A Hint Too Far?

Posted on by korgrocker

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: no immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
Ephesians 5:3-5 NIVUK

These three verses need a bit of unpacking. Paul covered a lot of ground in the theatre of human behaviour when he wrote them. It’s all very well for him to be writing about things like “sexual immorality” but what did he mean, specifically? Similarly, with “impurity”. Can we, or should we, develop a set of rules and regulations, a sort of New Testament version of the Jewish Halakha? The questions continue with “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking”. Again, what was the Holy Spirit saying to him as he wrote this? And how can we avoid violating these “must nots” and “should nots”? The last verse today ends with a warning – “no immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” I think we can all agree that there is something important, no – essential, in these verses. 

But before we head for Google to try and throw some light on the dilemma, here are a few thoughts for today’s pilgrims. Firstly, regarding sexual immorality, is what we are doing based on and grounded in love? Not love of ourselves, but love of another? Is what we are doing or saying honouring the other person? Thinking about their highest good? And are we aware of possible consequences further down the roads of life? Scriptures that come to mind are 1 Corinthians 13. But also, how about 1 John 3:16, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters”? There have been many examples where the short term seeking of pleasure has led to long term grief and distress. The act of sex is a wonderful God-given gift and not one to be abused, distorted and violated. Instead, it is an essential part of humanity, to be enjoyed in God’s presence and in accordance with His guidance.

Paul continued to write about impurity and greed. Impurity is the opposite of what God demands of His people – Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Impure people, it seems, won’t get into God’s presence. In a chemical sense, impurities can corrupt and reduce the worth of a compound. And so it is with us; if we allow anything into our lives that corrupts and destroys our integrity, we become impure. A lie perhaps. A slanderous comment about someone we know. The potential for impurity is limitless. We need to be on our guard at all times.

Greed is normally associated with the excess consumption of food but it can apply to anything we do. A hoarder of money perhaps? Greedy people grab what they can, often to the detriment of those around them. The last sandwich on the plate. Or chocolate in a box. Buying two hamburgers when one would have been sufficient. But in the process of greed, we can become corrupted in our behaviour, always looking out for ourselves and not putting the interests and needs of others first.

But in everything we do, we should shine on it the light of God’s perspective. I remember rubber wrist bands being handed out at a youth conference some years ago, with the letters WWJD written of them. The letters forming an acronym, “What Would Jesus Do”. Perhaps the best advice of all. Because Jesus loved everyone. He had compassion on all those He met. His grace for others knew no bounds. He knew the right way to behave and live a life to purity.

Paul finally wrote that thanksgiving should replace “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking”. This is a hard one, especially in the work place, where group talk can quickly descend into a negative place. But such difficulties can occur anywhere in society around us. And as pilgrims we have to develop the skills to step back from such offence, instead elevating ourselves into a zone of thankfulness.

Summing up, impure behaviour at any level moves us into a sin-zone. Into dangerous territory. But thankfully, our loving Heavenly Father knows our human frailties and will always welcome a repentant sinner home.

Dearly Loved

Posted on by korgrocker

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

These verses say unequivocally that we Christians are “dearly loved”. Children of God. And Jesus, through His sacrifice at Calvary, a selfless act that was part of God’s plan, demonstrated His love for us. Because we are “dearly loved”, Paul wrote that we must follow God’s example, and we must “live a life of love”. Beautiful words and sentiments. Two verses that give us a warm glow inside and lead us to a place of worship, as we meditate on all that God has done for us. 

But here’s the thing – what does ”living a life of love” look like in the day to day world of today’s pilgrims? In a war-torn world, full of doom and gloom. The Covid pandemic refuses to lie down or go away. Rising energy and commodity costs risk tipping many families into poverty and debt. Newspapers and journalists try to outdo each other to win the prize for the most negative, doom-laden, story. But in all of that the message to us today is the same as it was when Paul wrote to his Ephesian friends, that we are “dearly loved”. I don’t know about you but that has provided me with another perspective on life. My status in God’s eyes somehow elevates me above the natural world into Heavenly places. 

On my morning prayer walk today I looked around at the hints of spring. The snowdrops have been around for a while. Crocuses and daffodils abound. The bird song is different. Just a few days ago I saw a couple of ducks exploring the small stream that trickles through the woodland nearby. In the distance was the drumming of a woodpecker. This is God’s creation, the environment He supplied for the “deeply loved”. And somehow, the worldly mayhem around me seemed less relevant. Escapism? Denial? I don’t think so – just a reminder, an appreciation, that my Heavenly Father cares for me. He promised never to leave me. He promised to meet all my needs. Life may not be easy right now, but He is here for me, because He loves me.

Back to my question – what does living a life of love look like? Simply, the love God has lavished on me is there for me to lavish on those around me. To those in my family. My neighbours and friends. My workmates. Those people I meet in the supermarket, the petrol station. And my acts of love may seem small – perhaps no more than a cheery word – but essential nonetheless to dispense the love we have to share. A man I met the other day is worried about being able to pay his energy bills. The anxiety is eating away at him like a cancer. I couldn’t do much about his bills, but I was able to tell him that God loves and cares for him. Briefly, a flicker of relief crossed his face and I pray that he too comes to a place where he knows he is deeply loved.

Who is there around us today who needs to know the love of God? We all have our messages of hope, ready and waiting to bring light into a dark world. We all must unselfishly try our utmost to find someone with whom we can share all that God has done for us. We are dearly loved children of God extending an invitation to those we meet, an invitation to join the most wonderful family ever. God’s family. Open to all – He has more than enough love to go round.

Forgiveness

Posted on by korgrocker

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

That’s a pretty comprehensive list of negatives. Paul listed “bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander” and then almost as an afterthought, and just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, he added “all types of evil behaviour”. I wonder what prompted his thinking? Perhaps, as he languished in his prison cell, he remembered his friends back in Ephesus and thought about how they lived. Perhaps he was thinking, “I remember that lady with the blue robe – she was a very bitter woman”. Or, “I wish Sparticus (would that be the name of someone in Ephesus?) wouldn’t erupt in an angry rant every time someone disagreed with him”. Perhaps Paul found himself holding his tongue when he heard the way they spoke about each other. But from his prison cell he found the freedom to write about it. Somehow his suffering added weight to his message. His message was relevant in his day and is still relevant today. It is timeless. Human nature hasn’t changed much over the centuries. So often our behaviour is learned from our circumstances. So a child watching an angry father might copy his behaviour. Another child hearing a gossiping relative might think that they can do the same. Others might see the trolling on social media and join in, trying to outdo the vile comments left by someone else. As an aside today, I wonder if Paul would have had a Facebook page or a Twitter account? If he had the posts would have been amazing, I’m sure. Regardless of what behaviour we learn from others, though, sometimes the ways we speak, the emotions we display, the ways we react – they are all driven by the sinful person we are inside. 

Anyway, Paul encouraged his readers to replace all their negatives with the word “instead”. And the second of our verses today sets out the ways in which we should behave. Instead of being bitter and angry we should be kind and compassionate. The word “tender-hearted” is used. There is a man living near me who had a horrendous upbringing, being brought up in acute poverty with a mother and ten siblings. But now in his retirement, he helps out with feeding and caring for a few animals on a small-holding near him. He is a very soft-hearted man, and I pointed that out to him yesterday. His response was that he was soft with animals but not with people. A man tender-hearted by nature but hardened by exposure to a life of contact with people displaying “evil behaviour“.

How are we with our fellow members of society? Are we pilgrims secure within hard walls that we have erected to protect us from the hard knocks in life? To prevent the barbed comment and nasty insinuations from hurting us? Or are we tenderhearted, feeling the pain of others? Allowing, in a spirit of forgiveness, “harsh words and slander” to wash over us? Responding with kindness and love, compassion and mercy? That is the Jesus way. When nails were hammered into His hands He responded with “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). He loved His enemies even to the end. So what else can we do? We can only echo Jesus’ love for others in the way we face into life. Interface with those around us. Forgiving others as Christ has forgiven us.

Sorrow

Posted on by korgrocker

“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Is it possible to grieve, or make sorrowful, the Holy Spirit? As Christians, when we were saved by our acceptance of Jesus, His sacrifice at Calvary and repentance of our sins, we received the Holy Spirit and His power. To some it has been an amazing experience, a light bulb moment, a Damascus Road revelation. To others the Holy Spirit’s presence has been a gradual but significant in-filling. And through our Christian lives, there is a constant refilling, as we use the power within us in our service to God (Ephesians 5:18). 

Of course, there are sadly some Christians who deny His presence, but He is a gift from God, as we can read in Acts 2:38, “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

So as pilgrims, tramping our individual ways through life, we have the presence of God within us. Wouldn’t it be sad if we denied Him room within us? Wouldn’t that on its own be enough to make God sorrowful? God not only gave us the gift of salvation when we accepted Jesus, He also gave us the gift of His Spirit. Imagine on your birthday handing back a gift saying you didn’t want it – how would the giver feel? As wise pilgrims we accept God’s Gift with grateful hearts, making space within for His presence. Doing an internal spring-clean, moving the junk inside us into the garbage bin. But in our lives we will face into opportunities for disappointing the Holy Spirit. Perhaps through someone we meet. Or through what we watch on television or in a theatre. Or in our behaviour.  And He will then become sorrowful.

Paul goes on to remind us to remember. To remember who we belong to, whose children we are, the relationship we have with our Father in Heaven. And of course remembering that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our future. Earlier we read Ephesian 1:14, “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”. So what is this inheritance that God promised? One day we will cross the Great Divide into His presence. Jesus called it Paradise during His brief conversation with the thief on the adjacent cross. 

So we pilgrims must be careful in the way we live. We can so easily make those around us sorrowful, with our behaviour, with our responses, or with our lack of love and care. And so it is with the Holy Spirit, except He lives within us. Even more in touch with us than our relatives or friends. Perhaps we should pray the prayer David did in Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life“. David knew, as Paul did, the importance, the necessity, of not making Him sorrowful. 

Jesus did so much for us at Calvary. He died for our sins. He gave us His righteousness. He then gifted us His Spirit. God, we’re so grateful! Please forgive us for the times when we have made You sorrowful. Please lead us into Your presence, day by day. Amen.

Words

Posted on by korgrocker

“And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them.”
Ephesians‬ ‭4:29‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”
James‬ ‭3:9-10‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

The Passion Translation of our Ephesian verse today uses the phrase “ugly or hateful” to describe undesirable words. In other translations we have “unwholesome” and “foul or abusive“. They all build a picture that Paul was trying to get across to his readers, that the words we use are important and that we need to make sure we use the right words, both in what we say and what we mean. He wasn’t the only New Testament writer who picked up on this theme. James, one of Jesus’ half-brothers, said much the same in our second verses today.

I walked past a group of men the other day, and their discussion about the war in Ukraine was interlaced with so many swear words that I quickly walked by. Hateful words cursing human beings. Seemingly the exact opposite of what Paul and James were writing about in their letters. But we don’t have to be using profanities for the words we say to still tick the “ugly or hateful” box. What about the times when we have run someone down. Perhaps a political leader we don’t like? Or our boss at work? The next door neighbour? In the process using words that are far from the definition of “words of grace”. James was quite right when he said that words from our mouths can at times be used and uttered in worship and praise of God but at other times can be destructive and offensive. 

So how does a 21st Century pilgrim only say words that are “beautiful gifts“? Holding our tongues when we hit a thumb with a hammer? Praying for our enemies not curse them? Cleaning up the words that come out of our mouths in a worldly workplace full of profanities and hate speech? And it doesn’t just end with our spoken words. If social media had been around in Paul and James’ days they would have included trolling and other negative posts in their teachings. Because God clearly was speaking through them and wants our “words of grace” to penetrate into this dark world with laser-sharp illumination. Showing a better way. A counter-cultural way.

It all boils down to our choices. We have a choice over what we say. We can react in anger and say things we will later regret, or we can hold our tongues, letting the feelings inside of us subside. Paul in Romans 12 wrote this, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect”. 

In the verses in Romans 12, Paul exposed the importance of our thoughts. Someone once said, “What consumes your mind, controls your life.” I would develop this to say, “What consumes your mind, controls what you say”. There is a key for pilgrims in this sentence from Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” We must turn our backs on the worldliness around us, instead allowing God to work in our minds, bringing to bear more of His presence, bringing sanctification to our “little grey cells”. Then our speech will become less and less problematic. A sanctified mind will make the right choices and the right speech will result. What we say to others will be gracious and “beautiful gifts“. But all of this won’t happen overnight. God is in no hurry. He is gracious, loving and gentle. And as we learn more and more to turn to Him in times of stress what comes out of our mouths will be the voice of God, helping those around us.

Theft

Posted on by korgrocker

“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:28‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

I wonder why Paul added this instruction in his letter. Perhaps there was someone in the Ephesian church who was a thief. Perhaps there were even more than one. But he must have had a reason, and you can just imagine the person or persons involved in theft squirming a bit in their seats while the letter was read out, perhaps flushed with embarrassment or feelings of guilt. In the society at that time perhaps being a thief was an easy way to earn a living. But whoever it was, they had a choice and Paul made it clear – get a job, he said. But, as an aside, if the miscreant had been caught thieving I can imagine the penalty would have been rather severe – we remember that two thieves were crucified along with Jesus not that many miles away from Ephesus.

But stealing is not a victimless crime. It impacts other people’s lives; honest people who would have wondered who the culprit was. Suspicion builds up and when the Ephesian church met together you can just imagine the thoughts that would have been flying around. Knowing that one of their number was a thief, they would have been looking around at their fellow Christians wondering, “is it him”, or “perhaps she did it”. And the bonds of unity and love that Paul was writing about in his letter to his friends at Ephesus would have been broken. 

In a church near where I live, and a few years ago now, money seemed to be disappearing on a regular basis. Sadly, the leadership had to make a determined effort to find the culprit, and eventually found that a church administrator was responsible. But the grace and love that was poured out in that church was absolutely amazing. Without involving the police, they arranged for the return of what had been stolen and forgave the person concerned, who repented and asked for forgiveness. A person restored and forgiven. Church unity unbroken. Dealing with theft the Jesus way.

A pilgrim today will have many opportunities to take a short cut, tempted to steal rather than earn. Perhaps forced to think that way through personal hardship or family pressures. But there is no other way than the way of complete and total honesty. The Jesus way.

Anger

Posted on by korgrocker

“And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”
‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:26-27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul moves on to the problem of anger. He quotes Psalm 4:4, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent“. There were many circumstances in Paul’s world that caused anger, much as there are today. The Psalmist, David, knew the problems of being angry many years before Paul echoed his agreement. And we look around us and find how destructive anger can be. For example, in our days, so called “road rage” attacks frequently grab the news headlines. A driver getting angry with what he perceives as another driver’s bad driving. Words and actions can quickly get out of hand leading to terrible outcomes. 

Unlike lies, though, which we considered in the previous verse, anger can lead to a right outcome in the right circumstances. But we have to channel our anger into righteous ways. I get angry when I see the current news reports of atrocities committed in Ukraine, but the feelings of anger drive me to prayer. Jesus became angry when He observed the lack of faith by the people and leaders in the synagogue – the story is in Mark 3. We read, “He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts…”. Jesus felt anger as do we, but He gave us a model to emulate. He channelled His anger into a healing.

Closer to home, a bad driver fails to make me respond. And I don’t react any more to a queue-jumper in a supermarket. I’m sure you, my readers, behave the same. But sometimes something happens that does make us angry, creating the opportunity for a negative reaction. Being wrongly accused of something we haven’t done. Having a row with a spouse. Experiencing an injustice committed by a neighbour or workmate. All these things can provide a basis for anger. And David’s advice in Psalm 4, echoed by Paul in our verses today, was to be careful we don’t react wrongly through anger, instead dealing with the issue before we go to bed and then overnight allowing the Holy Spirit to bring into play God’s perspective. The last thing we need or want is for the devil to gain a hold over us. 

In our pilgrimage through life we will come across much that makes us angry. There will be situations we meet that seem tailor-made to press a button inside of us marked “Anger”. You know – it’s a red button that will set off a series of events or emotions seemingly beyond our control if it’s pressed. We all have one. And even if we don’t think we do, the devil will find it and press it, given the chance. So Paul’s advice was timely, relevant and appropriate. If anyone had an excuse to become angry it was Paul, imprisoned for his devotion and service to Christ. But he channelled his anger into prayer and writing letters. Recording for posterity life-truths for our benefit, even many years later. Thanks Paul.

Telling Lies

Posted on by korgrocker

“So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbours the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. ‭‭
Ephesians‬ ‭4:25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this verse Paul highlights a seemingly-eternal human trait – the telling of lies. What’s the problem with lies, some might say. After all, telling the truth to someone can protect them from unnecessary worry or pain. Surely a “white lie” can be justified? Should I really tell a loved one the truth that they are suffering from an incurable condition? Wouldn’t a lie instead be the best way? Didn’t Paul really mean that we shouldn’t tell lies to excuse our bad behaviour or hurt someone? Difficult questions, but Paul writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, unequivocally stated that we must tell the truth. Lies must stop. Jesus warned us that lies originate with the devil, who He referred to as the father of lies. The words of Jesus were recorded in John 8:44 when addressing the people in the Temple, “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies”. So perhaps Paul was pointing out the truth that lies are of the devil. The situation is simple – truth comes from God, lies come from the devil. 

So what does today’s pilgrim do about telling lies? Why do we tell lies in the first place? Some people seem to tell lies by default, to the extent that they seem unable to separate lies from truth. There is obviously an attraction to tell a lie if we can see it will get us off the hook for some misdemeanour. Or there might be an opportunity to gain a reward by lying. Some people will tell lies to make themselves look better than they really are, driven by some insecurity or other emotional problem. There are many reasons for why we feel the temptation to tell a lie. But in the end we have a choice. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to tell lies. He wants the truth.

There is a way to tell the truth in everything, because if there wasn’t God would have said so. We read earlier in this chapter in Ephesians, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love,….”. That’s the key – God’s love flowing through us will help us find the right words and deliver truths the right way. With God in our lives there is no reason to tell lies. 

Paul finally reminded his readers about unity in the body, the church. And that is one thing which hasn’t changed over the years. Lies and deception will undermine and destroy the love that binds together our churches in unity. Jesus felt so strongly about the importance of truth, that He prefixed many a parable or teaching by the words “I tell you the truth“. Or, in the old King James version, “Verily, verily, I say unto you“. In John 14:6, Jesus affirmed that in fact He was the Truth. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”. So telling the truth is rather important don’t we think? We plod on in our pilgrimage the Jesus way, the way of truth.

New Clothes

Posted on by korgrocker

“But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:20-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul continues to lay out his thoughts from his prison cell in a different land. His love and concern for his Ephesian friends totally eclipsed the privations and discomforts of his incarceration. And he having, in the previous verses, warned them about the dangers and problems of worldliness, of living lives the Gentile way, he moves on to explain how in fact they should live. There is a better way, he tells them.

He starts by reminding them about what they had been taught about Jesus. There would not have been at this time access to the Gospels, but the stories of Jesus and His mission and teachings, His crucifixion and resurrection, would have been told them over and over again. Facts drummed into them by the diligence of Paul’s preaching. So he goes on to remind them about His truth. God’s truth. The counter-cultural ways of the Kingdom of God. The importance of the basics like repentance from sin and what living a life the Jesus way really means. In fact, Paul comes up with another analogy – he seems to have had a gift in presenting easily-understood word pictures to help his friends. Paul’s analogy involved throwing off and putting on. He reminds them of the “old man”, the fleshly, sinful nature that seems to be a default for human beings. That natural way of life that is full of lies and deceit, lusts and uncleanness. A corrupted nature, not at all as God designed it to be. And Paul quite dramatically tells them to put it off. Discard it. Get rid of it. He then moves on to describe the “new nature, created to be like God”. And notice that this new nature is not something we can generate ourselves – we only experience it by allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our “thoughts and attitudes”. We must do the allowing and the Holy Spirit will bring the renewing. The end result is true righteousness and holiness.

So what should pilgrims make of Paul’s analogy? I have been much helped by these verses myself in my Christian walk because I find it so easy to get up in the morning and put on the wrong spiritual clothes. I don’t know about my readers today, but my default position can so easily be the wrong one. And so, like all pilgrims, we must put off our old clothes to allow the Holy Spirit to dress us in the new. Divine clothes, woven and knitted, stitched and finished, created in Heaven. Amazing! So how does wearing our set of Heavenly clothes impact our day? We find that the hassles of life become less important. We find the dislike of objectionable people being replaced by love and kindness. We find that we don’t get so depressed and worried by the incessant negatives from the news channels. After all, how can we be the same, now that we’re wearing Heavenly clothes, the holiness of Heaven? 

A final question – will people around us notice our new clothes today? Or will they still see the same old shabby, well-worn, suit or dress? Hmmm…

Worldliness

Posted on by korgrocker

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.”
‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:17-19‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Strong words from Paul. He presented to his friends the inviolable requirement that they had to change the way they live. No more living in a worldly way. No more going with the flow. No more following the crowd. Obviously his friends in Ephesus were once steeped in worldliness and he points out that living in this way was futile. It would lead nowhere other than to death and destruction. Paul’s observations of living life the Gentile way involved having hard hearts, insensitivity, sensuality, impurity and greed. Strong words indeed. The problem the Gentiles had was that they didn’t know any better. They had no moral compass. They had no appreciation of sin and its consequences. If it felt right they did it, regardless of what might happen. 

Here we are in the 21st Century and Paul’s analysis seems just as relevant today as it was in his day. Nothing has changed. In fact things may even seem to have got worse. Human nature has not been changed by the intervening years, by the improvements in “civilisation”, by the embracing of technologies totally beyond the thinking of the Ephesian Christians. We look around us at the behaviour of worldly people – take just the war in Ukraine as an example of futile thinking, of greed, of hard hearts. Our depressing analysis of human nature today won’t change the reality of the sort of world in which we live. But as Christians we must double our efforts to show those around us that there is a better way. Jesus came to this world bringing His Kingdom, a counter-cultural new way of living. Living God’s way, not the way of human nature dominated by “futile thinking”. And so today we reach out to Jesus and pray. We pray for those around us. We pray for divine appointments. We share our message of hope with our families, our communities. And we pray for our governments, that God will penetrate the dark thinking, the sinful ways, showing them that there is a better way. God’s way.