#1465. God’s wrath comes on the disobedient (4/3/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.

From Ephesians 5:5-7,  we see that God wants us to be convinced, and not be deceived by empty teachers, about His hatred of sin. 

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

https://youtu.be/tIyI-UEAZqk

1. You need to be sure about something

So, firstly, we need to be sure about these things - Those who continue in sin are under God’s wrath. No-one who is not seeking holiness - even if imperfectly - is under ‘God’s wrath’!

Paul begins emphatically: “For of this you can be sure…”

He reinforces it: “Let no one deceive you with empty words…”

He wants his readers to be certain about something that was unpopular and under threat - and still is today: those who persist in unrepentant sin show that they do not belong to Christ’s kingdom.

He writes:

To have an ‘inheritance’ in the kingdom is to share in eternal life under Christ’s rule. Those characterised by ongoing, unrepentant immorality are not described as weak believers - but as idolaters. Their desires function as their god.

Paul says such people remain under God’s wrath.

This same truth appears elsewhere:

But that passage continues with hope:

The difference is not that Christians were less sinful. The difference is that they were changed.

True believers may stumble, but they do not settle into sin. They repent. They fight. They seek holiness - imperfectly, but sincerely.

2. Do not be deceived

There have always been voices that soften God’s warnings. Voices that say sin is harmless. Voices that suggest grace means permission. Voices that redefine holiness.

In Paul’s context — as in ours — sexual sin was being normalised. It still is.

But those in the kingdom of God have Jesus as King. That means their lives are being shaped by His authority. They are not perfect, but they are no longer comfortable in rebellion.

As The Expositor’s Bible Commentary puts it:

A Christian cannot ultimately be described as ‘disobedient’ in the settled, defining sense Paul uses here. The mark of the believer is repentance and growing conformity to Christ.

Response - Do not be partners with them

Paul concludes: 

This does not mean withdrawing from the world entirely. It means refusing to participate in, affirm, or imitate sinful patterns. Do not join in. Do not endorse. Do not be shaped by peer pressure or cultural drift.

We have been brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light.

Are we seeking to live as citizens of that kingdom?

Have we repented of sexual sin and ungodly speech?

Today, let us heed the voice of our loving Father. His warnings are not harsh — they are protective. He calls us away from what destroys, so that we may know His love and reflect His love in every relationship and in every word we speak.

Community Group Notes - This week is 'SIV Week'

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.

Please ensure that everyone is aware and is signed up to our 50-hours of prayer that is starting on 11th March. Here’s the link to get the app:

https://my.jovoapp.com/invitation/?t=aW52aXRhdGlvbjoxMzA1ODpzX2tGTnN4eVNHcnZnZlJ1ZjN6WEhRTHVsVHc%3D

2. Icebreaker

Something that builds relationships and confidence to share; it’s good to regularly use this moment to ask the group: How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together 

This week is SIV (Serve, Invest, and InVite) Week, so we’ll focus more on the reaching our community aspects in our study. 

What is SIV? 

SIV stands for Serve, Invest, and Invite. This is our very simple strategy to help bring our community to Jesus. We believe that God has placed us in relationships and in specific locations to be 'salt and light.' and to ‘fish for people’.  We can effectively bring people to Jesus by: 

• 'Serving' them - demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways; 

• 'Investing' in the ‘people of peace’ (See note below) those whom we feel the Spirit is leading us. 

• 'Inviting' them into our homes by showing hospitality and inviting them to church events, to Alpha, and ultimately, inviting them to come to Jesus through the gospel. 

On Sunday, we continued our new series entitled: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

Our message was, Wake Up Sleeper. We saw, from Ephesians 5:1-14, that: 

Those who have been woken up and have Christ shining on them - Seek light, refuse darkness and shine light

Please read Ephesians 5:1-14 and discuss:

• Personal Reflection – From Sunday’s message and this passage, what stood out to you? Was there anything the Spirit particularly impressed on your heart?

• SIV - Why are godly sexual ethics, and godly language, essential for a healthy life, healthy church, and why do these things make us shine like a light in this dark world?

• SIV - V.14 ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’, is considered an early Christian hymn. What does this phrase say about how one becomes a Christian, and how does this inform how we are to pray for our non-believing friends? 

• SIV - Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Let’s Pray Together

Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• General prayer: From our study, or from personal needs, how do people want prayer?