From Ephesians 4: 17, through chapter 5 to chapter 6: 9,
Paul urges the Ephesians into Godly living. His teaching is very specific, comprehensive
and practical and is a wonderful if rather challenging exhortation of how to
live. Only some of Jesus’ teaching is even more challenging.
Ephesus was a major centre of commerce with flourishing temple
worship to the Roman goddess Diana so the Christians in Ephesus had a lot to
contend with. This must be why Paul gave them so much advice on how to live
right in the midst of idolatry and a Godless society. The problems we face in our societies today
may not have much to do with worshipping Diana but the challenges are just as
real and difficult for the modern day Christian. We too must live as children
of the light in our Godless societies and it can be very hard.
In UK one of the major obstacles to Godly living, very
prevalent in society is cynicism. Cynicism is ‘an inclination to question whether something will happen or whether it
is worthwhile.’ Cynicism’s first cousin is scepticism which doubts the
truth of something. Cynics tend to look down on the kind of advice Paul gave
the Ephesians with a certain amount of derision. People feel it is not worthwhile
to live the sort of life Paul was talking about in today’s culture; there is nothing
in it for them. Cynics doubt people’s motives so if Christians are kind, loving,
generous, merciful and so on cynics are sceptical about why they are doing
it.
Cynicism though is also prevalent in the church and people
extravagant in worship or giving or who are enthusiastic about God and his love
are viewed very cautiously and as ‘over the top.’ The same love, kindness,
grace and mercy are viewed suspiciously as ‘too good to be true’ but that is
exactly what God is – too good, kind, generous, loving, and merciful to be true
except it is true!
Cynicism and scepticism like unbelief need to be rooted out
of our lives. Cynics find it very hard to trust God and to believe that he
wants good things for his children because for a cynic there is always an
ulterior motive – God must want something so what is this going to cost me and so
doubt clouds their minds. However we know the full price for salvation,
forgiveness and a life of love was paid by Jesus on the cross and all we need
is to walk by faith – hard if you are a sceptic.
The solution is to put out arms of love and trust to God,
declaring and believing that what he has said is true and so silence cynicism
and scepticism with words of life and faith.
