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Once again, the Apostle Paul is reiterating the truth from verse 17, and the first part of verse 18: We are not to live our lives, or give our minds and emotions over to the ways of unbelievers. Why? Because 1. Their way of thinking is futile (weak, wanting, and wrong), and 2. Their mentality and emotions (disposition) have been shielded from the Light because they don’t know God.
But this part of Ephesians 18 seems to suddenly take on a bit of a twist. Last week we learned that Paul was speaking about why unbelievers have an excuse not to walk in the Light of God: because they don’t know any better. But here, he seems to be saying, “And this is why they don’t know any better, why they don’t know God…1. Because of their ignorance, and 2. Because of the blindness of their heart." Now two more things before I go on, 1. The word “ignorance” used here fundamentally refers to “moral blindness,” and 2. Notice how now the word “heart” is used when referring to blindness, where previously, Paul correlated darkness with their understanding, which implicated their mentality, emotions, and/or disposition.
It seems that now Paul is making a clear judgement against unbelievers in this part of the verse. Why? The words Paul uses are accusatory as if the ignorance and blindness of unbeliever’s hearts is somehow intentional, or willful. Do you know people like that? The truth is right there staring them in the face. The evidence is clear. The witnesses are 12 deep. But they absolutely refuse to see truth or change the core (heart) of their belief system(s). Can it be said of your lifestyle, “She just doesn’t know any better”? This is not a call to be perfect, but, we are not to be stubborn rejecters of Truth. Even as Christ Followers, we can be guilty of not growing into full maturity because we refuse to see the evidence of Truth and God’s path for us. Stubbornness, rejecting the truth, and refusal to grow, will keep us from closeness and intimacy with God. It will cause us to fall into traps of deception, and fall prey to false doctrines. It will determine whether we experience revival on a regular basis, or fall into the herd of the masses of lukewarm living.
Let us not reject the light of morality, nor allow our hearts to be stubborn as God reveals more and more Light. Let us embrace and obey…always! And then we can expect to grow into the full measure of the stature of Christ Jesus!
Seeking to Grow my Walk with God and Others,
Dawn~
But this part of Ephesians 18 seems to suddenly take on a bit of a twist. Last week we learned that Paul was speaking about why unbelievers have an excuse not to walk in the Light of God: because they don’t know any better. But here, he seems to be saying, “And this is why they don’t know any better, why they don’t know God…1. Because of their ignorance, and 2. Because of the blindness of their heart." Now two more things before I go on, 1. The word “ignorance” used here fundamentally refers to “moral blindness,” and 2. Notice how now the word “heart” is used when referring to blindness, where previously, Paul correlated darkness with their understanding, which implicated their mentality, emotions, and/or disposition.
It seems that now Paul is making a clear judgement against unbelievers in this part of the verse. Why? The words Paul uses are accusatory as if the ignorance and blindness of unbeliever’s hearts is somehow intentional, or willful. Do you know people like that? The truth is right there staring them in the face. The evidence is clear. The witnesses are 12 deep. But they absolutely refuse to see truth or change the core (heart) of their belief system(s). Can it be said of your lifestyle, “She just doesn’t know any better”? This is not a call to be perfect, but, we are not to be stubborn rejecters of Truth. Even as Christ Followers, we can be guilty of not growing into full maturity because we refuse to see the evidence of Truth and God’s path for us. Stubbornness, rejecting the truth, and refusal to grow, will keep us from closeness and intimacy with God. It will cause us to fall into traps of deception, and fall prey to false doctrines. It will determine whether we experience revival on a regular basis, or fall into the herd of the masses of lukewarm living.
Let us not reject the light of morality, nor allow our hearts to be stubborn as God reveals more and more Light. Let us embrace and obey…always! And then we can expect to grow into the full measure of the stature of Christ Jesus!
Seeking to Grow my Walk with God and Others,
Dawn~
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