Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:29. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:29

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that is may benefit those who listens.”

The words that come from our mouths reflect the reality of what is in our hearts. Just as it is humanly impossible for thieves to become generous givers (v.28), this change of heart that leads to a change in our speech can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The word translated “unwholesome” in the NIV actually means corrupt, rotten, or putrid. Paul users this word for effect. We could say “ disgusting” if we wanted to be more accurate to his intent.

There are many forms of “ unwholesome talk” or” putrid words” that come from the mouths of Christians. We need to ensure that our words reflect the glory and purity of God.

Swearing is one such area. The casual dropping of words that were once considered beneath contempt and not suitable for speaking in public has become standard speech for many people including Christians.

Gossip is based on the actions and supposed motivations of other people. Gossip is always negative and seeks to pull down the standing of other people. We need to build up rather than pull down. Gossip is nearly always false.

Slander is a direct attack on the reputation of another person. It might be lies about what another person has done, or a telling of just part of the truth. We need to be careful that the words we speak about others are both true and build up their reputation amongst the brothers and sisters in the church.

Lies are a repudiation of the truth. Christians are supposed to be people of the truth as we follow Christ who said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” We live in a post- truth age, but God is still requires us to speak only words of truth. Lying takes various forms in which we try to promote our own self interest at the expense of facts, and often the expense of other people.

Our unwholesome talk can take the form of inciting others to violence or to hatred. We promote false stereotypes that result in particular individuals or groups suffering unfairly.

There are two keys to not letting unfair unwholesome talk come out of our mouths .

First, we need to let the Holy Spirit completely renew our minds. If we don’t think it we can’t say it. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conformto the pattern of this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. “

We musttake seriously the doctrines that people bear the image of God, and that God loves all people. As a follower of Christ, how can I use words to injure a person for whom Christ died?

When we find that ungodly thoughts go through our heads, we need to confess them to the Lord and ask him to change our brains.

The second key is to apply a filter to our speech. Some people just blurt out every thought that goes through their heads. We need to think before we speak, and ask ourselves whether we need to say this thought out loud, or whether we should speak it in a more godly way.

We should only speak what is helpful for building up others.

In our conversations we should seek to build up the people we are speaking with or about. This doesn’t mean that everything has to be a kind of mindless positivity. it does mean that we must use a words to edify, exhort, and encourage. Our conversations are opportunities to help others to go deeper in Christ, to seek positive choices not negative.

We are to build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Our words and conversations need to be other focused. Just as thieves are required to turn their attention from getting to giving (v.28), so all of us who speak and listen must turn our attention to someone else.

It is often noted that most people engage in conversation with their focus on themselves. While another person is speaking, we are looking for what we are to say next.

If we are trying to build others up according to their need, then we will be looking for what the person is needing rather than what can we say next. We listen to the words, the tone of voice, to what is not being said. How would Jesus respond to this person?

This posture in relating to others turns us around so that in our speaking and listening we are seeking to love our neighbour.

if I’m consciously wanting to love this person I am speaking with, then there will be no space, no reason, no desire for putrid or corrupt talk. All that will be in my head is how can I help this person?

Key points in this verse:

• Unwholesome talk is rotten or corrupt talk, and it dishonours God
• Corrupt talk takes many forms from swearing to gossip and slander
• God wants me to focus on the needs of the person I am talking to, not on my own need
• When we seek to love our neighbour in conversation, it benefits everyone who hears it

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:28. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:28

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”

In any church that is successfully winning people to the Lord, there will be some, perhaps many, who have come from a place where they have made an income from various dishonest means.

The Greek word for stealing here means pilfering, that is small time theft such as shoplifting or picking pockets, Rather than violent robbery or fraud. nonetheless, what Paul speaks of here should equally apply to these other forms of theft.

The principle here is that followers of Christ should never have to resort to dishonest means to survive. He has promised to supply what we need. To steal, then, under any pretext, is a sign of unbelief, that we do not trust our Lord.

To some people, this way of living seems easier than the drudgery of a nine to five job. It becomes a habit to steal rather than to work.

Paul says clearly here that if you were a thief before you came to Christ, you must stop this now and turn to an honest living.

Paul says that rather than stealing, such people should turn to working with their own hands. The Greek word here is korato which means the kind of physical labour which makes you tired at the end of the day. Rather than taking the easy route of theft, Paul says they must work hard for their living. In many senses, this is the most fulfilling kind of work, resulting in things being produced by our hands.

We are were created to be productive. This is clear from Genesis 2, where Adam and Eve were meant to co- labour with God in tending His creation. Unemployment can lead to despair and depression, a sense that we are not useful for anything .

The purpose of work is not just to earn an income with which to feather one’s own nest. People in the world are very good at finding ways to spend their cash on their personal comforts and entertainment. They see this as a reward for working hard. Once we have paid for our basic needs of food and shelter, we can believe that what’s left over is ours to spend as we like.

Paul says that the goal of working is to have something to share with others. Instead of focusing on what I can do with “my” money, Paul is saying that we must use it to meet the needs of other people.

In our very self-centred society, that is a strange notion. Surely we want to feed our family and ourselves. No, we work to feed those in need.

For people who are used to meeting their own needs by taking from others, this is a total reversal. They are to stop taking from others to gain an income, and instead they must work hard in order to give to others.

In the natural, this sort of lifestyle change is inconceivable. A leopard cannot change its spots. Christ turns us all around. Repentance is about a change of thinking that leads to a change in action. So, in Christ those who used to be thieves become generous donors. Their eyes move from themselves and their own needs to others and their needs.

Key points in this verse

• Thieves who come to Christ are to stop stealing
• All followers of Christ must find honest ways to support themselves
• God honours productive work
• The goal of working is to earn an income in order to share with the needy, not just for our own comfort
• The kind of transformation that sees a thief become a generous giver is only possible in Christ

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:26-27. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:26-27

“In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

Anger in its uncontrolled form is a quality that belongs to the old nature. There is a place for what is called righteous anger, but we need to make sure that it does not give an opportunity for the devil to get into our lives.

Paul seems to be saying here that anger is a reality in our human condition, and we need to deal with it in a godly manner.

Anger can be defined as an emotion which directs us to self defence or the defence of others when a threat arises. Anger can be a good thing in that it motivates us and energises us in the face of provocation or threat.

Anger is a problem when it leads to uncontrolled rage. We’re not content with a blast of the horn at a thoughtless driver, but instead we ram their car or stop them and hit them long after the threat to our safety has gone.

Anger can lead to resentment or hostility that constantly pushes other people away and destroys relationships. This kind of anger is like a psychological cancer that eats away at our soul.

A psychologist once described anger as like the “check engine” light in a car. it is a sign something is wrong and needs attention before a catastrophic failure occurs.

Anger can become a smokescreen for avoiding our own responsibility for our actions and attitudes. it leads to the reflex in which we constantly blame others for things we have done or failed to do.

Anger is a natural human emotion and, properly handled, it can be a good thing.

Jesus is moved to anger on a number of occasions, but never as a result of others provoking him. The most clear example of this is when he removed the corrupt money changes and animal traders from the Temple. John’s gospel tells us that he “made a whip out of cords” (John 2:15), suggesting that his actions were not a spontaneous rage, but a controlled fire.

We know that Jesus was tempted in all ways, but remained without sin (Hebrews 4:15). His anger must have been without sin also.

How can we be angry without sinning?

Firstly, we need to make sure that we do not allow the emotion to run away with us. Anger, or rage, can cloud our thinking so that we just want to destroy things or hurt people. This is sin.

Secondly, we need to determine if our anger is really a godly anger. Am I allowing self-protection to direct my actions, or is this a genuinely God-inspired action?

Thirdly, we should ask” Will my actions harm other people?” If we will be killing or injuring people, then we need to reconsider.

Paul tells us that we should not let the sun go down on our wrath. This is not permission to maintain the rage until a particular time of the day. We are not to think that we can allow ourselves to be offended in the evening and hold on to it for 24 hours.

Since the Jews counted each day as starting at sunset, Paul is effectively saying “Don’t hold onto your anger overnight. Start the day fresh with a new beginning and new expectations.”

This is good advice because it is hard to sleep when we are angry. Let the sun go down and unwind. Let go of the hurt, the offence, the desire to retaliate, and receive the peace of the Lord instead.

Christians are not to be people who hold on to ofence. We must forgive and release those who sin against us. This means letting the emotions go as well.

If we hold onto anger we give a place for the devil to get in and twist our spirits .

The devil can take our anger and make us permanently quick to fire up, or smouldering with resentment. If we are like this, we are not loving our neighbours with the love of Christ, and we are certainly not loving our enemies .

Anger can lead us into crimes that we would not normally consider possible, so-called crimes of passion. A life might be taken, leaving us to be thrown into jail and a fruitful life for Christ short-circuited.

Anger might lead to depression and an inability to know God’s presence much less to worship and serve Him.

The destructiveness unleashed by anger is the operating method of the devil. God builds up but satan pulls down.

Anger is a reality in our lives. It can be a positive emotion, but it is so easily subverted and twisted by satan.

Key points in these verses:

• Anger belongs to our old nature
• We need to be sure that we do not let righteous anger become a tool that Satan uses
• If we are angry we must take extra care to avoid sin
• We must not let our anger continue into a new day
• Anger can lead us away from God and into the hands of the devil

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:25. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:25

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body.”

In the previous section, Paul talked about putting away our old nature and putting on the new nature in Christ. We are ”created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” He gives specific instruction in how the new nature should replace the old.

In this verse, he addresses the issue of truth and falsehood.

We are to put off falsehood and speak truthfully to our neighbours.

Some translations use the word lying here, but the idea is broader than that. Yes, we are to put away deliberate lies, but there are many ways to deceive, and all of them are opposed to God.

Deception is any attempt to cause someone to believe something that is not true. That includes lies ( whether “black” or “white” lies), omissions or half-truths, using words in such a way as to make a seem better than we really are.

We must always speak truthfully to our neighbour, even if it seems difficult or costly.

We are followers of Jesus who called himself “ the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Therefore, we are committed to truth-telling by virtue of the nature and authority of Christ.

Our culture is sometimes described as post-truth, that is sceptical or indifferent about issues about truth and falsehood. The argument is that there is no objective test of truth, and it is an obsolete concept.

Regardless of whether you seek truth or deny truth, the law of gravity still operates regardless of your opinion. It can be fatal to ignore some truths.

The Nazi propagandist Goebbels is credited with the statement that any lie repeated often enough becomes true. In our age of information saturation, people lack time or desire to investigate the veracity of political and commercial claims, and so blatant lies tend to become accepted as true.

We are not to live in this cynical way. We must remove all forms of deception and seek to be people of truth.

Paul now gives the reason for this as “ we are all members of one body.” This then raises the question “who is my neighbour?”

It might seem that Paul is limiting his definition of neighbour to fellow Christians. We have a duty to our Christian brothers and sisters to walk in honesty. Deception is about taking advantage of other people for our own game.

We must not use deception or falsehood in anyway in connection with the Christian family.

But Paul does not generally use the word neighbour to describe Christians. Jesus made it clear that to love our neighbour is to love everyone that we might interact with.

If we adopt this definition of neighbour, then Paul’s command here is open-ended. We must deal truthfully with everyone and not just our fellow christians.

In all of our business dealings, our family relationships, our friendships and so on, we must always speak truthfully.

This can be painful when we are filling in tax forms or don’t have enough cash to pay for items at a stall with an honesty box. It becomes very costly when we break the law and and are not caught.

Paul relates this commitment to truth in all situations to being a part of the Body of believers. God’s people are people of truth. Together we follow Christ, and He requires us to walk in truth. If one part of the Body is tainted by falsehood then the whole body is weakened.

Key points in this verse:

• We are to put off falsehood
• We must speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
• This commandment flows from the nature of Christ
• We have to speak the truth always, not just within the church

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:23-24. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:23-24

“…, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

We are to be made new in the attitudes of our minds.

God is not impressed by our cognitive intelligence or academic abilities. He knows more than we can ever know. He desires us to have a new mind that is changed in its attitude.

Attitude describes our approach to life, to others, to God, and to ourselves.

An attitude of arrogance means that we have an opinion about ourselves that is higher than it should be. We treat other people as inferior, God as needing us, and our failure as somebody else is full.

An attitude of fear means that we approach life and other people as wanting to hurt us. We see God as a capricious judge ready to smite us if we step out of line.

An attitude of boldness means that we trust our own abilities, and talents to succeed in any situation.

These attitudes, and many others, are sinful. They belong to the old self, the old person. They are wrong because their emphasis is on self .

As Christians, our attitudes need to be renewed, made over, so that God is at the centre.

Arrogance should be replaced by humility that recognises that we are all made by God, and in that sense, I am no more entitled then any other person.

Fear should be replaced by faith. I am a child of God, and I can trust in His protection, provision, and direction at all times. If God is for us, who can stand against us?

Rather than being bold because of my own abilities, I can be confident in God’s purposes in my life .

Every self-centred attitude needs to be taken off and replaced by God’s attitude .

We take off our old self in order to put on a new self. The word here in Greek is kainos, which means something completely new. It is a new species, a new type, not something renovated and made new again.

In Christ, we have a new mind, a new nature, a new self. We might think of Christ’s resurrection body which was recognisable (most of the time) but had new powers that his old body did not have. Our new self has continuity with the old person, but we are something completely new and different.

We are told to put on this new self. This is not “reinventing myself” as some try to do. To put on the new self means that we co-operate with the Holy Spirit to get rid of all those qualities which Paul ascribes to the Gentiles and to become more like Christ.

This new self is created to be like God in true righteousness and true holiness.

This new self is being fashioned by God to imitate him. This is not a sausage factory cloning process in which we are all forced to be a particular personality. God creates unique reflections of His nature which we carry in a unique way.

The core of this new self is true righteousness and true holiness.

Righteousness is doing what is right all the time. We were once sinful people, but now we are righteous. We have been declared righteous by God through our faith in Christ. We now have to become righteous, that is to live out that state in our daily living.

There is a self-centred form of righteousness, which seeks to draw attention to itself, often by pointing out the failings of others. Self-righteousness is the self declaring that it is right and other people are not.

True righteousness, on the other hand, is the ability to live God’s way without drawing attention to the fact. It is a form of humility in which the person just gets on with living their own best life without seeking recognition or reward for doing what is right.

To be holy is to be dedicated to God’s use. A holy vessel is one which is set apart for worship .

To be a holy person means that my life is dedicated to God’s purposes, set apart for him. I no longer make any attempt to direct my life the way I want. My plans and ambitions are surrendered to God.

This does not mean that we stop aspiring to achieve things or to seek promotion. It does mean that we allow the Lord to set the parameters for every part of our life.

False holiness seeks to be recognised for religious deeds. This is a kind of fake religion which Jesus derided. He told us we are not to pray on the street corners or announce our giving with a fanfare.

True holiness seeks God for who God is, not for the accolades of men and women. I fast for God’s glory not for mine. I pray to seek God’s will not to impress others.

True righteousness and true holiness keep their focus on their source which is God. My good deeds, such as they are, flow from my relationship with God not from my own strength of character.

Key points in this verse:

• God is remaking our attitudes so that He is our focus not ourselves.
• We need to put on a new self which glorifies God rather than glorifying ourselves
• We are created to be like God in a unique way.
• True righteousness and true holiness flow from God as we seek Him for who He is

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:22. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:22

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”

We were not taught about Christ in terms of sin and worldliness. No, we were told about a Christ who was different, and the lifestyle we must follow is also radically different to the old nature.

Our way of life before we knew Christ was self-directed. We did what we thought was right, or more likely, what we wanted to do.

The old way living is now a former way of life. It has passed away because we died in Christ, and therefore have been raised in Him. The former way of life must remain in the past as we follow the way of Christ.

We have to” put off the old self” – literally it says to put off the old man, or old person.

The analogy is to taking off old worn out clothes in order to put on Christ, and our new nature in Him. but here Paul says we have to take off the old person in order to put on the new nature in Christ.

For some people, this is scary, and for most people it is difficult. How can I take off the old person that I was before Christ? I am quite attached to my self, and I can’t imagine being without my self. Does that even make sense?

Before we knew Jesus, our nature was corrupted by sin. Everything we did was polluted by sin. Our old nature is destined for death.

But then we came to know Jesus, and we were attracted to him so much that we asked him to come in and make us new. Part of becoming new is getting rid of the old.

This is not something we have to do ourselves. If we take up our cross to follow him, we will die to ourselves. The Holy Spirit takes our dead old nature and brings us back to life. The old man is gone and the new has come.

To put off our old nature is dying to ourselves, presenting ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. We bring ourselves to God with all of our sinful desires, and we say, “ Lord it is all yours. Do what you will with me.”

It is the Holy Spirit who makes it possible to put off the old self, the old person. All we have to do is die to our own ambitions, and let God do His work in us.

The old nature is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

If we hold on to our old persona, then its deceitful desires will continue to corrupt us. If we demand that our old nature be allowed to live, then it will corrupt us and destroy our new life in Christ.

Our old nature is a breeding ground for corruption and sin. it is like an incubator for a deadly virus which ultimately kills everyone that touches it.

The corruption comes from the deceitful desires of the old nature.

We all have desires, some of which are healthy, and some of which are not healthy. A desire for food is good, but so easily corrupted into greed and obesity. A desire to be significant is a good thing, but can be switched to arrogance, pride and control .

Our desires are deceitful in a number of ways.

Firstly, they can distract us from what is really important. if I constantly give in to my snacking desire, I get nothing done for the Lord .

Secondly,they deceive us into thinking they cannot harm us. “ A little pawn might liven up my marriage.” “ A glass or two of wine never hurt anyone.” We find ways to justify those deceitful desires.

Thirdly, the desires of the old nature are deceitful because they pull us away from godly things. A favourite TV show does not come with the warning that we could be spending that hour in prayer. My need for social interaction may take precedence over the call of the Holy Spirit to spend a period of time in solitude and meditation.

This old person or former self must be put off. The desires which lead us away from God seem so appealing, until we learn that they take us away from the abundant life in Christ.

Key points in this verse:

• The way to deal with our old way of life is to put off our old self
• We must take up our cross and die so Christ’s life can fill us
• The desires of the old nature are deceitful and will lead us away from our new life in Christ.

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:20-21. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:20-21

“You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.”

In verses 17 to 19, Paul describes the depravity of the Gentile unbelievers. living in darkness and ignorance, and therefore slaves to every form of sensuality with a lust for more.

Now Paul says, ”You did not come to Christ that way.” In other words, their knowledge of Christ is the light that broke through their ignorance and changed their thinking and behaviour.

Before we were saved, we may not have had any knowledge or interest in the person of Jesus Christ. His name, the Name above all names, may have just been a meaningless swear word. If we thought about Him in anyway, we might have assumed he was just a person like us.

But, Paul reminds us, Jesus was not a person just like everybody else. He certainly was not a person who lived in the depravity of thinking that Paul has described.

As we get to know Jesus, as we are taught in him, so our understanding of Jesus grows. We see a life lived in simplicity and holiness.

Paul now offers us a choice of two lifestyles – that of the unsaved Gentiles marked by sin and self-direction, or the life of Jesus marked by holiness and God- direction. These two diametrically opposed and cannot be mixed together .

To follow Jesus is not to adopt some kind of religious ideology or theory. Christianity must never be understood as merely a set of dogmas. Following Jesus or being “ in Christ” means that our lifestyle and worldview must undergo radical changes so that we live, speak, and think in a way that is consistent with the way of Christ.

To be “taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus” means firstly, a teaching of facts. The historic Creeds were an attempt to describe the basics of what Christians believe.

The facts, by themselves are not enough. We need to remember that we are following a person. This truth that is in Jesus must be seen in the words and actions of Jesus. in particular, we must absorb the reality of his death on the cross. The gospels show this clearly with each one describing incidents from the life of Jesus in the first half, and then moving to detailed descriptions of his trial, death, and resurrection in the second half.

To be a Christian, we must first know who Jesus is and why his death is important for us.

To follow Jesus we must also learn to have an ongoing personal relationship with him. This is the purpose of the Holy Spirit, given to us when we are born again.

Christianity is about imitating Christ, becoming like the “Son of Man.” To do this, we need both the truth about who Jesus is and a personal connection with Him so that He can direct our daily walk.

Key points in this verse:

• We did not come to know Jesus as a sinful person, but as the divine Son of God
• Christianity is more than a set of doctrines
• We need an ongoing personal relationship with Jesus in order to follow him.

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:19. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:19

“Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality, so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual last for more.”

Paul is continuing his description of those Gentiles who have not been saved .

This section started with an appeal to the Christians at Ephesus to not be like the Gentiles in their thinking. He is now describing how their misguided thinking becomes a lifestyle of sin and depravity.

Paul is not saying that every Gentile is living a lifestyle of sexual sin, but he is making a strong point that when we are apart from Christ, our standards and values are very different to God’s standards. In the same ways, cultures that turn away from God rapidly descend to self- centeredness and sexual immorality.

Paul says that the Gentiles have lost all sensitivity. They have become calloused and hard in their conscience.

When we consistently choose to sin and follow our own desires, the voice of our consciences, and even of the Holy Spirit, become unimportant. We make a decision to disobey God and soon we find ourselves committing acts that we once would have thought beyond our capability, and enjoying them.

An example can be pornography, although the principle applies to any area of sin. Many people feel guilty when they start looking at less explicit videos or pictures. They ignore their conscience and soon are looking at degradation they could never have imagined. While their conscience may still be calling them away from these things, they suppress that to enjoy the experience. Before long, some people are moving beyond the immoral to the forms of pornography such as child abuse.

Whenever we harden our hearts, or allow ourselves to lose sensitivity to sin, then we are on a slippery slope of depravity. Without Christ, we are all depraved and hostage to our fleshly desires.

The Gentiles, Paul says, have given themselves over to sensuality. Sensuality, as the name implies, is the pleasing of our senses, our natural fleshly desires. “If it feels good, do it,” is the mantra from the 1970’s that summarises sensuality .

We have seen this played out in the Western nations over the last two decades in particular. People are keen to have experiences that appeal to the senses. Another thought that expresses this is, “life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but the events that take your breath away.”

So we spend billions of dollars on travel, in exotic food, and so on We have TV shows that tell us where we can go for those breathtaking moments that live with us forever. We have endless cooking and home renovation shows to reproduce breathtaking moments (i.e. sensuality) in our homes.

Every form of sexual deviance is now accepted as normal, and even better than normal marital relations.

We move from sensuality to impurity or uncleanness. There are some things which God has declared to be unclean, that is, not suitable for people who have been made holy by the blood of Christ.

This idea of impurity is not laid down in law like in the Old Testament. It does not relate to what we eat or wear, but to who we are.

What the world says is good does not necessarily line up with what God says is good for us, or suitable for us.

Things that take us away from Him become idols, and are therefore impure. We can find forgiveness for these things, but it is much better to stay in the place of blessing .

Contrary to the world, any form of sexual expression outside of marriage (that is, one man plus one woman united for life) is wrong.

The taking of a life in murder, through slavery, or abortion is wrong.

Putting our trust in the acquisition of material goods is wrong.

We need to ensure that we live in humble dependence on God, trusting Him to meet our needs, and believing that the Bible is God’s word for us. Our values and our conduct must be so different to the world or “the Gentiles.”

Finally ,Paul says there they constantly lust for more. Pursuing the way of the flesh gives a person a thrill that leads to a lust for more of the same.

If you were going to be unfaithful to your wife, why stop at one affair, one lover, or even just women?

Our imaginations can always develop scenarios or pictures or fantasies of how this particular pleasure could be even better.

If you step off God’s path, why even go in the same direction? That is the logic of sensual pleasure- all for the body, and the body alone. Don’t stop with tentative sins. Sin boldly. ”You might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb.”

So who can save the people of the world from this hideous pathway of sin? Thanks be to God- it is Jesus Christ who has paid for our redemption and who calls us back to Him.

Key points in this verse:

• The Gentiles, or unredeemed people of the world, have given themselves to a lifestyle of sin .
• Christians are not to be like this.
• When we sin, our conscience is can be hardened towards God.
• Worshipping the senses can lead to uncleanness.
• Sin tends to take us deeper than we might have thought possible
• Only Christ can take us off this treadmill of hunger for more sin.

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:18. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:18

“They[ the Gentiles] are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”

Paul here is scathing in his description of the state of unredeemed Gentiles. He goes on to make it clear that he is not talking about the Ephesian christians because they have clearly accepted the gospel.

The unsaved Gentiles are darkened in their understanding.

Before any person comes to know Jesus, they are living in a state of spiritual darkness. Satan has blinded them to the truth because they are living under deception. They cannot see the truth because they are blind and in the dark.

Even when such people make an intellectual assent to the gospel, it lacks the power to change them because they are in the dark. It takes a revelation, a special act of God, to heal their spiritual blindness.

This darkness of understanding extends to areas other than spiritual. It includes lack of wisdom (or foolishness) in daily living. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God,” (Psalm 14:1) and lives in the belief that he or she is God and able to determine their own life. The academics and elite leaders multiply this foolishness by promoting and endorsing it.

This darkness and understanding extends to scientific realms also. The presuppositions and biases in various fields are based on human wisdom, not on the understanding that God created all things and sustains them. They think that it all just came into existence, and ignore the signs that there is a creator.

They are separated from the life of God.

The word “separated” here can also mean “alienated”. They are not just cut off spatially from the life of God, but also relationally. They are not just removed from God, they are opposed to Him.

To be separated from the life of God means that they are far away from the source of life. They are effectively living as zombies, the walking dead.

Those who have not been born again, that is born of the Spirit, are living partial lives, lives that are less than what God intended for us. The way to experience true life, life in all its fullness, is to be connected to the source of life, that is God.

To do this we must receive Jesus, who is the Life. It is our rebellion against God that alienates us from Him. When we come to Jesus and confess our sins to Him, then we are forgiven and receive eternal life.

This darkness of their minds and separation from the life of God is due to the ignorance that is in them.

Ignorance is not a lack of knowledge, although that is tragic in itself. If that were the problem, then it would be silly to describe the minds of Gentiles as having ignorance in them. It is impossible to have a negative quality existing in itself. It is like saying a room is full of darkness.

Ignorance can be manifest as a characteristic. Here it is akin to foolishness. Lack of knowledge about God leads to a certain way of thinking that opposes itself to God, perhaps promoting idolatry instead.

The unbelieving Gentiles, then, are ignorant about God, and this leads to alienation from Him and darkness of thinking.

This ignorance is not due to lack of information, but is caused by the hardening of their hearts.

Paul says in Romans 1 that the glory of God is seen in creation, and so when people worship the creation rather than the Creator they are without excuse. That they do this is because their hearts are hardened.

Are they has hardened by their own indifference or by Satan? We cannot say for sure, although it is possibly both.

When we sin it causes a hardening in our hearts. We quieten the conscience that condemns us because we do not want to feel guilty or even admit that we are at fault. While God desires a soft heart, our history of sin makes us hardhearted and progressively more so.

It is only Christ who can rescue us from this cycle of sin, guilt, and ever hardening heart.

So Paul says that those who are not saved (“the Gentiles”) are hardhearted because of their sin. This leads to ignorance and indifference to God, which in turn causes them to be alienated from his life and darken in their understanding.

This self-sustaining process is the reason why we need a Saviour. We could never escape from this fate by ourselves. Praise God that he has provided the way to eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Key points in this verse:

• Unredeemed Gentiles are darkened in their understanding
• Satan has blinded their spiritual eyes
• They are alienated from God and the life He brings so they live zombie-like lives
• Ignorance of of God is due to the hardening of their hearts
• Only Jesus can rescue is from this cycle of sin and death