Let Christ Shine on You.

Ephes. 5:5-14 (ESV)
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. [6] Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. [7] Therefore do not associate with them; [8] for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light [9] (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), [10] and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. [11] Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. [12] For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. [13] But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, [14] for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

"Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” “ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. “ (1 John 1:6-10 (ESV)
To walk in the light, as children of the light is to confess your sins, so the light of Christ, which is the forgiveness of sins, will shine on you. And if we say we have no sin, we make God out to be a liar. This is the hard part for us. We would rather hide our sin than confess them. Confessing them brings on persecution. Here in Utah confessing sin seems to be the only unforgiveable sin. It happens that way in many churches. If you were to confess your sin people would judge you as being weak, not having enough faith, being a backslider. Paul knew who he was writing too. He knew that in the congregation of Ephesus there were “backsliders.” He knew that some had been sexually immoral (be a miracle if none had) he knew they struggled with covetousness, which is idolatry. Here we see that it is true that false gods are anyone or anything that we fear, love, or trust in more than God, including parents, children, husbands and wives. (One of the overlooked legitimate reasons for divorce given in the Bible is the spouses unwillingness to let the other be a Christian or practice their faith, our loyalty has to be to God, not to man or woman.) It is not just the Sunday morning football game that falls into the category of modern day idolatry. Covetousness is idolatry; it is the worship of self. Paul knew this, he also knew that the only cure for it was confession and absolution, awaking the old Adam, the man of sin and death, so that the light of forgiveness would shine on your life.