..do not be partakers with them (from Eph 5:7)

 

 

Who is preaching the Gospel?  Who is not?  How does an obedient believer relate to those who are not? 

 

 

Eph 5:5-7

5          For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-- such a man is an idolater-- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6          Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

7          Therefore do not be partners with them.  (NIV)

 

“Do not be partners with” who--the wicked (immoral idolaters) or the deceivers?

 

1 Corinthians 5
9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."[1]

 

Well, it could be both, because deceivers are wicked—they do not have God because they reject Him by rejecting His teaching:

 

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

 

2 John 1
9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. (NIV)

 

2 Tim 3:1-13

1          But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

2          People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3          without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,

4          treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--

5          having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

6          They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,

7          always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

8          Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth-- men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

9          But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

10         You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,

11         persecutions, sufferings-- what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

12         In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

13         while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  (NIV)

 

 

 

This instruction

 

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

 

What is “this instruction”?  Contextually, in this passage, verse 7 refers to God’s call to repent from impurity and live a holy life.  Eph 5:5-7 clarifies this again:

 

Eph 5:5-7

5          For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-- such a man is an idolater-- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6          Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

7          Therefore do not be partners with them.  (NIV)

 

So this particular type of false teaching is what we are directly warned against partaking in any way:  That an immoral, impure, or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of God.  This is what many false teachers teach today from the pulpit. This particular heresy is widely believed among church-goers.  They ignore God’s commands to avoid this type of false teacher, and consequently believe the false teaching.  Even people who claim that don’t believe this way of a “Christian” living in open sin, “Only God can know his heart”.  They refuse to discern the body.  Why?  It could be that they are cowardly (Rev 21:8), wanting to please man instead of God (Gal 1:10).  Maybe they are lukewarm—so they like to hear the grace of God turned into a license for immorality.  This helps them feel secure in their own false salvation.  It is easier than repenting.  Why deal with reality (or God) when you can just think positive instead?  Naturally, they extend this same false grace to others and are really not sure whether an immoral, impure, or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of God. 

 

Eph 5:5-7

5          For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-- such a man is an idolater-- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

 

 

Continuing

 

2 John 1
9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. (NIV)

 

What teaching is John referring to here?  Most directly, he is referring to the previous sentence:  That only those who continue in the teaching have the Father and the Son.  This is not a popular teaching today.  Most Christians in the US reject it.  Today’s Gospel is not concerned with continuing, but only with initially receiving salvation. This incomplete gospel is a false gospel.   John warns you not to share in the wicked work of those who preach this false gospel. 

 

 

 

Reject the teachers

 

Rom. 16:17

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. Rom. 16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

 

You can visit http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/keepaway.htm for more information on this passage.  How can we be sure that Rom 16:17 is also warning against the same type of teachers? 

  1. Their message is flattering.
  2. They deceive the naïve, so their message may contradict a very basic idea that Christians live holy.
  3. They themselves are not living holy, so of course they must teach why that is OK with God—to rationalize their sin to their hearers.
  4. Christ Himself commends the church for not only rejecting false teaching, but also for rejecting the same type of false teachers:

 

Rev 2:1-2

1          "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:

2          I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  (NIV)

 

Rev 2:6

6          But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  (NIV)

 

Matthew Henry explains who the Nicolaitans were:

 

Revelation 2:1-7  PP18

            (2.) by an encouraging mention that is made of what was yet good among them: This thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate, v. 6. "Though thou hast declined in thy love to what is good, yet thou retainest thy hatred to what is evil, especially to what is grossly so." The Nicolaitans were a loose sect who sheltered themselves under the name of Christianity. They held hateful doctrines, and they were guilty of hateful deeds, hateful to Christ and to all true Christians; and it is mentioned to the praise of the church of Ephesus that they had a just zeal and abhorrence of those wicked doctrines and practices. An indifference of spirit between truth and error, good and evil, may be called charity and meekness, but it is not pleasing to Christ. Our Saviour subjoins this kind commendation to his severe threatening, to make the advice more effectual.

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary)

 

God hates the practices of those who teach that the grace of God is a license for immorality.  Rev 2:1-2 above counts the following as “hard work and perseverance”:  you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false”.  We should also do the same.  How many false apostles have you tested and found false?  Are you partaking with them?

 

Not every false teacher claims to be an “Apostle”.  The word “Apostles” can also mean “messengers” or “sent ones”.  I have heard many false teachers make an alter call for salvation based upon Paul’s claim to be an “ambassador for Christ”, or one speaking on His behalf.  Then they go on to lead the proselyte to a false gospel of easy believism. 

 

I hope that you are able to find or create fellowship with those who continually believe, obey, and preach ThisGospel, instead of the liscence for immorality (see the book of Jude) that is more commonly believed among “Christians” today.

 

 

 

 

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