The danger of empty words

Empty words promise much but deliver little. They are especially dangerous especially when encourage us to keep going in the wrong direction, claiming that everything will be ok, when it will not. Ephesians 5:6 warns us not to trust these empty words and reminds us of the deadly consequences of doing so.

Scripture

Ephesians 5:5-6 ESV 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. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Bible Study Questions

The danger of discontentment

The previous verses call attention to thanksgiving as the alternative to impurity. What does Romans 1 teach us about the relationship between discontentment and purity?

Ephesians 5:3-6 ESV But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Romans 1:21-23 ESV For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

The direction of destruction

Why does the Holy Spirit direct our attention to these three sins in particular and why is He emphatic about the total hopelessness of those controlled by them?

Ephesians 5:5-6 ESV For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater),

Romans 1:24-25 ESV Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Romans 1:28-32 ESV And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Hebrews 12:15-17 ESV See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Watch where you are going

Being deceived means trusting the wrong person and following them in the wrong direction. We are constantly being deceived, who started this deceit and what were the consequences? Can you see a pattern in the approach to deceive?

Ephesians 5:6 ESV Let no one deceive you

2 Corinthians 11:3 ESV But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Genesis 3:4-6 ESV But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

1 John 2:16 ESV For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Empty words are not harmless

Empty things appear to be one thing but lack what’s important. Why do you think the Holy Spirit calls the words of the enemy “empty words”, what do they appear to be and what two things do they not have?

Ephesians 5:6 ESV …with empty words,

Colossians 2:8-10 ESV See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

2 Peter 2:17-19 ESV These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

No it’s not okay, and it will get worse

A pathway away from God is never okay, and it always gets worse. Where does the worldview that embraces sexual immorality, impurity and idolatry lead us?

Ephesians 5:6 ESV …for because of these things the wrath of God

Colossians 3:5-7 ESV Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

John 3:36 ESV Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Who’s child are you?

We are all children of disobedience until we accept the love and mercy of Christ and ask Him to turn our lives around so that we draw nearer to Him instead of further away. Hod do we stop being children of disobedience and become children of God?

Ephesians 5:6 ESV …comes upon the sons of disobedience.

John 1:12-13 ESV But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Further Scriptures

Proverbs 5:18-20 ESV Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, 19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. 20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

1 Corinthians 9:5 ESV Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

Matthew 19:9-11 ESV And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” 10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.

1 Corinthians 7:7-8 ESV I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 ESV But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.