Ephesians 5:5 - Abominable oxymorons

"For this you know that you know, since every sexual immoral or unclean or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."

-True that.  People instinctively know what is wrong - God has in fact written this in their hearts (Romans 1.19).  Even the nations where God is largely absent from the public consciousness know that corruption is wrong.  They know it should not be that their government and military leaders and law enforcement officials are all dishonest and prone to taking bribes, that their neighbors all cheat and steal at every turn.  Nevertheless sadly man is born for sin and trouble as surely as sparks fly upwards.  It is inescapable, unavoidable, yet it is patently and particularly clear to all that anyone who would claim to follow and represent almighty God and yet is caught up in any kind of immorality or corruption is disingenuous at best.  Oxymoronic.  One might concede that corrupt politicians perhaps are a universal given, but a corrupt “man of the cloth” is the ultimate disappointment, an abomination even.  We know in our heart of hearts that dirty water should never come out of a clean spring.  Thus we know for sure that any person who lives a life where God is not in fact first in their hearts is no child of His.  Not an heir.  A pretender.  Imposter.  Hypocrite.  Yes, something other than God is behind the curtain.

-And this is the rub - fundamentally, with things like greed and immorality, we are in fact talking about idolatry.  Putting anything other than God in the place of God in my heart.  'Cuz He gets dibs, first place in the pecking order of my life.  Such that when I am giving myself to the pursuit of more, to the things He does not want, it shows that He is not in first place in my heart.  First place - this is what the Lord wants more than anything, is it not?  He wants it, He longs for it, He compels (2Corinthians 5.14) and commands it, does He not?  The great command (Deuteronomy 6.5, Matthew 22.37), the first three of God’s ‘top ten’ (Exodus 20.4-7) - the surpassingly great, breathtakingly good God Who is entirely better - He made us to know Him, to be in an everlasting right relationship with Him, and to seek Him first, to love Him with all our heart, to enjoy Him in Whose presence is fulness of joy.  Yes, this is the heritage of the elect, the calling card of the redeemed - you and I and all God’s children will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7.18-20).