your time and energy than it should?
gives us three important steps to follow to avoid the pitfalls of handling pleasure in this world. They are: (1) Seek your chief pleasure in the time you spend with God. (2) Keep yourself away from all sinful pleasures. (3) Receive good pleasures from God with thanksgiving, making sure always that God has first priority over them.
Every Christian must consider the following questions honestly. Have you been putting pleasure before God? Have you been secretly indulging in some form of pleasure which you know He does not approve of? Have you grown cold in spiritual things because you have become involved in pleasures that are closely associated with the sinful lifestyle of this world? In areas where we have fallen short, we must ask the Lord's forgiveness and his strength to help us start afresh to live our lives for Him rather than for ourselves.
Discussion Questions
1. What can you do to make God your greatest source of pleasure?
2. Are you pursuing any forms of pleasure that are questionable or sinful?
3. Are you pursuing any forms of pleasure that are closely associated with an ungodly lifestyle?
4. Are there any legitimate pleasures that have taken up more of your time and energy than it should?
62 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
How to Handle the Practices
of the Non-Christian World
(Ephesians 4:17-5:12)
How should we respond to certain practices that we see our friends, colleagues or classmates doing? How far can we participate with them in the things they do? When should we say "No"?
Anyone who has worked in the building or engineering profession would know that there are certain reference books that must be referred to, known as the Code of Practice. These books define things like factors of safety, the minimum number of steel bars that must go in a column or beam, or the minimum time needed for the curing of a concrete slab. And all who are involved in the design and construction of buildings and other structures are required to comply strictly with the code of practice. If one fails to comply with it, his name may be struck off the register, and he will not be allowed to practice as an engineer or contractor.
But sometimes, under the pressure of deadlines or pressing financial obligations, there are inevitably some who try to "cut corners." The results can be really disastrous! Twelve years ago, we saw what happened in the awful Hotel New World disaster which claimed about fifty lives, including the life of the very person who was responsible for its substandard construction. What a big price he had to pay for violating the Code of Practice he was required to follow!
As Christians, we are also required to comply strictly with a Code of Practice as we endeavour to live our lives in a world that is
63 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
largely non-Christian. And if we were to cut corners due to the great pressure exerted on us by those around us, we may also suffer disastrous results. Our testimony before the world would be destroyed. Not too long ago, there was an article on the front page of the newspapers about a senior official in a statutory board who was charged and arrested for corruption. It was specifically mentioned in the article that this official was a very devoted Christian and that he had wrongfully awarded contracts to his church friends. How this shames the name of Christ! Therefore, since we know how important it is for us to be above all reproach and follow the Code of Practice, let us now pay close attention as we look into it and study it.
In Ephesians 4:17 to 5:12. First, we notice that in this passage the Apostle Paul uses the word "walk" three times as a metaphor for the way we conduct ourselves daily: "Walk not as other Gentiles walk" (4:17). "Walk in love" (5:2), and "Walk as children of light." (5:8). These 3 exhortations are found in a passage which defines what our standards of conduct should be. Our conduct should be different from other Gentiles who do not know God at all (v.17). We cannot adopt the world's practices and local ethical and moral standards as our own. According to verse 19, these are characterised by lasciviousness, uncleanness and greediness. According to verse 22, we must put off this kind of conduct which belongs to the old sinful nature (which is referred to here as the "old man.")
In Ephesians 5:5-6, we are told that this kind of conduct disqualifies a person from having an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and that this conduct is the main reason why the great wrath of God is going to come upon all unbelievers one day. With such a strong warning we must, therefore, keep ourselves away from the things that unbelievers practice, and have no part in them. In 5:11 we are told not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to reprove them. Remaining silent is not enough; our disapproval must be expressed.
Now, besides defining what our conduct should not be, the passage also defines what our conduct should be. While Ephesians
64 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
4:22 tells us to put off the old conduct, verse 24 tells us that we are to put on this new conduct which is created in righteousness and true holiness. The picture used here is that of changing clothes — taking off a dirty soiled shirt and putting on a new, clean one. According to 5:1, this conduct makes us followers of God, as His dear children. To be specific, we should conduct ourselves in love as 5:2 mentions, and as children of light. Light is a metaphor often used in the Bible, to represent holiness. This means we must now live in purity, lives that are clean and holy.
But what exactly do we mean by all these terms that characterise this new conduct? How do we accurately define things like righteousness, purity and holiness? We cannot just guess what they mean, and we do not have to. God has already spelled these out for us carefully in the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were given to Israel when God entered into a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Remember how Moses received them on two tables of stone written by God himself. But they are also meant to be the standard of conduct for God's people of all time and thus, it stands as such for us today. All the ethical teaching of both the Old and New Testaments are based on the Ten Commandments. The Sermon on the Mount, for example, was basically a detailed exposition by Jesus of the Ten Commandments. Of all the Ten Commandments, the last five are especially very important as standards for our dealings with people around us.
And the interesting thing we will find, is that these last five commandments are restated in this passage of Ephesians we are studying. Look at 4:25, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour:" This is a restatement of the ninth commandment: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"?
Look at the next verse: "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" Is not this a warning for us to be careful not to break the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill"?
65 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
In verse 28, "Let him that stole steal no more" This is the eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal."
In Ephesians 5:3, "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or coveteousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints." In this verse, there are references two commandments: the tenth commandment "Thou shalt not covet," and the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." This passage tells us basically how to apply the last five of the Ten Commandments, and we will consider them in the order in which Paul gave them in the fifth chapter of Ephesians.
The Ninth Commandment
The ninth commandment is restated in Ephesians 4:25, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." How serious is the sin of lying? To the world, this does not seem to be a very serious sin. But in Revelation 21:27, we are told that God hates lying so much that no liar will be allowed to enter heaven. And Revelation 21:8 tells us that all who are liars will have a part in the lake of fire and brimstone together with Satan, the father of lies.
But what is a lie? How do we define it? A lie is not just to say words that are not true (e.g. when parents tell their children a bedtime fiction story, they are not lying). And sometimes a person can use words that are true but still be lying. And sometimes a person can be lying just by keeping silent! So what is a lie? A lie is any attempt to deliberately deceive someone.
Deceit leads away from reality so that ultimately, Truth is not recognised. And there is no more sure method to destroy character than to deceive. Deceit fouls all relationships. Once a person has been deliberately deceived by another, it is difficult to restore full confidence. There are various ways in which such deceit may be carried out.
66 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
Distortion of Truth: The usual form of lying is to distort the truth. For example, the boss does not want to be disturbed and so he tells the secretary to tell anyone who calls: "If anyone calls, tell him I am not in." This is not true because he is actually in the office all the time. Supposing you are the secretary, what would you do?
Here is a dilemma: Would you carry out his instructions to tell an obvious lie to everyone who called, just because you want to keep your job? Or would you refuse to obey the order given and tell people who called: "The boss is in" and get sacked for insubordination? There is a better way. Simply tell people, "The boss has instructed me to tell anyone who called, that he is not in. I think he really does not want to be disturbed."
Deceit by Silence: A person can be guilty of lying just by saying nothing. Let me give you an example. Some of you have cars. And one day you drive your car out of a parking lot and accidentally put a dent in someone's parked car, and no one saw what happened. What will you do? Will you pretend not to have noticed and hope that no one else saw it, and drive off because you have to hurry to an appointment. If you do that, then when the driver returns and finds the dent in his car, he will of course be furious, but he does not know who did it because of your lie. In a situation like that, the right thing to do is to scribble a little note with an apology and your contact number on it and slip it under the owner's windshield wiper.
Deceit by Half-Truth: A person can also lie with true words. For example, a person may quote another person out of context and thus deceive as to the meaning of the original statement, or tell only part of the truth, as Abraham did concerning his wife when the Egyptians saw Sarah and inquired how she was related to him. He said, "She is my sister" which was true, because they had the same father. But he left out the more crucial part of the truth, which was the fact that she was also his wife. When he was found out, he was rebuked and chased out of Egypt. This was not a good testimony.
67 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
Pretence: In Genesis 27, the story is told of Jacob pretending to be Esau. When Isaac, their blind father wanted to bless Esau, Jacob and Rebecca conspired to impersonate his brother and received his blessing. The same thing happens today when a person pretends to have knowledge when he only thinks or feels or guesses. He is deceiving others. This temptation is especially strong for someone who is recognised as an expert — the renowned teacher or physician, for example, who is asked a difficult question. He has absolutely no idea what the answer is, but does not want to lose face by saying "I don't know." And so he makes up an answer to impress others.
Exaggeration: Do you sometimes exaggerate? For example, you are given a task to do but you don't feel like doing it because you are a little tired, and so you deliberately make it worse by saying, "I am much too exhausted to do it." Or perhaps you have to solve a problem, and you tried to do it once but failed, and you don't feel like trying again, so you say, "I tried everything, but nothing worked." Ananias and Saphira were guilty of this: they exaggerated that they had given all, when in fact it was not all. They lied to the Holy Spirit and were struck dead!
Now, while the verse in Eph 4:25 tells us to put away all forms of lying, it adds that we should speak every man truth with his neighbour. We need to be honest, truthful in our conduct. People must be able to trust in and rely on whatever we say. And we also need to keep our word. If you make a promise or pledge to do something, always be sure to keep it. Do not make promises that you cannot keep or that you do not intend to keep. If someone shares a need or a problem with you and you say "I will be praying for you" — please be sure to pray for him.
So as we think about the ninth commandment let us be careful to use our tongues well, not to lie, but to speak the truth, and more than that, let us use our tongues to edify people and minister grace to them as Ephesians 4:29 says: "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
68 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
The next category of practices, which relates to the sixth commandment, which is "thou shalt not kill."
The Sixth Commandment
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" (Eph 4:26). This is related to the teaching that our Lord Jesus Christ gave in the sixth commandment in the Sermon on the Mount. "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt 5:21-22).
When Christ taught on the sixth commandment He included anger and verbal abuse as sins against it. Jesus did not say that they were as evil as murder. But they are the same variety of sin and may not be excused as mere human weakness. The heart attitude of anger against a person can lead to hatred and even murder if left unchecked.
There is such a thing as righteous anger, which is directed against sin rather than people. For example in Exodus 32:19 "Moses' anger waxed hot" because the Israelites had sinned against God by worshipping the golden calf. Anger becomes sinful when it is for the wrong reason or results in wrong action. According to our text "Be ye angry, and sin not" (Eph 4:26), we can be angry for a moment if there is a good reason for it, but we must be careful not to let that anger grow into sin. The same verse reminds us not to hold a grudge and allow our anger against someone keep on burning: "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Let your anger cool off quickly. This especially applies to parents when disciplining children — never discipline a child in anger.
69 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
Some people have the problem of getting angry too quickly. We say that they are short-tempered or that they have a short fuse. Many acts of violence and even killing may be the result of a person losing his or her temper. If you have this problem you need to read James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Learn how to be slow to anger, you can overcome your short-temper through learning to love those around you, and through the power of Christ that works in you.
In Ephesians 4:31, 32 we are told what we ought to do instead of being angry: "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." A readiness to forgive helps us not to be angry with people when they do something against us. And we can be ready to forgive if we always remind ourselves that we have been forgiven of all our sins by God.
The Eighth Commandment
Stealing may be defined as depriving someone of the use of something that is rightfully theirs, no matter how small or insignificant that item may be. Do you know that the eighth commandment is one of the most quoted commandments in the Bible, and that stealing is one of the most mentioned sins? It is still the most widespread sin today. There are many punishable crimes in society that are within the category of stealing: theft, housebreaking, robbery, shoplifting, embezzlement of funds, cheating, extortion, criminal breach of trust, tax evasion, and kidnapping.
But "Thou shalt not steal" applies not only to property and money; many other things can be stolen — for example, to take credit for something that was done by someone else. Copying homework assignment is another form of stealing — the stealing of grades. There are five kinds of people who must be particularly careful not to steal.
70 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
The Borrower: Though borrowing is not wrong in itself, it is prudent to avoid borrowing when possible. It can become a habit! But if we do borrow, good care should be taken of all borrowed items. If we spoil something we borrow, we should replace it with a new one. It should be returned on time. Do not hold on to it longer than you need it. Some things that people are sometimes careless about: books, tools, clothes, utensils, furniture.
The Businessman: Businessmen must be honest, and free from any form of cheating, stealing or taking advantage of others. E.g. selling defective products, selling pirated items. Under-declaring the price of a piece of property. (Use to be very common in resale flats a few years ago.) In the corporate and industrial world — technicians or junior executives have been hired away from their company by competing companies in order to get its secrets.
Some businessmen attempt to make more money by hoarding up supplies of a basic necessity — to create an artificial shortage and so increase the price. This is also stealing. In some countries when one's business is in trouble, one can declare bankruptcy in order to avoid obligations, maintain one's personal resources (even wealth, with a clever lawyer) and build a fortune that cannot be touched by former creditors. This may be legal, but it does not make it moral. Liabilities must not be avoided.
Do not delay the payment of bills when you are able to pay. Some are in the habit of taking things on credit and stretching their credit as far as possible. The sum of money he ought to pay, that is accruing interest in his own bank account, is not his to hold on to. Tax evasion is condemned by Christ. "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's" (Matt 22:21a).
The Owner: Forgery and fraud are hardly heard of here in Singapore. Recently 40 employees of Seagate were charged with forging MCs to get medical leave. There are other forms of forgery that are very widespread. For example, plagiarism, "the appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and thoughts of
71 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
another author, and representation of them as one's original work" is commonly practised even by some students. Even teachers sometimes steal the ideas and work of their own students! Proper acknowledgement is important — give credit to whom credit is due by using footnotes.
Owning and using computer software without paying for it at all (i.e. just copying it from a friend). This is permissible if one is only trying it out for a few days, but if he decides to keep using it he must pay for it. If he decides not to use it, he should remove it from his computer. If you cannot afford expensive software and want to avoid this, use Public Domain Software: those that have no copyright but are distributed free.
Be careful of any infringements of copyright law. A common practice: you need to get a textbook but when you look at the price, you say, "It's so expensive!." So you save money by photocopying the whole book instead of buying the original. What should you do if a book is out of print? Write to the publisher for permission to xerox a copy.
The Employee: Carelessness concerning work responsibilities is also stealing. Those of you who are in the working world, have probably seen all kinds of ways in which people steal at work, such as colleagues who come late for work and leave early. They pretend to be working hard when the boss is around. They take long breaks, they drag a job assignment to fill up the time — "skiving." If we are being paid to do a certain amount of work, be sure to do at least that amount of work.
There are small ways in which people steal: not paying the full fare for bus rides and hoping that the bus inspector will not come. Putting an unfranked stamp back on an envelop to use it again; moving with a child through the MRT gate, when the child is already old enough to have to pay his own fare.
"Finder's keepers, loser's weepers" is not a biblical text nor is it taught at all in the Scriptures. To keep an article that has been found
72 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
or comes to one by error, such as when a store sales clerk returns more change than is due, is to steal. What if the owner of a sum of money cannot be traced (e.g. you found it in a drinks dispensing machine or in a pay phone)? Donate it to a good cause, not your own.
The Traveller: Dishonest declaring at customs. For example, smuggling in electronic equipment that has customs duty to be paid on it. Though it is true that customs officials are sometimes corrupt and that they may overcharge or ask for a bribe, we must be above board.
Positively, instead of stealing we should work hard, be honest, be generous and give more than what is required. Ephesians 4:28 "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."
For example, it is good practice when you borrow an item to give it back to the owner with something extra, a little interest just to show your goodwill and gratitude. Work hard to be able to give to those in need, to support the weak. Acts 20:35, "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."
The Seventh Commandment
In Ephesians 5:2, two words are mentioned: Fornication and Uncleanness. These sins come under the 7th commandment: Exodus 20:14 "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Human sexuality is actually one of God's most delightful gifts to man. But remember that this joy is reserved for those who carefully follow the "Divine Manufacturer's instructions."
It becomes sinful when people fail to follow the instructions God gave for its use. Paul includes sexual sins in every one of his many lists of sins, and in most cases they head the list and receive the
73 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
greatest emphasis. Today we find that sexual sins are being promoted widely by popular media and behavioural scientists. They are trying to make people believe that true happiness is found outside monogamous faithful marriage. The latest therapy for boring marriages recommended is that both partners agree to have affairs with other couples! (Exchanging partners for a while, just like in social dancing.)
In Matthew 5:28, Christ spoke against lust and said that to look at a person lustfully is already committing adultery with that person in the heart. "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." This can be called "Mental Infidelity". A person whether married or single, is guilty of immorality when he or she has sexual thoughts about anyone who does not rightfully belong to him or her by marriage.
Some say that sexual fantasies are normal and harmless so long as the imagined acts are not carried out. But the danger of having such fantasies is that they do not satisfy: they just stimulate the desire for more and more until they ultimately lead a person into committing what he or she imagines. And that is why it is so dangerous to indulge in them. Every single act of sexual immorality begins with immoral thoughts. In fact one writer has said that the mind is the chief sex organ in the human body.
Therefore, we must "flee youthful lusts" (2 Tim 2:22). Do not let your mind imbibe anything that will cause temptation. Deliberately avoid the thing, the person, the place, the activity that sets the stage for temptation.
But one thing that is difficult to avoid is the mass media. We observe that much of the art, entertainment, and advertising in publicity and media today are suggestive. Whether the advertisement is for a car or a cup of tea, there is a beautiful woman in it. Christians who are in the advertising line or in mass communication must be very careful about this. Do not end up becoming a promoter of sin by using suggestive ideas to promote a product. Some Christians who
74 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
want to be successful and recognised by the world as writers or artists would try to excuse themselves by saying that they are just attempting to depict reality for the reader or viewer, whether that reality is sinful or not. But they forget that what they depict also causes the reader or viewer to experience them vicariously. So they cause people to sin.
What about dancing? Christ indicated that there are two sources of temptation: sight and touch (Matt 5:28-30). Physical touch normally stimulates the desire for more intimate contact and is biologically designed to prepare for conjugal relations. This is why dancing raises ethical questions. The only person that you should dance with is your spouse. To choose to dance with someone who is not one's spouse is to deliberately "make provision for the flesh." So keep away from social dancing. It is full of potential moral danger. Furthermore, dancing halls are associated with a worldly lifestyle and we should keep away from them.
The Tenth Commandment
Ephesians 5:2 tells us that just like fornication, covetousness is a sin that should not be found at all in the conduct of God's children. To covet is to seek for something, someone, some position, some recognition, or some pleasure not in the will of God for us. When we covet these things we are dissatisfied with God's care.
God views covetousness as a terrible evil. The world views it as the least of human problems and in fact encourages it as the route to all kinds of personal fulfilment. It is a deep-rooted problem in Singapore.
Now, the desire to have things is not evil in itself. When we are hungry, we desire food; when we are thirsty, we desire to drink, and when we are tired, we desire rest. But when these God-given desires become distorted, and aim at whatever God has not intended for us, rather than being content with what God has provided, then they become evil and destructive.
75 A Christian in a Non-Christian World
The covetous spirit leads to stealing, gluttony, drunkenness, adultery, scheming and plotting to make unjust gain, to pursue undue recognition, to give sparingly and grudgingly. Covetousness is a root sin that leads to other sins. It is opposed to God's greatest commandment: the commandment to love because covetousness is interested in getting; love is interested in giving.
Covetousness motivates people to gamble, and we have already seen that gambling is a sinful pleasure. But what about speculating on the stock, currency or property market? This is actually a form of gambling, as it has the same risks involved as gambling. There is nothing wrong, however, with investing in shares just as a means of getting dividends from a long term investment. No speculation is involved in this.
Sometimes, we are guilty of coveting non-material things. When we desire whatever is not ours in the will of God, we are coveting. It is possible to covet the position or abilities of another person. It is possible to covet the affection of another person, or the popularity of another person. We call these sins "envy", a particularly pernicious and destructive form of coveting. Envy is condemned in Galatians 5:21 as one of the "works of the flesh."
It often leads to scheming and plotting by the person who envies, to bring the other person down or outdo his success. Cain killed his own brother, Abel, because he was envious of the approval Abel received from God for his offering. Jacob pretended to be his brother because he coveted his firstborn rights. How do we tell if we are envious or not? Ask yourself this question: Can I rejoice when others are successful in areas where I am not? If we can't rejoice when others increase or get promoted ahead of us, then there is probably envy in our heart. This then shows up the covetousness spirit in our hearts. And we have to deal with it before it destroys us and ruins our testimony.
Another form of non-material coveting is coveting a desired outcome. This often leads to the sin of bribery and corruption. These
76 A Christian in a Non-Christian World