God Wants the Church to Grow in Godliness, Not in Gentilishness

There is a greater purpose to your gift than simply causing growth with it. What is the ultimate purpose of your gift? The answer to this question can be found below in the conclusion that Paul made about what causes the growth of the church.   

“each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. So this I say [in conclusion to and in light of working properly to cause the growth of the church], and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles [pagans] also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as the truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside…” (vs. 16-25).

And then, Paul, throughout the rest of this letter, spoke against forms of Gentile sensual enjoyment which members of the Christian church must not participate in or practice, but instead lay aside. As stated above, “the Gentiles…have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind”. Paul’s point here is about being spiritual vs. sensual.  

But someone might say,

“The Bible says that God has given us everything to enjoy.” This is correct (1 Tim 6:17), but only in the sense of enjoying good vs. bad things. For example, sin is enjoyable. Even Moses had to decide not to “enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (He 11:25). He had to lay aside several forms of Gentile sensuality that were enjoyable to him in the Egyptian culture. Likewise, you will need to decide to lay aside certain enjoyable, but sensual Gentile/Pagan activities in your life and worship of God. Sensuality is the opposite of spirituality.

Jesus Said that Sensuality, the Opposite of Spirituality, Is a Serious Sin, A Log vs. a Speck!

.... more about this in the Bible Study on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit