Key Verse: “They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:19-21 CSB)
G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable.” The greater danger is often found in treating sin casually or flippantly, making excuses for it rather than engaging in the fervent pursuit of holiness.
In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul reminds us of the primary importance of holiness in the life of those who claim to know and follow Jesus. He wrote, “Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live as the Gentiles live” (v.17). In saying this, Paul was making a contrast between the life of a Gentile or unbeliever and the life of a follower of Jesus.
Paul described first those who don’t follow Jesus. They live “in the futility of their thoughts,” he wrote. “They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts” (v.17b-18). It’s a pretty dreadful condition to be in.
Sadly though, it gets worse. As a result of their darkened understanding, ignorance and hardened hearts, they plunge headlong into sinful practices. Paul wrote, “They became callous, and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more” (v.19). Greed, sensuality and impurity – these are accurate descriptors of those who live apart from Jesus.
But this is not what the life of a follower of Jesus should look like. Paul wrote, “But that is not how you came to know Christ” (v.20). For those who have come to learn and truly understand who Jesus Christ is and all that He has accomplished, the right response is not to dive back again into the flood of sensuality, greed and sinful living. To know and follow Jesus means to turn away from these things and begin pursuing holy and righteous living as He has called us. True knowledge of Jesus will always drive us forward in holy living.
The reality is that it’s far easier to minimize or ignore the call to holiness rather than to answer it. But holiness is not something you can put off until a more convenient time. Holiness in the life of a believer is not optional. Rather, it is to be one of the distinguishing marks of anyone who is truly serious about knowing and loving Jesus Christ. It’s that important!
So what does that look like for you today? In what areas in your life is God asking you to pursue greater levels of holiness right now? What does it look like to answer that call?
Prayer: Jesus, I praise you today for the grace you show me. As a child of God, I choose to answer and embrace the call today to follow you through the pursuit of holiness. Thank you that I can be holy because of what you have done for me at the Cross. It is your power at work within me. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
