Paul outlines what happens to a believer who turns away from the Lord. Let me be clear. Once you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you have eternal life. Your eternal life is secure. God is faithful. Even if we’re unfaithful, He remains faithful. That doesn’t mean that you’re automatically going to live a life that is honoring to God.
Ephesians 4:17 Paul says, “This I say therefore and testify in the Lord, …” a very, very solemn charge. “… that you …” Who’s he talking to? Ephesian believers. “… should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk.” Now we’re talking about those who don’t know God — those who have no interest in His Word. “… walk no longer as the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind.”
The word “futility” means vacuum. It’s the Greek word “mataiotes.” What does a vacuum do? It sucks up dirt. If the vacuum in your soul is because you have turned away from the truth, what’s going to fill the vacuum? All that is against God. Notice the next step “… having their understanding darkened, …” They pulled the switch and turned off the light and notice, “… being alienated from the life of God.”
Paul is talking to Christians. He’s warning them, this can happen to you. Believers who come to Christ. Trust in the offer of salvation. Get into the word. Begin growing. And then somewhere they begin to drift from the life of God, which we know is the life of Christ. They become alienated from that life “… because of the ignorance that’s in them.” We’re talking about ignorance of Scripture.
If the light goes out, what do we have to offer to those around us? So this is a problem. “… because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, …” The heart becomes so hard, the scripture tries to speak to them and it just bounces off. No feeling, no response. “Doesn’t affect me; I could care less; the Word of God doesn’t apply to me.”
“… who, being past feeling have given themselves to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” The three words used here are of a self-centered life. The idea here of “uncleanness” that is not being spiritually washed. “Lewdness… ” What is lewdness? What is the worst sin? You know the worst sins are? Arrogance, pride, self-centeredness, lack of compassion for others around you.
These are the things that really hit home, right? Because the more we get wrapped up in ourself, the less we will have any care or compassion for anyone else. Seven steps down and they all begin with walking “as the Gentiles walk.” And how is that? Living for ourselves. The moment we begin living for self, that downward trend begins in our life.
Let’s not get wrapped up in ourselves.
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