Read Ephesians 5:3-14.

Introduction⤒🔗

Mr. Sanders works with youth in a Milwaukee school. He estimates that half of his students are presently or in the recent past have been “sexually active.” Mr. Sanders works with students in grades five through eight.¹

Seventh graders at a Sheboygan, Wisconsin, middle school estimate that at least 50% of their classmates have had sex at least once.²

Some people would maintain that it’s “only natural” for teens to explore and to experiment and to experience sex. Others are of the opinion that right or wrong, sex among teens is so rampant that all one can hope for is to instruct the young people as to how to have “safe sex.” But others are of the opinion that teens are not ready for sex, as one 12th grader expressed it: “We’re not mature enough to handle it, emotionally or physically. We’re not mature enough to handle the responsibility of sex.”

What do you think? What is your view concerning teens and sex? Concerning adults and sex? More importantly, what does the LORD say? What instruction does He give us in His Word, the Bible? We may summarize His instruction to us contained in this passage of Ephesians 5:3-14 in three words: Practice Moral Purity.

Practice Moral Purity, in Word and in Deed←⤒🔗

As Christians, we are to abstain from “fornication and all moral impurity.” “Fornication” refers to sexual activity practiced by unmarried persons. “All moral impurity” refers to all forms of sexual deviance and perversity, such as what is described in Romans 1:24,26-27,

Therefore, God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts, unto sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another...God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

What about masturbation? More often than not, the church has placed this act in the same category as fornication and adultery, without giving it much thought, without seriously considering such questions as: Do the Scriptures in fact place this act in the same category as fornication and adultery? What burden are we placing upon our single brethren who have no recourse to a spouse as an appropriate means of dealing with their natural sexual urges?

By simply placing this act in the same category as fornication and adultery, we may be doing something akin to what our Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for doing: “they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” (Matt. 23:4) For a married pastor, or elder, or Christian counselor to classify masturbation as a sin, without giving it any further consideration, is to lay such a burden on our single brethren, without having to cope with that burden themselves. So it behooves us, for our brethren’s sake, to consider more carefully what the Scriptures say, or actually don’t say, about the act of masturbation.

First, it is important to recognize that the act of masturbation, (or any biblically equivalent term by which masturbation may be described), is not included in those O.T. lists of sins (found in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy) that are classified as abominable to the LORD; nor is it included in the N.T. lists found in the various epistles. The term “impurity,” or, “uncleanness” (ακαθαρσια), as used for instance in Ephesians 5:3, is defined by Scripture itself as a reference to unnatural, deviant forms of sexual conduct, something other than heterosexual activities (cf. Rom. 1:24, 26-27).

Second, in those few O.T. passages that appear to refer to masturbation, or may include that act (cf. Lev. 15:16; Deut. 23:10-11, printed below), it is not presented as an act of sin, as is seen from the fact that the one who has committed such an act is not required to present either a sin offering or trespass offering, he is simply instructed to bathe in water. As the overall context indicates, the “uncleanness” mentioned in those various passages is a reference to the moral and spiritual uncleanness that pertains to all that is expelled by man by virtue of his inherent sinful nature.

If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. Lev. 15:16

If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come inside the camp. ¹¹But when evening comes, he shall bathe himself with water; and as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp. Deut. 23:10­-11, ESV translation

Thus, the fact that the act of masturbation, (or any biblically equivalent term by which masturbation may be described), is not mentioned in Scripture, or mentioned so infrequently and so vaguely, may indicate that it is considered to be a “natural” and even necessary measure provided by God for the sake of the unmarried as a means of handling their natural sexual urges without resorting to fornication.

The reader may also consult the discussion of this topic on the following websites:

ww.overcoming-lust.com “Dr. Dobson’s Initial Letter Regarding Masturbation”

www.evidenceunseen.com “Biblical Ethics on Masturbation,” by Jas. M. Rockford renew.org “Is It O.K. to Masturbate?” by Greg Boyd

Returning to the passage of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul informs us that not only are we to abstain from fornication and moral impurity, we are also to abstain from such conversation: such things “should not [even] be mentioned among you.” We are to avoid pornographic magazines, videos, movies, T.V. shows, internet sites, etc. We are not to engage in coarse, vulgar humor. We are not show an eagerness to hear such jokes; we are certainly not to repeat them. On the contrary, we should let it be known that we are not interested in such “humor.”

In order to practice moral purity in word and in deed, it is important to have a right view of sex. The sexual relationship is sacred; it has been created by God exclusively for marriage, and designed by God to reflect the relationship between Christ and His church: “a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³²This is a profound mystery, now I am speaking about Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:31-32).

The abuse of the sexual relationship is selfish. Note that Ephesians 5:3 speaks of fornication, moral impurity and covetousness. The abuse of the sexual relationship in immorality is selfish in the sense that it is self-fulfilling, self-centered, self-gratifying, using the other person for one’s own selfish fulfillment.

Contrast the description of fornication with its connection to covetousness with the description of the marriage relationship given in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Young ladies, if your boyfriend really loves you, he will respect you and wait for marriage, he will not force you to engage in fornication as a means of demonstrating your love for him. Young men, if you really love her you will respect her and wait until marriage before engaging in the act of intercourse.

How do we practice moral purity in word and in deed? We do so by guarding our heart and spirit, as the LORD instructs us through the prophet Malachi, “guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth” (Mal. 2:15b). As the Lord Jesus teaches in Matthew 15:19, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Just as the godly father of Proverbs urges his son, “give me your heart,” so does our heavenly Father instruct us do to the same: “My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways, ²⁷for a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well. ²⁸Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men” (Prov. 23:26-28).

We practice moral purity in word and in deed by causing our lives to be ruled by integrity and a higher loyalty: if you are single, the loyalty of remaining pure for your future husband or wife; if you are married, the loyalty of remaining true to your husband or wife; above all, the loyalty of remaining pure for the Lord Jesus. Loyalty governed Joseph’s conduct and guarded him from committing adultery with Potiphar’s wife:

Now Joseph was well built and handsome, 'and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, 'Come to bed with me!' ⁸But he refused. 'With me in charge,' he told her, 'my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? ¹⁰And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. ¹¹One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. ¹²She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and fled out of the house. Gen. 39:7-12

We practice moral purity in word and in deed by developing true Christian friendships. The Apostle Paul counsels young Timothy, “Flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22). In giving this counsel, Paul may well have had the example of Joseph in mind.

Practice Moral Purity, to Avoid the Judgment of God←⤒🔗

Verse five makes it emphatically clear that those who practice a lifestyle of moral impurity have no place in the kingdom of God: “Of this you can be certain, no immoral or impure person nor any greedy man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” This warning against immoral living is a constant theme throughout the New Testament Scriptures:

Do you not realize that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9-10

Now the works of the sinful nature are well known, [such as]: sexual immorality, moral impurity, debauchery, ²⁰idolatry, witchcraft, hatreds, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, orgies, and other such things. I warn you [again], just as I [previously] warned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal. 5:19-21

Nothing impure will ever enter it [i.e.; the city of God], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Rev. 21:27

Verse six gives the warning: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” We must not be deceived by “empty (or, vain, worthless) words.” Because the world loves its immorality, it seeks to justify and excuse itself with the rationalization that you cannot expect men to abstain from immorality; it is just natural for them to do so. The Roman philosopher, Cicero, maintained, “He that blames young men for their illicit love affairs does what is repugnant to the customs and concessions of our ancestors, for when was this not done? When was it not permitted?” In this statement, Cicero is actually condemning those who would protest against immorality and is justifying the practice of fornication.

In contrast to Cicero, consider this statement made by a police officer who works with youth in Sheboygan, Wisconsin: “Saying that kids are going to [commit acts of immorality] anyway is ridiculous. We’re human beings. We have control over what we do. Kids are going to do what we expect. And we should expect them to be abstinent. Animals do it anyway; humans don’t.” As human beings, men and women created in the image of God, we have moral ability and a moral responsibility. It is not to the animals that God gives the commandment to practice moral purity, but to us, precisely because we are made in His image and have an accountability to Him.

The latter part of verse six goes on to warn that because of these things “the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” There is a present, temporal form of God’s wrath and judgment against violations of His commandment to practice moral purity; in Romans 1:26-27, the Apostle Paul testifies,

God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

This present, temporal form of God’s wrath and judgment may take the form of sexually transmitted diseases, (the worst of which is AIDS), as well as emotional and psychological effects that can be devastating. A Sheboygan, Wisconsin, police officer states that in the twelve years he has worked with teens, some of the worst cases of emotional and physical trauma he has seen were the result of sexual relationships. “Guilt and low self-esteem filter into other areas of their lives, rendering them non-functional. Some of them have seriously contemplated suicide.”² A girl who is a high school senior says, “There are too many risks. These days sex could mean death. I have too much I want to do with my life to throw it away like that.” A boy who is a high school sophomore says, “Kids think drugs, alcohol and sex can free them from their problems, but they don’t. They only make them worse.” (The reader is also referred to the Appendix, "The Virtue of Chastity," which accompanies this present study.)

In reliance on His grace, let us obey our heavenly Father’s commandment, and, indeed, practice moral purity.

Then there is the future and eternal form of God’s judgment:

the cowardly and the unfaith and the detestable and murderers and the sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Rev. 21:8

In light of the consequences that result from an immoral lifestyle, the Apostle Paul exhorts us, “do not be a participant with them [in their sins]” (vs. 7). Do not become involved in their immoral conduct and lifestyle, so that you will not join them when they receive the consequence and punishment for their conduct. Employing ancient Babylon as the symbol of any and all immoral and decadent societies, the LORD implores His people, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; ⁵for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes” (Rev. 18:4-5). We cannot physically remove ourselves from the surrounding society, but we can and must abstain from their licentious and immoral conduct and lifestyle.

Practice Moral Purity, because You are a Child of the Light←⤒🔗

Verse eight informs us that because of our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ we belong to the light: “Previously, you were [part of the] darkness, but now you [belong to the] light in the Lord.” As Christians, we now have a living connection with the life of truth and purity that is found in the Lord Jesus.

Therefore, we are to “walk [or, live] as children of light.” By the grace of God, we are to live day by day the new and pure life that we share with the Lord Jesus.

Conversely, we are not to “participate in the unfruitful works of darkness” (vs. 11). We are not to associate with people who are committed to immorality; we are not to associate with friends when they indulge in immoral conduct. Let us bear in mind the warning of James 4:4, “You adulterous people, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

As we “walk as children of light,” we come to experience “the fruit of the light,” which consists of “all goodness and righteousness and truth.” Furthermore, by walking in the light, we demonstrate “what is pleasing to the Lord,” (i.e. what type of lifestyle and conduct receives His favor and blessing). As we walk with the Lord, living His lifestyle of moral purity, as opposed to the world’s lifestyle of immorality and impurity, we will come to discover by personal experience that the Lord’s lifestyle is the good life. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this same truth to the Christians in Rome:

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the will of God: his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom. 12:1-2

Conclusion←⤒🔗

In a society where God’s good gift of sex is abused and where sex outside of marriage is becoming the accepted way of life, what does the Lord say to us as Christian people?

His message to us as presented in this passage of Scripture can be summed up in the words, “Practice Moral Purity.” Practice moral purity in word and in deed. Practice moral purity in order to avoid God’s righteous judgment. Practice moral purity because in Christ you have become a “child of the light” and no longer belong to the darkness.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.Matt. 6:24

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What exhortation does the Apostle Paul give the Ephesian church in Ephesians 5:2a; but what further exhortation now follows upon the previous one? See Eph. 5:3. Why are they coupled together in this way? In our feelings and expressions of Christian love to believers of the opposite sex, are we always careful to maintain proper decorum and guard against such love degenerating into lust? What counsel does the Apostle Paul give the Christian with regard to this matter (cf. 1 Cor. 7:2)? With regard to sexual conduct, how should we regard those who are not our spouse (cf. Prov. 5:20)? How is Timothy counseled to interact with the young women of the congregation? See 1 Tim. 5:1-22,

...walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God [that is] a pleasing fragrance [to him]. ³But fornication, indeed, all moral impurity, or covetousness, should not [even] be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints.Eph. 5:2-3

But since there is so much immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:2

Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you. Prov. 5:20

Under the imagery of fountains of water, the writer of Proverbs is urging that sexual intimacy should be confined to the husband/wife relationship, and not indiscriminately practiced outside of the marriage bond. He identifies anyone other than the spouse as being “a stranger.”

Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, younger as sisters, with all purity. 1 Tim. 5:1-2

2. In addition to the act of fornication, (which obviously included adultery), about what else does Paul caution the Christian? See Eph. 5:3-4a. Why does Paul connect “all moral impurity” with “covetousness”? What is the characteristic of covetousness? Whereas fornication is an act, what is covetousness? From where do sinful acts originate? See Matt. 15:19a. What are we exhorted to do? See Prov. 4:23,

But fornication, indeed, all moral impurity, or covetousness, should not [even] be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints. ⁴Nor [should there be any] indecent behavior or foolish talk or vulgarity, such things are not appropriate; but rather, [let there be] the giving of thanks. Eph. 5:3-4

...out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matt. 15:19

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Prov. 4:23

3. What stern warning are we given in Ephesians 5:5? How is this warning extended beyond sexual immorality, what other sinful lifestyle is mentioned? What does this other one have to do with idolatry? Note Matt. 6:24. What does it have to do with immorality? Is not immorality the exploitation of another person for the selfish gratification of one’s own desires? Note Prov. 7:18­-19. How does this contrast with the marital love God ordained? See Eph. 5:25,

Of this you can be certain, no immoral or impure person nor any greedy man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Eph. 5:5

Greed causes us to make an idol out of wealth, allowing it to be the predominant interest of our life, to which we become devoted.

The adulteress invites the naïve young man:

Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with love.Prov. 7:18

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... Eph. 5:25

4. Against what does the Apostle Paul caution the Ephesian Christians? See Eph. 5:6. What are some kinds of “empty words” that we hear today, words intended to lead us into acts, and eventually a lifestyle, of immorality? From where do these words come, who is speaking them and by what means do they proclaim them? How can we counteract them? See Eph. 5:7; note, also, 2 Tim. 2:22,

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

Therefore, do not be a participant with them [in their sins]. Eph. 5:7

Flee youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.2 Tim. 2:22

5. What does the Apostle Paul say about the immorality practiced by the pagan and secular culture in which we find ourselves living? See Eph. 5:11-12. Are the things once done in secret now being openly flaunted before our eyes, as was done in Sodom? Note Isa. 3:9. In the face of society’s efforts to deaden our moral senses, as they have done to their own (cf. Eph. 4:19), what must we do? See Gen. 17:1,

Do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead rebuke them, ¹²for it is shameful to even speak about the things that they are doing in secret. Eph. 5:11-12

The look on their faces testifies against them; they display their sin like Sodom, they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought calamity upon themselves. Isa. 3:9

Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity with the lust for more. Eph. 4:19

...the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless. Gen. 17:1

Appendix to Study on Ephesians 5:3-14 The Virtue of Chastity By Mark Hendrickson³ ←⤒🔗

When I was young, the two most common warnings I received about premarital sex were that it could lead to unwanted pregnancy or catching a sexually transmitted disease...

Today, thanks to systematic research by social scientists, we know of additional unpleasant or harmful consequences of sexual activity outside of marriage. Premarital sex in particular causes considerable psychological harm. There’s a noticeable increase in deep unhappiness among many who dabble in premarital sex, whether of the one-night stand variety or longer-term liaisons.

Marian Crowe wrote on The Harvard College Anscombe Society website:

According to “Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate and Think About Marrying,” by sociologists Mark Regnerus and Jeremy Uecker, sexually active young adults often feel guilt, regret, temporary self-loathing, rumination, diminished self-esteem, a sense of having used someone else or been used, a sense of having let yourself down, discomfort about having to lie or conceal sex from family, anxiety over the depth and course of the relationship, and concern over the place or role of sex in the relationship.

...girls who were sexually active were about 11 times more likely than virgins to report elevated depression symptoms. [Virgins, on the other hand], tend to be a self-confident and accomplished lot...

In his recent book, “Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood,” University of Notre Dame sociologist, Christian Smith, argues that, for many young people, especially women, “sexual freedom is accompanied by real hurt, confusion, grief, anger, and regrets.”

Still another negative consequence of premarital and extramarital sex that the chaste person avoids is the increased likelihood of divorce among those who haven’t practiced chastity.

The Chastity Project reports that according to research by Edward O. Laumann and colleagues: When a man is married as a virgin, his divorce rate is 63 percent lower than a non-virgin. For women, it’s 76 percent lower.

The project also reports that a majority of teens who gave up their virginity before marriage subsequently wish they had waited longer. Other research shows that women who were virgins when they were married “had the lowest divorce rates by far,” whereas the highest divorce rates among women were those who had been with 10 or more partners.

Divorce disrupts lives. It’s an unhappy, stressful time for the couple splitting up, and their unhappiness often lasts for years. Especially sad is the unhappiness suffered by children whose parents divorce. Although quite a large number of such children emerge from divorces relatively unscathed if their parents are sufficiently supportive, social science literature is full of documentation about the harmful effects of divorce on children when their family dissolves.

Also, the economic consequences of divorce are grim, casting a pall over the lives of those divorced­ and often disproportionally on mothers—for years. Indeed, at least one social scientist calls marriage “America’s greatest weapon against child poverty,” and a significant portion of the disparity between black and white poverty rates in America can be attributed to disparities in the incidence of broken versus intact families...

The primary argument against chastity is that you are missing out on pleasure. That may be true, but only in the very short run...

Think of chastity as an investment in your future. Many have found that the key to long-term success and happiness in life—both economically and psychologically—is to defer gratification. By giving up a lesser, transitory enjoyment today—whether refraining from extravagant spending or declining to participate in a hook-up or short-term affair—one paves the way to greater affluence and greater happiness later on...

What does it take to defer gratification—to say no to present pleasures for the sake of attaining greater happiness and satisfaction in the future? Wisdom, character, maturity, and patience are among those helpful virtues. The Latin word from which our noun “virtue” comes, by the way, is “virtus,” which has the additional meaning of “strength.” To rein in passion, one needs strength of character—specifically, integrity, self-restraint, self-discipline, and self-control.

The self-control needed to practice chastity isn’t confined to the realm of action, but includes the realms of speech and thought. Real self-control includes eschewing locker room trash talk—juvenile braggadocio about what one wants to do with some girl’s body. As the New Testament writer, James, teaches (James 3:1-10), the tongue is a formidable and potentially destructive little member, and the person who can control his tongue is well on his way to self-mastery.

In the realm of thought, it’s most helpful to exercise self-control. The Book of Proverbs warns, “Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” (Prov. 6:27) Fantasizing about sex is an aggressive temptation. If left unchecked, it can lead one into the dark labyrinth of pornography, which again offers short-term pleasure in exchange for heavy long-term costs.

According to the Love and Fidelity Network:

Studies increasingly show that pornography alters your brain chemistry and, like a drug, can leave you dependent. Frequent users and their loved ones know the consequences: guilt, anxiety, depression, difficulty forming or maintaining relationships, erectile dysfunction, decreased pleasure, and increased risk of divorce.

The triple mastery of thought, word, and deed can be a difficult challenge. Indeed, there are often temporary setbacks on that path. But the rewards of chastity can be considerable. At this time of the Olympic Games, heed the wisdom of Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge, the defending Olympic champion and the first man to run a marathon in under two hours: “Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.” Strong words, but needed. There’s much more joy and satisfaction in being the master of passions instead of their slave.

Chastity isn’t a minor virtue. On the contrary, it can be a key building block in achieving a productive life full of meaningful achievements, both at home and in one’s chosen career. A major key to success is the ability not to get distracted from one’s goals or to waste time taking detours down dead-end alleys. Chastity involves self-mastery, and that opens the door to the greatest achievements and fulfillment in life.

Note: For the Christian, the objective is not self-mastery, but increased conformity to the image of Christ, known as the process of sanctification. This process is carried on in the Christian’s life not by self-effort, but in reliance on the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we are to yield our temptations and our wills to the Holy Spirit, relying upon Him and the grace He imparts for deliverance from sin and growth in godliness and righteousness. This is the means by which sanctification is carried out in the Christian’s life. Indeed, we must appreciate the fact that sanctification is a process, one that is carried on in the Christian’s life until the day he departs this present earthly life and enters into glory. Although it is a process that does not realize completion in this present life, it is, nevertheless, a necessary and required process, “Follow after...the sanctification without which no man shall see the LORD” (Heb. 12:14). We may be assured that, upon entrance into the eternal presence of God, there will be revealed to us the cumulative results produced by means of this life-long, painstaking process of sanctification.