“…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:13-16.
The above verses are given to help us retain the context of this study in Ephesians 4 as we move into a new thought. The Christian is to grow to maturity in Christ and use the wisdom that comes with it.
The apostle tells us in verse 17 below that as a result of the preceding things given in verses 13 through 16 about growing in maturity and in the unity of the body of Christ that we should therefore no longer walk as the unsaved Gentiles.
“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord [I speak the truth], that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.” Ephesians 4:17.
Notice here that it says that we are not to walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk. When we accept Christ as our Savior, becoming Christians, there is a separation between us and the rest of the Gentiles.
This separation is not so much us separating from them; rather it is they who reject us because we have sided with the enemy, Jesus.
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.” John 15:18-21.
Jesus said that even families will be separated, not because He wanted them to be, but because they would reject His name and His doctrine, which come first for the Christian.
“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Luke 12:51-53.
It is man’s rejection of God that brings these divisions, not God against man. This division would never have occurred if Jesus had not come to earth to die for sin. Then the world would have lived an uneasy peace together on earth and then all quietly slid into hell.
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Often folks will say that they are being persecuted because they are a Christian, when in fact unbelievers dislike them because they are obnoxious.
This is why it is so important for the Christian to stop trying to live like they did before they became Christians, and to set their heart on becoming more like Jesus in this world.
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind [to continue to press toward the goal]; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” Philippians 3:14-16.
“…you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind…” Ephesians 4:17b.
“…in the futility of their mind” the word futility is rendered “vanity” in the King James Bible and means, perverseness, depravity.
The dictionary gives the definition for perverseness as; willfully determined not to do what is expected or desired. It also states that this is a person who is persistent or obstinate in doing what is wrong.
Depravity is defined as corrupt, wicked, or perverse; a person who could be described as, depraved, degenerate, or dissolute.
A possible rephrase of Ephesians 4:17b might be something like this: …you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles, whose mindset causes them to obstinately walk, in a persistent way of doing what is wrong, and are depraved or degenerate in it.
It is true that most of the unsaved people around you are decent moral folks. But this does not mean that any one of them cannot be seduced by the godless lies with which the world is inundated.
The world tells us that fornication is acceptable if it is safe sex, and if there should be an “accident” even this can be corrected by an abortion. Adultery is a bit more iffy but if you do not get caught, and especially if the spouse is an unworthy person, why not?
Marriage has been so corrupted by the psychologists and Hollywood that it is, as some say, just a piece of paper.
If it is an irrelevant institution forged by the needs of evolution, what would be wrong with same sex marriage? People take pride in these abominable things calling themselves progressive.
The question is now what is wrong with being a pedophile?
Marrying a three or four year old girl and then defiling her is already legitimate in Muslim countries. Why should it be illegal in this country?
Most of the civilized world weeps bitterly over dogs, or cats, dolphins or whales; but no one screams and carries signs, braves teargas or breaks down police barriers for abused and murdered children. They have no voice.
There is a day of reckoning coming for these, hands that shed innocent blood, and the abusers will find themselves cast into the lake of fire where they will be tormented day and night forever by the vile things they did to women and children.
“Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18:5-7.
A lying tongue, a little bribe here and there is okay if no one is hurt by it, just as insider trading, while it is illegal, supposedly does not hurt anyone, especially if it makes you rich.
Perhaps one can sneak out on their dinner bill, especially if the waiter was not so good, such is a heart that devises wicked plans.
And now all policemen are portrayed as brutes, so they deserve little sympathy when they are murdered. Hateful people who rejoice over this have feet that are swift in running to evil. They revel in these lurid stories.
The IRS scandal, fast and furious scandal, Veteran’s Affairs scandal, the Obamacare scandal, the murders in the Benghazi embassy, the Iranian nuclear treaty scandal; unsecured classified e-mails, all filled with false witnesses speaking lies.
And one who sows discord among brethren, America, the famed melting pot, is more divided racially, ideologically, and religiously than it has ever been. This country is filled with people who sow discord for their own villainous reasons, or for the sheer joy of doing so.
Oh, the world is a sick place, and the residents herein are seated up to their necks in filthy lies which will slowly suffocate them to death before they see the danger.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind [a reprobate mind that does not work], to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32.
Christ’s Body, Ephesians 4:17 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 3-10-16, updated on 6-22-21.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.