Ephesians 4:17 Called to live holy

(Audio: English)

SUMMARY: The mind is the central place from which everything else emanates, and it is crucial for believers to renew their minds continually. In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul insists that believers must no longer live as the gentiles do in the futility of their thinking. The gentiles' minds have become corrupted, dysfunctional, and imperfectly stamped, leading to a distancing of God from them, which results in corruption, dysfunctionality, and deterioration. Paul describes the same process in Romans, where he speaks of the renewing of our minds that leads to the transformation of the human being. As human beings become corrupted, they reject God and turn him into a projection of themselves, anthropomorphizing him and degrading him. This causes God to distance himself from them, leading to a hardening of their hearts and minds, which produces moral and ethical garbage. Despite this, some pathological people can produce great things, such as Van Gogh and Nietzsche. However, modern mankind can produce great things, but the mind is warped, and the reasoning is distorted, leading to the loss of all sensitivity and the hardening of the heart.

The passage discusses how as humans move away from God, they become more insensitive to immoral behavior and indulge in it more frequently. The importance of living a holy and pure life is emphasized, with the need to let go of old ways of thinking and behaving and replace them with a new Godly nature. Specific examples are given, such as speaking truthfully to others and controlling anger to prevent it from turning into bitterness. The passage advocates for a sense of community, where we see ourselves as part of a larger group and take care of each other. Overall, the message is to live a life that is different from the world and to strive to become more like God.

The speaker discusses the importance of dealing with anger in a timely manner, not allowing it to fester and give the devil a foothold. They also discuss the importance of honesty and working hard not for personal gain, but to share with those in need. The ethos of God-like creatures is one of generosity, grace, and consideration for others. The speaker encourages listeners to embrace this ethos and be agents of blessing in their communities.

Let’s go quickly to Ephesians, chapter 4, and let’s continue with our study and I’ll just, as a summary, we spent last time in that zone of the understanding, the mind. But let me just read it and then we can get into it quickly. Verse 17, chapter 4, Ephesians.

“So I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the gentiles do in the futility of their thinking. They 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. Having lost all sensitive they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you have heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by deceitful desires 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….”