Dark-lovers...

In Ephesians 4, Paul first describes the life of those who love darkness and then offers us a glimpse into light-living.

Here’s what he says about the dark-lovers.

“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, with a continual lust for more.” (Ephesians 4:17-19, NIV)

Let’s look quickly at the words, the phrases that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use in describing these folks.

The first he tells us that those who are not believers – he calls them Gentiles – have futile thoughts. They don’t have their heads screwed on straight. They believe nonsense. Fall for anything that points them away from the reality of God’s existence or standards. They give no thought to their responsibility to others. They think only of themselves.

Now, we all think of ourselves. It’s natural and not all bad. If you don’t think of yourself ever, you get used up by others.

These folks, though, take self-thought to extremes. They obsess over themselves. What they want. What they need. What they like. What they don’t like. Futile!

Next Paul says they’re darkened in their understanding. They don’t get it. They don’t understand how good God’s gift of salvation is. Here’s what Paul wrote to another church.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:4, NIV)

You talk to a “Gentile” about Jesus and they say, “Huh?” The devil keeps them from seeing their desperate situation. He convinces them that sin is no big deal that there’s no need for a savior.

Ephesians 4:18 goes on: they’re “separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Unbelievers don’t have eternal life. That’s a fact. You have to believe to have eternal life.

Why don’t they believe? Because they’re ignorant. Because they’re hard-hearted. Won’t listen. Won’t turn around. Won’t follow.

And another thing: they have lost all sensitivity. I think this mostly has to do with their sensitivity to God’s Spirit, but it could mean a loss of sensitivity to others too. They don’t give a rip about God and his laws. They don’t give a rip about you or your feelings or your rights or your life. They’re focused on themselves and their lusts.

They rape. They murder. They steal. They lie. They manipulate. They threaten. They use. They abuse. They sin every chance they get. No sense of responsibility for the other guy. People are resources to be used. They are tools for meeting “my” needs.

Darkness is nasty. Those who live in the dark are not nice. They need to put their evil deeds behind them and come into the light. We’ll talk about that more next time.

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