But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
– Ephesians 5:3-4 (NIV)
How we live matters. What we say and do communicates the values we hold. What comes out in our words and deeds is an overflow of what fills up our hearts.
Our words and actions can help us evaluate our values and priorities. If we say we believe one thing and do another, then we are deceiving ourselves and we need to change.
We also see that to be in relationship with God, comes with certain expectations. If we want to honor Him in the relationship, we will live accordingly. Therefore, it is not enough to simply evaluate my own values and priorities, but I must know and honor His as well. As is the case with any good and healthy relationship.
This list is not comprehensive, but is pointed enough to cause all Christians to pause and look in the mirror. Many of us attempt to live with duplicity, thinking that we are more clever than those around us. Thinking that we can be two different people with competing value systems. We live in secret one way and in public another.
Eventually all things come to light. Even if we pull off the perfect con job here on Earth, the Bible teaches that there is a judgment for all of us at the end of this life where no deed and no word will be covered up. I do not say that to scare you, but to help you realize that there is no such thing as secrecy and privacy with the Lord. He already knows, and He wants what is best for you. He gives you boundaries that are designed to keep you from the consequences of sin and we should live within those boundaries because of who He is and what He has done for us. He is not making up arbitrary rules. He is the designer of all that we know and He knows how best for us to live.