at all just because God told us in His Law not to commit any sin? No, no one can do this. But this does not mean that we can freely go about committing all kinds of sins. What would happen to us if we stopped serving God and instead followed filthy lusts and greed? We would fall from God’s grace. When the Apostle Paul wrote today’s Scripture passage, the world was already filled with countless sins, but this present age abounds even more with wickedness. So, through the Apostle Paul, God is speaking not only to the saints in Ephesus, but also to you and me who are now abiding in God’s Church.
What would happen if we who have become God’s children were to lust after sins like everyone else of this world? What would happen if we were also to partake in the same sins that the people of this world commit and keep on sinning like them? We would turn into idolaters and love carnal pleasures more than God Himself, and we would ultimately depart from God only to face condemnation and destruction. That is why it is so important for us to remember what the Lord told us in today’s Scripture passage: All of us ought to be imitators of Jesus and never walk like the unredeemed. We must realize here why the Lord admonished us like this and never partake in the sins of the world.
None of us should ever partake in such depraved sins like the people of this world. No one among us, men and women, young and old alike, should ever follow such sins. Although all of us are abiding in our Church, we still have to deal with nonbelievers on a daily basis, and so it’s quite possible for us to be tempted by what we see from our friends and acquaintances out in the world. Nevertheless, we cannot give into such temptations and partake in their sins. If you partake in such sins and go astray, you will become increasingly more insensitive to sin. Both your head and your heart will become so insensitive and numb that you won’t even recognize filthiness as filthiness. You should never allow yourself to turn into such an insensitive person to indulge in debauchery and do all kinds of filthy things to gratify your lust. You should never commit such sins along with the people of the world.
I keep asking this question, but what would happen if Christians were to partake in the sins that the people of the world commit and go astray in their direction? Their hearts would be so hardened and turn so insensitive that even if they are rebuked, far from turning around, they would shamelessly demand to let them know what sin they’ve committed and what wrong they have done. A fraudster does not know what he has done wrong even after defrauding someone. This may seem rather strange to us, but such people don’t know what they have done wrong because their hearts are hardened by their sins. One can discern right from wrong only if his heart is sensitive and untainted, but sinners’ hearts are all hardened, and that’s why they are so insensitive.
It’s true that even though you and I have received the remission of sins, we still commit sin just like worldly people. However, we are fundamentally different from them, for even when we commit such sins, we realize our mistakes, turn around, and believe in the Word again. In contrast, when worldly people commit sin, they continue to follow this sin shamelessly as though they have no conscience; even worse, some of them are actually proud of their sins. Once your heart is hardened, your conscience is also deadened. All of us should therefore never partake in such sins that worldly people commit.
Moreover, the Apostle Paul also said that “all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light” (Ephesians 5:13). This passage means that when we ourselves are not aware that we are walking in darkness, the Church exposes it for us, and as a result, we come to recognize that we have gone astray; and because we admit this, we are able to once again come to the light and return to Christ by trusting in the gospel of Truth, saying, “Lord, thank You for blotting out such sins as well.” It’s precisely because our wrongdoings are exposed and we realize them that we can once again come to the presence of the Lord by faith like this.
The Lord commanded both the saints in Ephesus and today’s believers not to partake in the sins committed by the people of this world. We ought to then obey the Lord and refrain from the sins of the world. Of course, since we are all human, we are still full of shortcomings and we may find ourselves committing sin, but in times like this, we must realize our trespasses as they are exposed by the light.
Do Not Follow the Course of the World
I preached from Ephesians chapter 4 this afternoon, and in this chapter the Lord teaches us we should put off, concerning our former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (Ephesians 4:22). We should not follow the course of the world even though we once walked according to it (Ephesians 2:2). That’s because if we follow the course of this world and its currents, we would end up worshipping idols just like worldly people. We should never allow ourselves to follow the course of the world; if we do so, we will only end up forsaking God to be destroyed. The people of the world follow their greed as though it’s their sole purpose in life to commit sin, but we should never partake in this. It’s inconceivably shameful for any righteous saint to follow the course of the world rather than being faithful to the way of the righteous. Far from following the course of the world, we ought to change its direction with God’s Word of Truth. We ought to resist the course of the world and steer it to the righteous path.
It’s very dangerous for us to flow with the sinful currents of this world and follow its fleshly direction like everyone else. That’s because our hearts would be hardened just like worldly people. If it’s by yourself that you step into the current of the world a little bit, you can still realize your mistake, turn around, resolve your heart, and resume following the Lord. However, if you join your hand with the people of the world, it will be extremely difficult for you to turn around; as there is no way that these people would let you go. If we like what worldly people like and dislike what they dislike, then how would we be any different from the children of Satan who have not received the remission of sins from God? To be with the people of the world is to become just like them. Take a look at worldly people. It’s an ingrained norm for them to dislike the righteousness of the Lord, reject the way of salvation, and despise anyone who preaches the gospel. So how could we ever allow ourselves to commit sin with them and follow their way of life? We should never side with them.
There is much that we need to learn from today’s Scripture passage. Just as Paul admonished us, we have to think about what we can do to please the Lord, walk circumspectly as wise rather than fools, and redeem the time. Now that we have met the Lord, we must continue to walk with Him until the day we take our last breath. And as we carry on with our remaining lives, we must redeem the time to preach the gospel diligently so that it would reach each and every corner of the world. In due time, this world will turn unlivable, and so before this actually happens, we ought to think about how we should conduct ourselves to live wisely and redeem the time we now have.
The Lord said in Ephesians 5:15-21: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
What exactly is a truly wise life? In the Apostle Paul’s days, Ephesus was an infamously decadent city. This city was located in the seashore of south western Turkey. This city was very prosperous in Paul’s days and also famous for its temple of Artemis and various other temples of Greek gods (Acts 19:35). There were many priestesses in these temples to administer sacrificial rituals for the citizens of Ephesus to worship their idols. But these priestesses were actually little more than prostitutes, as the people who came to the temples to offer sacrifices to their pagan gods engaged in sexual activities with the priestesses as a religious ritual. Idolatry is almost always related with sexual immorality. This shows just how sinful and filthy Ephesus was.
Yet even in such a time when practically every Ephesian was engaged in sexual debauchery, there still were some people who believed in Jesus. So, through the Apostle Paul, the Lord taught these faithful children of God how they ought to live amid so many sinners. God told the Ephesian saints not to associate with any sinners. Far from partaking in the lewd activities of such sinners, God told them to be spiritually minded, to redeem the time, and to devote all their energy to what was pleasing to the Lord.
Should We Not Lead Such a Godly Life as the Lord Told Us?
For you and I to grow in faith and lead an upright life until the day the Lord returns, we must do everything according to His Word. And we must trust in His Word and remember it deep in our hearts. None of us should ever take part in any unclean activities in which worldly people are engaged. It’s true that the world does not leave us alone even though we don’t want to take any part in its affairs. So long as we are living in this world, it’s unavoidable for us to deal with worldly people in one way or another, and every time we do so, it’s natural for us to be influenced by their sinful deeds. That is why it’s all the more important for us to remember the Word of God in our hearts and distance ourselves from any and all sinful places. Even though it’s hard to resist worldly temptations, we can all overcome these temptations by faith because everything is momentary and nothing is insurmountable before our hope for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Adolescents should be particularly careful. They are at a time when their bodies are about to grow into adulthood, but their minds are still immature and curious. But if they let their curiosity get a better hold of them and commit sin, it will destroy their minds and consciences. There is much that young men and women need to learn before getting married and raising a family. It’s best for them to wait for the right time. If they instead succumb to carnal desires and commit sin from a young age, it will ruin their character. Once they allow their adolescence to be marked by too many sins, they will find it impossible to control themselves down the road and turn into hopelessly incorrigible rascals. When one commits too many carnal sins in childhood, it will destroy his character and his mind, and as a result, they will neither know how to practice good nor have any interest in what goodness is. So it’s extremely dangerous for an adolescent to give into sexual temptations and commit too many sins.
This warning does not apply just to adolescents. It applies equally to all of us, for none of us should ever take any part in any sinful activities like the people of the world. I can’t emphasize enough just how important it is that we refrain from any and all sins. Even though this whole world is following its sinful current, we the righteous must keep our guards up, sharpen the blade of the sword of faith, and devote all our time to the work of righteousness in our lives.
To see just how immoral this world is, you only have to watch some TV programs. Mass media is so influential that they can shape people’s minds and steer the course of the world. So many sensational and scandalous programs appeal to the basest and crudest instincts that it’s as though they are intent to turn every youngster into a celebrity. Television is one of the worst offenders when it comes to promoting sin in this world.
If you are a teenager, you are in the most emotionally sensitive phase of your life, making you a poet every day. It’s that time in life when everything seems poetic to you, you want to express your feelings, and you are easily swayed by the slightest sentiments of your heart. Although you can actually act out all your impulses, if you have already been born again of water and the Spirit, you ought not to let your actions be dictated by your emotions only to fall into sin.
The Lord clearly told us that none of us, young and old alike should ever partake in the sinful activities of the people of the world. Consequences are obvious if we succumb to such temptations: We will all be destroyed. The worldly people who have not been born again are already destined to be destroyed, and so there is no reason for us to criticize them for committing all kinds of sins to ensure their own fleshly prosperity. For them, ensuring carnal prosperity through whatever sinful means is the very barometer of success. However, our way is completely different from their way. That’s why if we allow ourselves to be swept up by the course of the world, we will be ruined. Given the fact that the righteous are cut off from God when they go out into the world, what else awaits them but destruction? Therefore, before we ever take a step into the world, we must remember the Word of God and turn around to follow the Lord Jesus.
It’s extremely important for all of us to search for what is pleasing to the Lord. We ought to look for what is righteous in God’s sight. Setting our minds on what God considers to be worthwhile, we must continue on with our march of faith. For you and me to serve the gospel is the most honorable and righteous work. There is nothing that’s more sincere than this. As a matter of fact, there is no one in this world who is doing anything that is as sincere and righteous as our work.
How about you then? Now that you have received the remission of your sins, are you really leading a virtuous life? Is everyone in our Church living honorably without any exception, from the kids at the Sunday school to our teenagers and grown-ups, men and women alike? Being well-mannered and soft-spoken does not necessarily mean that one is leading a virtuous life. After all, when we are carrying out the Lord’s righteous work, often times we have to be very vocal and even put up a fight against the servants of Satan.
My fellow believers, although the world is being swept up in the swirling wave of sin, we are plowing ahead against the incessant currents of sin by the strokes of righteousness. Like a salmon returning to its home river by instinct, we the righteous are returning to God. A salmon swims against the swift current with all its strength to return to its birthplace. That’s because it’s the salmon’s instinct to spawn and die in its birthplace. To spawn according to the God-given natural order, every living salmon does its best to be never pushed back by the current of the river but keeps on swimming upstream.
Likewise, you and I are never swept away by the sinful current of the world, for we are the born-again Christians. We just keep on plowing ahead to our heavenly home in God’s Kingdom. If we sometimes find ourselves following the things of the world and partaking in its sinful feast out of our shortcomings and weaknesses, then all that we have to do is just turn around as soon as possible and devote all our lives to the gospel again. So let us all imitate Jesus and preach the gospel against the prevailing wind of the world just as God told us. I am admonishing you like this again because we are often completely exposed and vulnerable to this world’s temptations.
Sometimes I wish we could make a movie out of the saints’ journey, to show what life is all about, how one can meet the Lord, be born again, and live a righteous life, and how the Word of covenant that the Lord promised us is actually fulfilled. If we do a good job, I am sure that there won’t be any movie that’s better than this movie. For now, we are preaching the gospel through our literature ministry, but if God allows us to preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit through films and gives us more time, then I think it’s not a bad idea to pool together gifted people among us and produce some movies.
At any rate, I admonish you all to remember what the Lord told you here in today’s Scripture passage, and at least never allow yourself to follow the world along with everyone else. Imitate Jesus Christ in God’s Church and faithfully carry out the task that’s been entrusted to you. And whatever your task may be, always have faith, think about how you can do a better job, and do your best to meet all your duties. It’s very important for us to be faithful to our given task not only because this would ensure the success of God’s work and enable us to follow His commandment, but also because it would naturally curb our fleshly thoughts.
So I ask you to dedicate yourself completely to God’s work that’s been entrusted to you, so that you would be too busy to have anytime to partake in the wickedness of the world or follow its currents. This is the wise thing to do for every righteous saint. Let us all therefore imitate God, participate in His work rather than in carnal works, and become the most honored righteous saints in the Kingdom of God to come.
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