Paul Exhorts the Ephesians to not Walk as the
Unbeliever
Ephesians
4:17-19 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk
not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being
past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all
uncleanness with greediness. KJVPaul continues his discourse of exhortation to these Ephesian believers and us today on how we ought to walk and live worthy of the high calling wherewith we have been called by the Gospel of Christ, but only now here he warns against living in the same manner as those who are unbelievers, unregenerate, and unsaved. Likewise, Paul in continuing his thoughts from the previous verses where he explains the purpose of the spiritual gifts given to each believer says “I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind” (Ephesians 4:17). The first very important part of this statement is the Apostle Paul declaring to them and to us that he speaks in the Name of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ and most importantly with His authority. We know this because Paul’s use of the English word testify which is translated by the Greek word marturomai meaning to be adduced as a witness, that is, (figuratively) to obtest (in affirmation or exhortation): - take to record, testify.
In other words, Paul was not only an Apostle of Christ because he saw the Risen Lord Jesus, but he is one of the sent witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ (at that time) to these Ephesian believers and all believers everywhere to testify/marturomai to them individually and collectively the will of God for them as they remained here on the earth as sojourners, pilgrims, and aliens. It was a problem in the early Church and remains one till this very day of having our lives demonstrate a difference in conduct and behavior from those who have not received our Lord Jesus Christ as Paul wrestled with the Corinthian believers in this area as he demonstrated his anguish, angst, and anxiety with them in these words, “Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 4:18-21 – 1 Corinthians 5:1-5).
Paul declares to the Ephesian believers and us today that we are not to live our everyday lives by behaving in the same manner as we did before we met our Lord Jesus Christ as the non-believer does continually, constantly, and consistently due to the vanity of their minds. The English word vanity Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word mataiotes which means to be empty or profitless; having no practical use/uselessness; short-lived gratification leading to moral depravity as Paul reminded the Roman believers of their former lives before Christ with these words, “I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.” (Romans 6:19-21). Paul wants to exhort and remind them and us today as he did with these words to the Thessalonian believers what the will of God is for those of us who belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-5).
Paul declares to them and us today that the unregenerate man or woman lives “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:” (Ephesians 4:18). This Paul says to them to illuminate the contrast between darkness and light in Christ and to remind them and us from whence we likewise came from (Ephesians 2:2-3) and to warn us to not accept this as normality now that we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior because as the Apostle John declares of our Lord Jesus Christ with these words are to also represent our lives in Him, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7). Paul uses three very crucial and critical words in this passage of Scripture to describe in detail the man or woman without Jesus Christ and the words understanding, darkened, and alienated are set before us. First the English word understanding is translated by the Greek word dianoia meaning deep thought, properly the faculty (mind or its disposition), by implication its exercise: - imagination, mind, understanding. Second the English word darkened is translated by the Greek word skotizo meaning to obscure (literally or figuratively): shadiness or darkness. Thirdly the English word alienated is translated from the Greek word apallotrioo meaning to estrange away, that is, (passively and figuratively) to be non-participant: - alienate, be alien.
In other words, we see that Paul declares the unregenerate man or woman’s mind to be obscured and blurred from spiritual truth being that their inner man or inner woman is void, absent, not containing the life of God which is not being indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, therefore, it is Paul’s exhortation to these Ephesian believers and we who have received Christ today to exercise ourselves to do as the Apostle Peter declares with these words, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short]. You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, But [you were purchased] with the precious Blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:13-19).
Paul testified to the Roman believers of this condition of the unsaved when he said to them these words, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:21-25). Paul declares to them and us that the result of this blindness and darkness of heart has made the unregenerate man and women “being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:19).
The English phrase “being past feeling” Paul uses here is translated by one Greek word apalgeo meaning (to smart); to grieve out, that is, become apathetic: - be past feeling. In other words, this word has the idea of being unable any longer to feel pain and this is true medically that some human beings have a condition that dulls their physical senses to be able to detect physical pain as in those suffering from leprosy. Paul uses this word here to denote or be an indication of those without Jesus Christ having become callous or cauterized being deadened in emotional and moral senses to that which is true as Paul declared to Brother Timothy with these words, “But the Holy Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away or will turn away from the faith, paying attention to deluding {and} seducing spirits, deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared (cauterized) in their own conscience as with a branding iron,” (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
Paul then uses the English phrase “have given themselves over” which is translated by one Greek word paradidomi meaning to surrender, that is, yield up, intrust, transmit. In other words, a genuine non-believer in Christ (the person may not be irreligious, but may practice religion in some form) has surrendered or given themselves up to the power and control of the prince of the power of the air (the devil) “unto lasciviousness,” and this English phrase is translated by one Greek word aselgeia which means to disregard sexual restraints; lacking moral restraints; moral depravity; moral corruption or defilement; lustful; sensual; lewd; hard to control sexual behavior; licentiousness (sometimes including other vices): - filthy, lasciviousness, wantonness. Paul declares the unregenerate to “work all uncleanness with greediness.” The English word work is translated by the Greek word ergasia meaning an occupation; by implication profit, pains: - craft, diligence, gain, work. In other words, this is not occasional or not being done or happening often or much; happening from time to time or recurring or reappearing from time to time, but it is a job that which is performed with persistency and is not desired or sought to be stopped, terminated, or discontinued. Paul declares this behavior to not be that of the redeemed and must not be thought of as such as he declared with these agonizing words to the Corinthian believers when he said, “Have you been supposing [all this time] that we have been defending ourselves {and} apologizing to you? [It is] in the sight {and} the [very] presence of God [and as one] in Christ (the Messiah) that we have been speaking, dearly beloved, and all in order to build you up [spiritually]. For I am fearful that somehow or other I may come and find you not as I desire to find you, and that you may find me too not as you want to find me--that perhaps there may be factions (quarreling), jealousy, temper (wrath, intrigues, rivalry, divided loyalties), selfishness, whispering, gossip, arrogance (self-assertion), and disorder among you. [I am fearful] that when I come again, my God may humiliate {and} humble me in your regard, and that I may have to sorrow over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, sexual vice, and sensuality which they formerly practiced.” (2 Corinthians 12:19-21).
My own Personal Note: Paul was very diligent in speaking the truth in love to fellow brethren because he most assuredly found in himself the ‘old man’ or ‘old nature’ sticking up his ugly head far too often as we found in his revelations to the Roman believers in Romans 7:14-25, but he wanted to see every believer walk in and live in the freedom that Christ purchased for us by His Blood (Galatians 5:1) and we find Paul writing these words later on in this epistle to the Romans when he said, “The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works {and} deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. Let us live {and} conduct ourselves honorably {and} becomingly as in the [open light of] day, not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery (sensuality and licentiousness), not in quarreling and jealousy. But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts).” (Romans 13:12-14). This is our Lord Jesus’ desire for each one of His children.
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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