The Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Light

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

Ephesians 5:3-5

Brothers and sisters, Paul’s words here gift us a strong warning and paint a clear distinction.

If we are honest, all our lives have been impacted by the devastating effects of sexual immorality. Whether this pain and turmoil has been caused by our own past actions, by the actions of someone close to us, or by the cultural currents we encounter in our daily lives, we all face the fallout of sexual sin in some form. But do we see it for what it really is?

Sexual sin is a disintegrating perversion of one of God’s greatest image-bearing gifts to us: sexual intimacy in the covenant of marriage. By the Lord’s design, sexual intimacy between a husband and wife is one aspect of two becoming one flesh in the covenant of marriage, imaging the oneness of Christ and the Church, and reflecting the oneness of the Trinity. Sexual immorality takes this image—meant to convey truths of God’s beauty, simplicity, and faithfulness—and turns it into a defamation of God’s character. For this reason, Paul makes clear that sexual sin “must not even be named” among us (Eph. 5:3). This is naming language, the language of identity.

Paul has been at pains, throughout this letter, to convey the unity and oneness that should characterize the Church, the people of God, as His redeemed image-bearers (Eph. 4:3-5). We are “imitators of God, as beloved children,” called to walk in the self-sacrificial love of Christ (Eph. 5:1-2). This is a fragrant offering and sacrifice to our Father.

Yet, it is not only sexual immorality but all sin that distorts our image-bearing vocation as the Church. Paul goes on to include “all impurity or covetousness,” filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking (Eph. 5:3-4). We know that it is “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). Covetousness, as well as our careless and crude speech, reflects the sinful condition of our hearts rather than the glory and goodness of God. They create division in our hearts and overflow into division in our church body, between brothers and sisters. For this reason, Paul makes clear they are “out of place” (Eph. 5:4). They are akin to a pile of excrement on the sanctuary floor. They have no place in the Body of our beloved Lord.

Instead, Paul reminds us to walk the path of gratitude and thanksgiving, “instead let there be thanksgiving” (Eph. 5:4). Ultimately, the issue Paul addresses is an issue of gratitude that results from our hearts often not being set on the Giver of all good gifts, the one who is all sufficient. How can we seek futile and fleeting satisfaction on our own terms through sexual sin or crave for ourselves the good gifts God has given to others? We have already been given all things in Christ (Rom. 8:32)! Yet, in many ways, we often turn to lesser things. We must repent and have faith, giving thanks to the Lord for all He has given us in our blessed Lord Jesus.

Paul concludes this passage with a strong warning: “everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph. 5:5). These things mark the kingdom of darkness, not the kingdom of light!

But brothers and sisters, if hearing this leads us into shame concerning our past life, or into judgment of others, rather than self-reflection, conviction, repentance, and faith, we must remember that we were all “dead in our trespasses and sins in which we once walked…by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:1-3). But this is no longer our identity, we have been newly named in Christ. The Father of Lights has brought us out of the kingdom of darkness and “made us alive together with Christ,” now children of the light! (Eph. 2:5) We are children of the day! (1 Thess. 5:5)

Therefore, go in peace, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, and “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:16-17).