While it is sometimes a temptation to dismiss rules of ethical living and sum up our behavior as requiring that we love God and love others. In one sense this is certainly true. If we live in perfect love for God with all that we are, and love others as ourselves, we should be living good, moral lives. But Paul wants to mark some of those behaviors specifically, lest we miss things that we should or should not do, while living out our love for God and others.
And so Paul points out behaviors that should not characterize our lives: sexual immorality (even a hint), impurity, and greed (verse 3). And he adds to that our speech should not contain: obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking.
I appreciate Paul’s exhortations to good living: filled with the Spirit, speaking in psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit — music from our hearts, in thanksgiving. Let’s sing together, eh?
