What Would God Do?

Eph. 5:1(AMP) THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].

2 And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. [Ezek. 20:41.]

3 But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God's consecrated people).

4 Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God].

5For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]–for he [in effect] is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

After knowing the Lord for half a century and spending most of my life pursuing Him and His Word, I must confess that I still struggle with the most elementary of thoughts:  “How should I behave as a Christian?”

Oh, before everyone starts emailing me with helpful ideas please allow me to explain.  How far do I venture toward the world in an effort to associate with and hopefully win unbelievers?  The Christian bracelet asks the question, “what would Jesus do?”  That is really a great question to ask yourself on a daily and moment by moment basis.  Certainly we know that Jesus went into homes and spent time with sinners such as thieves and prostitutes.  He ate their food and drank their wine.  For that reason the Pharisees called him a glutton and “wine bibber”. A bibber is a regular drinker or one who drinks too much wine.  Of course you have to consider the source and understand that it wasn’t that Jesus was doing this in excess but the Pharisees hated that he was even with these kinds of people.  That brings us to believe that it is proper to socialize with non-Christian people.  Not only so but it is truly necessary that we are comfortable(to a point) in these environments.  To refuse to be involved in the lives of the non-Christian is to withdraw salt and light from their lives.  Yet, how far do we go?  Back to our bracelet.  What would Jesus do?  If Jesus had a bracelet it would say, “What would the Father do?”  That is the real key here.  The opening words of this passage tell us to “be imitators of God.”  Behave like God would in the same circumstances.  That would mean the line would be drawn at drunkenness, filthy talk, crude jokes and impure thinking.  It also means we can’t become entangled in the worlds fascination with property, riches, “wasteful living” or greed.  In our next blog we will look at a real life example of someone being won to the Lord in this manner.