Ephesians 4:17-19

Day 35

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” Ephesians 4:17-19

Live Distinctly
“Before and after” comparisons recur throughout Ephesians. In Ephesians 2, “you were dead…made alive in Christ” and “you Gentiles were once separated from God, without hope and access…have now been brought near.”  The focus in the first 3 chapters concerns the change in status for both Jews and Gentiles. Before: we were dead in sin, children of wrath, separated from God. After: now we have been made alive, adopted into the family of God, and we have peace with God, for both Jews and Gentiles.  In this passage, the “before and after” concerns behavior choices. Before Christ, Gentiles lived a certain way.  After Christ, Gentile believers should now live differently.  

The major theme of this section, Ephesians 4, concerns the unity of the church.  If God so designed the church to be one, Jews and Gentiles united together in peace with God and one another, how then should Christians live in order to preserve unity within the church?  We’ve already seen that a humble attitude, right theology, and proper leadership, lead to the mutual care of the church through the beneficial use of spiritual gifts. However, unity cannot be preserved if the ethical behavior of believers in the church looks no different than before we came to saving faith in Jesus.

The fundamental issue in the ethical decisions of Gentiles versus believers revolves around the condition of the mind. Notice the way Paul described the Gentiles prior to coming to faith in Christ. Walking in “the futility of their mind…darkened in their understanding…because of the ignorance that is on them.”  The language emphasizes the ways in which core behavioral issue emerge as a byproduct of improper thinking. The Gentiles thought primarily of themselves. Prior to coming to Christ, they woke up everyday thinking “what do I want to do today?” “How can I maximize my own pleasure?” “How can I get what I want?”  For the believer, there must be a distinctive shift in our thinking.  Instead of a self absorbed approach, we must think about Christ and how to honor Him.  Instead of being driving by our own desires, pleasures, and wants, we place the needs of others first.  With clear thinking through proper theological and ethical training, the believer thinks differently which in turn leads to the believer living differently.  Now, instead being driven by lust and greed, we seek the glory of Christ and the needs of others.  It is a seismic shift.  By nature, prior to the indwelling Holy Spirit, we just did whatever we wanted to do.  Now that we knew who God is and what He has done, we no longer can live just for ourselves.  

Suggested Prayer: You have saved us and called us by Your name. Oh God, may my thoughts and actions bring You honor.  Empower me to live a life that displays the transformation that You brought to me through faith in Christ.  Help me to think clearly concerning the way that I should now live. Amen. 

Ephesians