They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.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:being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;
11 sermons cite this verse
… understanding, the kind that can see clearly about God and His ways and His salvation, no one understands. Ephesians 4.18, our minds have been darkened. This means we can be very smart in one area and very dumb in another area. You can be an expert in your field and totally ignorant about God. Experts get a bad rap sometimes. I'm thankful for when it comes to people who have to, who doctors or somebody has to do a surgery or even somebody who's got to change the oil in my car. That takes an expertise beyond my level. I'm thankful for experts, but just because you're an expert in something doesn't mean you're an expert in anything else. My kids get very tired of the joke when somebody is sick or somebody gets hurt in the house and And what should we do? And I say, I am a doctor. I do have a doctorate in history. It will probably be very helpful right now. That doesn't make me knowledgeable in anything except have Witherspoon will travel. …
… Minds. they're darkened in their understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of heart they've become callous have given themselves up to sensuality greedy to practice every kind of impurity but that is not the way you've learned Christ assuming that you've heard about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus to put off your older self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your what? Minds. And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God and true righteousness and holiness. Do you see it? To fight spiritual warfare, you need a renewed mind that is filled with the truth that's in Jesus. You need to leave behind futile ways of thinking, false ways of thinking in your mind, which we know from the very beginning of the Bible is where sin starts. Do you remember the first picture we see of spiritual warfare, Genesis chapter three, the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field the Lord God had made. …
… If you go down to verse 17, we are to no longer walk as the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the the ignorance that is in them because of the hardness of their heart. They too, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way." Then he goes on in verse 22 to say, "'That was your former manner of life, but you laid aside that old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and And you have been renewed in the spirit of your mind, verse 24, and put on the new self. So we are new creatures in Christ, and we no longer walk the way we used to walk. How do we walk? Chapter 5, verse 1, as imitators of God, as His beloved children. He is our Father. …
… That life was marked by futility of mind, verse 17, verse 18, 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. They having become callous have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. So you, on the one hand, are marked by humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, love, unity, peace, etc., and you used to be marked by futility of mind, darkened understanding, exclusion from the life of God, ignorance, hardness of heart, callousness, sensuality, impurity, and greediness. Verse 20 marks the distinction, you did not learn Christ in this way. If you have been taught by Christ and received the truth, verse 21 says, you have left behind your old manner of life, verse 22. You laid aside the old self, verse 23. You've been renewed in the spirit of your mind. You put on the new self. You are a different person, completely, radically changed. …
… Gentiles or the pagans also walk, and here's how they 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. But you did not learn Christ in this way. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him just as truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. …
… So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles or the pagans 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. And here's the transition. But you did not learn Christ in this way. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him just as truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. …
… So this I say, or therefore, 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. But you did not learn Christ in this way. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. …
… And how did you walk before your conversion? Verse 18, 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. They having become callous have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness." Okay, that's a description of unconverted people. They walk like pagans, because they are. They're futile in their mind, empty, darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, ignorant, hard-hearted, callous, and given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. You look at the world around you, the unrestrained world in which we live now, and you wonder how can people be so dissolute, so reprobate, live at such an aggressive level of going from one transgression to another as fast as they can possibly go. It's because that's who they really are. And the last word in verse 19 is very important. The unconverted people pursue sensuality and impurity with greediness. …
… 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. But you did not learn Christ in this way. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. What marks a person who is unconverted is unrighteousness, unholiness, and deception. …
… It's the same text that we looked at last week. But we were unable to finish it, so we'll do that this morning, Ephesians 4, verses 17 to 24. And I'm going to read it, and then we're going to look again at these wonderful words of divine revelation. 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. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him just as truth is in Jesus. That in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Now we here have a comparison between the people before salvation and the same people afterward. …
… You don't walk that way anymore. 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. But you did not learn Christ in this way. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him just as truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you laid aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and you are renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. You know what salvation does? It takes you from being described as futile in mind, darkened in understanding, excluded from the life of God, ignorant, hard-hearted, callous, sensual, impure, with greediness, and it makes you righteous and holy. …