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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 1 * PART 3 * BOOK 38
Ephesians 4:12-24
Ephesians 4:17a
God doesn’t want somebody that the world would say, "If that’s being a Christian, then I’m glad I’m not one." Ephesians 4:17b
"...walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind." Now that word walk is a unique Pauline term. Ephesians 2:2a
"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,..."
Now what does Paul mean by that? Their everyday life’s experience before believing the Gospel, and the course they walked. Now coming back to chapter 4, and verse 17 our walk now is as a member of the Body of Christ. Paul tells us not to walk as those pagan Gentiles do. Now when I’m studying Scripture I try to remember the circumstances in which Paul lived and wrote. Paul would come in pretty much alone into these pagan cities. Ephesians 4:17
Now verse 18, and in this verse is the other Gentiles that Paul is referring to.
Ephesians 4:18
Now immediately two verses just pop into my mind. So let’s go back to John’s gospel chapter 3
John 3:19
"And this is the condemnation, that light (reference to Jesus of Nazareth) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, (why?) because their deeds were evil."
Do you remember that? John 3:19b-20
"...and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (look at the next verse) 20. Adam! Ephesians 4:18
"Having their understanding darkened (they loved walking in the dark, because their deeds were evil. But now what’s the next word in that verse?) alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:"
Satan did. Well no wonder we’re in trouble. If you can put Satan out of the picture, then he’s home free isn’t he? If you’re not going to recognize him, he has free reign. II Corinthians 4:3-4
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (if they’re lost they’re in darkness. If they’re in darkness, they’re blind, and it’s just a vicious circle) 4. In whom (these that are lost) the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
If you can keep people blind, they can’t see the light. I’ve never had it happen, but I’ve been waiting for the time that some one will say, "Well Les, you make too much of the apostle Paul."
II Corinthians 4:5
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake."
We’re just going to keep teaching what Paul teaches because he is going to be constantly pointing us to the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord. Now back to Ephesians chapter 4, verse 19, and Paul is speaking of these people who are in darkness. He’s speaking of these people who the god of this world is keeping blind.
Ephesians 4:19
Alright, what about a young man like that, does God love him? Absolutely! "Greed!" Now verse 20.
Ephesians 4:20
"But ye have not so learned Christ;"
We’re not in the Body of Christ to promote our greed. Ephesians 4:21
"If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:" (Now everybody knows that verse in John)
Truth, Gospel, and Christ, all mean basically the same thing. If you know Christ you know the Gospel. If you know the Gospel you know Truth, and they just all fit together. So what Paul is saying here in verse 21 is, if you know the Gospel, if you’re a member of this Body of Christ, then you have Truth, and we have Truth that the world knows nothing of. Now in verse 22, Paul comes into a review of what he taught more explicitly in the Book of Romans.
Ephesians 4:22a
"That ye put off concerning the former conversation (manner of living) the old man,..."
Now the old man in Paul’s language is old Adam. Ephesians 4:22b
Now corrupt isn’t a pretty word is it? That old seed potato that is now rotten, that old potato which is now corrupt. Now God loves us, don’t get me wrong, but the old Adam is corrupt, and vile. Genesis 6:5-7
"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now you come on down to verse 11, and we’ll pick up with the word "corrupt."
Genesis 6:11-12
"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh has corrupted his way upon the earth."
There you have the word corrupt three times in 2 verses, and you know by now when God repeats something 2 or 3 times in a short period, what’s He doing? Emphasizing. Hey, we’re close to that time again. Genesis 6:13
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