Ephesians 4:17-18, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”
The Gentiles, Paul referred to, were in denial of the true God and therefore denied any standard of morality that they must answer to. They were either atheist, or they believed in gods who were themselves immoral. Sounds familiar to our modern culture’s ways, doesn’t it? We all have to keep on keeping on, in our walk with the Lord, in growing closer to Him and knowing Him better, more intimately each day.
My husband and I just returned from a 4,230 mile road trip to see my parents in NW Iowa, and brother and sister-in-law. We had the opportunity to visit with a few cousins along the way. I saw that each one has their own stressful issues, including my 94 yr. old parents, to deal with, and a cultural political shift in their state where they live, besides us here in California. So we all are to live up to what a Christian is and walk worthy of our calling (Ephe. 4:1). The challenge is set before us, just as it was with the church in Ephesus, back in Paul’s day.
Paul stated in Romans 1:21, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him, as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” We all must ask ourselves, “How am I honoring God today, and what do I need to thank Him for?”
Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon said that if we do not honor God, we miss the whole purpose in life and are therefore fools (Prov. 1:7, 22;10:1; 12:15; 14:7; 17:25; 20:3). Solomon states the theme of Proverb’s goal is to describe and instill “wisdom” in God’s people. This wisdom is found in the “fear of the Lord (Prov. 9:10)” in practical everyday circumstances, situations, and relationships. One example is from Proverbs 29:11, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”
There are several “no longer” ways we must live up to the calling to which we are called in Christ:
- No longer losing one’s temper and giving vent to anger – Prov.12:16, “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.” Prov. 20:3, “It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.”
- No longer allowing sins of the past – Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore, what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
- No longer holding onto anxieties – 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your anxieties on Him, because he cares for you.”
- No longer holding onto jealous thoughts – Proverbs 30, “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”
Living our life intentionally, as God designed us to do, with the concentrated focus on honoring Jesus in all we do, to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:23-33), is an ongoing process and daily work for the rest of one’s life. Nobody’s grass is greener. The old way has to go. The NLT version of Ephesians 4: 23 states, “Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Our heart has to be changed in order for our mind to be changed and filled with the wisdom that can only come through knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Yes, the old way has to go in our thoughts and attitudes, and needs to be replaced with the truth of Christ Jesus. What we do needs to be motivated by our love for Christ. The old way has to go.
Listen to Run To The Father by Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe.