17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Commentary
Vs. 17 "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind"
The Apostle Paul in speaking by the Lord's authority now makes a strong appeal, (i.e. testifies) that we who believe should no longer walk (that is live) "as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind." The Apostle Paul's thought here is that we who have come to know God through Christ should no longer live our lives like those who having no know true knowledge of God only walk in the futility of their own minds. And so as disciples of Christ we should no longer live like those who hearts and lives are being swayed and directed by all of the lies of this world which are propagated in every generation through worldly philosophies, through peoples own sinful hearts and desires, and very often through popular culture which is a reflection of all of this and very often is the means by which the father of lies propagates his own lies and agenda, misleading people and taking people captive to do his own will by promising them much personal gratification and pleasure and riches and whatever else people think will fulfill them through it, but only delivering them much disappointment and misery in the end. In essence then we are not to follow the "wisdom" of this age (Mark 8:36). For all such who do so are only walking in the futility of their own minds, because apart from the Word of God to enlighten, illuminate, and ultimately direct us away from this worlds lies and into God's truth, no one doing so can rise any higher than their own finite and sinful understanding, and thus they always end up justifying their own, or some else's depraved and evil desires. And so practicing ungodliness and uttering error against the Lord is a way of life in this life for those of it. And thus we are not to follow any of their sinful ways, or their lives course practices.
Vs. 18 "having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart"
The Apostle Paul now says of them that their understanding is darkened, darkened because having rejected the revelation and illumination that God gives all people of Himself their own understanding becomes darkened. This is self evident especially today as our world is more and more rapidly and progressively willfully setting itself against the Word of God, so too it's values, its ideals, it's "morals" are becoming more and more depraved, warped, and jaded. For when one walks in ones own understanding and thus lives their lives according to their own sinful hearts desires ones heart inevitably and progressively becomes not only hardened towards God, but their understanding also becomes darkened as God gives them over to a debased mind as His judgment against them for doing so (see Rom. 1:18-32). And so when any individual, or even a society rejects God's truth and light which He shines on all people in every generation their understanding becomes darkened. Something which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself warns us all about when He says, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. John 12:35-36
Now the second thing that marks the people of this world is that they themselves are alienated from the life of God. That is they have no Spirit life within them, nor can they have the life and love and joy of God within themselves as long as they alienate themselves from Him by not believing His Son Jesus Christ and His Gospel which we are all commanded to believe and obey. And so their persons and lives and pursuits always reflect this, which is the greatest tragedy of all not to know God, nor have the life of God within oneself. And thus to only live a life of vanity, as Solomon called it so many ages ago (see Book of Ecclesiastes). And so being lost in their own ignorance and given over to their own blindness of heart, they have neither desire nor concern for any of those things that make for a true and fulfilling and a meaningful life, by finding it in Christ alone, who frees us from sin and Satan so that we can fully live richly and abundantly and peacefully In Christ who both gives us true liberty and His life as well as the means to fulfill our lives with meaningful pursuits and purposes. And so their manner of person and life should not be ours.
Vs. 19 "who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."
The Apostle Paul here in describing them as being past feeling, is saying that their consciences have been calloused over. At one time they had a sense of guilt about the things they were doing, but now
having willfully and regularly hardened themselves to that innate conviction of sin God gives all people, they now having "liberated" themselves from it, are "free" too practice all manner of lewdness; that is sexual sins without the slightest hint of guilt or desire for restraint. Same with uncleanness which is essentially the same but even more debased in nature and so we get the willful justifying ("normalizing") of all manner of homosexual and transgender perversion, even teaching it to children, while defending it in the courts of law, and yet all of it is utterly contrary and hostile to the Word of God (consider Deut 18:9-14; 22:5; Prov 17:15; 1 Cor 6:11). And so as I have said before climate change will not be the ruin of humanity, rather the moral change will, for the social confusion and upheaval and lawlessness that it will breed and bring with it no one will be able to contain.
Vs. 20-24 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
We as Christians then are not to live like the unbelieving and unregenerate world. For if we have truly heard the Lord Jesus Christ and believed in Him, and thus received Him and His life for ourselves, as the truth is in Jesus and Jesus alone (vs. 20-21), then we must put off the old man; (a reference to our old unregenerate sinful self) which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts (vs. 22); a reference to the flesh and the lusts of it (consider 1 John 2:15-17; also James 4:4); and instead be renewed in the spirit of our minds (vs. 23). Something which is foundational to all Christian life, liberty, freedom and growth, and thus the thwarting of Satan and sin in our lives, just as the Apostle Paul also exhorts us all in Rom 12:1-2. Therefore instead of walking in the old man's (or old natures sinful ways and desires) we are to put on the new man (i.e. our new nature, see 2 Cor 5:17) which was created according to God (that is we have been recreated in the image or nature of God expressly seen in the Person and Nature of Christ) and thus we are to now live in true righteousness and holiness, just as Jesus did. And so though we are changed being brought from spiritual death to Spiritual and everlasting life the moment we believed, there is the ongoing sanctifying of our persons and lives by the Holy Spirit renewing us day by day (2 Cor 4:16), which as the Apostle Paul states here requires the ongoing renewing of our minds, since it is the mind that directs the body (see James 1:13-15), and it is our bodies which are now the temple of the Lord (1 Cor 3:16-17), and thus we are to strive to live in all true righteousness and holiness, sanctifying our bodies for the Lord (1 Cor 6:19-20).
I pray then that we who believe in Christ will all be about doing that, because Christianity and specifically Christ, is not found in observing dead religious ceremonies and religious ceremonialism, and thus serving dead religious practices devoid of the life and love, and specifically the Person of Christ. Nor is Christianity found in the ecstatic worship and worshiping of God by which having a mere spiritual experience, often through their so called "spirit baptisms" and or the laying on of their hands by which they seek to propagate these, and so they hold these as the highest goal and pursuit in being Christians, and thus they only end up supplanting true faith in Christ and obedience towards God by them (consider Matt. 7:21-23; Hebrews 3:12-18). Nor is Christ and the Christian faith found in the religious doctrines and decrees of men who strip it of all it's life and liberty and joy and instead make into legalistic bondage and servitude through the doctrines and commandments of men (Col. 2:20-23). Rather the Christian faith is found exclusively in the Gospel and thus the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came first to save us from all our sins and transgressions (and thus the wrath and judgment of God) by His own death on the cross for us all. Then having achieved our eternal redemption from sin and death, Jesus rose from the dead to vanquish death itself, so that He can now give new and everlasting life to all who believe in Him (Rom 10:9-10, 13; 1 Cor 15:53-55). The question then is have you received the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son and gift given too and for us all, so that we can be reconciled with God Himself the moment we repent and believe in Him. For again Christianity is not found in shadows and forms, nor experiences and doctrines, Christianity is found exclusively in the Person of Christ who comes into our persons and lives the moment we open our hearts to Him and invite Him in (Rev. 3:20). Therefore if you have not yet invited Jesus into your heart and life then please do so now, by a simply prayer prayed in faith inviting the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior you can have Him and all that God promises you through Him, therefore receive Christ today!
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 12:35–36). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Word Studies
Vs. 17 testify: μαρτύρομαι, Str. 3143; GK 3458; LN 33.223; 33.319 (Acts 20:26, Gal. 5:3; Eph 4:17) 3x
The Apostle Paul in speaking by the Lord's authority now makes a strong appeal, (i.e. testifies) that we who believe should no longer walk (that is live) "as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind." The Apostle Paul's thought here is that we who have come to know God through Christ should no longer live our lives like those who having no know true knowledge of God only walk in the futility of their own minds. And so as disciples of Christ we should no longer live like those who hearts and lives are being swayed and directed by all of the lies of this world which are propagated in every generation through worldly philosophies, through peoples own sinful hearts and desires, and very often through popular culture which is a reflection of all of this and very often is the means by which the father of lies propagates his own lies and agenda, misleading people and taking people captive to do his own will by promising them much personal gratification and pleasure and riches and whatever else people think will fulfill them through it, but only delivering them much disappointment and misery in the end. In essence then we are not to follow the "wisdom" of this age (Mark 8:36). For all such who do so are only walking in the futility of their own minds, because apart from the Word of God to enlighten, illuminate, and ultimately direct us away from this worlds lies and into God's truth, no one doing so can rise any higher than their own finite and sinful understanding, and thus they always end up justifying their own, or some else's depraved and evil desires. And so practicing ungodliness and uttering error against the Lord is a way of life in this life for those of it. And thus we are not to follow any of their sinful ways, or their lives course practices.
Vs. 18 "having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart"
The Apostle Paul now says of them that their understanding is darkened, darkened because having rejected the revelation and illumination that God gives all people of Himself their own understanding becomes darkened. This is self evident especially today as our world is more and more rapidly and progressively willfully setting itself against the Word of God, so too it's values, its ideals, it's "morals" are becoming more and more depraved, warped, and jaded. For when one walks in ones own understanding and thus lives their lives according to their own sinful hearts desires ones heart inevitably and progressively becomes not only hardened towards God, but their understanding also becomes darkened as God gives them over to a debased mind as His judgment against them for doing so (see Rom. 1:18-32). And so when any individual, or even a society rejects God's truth and light which He shines on all people in every generation their understanding becomes darkened. Something which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself warns us all about when He says, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. John 12:35-36
Now the second thing that marks the people of this world is that they themselves are alienated from the life of God. That is they have no Spirit life within them, nor can they have the life and love and joy of God within themselves as long as they alienate themselves from Him by not believing His Son Jesus Christ and His Gospel which we are all commanded to believe and obey. And so their persons and lives and pursuits always reflect this, which is the greatest tragedy of all not to know God, nor have the life of God within oneself. And thus to only live a life of vanity, as Solomon called it so many ages ago (see Book of Ecclesiastes). And so being lost in their own ignorance and given over to their own blindness of heart, they have neither desire nor concern for any of those things that make for a true and fulfilling and a meaningful life, by finding it in Christ alone, who frees us from sin and Satan so that we can fully live richly and abundantly and peacefully In Christ who both gives us true liberty and His life as well as the means to fulfill our lives with meaningful pursuits and purposes. And so their manner of person and life should not be ours.
Vs. 19 "who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."
The Apostle Paul here in describing them as being past feeling, is saying that their consciences have been calloused over. At one time they had a sense of guilt about the things they were doing, but now
having willfully and regularly hardened themselves to that innate conviction of sin God gives all people, they now having "liberated" themselves from it, are "free" too practice all manner of lewdness; that is sexual sins without the slightest hint of guilt or desire for restraint. Same with uncleanness which is essentially the same but even more debased in nature and so we get the willful justifying ("normalizing") of all manner of homosexual and transgender perversion, even teaching it to children, while defending it in the courts of law, and yet all of it is utterly contrary and hostile to the Word of God (consider Deut 18:9-14; 22:5; Prov 17:15; 1 Cor 6:11). And so as I have said before climate change will not be the ruin of humanity, rather the moral change will, for the social confusion and upheaval and lawlessness that it will breed and bring with it no one will be able to contain.
Vs. 20-24 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
We as Christians then are not to live like the unbelieving and unregenerate world. For if we have truly heard the Lord Jesus Christ and believed in Him, and thus received Him and His life for ourselves, as the truth is in Jesus and Jesus alone (vs. 20-21), then we must put off the old man; (a reference to our old unregenerate sinful self) which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts (vs. 22); a reference to the flesh and the lusts of it (consider 1 John 2:15-17; also James 4:4); and instead be renewed in the spirit of our minds (vs. 23). Something which is foundational to all Christian life, liberty, freedom and growth, and thus the thwarting of Satan and sin in our lives, just as the Apostle Paul also exhorts us all in Rom 12:1-2. Therefore instead of walking in the old man's (or old natures sinful ways and desires) we are to put on the new man (i.e. our new nature, see 2 Cor 5:17) which was created according to God (that is we have been recreated in the image or nature of God expressly seen in the Person and Nature of Christ) and thus we are to now live in true righteousness and holiness, just as Jesus did. And so though we are changed being brought from spiritual death to Spiritual and everlasting life the moment we believed, there is the ongoing sanctifying of our persons and lives by the Holy Spirit renewing us day by day (2 Cor 4:16), which as the Apostle Paul states here requires the ongoing renewing of our minds, since it is the mind that directs the body (see James 1:13-15), and it is our bodies which are now the temple of the Lord (1 Cor 3:16-17), and thus we are to strive to live in all true righteousness and holiness, sanctifying our bodies for the Lord (1 Cor 6:19-20).
I pray then that we who believe in Christ will all be about doing that, because Christianity and specifically Christ, is not found in observing dead religious ceremonies and religious ceremonialism, and thus serving dead religious practices devoid of the life and love, and specifically the Person of Christ. Nor is Christianity found in the ecstatic worship and worshiping of God by which having a mere spiritual experience, often through their so called "spirit baptisms" and or the laying on of their hands by which they seek to propagate these, and so they hold these as the highest goal and pursuit in being Christians, and thus they only end up supplanting true faith in Christ and obedience towards God by them (consider Matt. 7:21-23; Hebrews 3:12-18). Nor is Christ and the Christian faith found in the religious doctrines and decrees of men who strip it of all it's life and liberty and joy and instead make into legalistic bondage and servitude through the doctrines and commandments of men (Col. 2:20-23). Rather the Christian faith is found exclusively in the Gospel and thus the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came first to save us from all our sins and transgressions (and thus the wrath and judgment of God) by His own death on the cross for us all. Then having achieved our eternal redemption from sin and death, Jesus rose from the dead to vanquish death itself, so that He can now give new and everlasting life to all who believe in Him (Rom 10:9-10, 13; 1 Cor 15:53-55). The question then is have you received the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son and gift given too and for us all, so that we can be reconciled with God Himself the moment we repent and believe in Him. For again Christianity is not found in shadows and forms, nor experiences and doctrines, Christianity is found exclusively in the Person of Christ who comes into our persons and lives the moment we open our hearts to Him and invite Him in (Rev. 3:20). Therefore if you have not yet invited Jesus into your heart and life then please do so now, by a simply prayer prayed in faith inviting the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior you can have Him and all that God promises you through Him, therefore receive Christ today!
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 12:35–36). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Word Studies
Vs. 17 testify: μαρτύρομαι, Str. 3143; GK 3458; LN 33.223; 33.319 (Acts 20:26, Gal. 5:3; Eph 4:17) 3x
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