Post by Shepherd on Mar 9, 2009 16:14:02 GMT -6
EPH-4-VI NOT AS OTHER GENTILES
EPHESIANS 4:17-19...THIS I SAY THEREFORE, AND TESTIFY IN THE LORD, THAT YE HENCEFORTH WALK NOT AS OTHER GENTILES WALK, IN THE VANITY OF THEIR MIND, HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING DARKENED, BEING ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD THROUGH THE IGNORANCE THAT IS IN THEM, BECAUSE OF THE BLINDNESS OF THEIR HEART; WHO BEING PAST FEELING HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES OVER UNTO LASCIVIOUSNESS, TO WORK ALL UNCLEANNESS WITH GREEDINESS.
The living of a Christian would follow certain principles as Paul outlined. These principles would be grounded in a simple basic formula of denying the natural and obeying the Spiritual. The Christian will need to maintain constantly a negative attitude toward all that is natural while wholeheartedly embracing all that would be prompted by the Holy Ghost.
Have you ever notice how selfish people can be when they live apart from fellowship with God.
In trying to understand what Christian living can be, I think it would be helpful if we looked soberly at those who admit that they are not Christians. They are all around us, and we may have them in our own family. It is a very common practice to criticize the church, and probably no one does that more candidly than Christians themselves.
There have been Christians in the world for 2,000 years, and yet there is sin? Of course. But in addition to the fact that the Christians were here, everyone else has been here too. If there is sin, the fault must be shared by Christians and non-Christians.
Suppose it is true that believers are mixed up with hypocrites. There are also hypocrites in the world at large, some may say, “But they didn’t claim to be good.”
Is that what the Gospel promises, or what Christians claim, that they are good? No. as far as Christians are concerned, they will tell you that Christ is good, that Christ Jesus is merciful. The Christian knows God will forgive sin, so he has confessed his sin and has been forgiven. He knows God will receive him, but not because of his virtue or piety, but because he has been forgiven his sin. But if he sins again and not ask forgiven of that sin he is lost. God don’t know him.
Some think about these 2,000 years since Christ was on earth, and wonder why things are as bad as they have been. But we should remember that in every generation there have been souls saved. Many have died in faith and are now with the Lord. The Lord never promised that He was going to turn this world into something perfect. He did promise He would save to eternity anyone who has put his trust in Him. Read Ephesians 4:17-19.
Paul points out that the characteristic of all unbelieving persons; Gentiles, Jews or anyone, whatever their background may have been, is that they are thinking for themselves and forgetting the Lord Jesus Christ.
The futility of such thinking is made clear. These are people who are past feeling. They have become callous. There is one thing true about sin. If we see it often enough, it does not seem like sin anymore. But it is still sin.
There are things said now in public, over the radio and TV and in public print that were once unspeakable and unprintable. It used to be against the law to say such things. But we have become careless and callous. It has become almost the thing to do to use profanity and obscenity in our literature, and to use dirty language in public. People have become callous. How did they ever get that way? Because of the blindness of their heart. They were alienated from the life of God through their ignorance, and their understanding was darkened. What a tragic condition.
Paul stated it very plainly. It was true in his time and it has always been true. It has not always been revealed, exhibited in public. It is like saying that babies have always been born naked. We are aware that men and women both have bodies. However, we are not to make an exhibition of them. Show them off. It is sin.
The heart is blind, and what men inwardly yearn for is never openly admitted. They keep it in the dark. They do not recognize the implications of their own choice. Many people will say, it is only wrong if you think it is wrong. That is a lie from hell. Showing off your body in the without clothes is wrong and it is sin. Now I want to ask you, Why do they want it dark when they do it? Why do they sneak around at night for doing that kind of thing? And why would this be done at all? Paul will tell you. Because they are alienated from the life of God.
Natural man, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in him..actually gives himself over to do anything and everything he wants to do, as dirty and unclean as it can be . Paul is emphasizing here that the unbelievers in the world always deteriorate. They will rot. They will just get to be worse and worse. They decay. Paul did not want the Christians to yield themselves into being selfish and self-indulgent. He did not want them to walk as other people who do not believe because other people walk in ungodly ways. They are lost.
EPHESIANS 4:17-19...THIS I SAY THEREFORE, AND TESTIFY IN THE LORD, THAT YE HENCEFORTH WALK NOT AS OTHER GENTILES WALK, IN THE VANITY OF THEIR MIND, HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING DARKENED, BEING ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD THROUGH THE IGNORANCE THAT IS IN THEM, BECAUSE OF THE BLINDNESS OF THEIR HEART; WHO BEING PAST FEELING HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES OVER UNTO LASCIVIOUSNESS, TO WORK ALL UNCLEANNESS WITH GREEDINESS.
The living of a Christian would follow certain principles as Paul outlined. These principles would be grounded in a simple basic formula of denying the natural and obeying the Spiritual. The Christian will need to maintain constantly a negative attitude toward all that is natural while wholeheartedly embracing all that would be prompted by the Holy Ghost.
Have you ever notice how selfish people can be when they live apart from fellowship with God.
In trying to understand what Christian living can be, I think it would be helpful if we looked soberly at those who admit that they are not Christians. They are all around us, and we may have them in our own family. It is a very common practice to criticize the church, and probably no one does that more candidly than Christians themselves.
There have been Christians in the world for 2,000 years, and yet there is sin? Of course. But in addition to the fact that the Christians were here, everyone else has been here too. If there is sin, the fault must be shared by Christians and non-Christians.
Suppose it is true that believers are mixed up with hypocrites. There are also hypocrites in the world at large, some may say, “But they didn’t claim to be good.”
Is that what the Gospel promises, or what Christians claim, that they are good? No. as far as Christians are concerned, they will tell you that Christ is good, that Christ Jesus is merciful. The Christian knows God will forgive sin, so he has confessed his sin and has been forgiven. He knows God will receive him, but not because of his virtue or piety, but because he has been forgiven his sin. But if he sins again and not ask forgiven of that sin he is lost. God don’t know him.
Some think about these 2,000 years since Christ was on earth, and wonder why things are as bad as they have been. But we should remember that in every generation there have been souls saved. Many have died in faith and are now with the Lord. The Lord never promised that He was going to turn this world into something perfect. He did promise He would save to eternity anyone who has put his trust in Him. Read Ephesians 4:17-19.
Paul points out that the characteristic of all unbelieving persons; Gentiles, Jews or anyone, whatever their background may have been, is that they are thinking for themselves and forgetting the Lord Jesus Christ.
The futility of such thinking is made clear. These are people who are past feeling. They have become callous. There is one thing true about sin. If we see it often enough, it does not seem like sin anymore. But it is still sin.
There are things said now in public, over the radio and TV and in public print that were once unspeakable and unprintable. It used to be against the law to say such things. But we have become careless and callous. It has become almost the thing to do to use profanity and obscenity in our literature, and to use dirty language in public. People have become callous. How did they ever get that way? Because of the blindness of their heart. They were alienated from the life of God through their ignorance, and their understanding was darkened. What a tragic condition.
Paul stated it very plainly. It was true in his time and it has always been true. It has not always been revealed, exhibited in public. It is like saying that babies have always been born naked. We are aware that men and women both have bodies. However, we are not to make an exhibition of them. Show them off. It is sin.
The heart is blind, and what men inwardly yearn for is never openly admitted. They keep it in the dark. They do not recognize the implications of their own choice. Many people will say, it is only wrong if you think it is wrong. That is a lie from hell. Showing off your body in the without clothes is wrong and it is sin. Now I want to ask you, Why do they want it dark when they do it? Why do they sneak around at night for doing that kind of thing? And why would this be done at all? Paul will tell you. Because they are alienated from the life of God.
Natural man, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in him..actually gives himself over to do anything and everything he wants to do, as dirty and unclean as it can be . Paul is emphasizing here that the unbelievers in the world always deteriorate. They will rot. They will just get to be worse and worse. They decay. Paul did not want the Christians to yield themselves into being selfish and self-indulgent. He did not want them to walk as other people who do not believe because other people walk in ungodly ways. They are lost.
