“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6).
It is possible to receive the grace of God in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1). The apostle Paul addresses this truth in some detail in Ephesians 5:1-7. Here he exhorts us to imitate God as dear children (v. 1) and walk in love as Christ did (v. 2). To do this successfully, we must close our ears to empty words which deceive.
Imitating God and walking in love necessitates purity of life (v. 3) and purity of mouth (v. 4). No one who lives an unholy life “has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5).
False teachers pervert the grace of God by teaching it grants license to sin and does not necessitate submission to the authority of our Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 4). Like clouds without water and autumn trees with leaves but no fruit (Jude 12), their empty words contradict the Bible’s clear teaching that the grace which brings salvation instructs us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age (Titus 2:11-12).
“Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:1-2).
Any teaching which broadens the narrow path of holiness that leads to eternal life contains empty words which are extremely dangerous and deadly. These pious utterances may be as smooth as butter and flattering to the hearer (Romans 16:18), but they are empty, vain, hollow, fallacious, foolish, and false. They create sons of disobedience who will eternally receive the wrath of God.
Beware of empty words!
