Walk Not as Gentiles
Eph 4:17-19

9-2-07 

Paul describes in great detail how unsaved Gentiles walk.  A lost Gentile walks in:

Vanity – [worthlessness] - because he has a vain mind – he considers himself to be wise but he is vain in his imagination because he has no godly wisdom - wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord Rom 1:21-22; 1 Cor 3:20 – thus the wisdom of this world is absolutely contrary to the wisdom of God

Darkness – because his understanding is darkened – he needs light to direct his path, light that comes from the words of God Ps 119:105 – when he is “in the dark” then he ends up following the wrong crowd Prov 2:12-15 – men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil - the Pharisees were in so much darkness that they killed the light of the world

Alienation - because he is separated from the love and life of God – when we get saved we cannot be separated from the love of God Rom 8:38-39 – but since he is not saved he is alienated from the life of God 1 Jn 5:12; Jn 3:36 – truthfully he wants nothing to do with God

Ignorance – because he is ignorant of God and God’s words Acts 17:23 – like the ignorance of Athenians that worshipped idols Acts 17:28-31 – they actually thought through their superstition that they were worshipping God and that those idols could help them, when in fact the idols could do absolutely nothing

Blindness – because his heart is blind to the truth – the people most knowledgeable of the law when Jesus was here were the Pharisees – yet in all of their study, they came to no understanding of the truth because they were blind Matt 23:16, 17, 19, 24, 26; 2 Tim 3:7

Callousness – because he is past feeling – he cannot feel the convicting work of his conscience 1 Tim 4:2 – he cannot feel the effects of sin without increasing the frequency and intensity of it Rom 6:19 -

Lasciviousness – [feeling morbid sexual desire - unhealthy, like a disease] - because he is guided by his lusts – he lives to satisfy the insatiable lusts of his flesh Eph 2:2-3 – he is given over to sin – more importantly the sin has complete control over him

Uncleanness – because he cannot be cleaned until he is washed and sanctified by the Lord 1 Cor 6:9-11 – Paul calls what he does “the works of the flesh,” [Gal 5:19-21]

Greediness – [excessive desire] - because he wants everything he can get and he has no self control – a Christian, on the other hand, is to have self control 1 Cor 9:25-27

So, you can see how he walks.  His walk starts with vain imaginations, followed by cutting off the light of God, then the life of God, and then the words of God.  After that he is totally blind.  This condition leaves him callous, lascivious, unclean and greedy.

 

Back to the Sunday School Archive Page

Copyright © 2001-2005 Bible Believers Baptist Church
These articles cannot be stored on other Internet sites or sold or placed by themselves or with other material in any electronic format for sale, but may be distributed for free by e-mail or by print. They must be left intact and nothing removed or changed.