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Volume 10 ... #24
Lasciviousness ? Meaning ...
Throughout the New Testament the church is warned about "lasciviousness".
Lasciviousness is listed in Galatians 5 as one of the works of the flesh.
The root meaning of the word "lascivious" is "lust".
Often when we think of lust we associate this with sexual lust... but lust could be many other things such as a lust for money ... a lust concerning property ... a lust for fame and glory ...
In the following warning, Paul attaches lasciviousness to uncleanness and greediness.
Eph. 4:19 ...Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
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The apostle John speaks of "lust of the eyes" and "the pride of life" ... and warns us ...
I Jn. 2 ... Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
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In Eph. 4, the apostle Paul goes on to speak about these various "lusts" and urges us to put away "the old man" and take on the "new man" created in godliness.
Eph. 4 ... 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard HIM, and have been taught by HIM, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not:let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more:but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
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Everything we can see with our natural eye will be destroyed by God along with this present heaven and earth in the wrath of God.
Jesus said HIS kingdom was not of this world. (Jn. 18) ... Neither is our kingdom of this present world. We are simply passing through and when we leave this world we will take nothing of this world with us.
Should this world and its things and our appearances be that important?
When we grow in God and get the proper perspective we come to see these things the world admires so much mean nothing but are as a deceitful vapor ... vanishing into air, having no real substance.
We do not want to follow after such things.
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