Ephesians 4:17-19
Don’t Be a Gentile
Introduction:
Have you ever been called a “Cretan”? Have you ever called someone a “Cretan”? When we say this we are not referring to the fact that they are from the island of Crete, but, that they are acting like they are from the island of Crete. Paul said in Titus chapter 1:12, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” We’re saying something about the way they are acting, not their ethnicity.
Our sermon title today is “Don’t Be a Gentile”. This is not an ethnic statement, but, a spiritual statement. It has nothing to do with whether we are a Jew or a Gentile. Paul was talking to a mostly Gentile church in Ephesus. And when he says in verse 17, “you must no longer live as the Gentiles do…” he was saying that everything the pagan Gentile world is known for is NOT what Christian’s should be known for. So when we say “Don’t be a Gentile”, what we mean is do not conform to the spiritual condition of Gentiles. Don’t resemble the Gentiles in the way that you live your life.
Now, what is important for us to grasp is that verse 17 is a command, not a suggestion. Look at the language Paul uses, “So I tell you this, and I insist on it in the Lord, that you must…” Paul is not offering optional guidelines. This is what’s called an imperative. It is a command that is given with authority. There is force in what he says, and there is the expectation of full obedience. Do not live like the Gentiles do, “Don’t be a Gentile”.
And when Paul starts out this way in verse 17 it makes me think 2 things.
First, a Christian is expected to live differently than the unbelieving world around. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come.” You may not have a former “gentile” life, but, is the way you live your life now visibly and materially different than the unbelieving people around you?
Second, the fact that Paul is instructing them to not be like Gentiles makes me realize that we as believers need to be instructed and exhorted to live up to our calling (4:1). We need to hear God’s word, we need to read it, listen to it preached and taught and discussed, and we need to be admonished and corrected every now and again, all for the purpose of growing in Christ-likeness. We aren’t perfect when we’re saved. We begin the perfecting process, which includes hearing Biblical instruction teaching us to live righteously.
So today I want us to see 3 things to avoid when we say “Don’t Be a Gentile.” Don’t be Ignorant, Don’t be Insensitive, and Don’t be Impure.
Don’t Be Ignorant (v17-18a)
When we say “Don’t be a Gentile”, the first thing we see in the passage is “Don’t Be Ignorant”. Notice verse 17 – 18a, “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…” Point number 1, Don’t be Ignorant. Notice the emphasis here on the mind. Paul talks about their thinking, their understanding, and their ignorance. He says their thoughts are futile – which means useless, good for nothing – and their thinking is darkened – which means they do not have the light of knowledge of God.
The Bible makes a big deal about the way we think. First Corinthians 14:20 says we are not to think like children. Second Peter 3:1 says, “I want to stimulate you to wholesome thinking”. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Romans 12:2 says, “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
What are we not to be ignorant of? We are not to be ignorant of God. The word “ignorance” in the verse means they don’t know divine things, they are blind to divine morality.
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.
Illustration: Bagpiper: I read a story about a man who played the bagpipes and was hired to play at a funeral. He told the story about getting lost. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late.
I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play my bagpipe. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless fellow. And as I played Amazing Grace, the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together.
When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say: "I never seen nothing like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
But why should we as believers not be ignorant? Because of the fact that God has revealed Himself. And the reason why He has done so is so that those to whom He has revealed Himself would and should know Him. So they would not be ignorant of Him. One man said that the fact that God has revealed Himself means that He has voluntarily forfeited His own personal privacy.
Notice what Paul says in the middle of these verses. He relates our thinking with the life of God. He says the Gentiles are “separated from the life of God”. But he says that because of the way they think: their thinking is futile, darkened, and ignorant. John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Application: Remember what you know of Christ (4:20), and, Set out to grow in your knowing. Become a [Possibly use Andrew Miller’s quote from The Praying Life, used in prayer group]
Don’t Be Insensitive (v18b-19a)
So Don’t be Ignorant, and secondly, Don’t Be Insensitive. Notice verse 18 – 19a, “…because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity…” Notice now the focus on the heart. Don’t be insensitive.
When you have a hard heart you will be insensitive. When Paul says “hardening of their hearts”, the word for “hardening” in the Greek means to cease to feel pain or grief.
Illustration: When I was in elementary school I remember a girl in class who said that she was unable to feel anything in her left leg, including pain. And so as another kid and I listened to her explain this we asked her a question: “So if someone were to kick you in your leg you wouldn’t feel it?” And she said, “No, I wouldn’t feel it.” And then she said, “Go ahead, kick me.” Well, I believed her but my friend learned more by experiment. Being one of the biggest kids in the class he kicked her in the leg and then looked at her. Not a wince, no recoil, no look of pain. She just smiled. And this kid was one of those types that if he can get away with something he’ll do it so he started kicking her in the leg multiple times.
But what we’re talking about is insensitivity; the inability to feel pain. What Paul is referring to here is moral insensitivity. It’s the condition of someone’s heart where they don’t even feel the pain of guilt over immoral behavior in their lives. And when you are unable to feel moral pain, you become unresponsive to righteousness. Don’t be Insensitive.
Don’t Be Impure (v19b)
First, don’t be Ignorant. Second, don’t be Insensitive. And third, don’t be Impure. Notice verse 19, “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.” Paul has spoken of the mind and the heart. Now he speaks of the body. Don’t be impure.
This is an important point for our day. And Paul is going to bring it up again in chapter 5 and verse 3. He says, “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.” How did Paul feel about the way women should be treated? In 1Timothy 5:1-2 Paul says this, “Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” That means no hint of sexual immorality. I think the
Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 Paul says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality, that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in a passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.”
There it is. There is a direct relationship between knowing God and sexual purity. Ignorance of God leads to impurity. Whenever people are given over to sensuality and sexual impurity, it is because they do not know God. They may know things about God, but, they do not know God, but they are ignorant nonetheless. A very clear example of this is found in Romans 1. Please turn there with me. In verse 18 he starts by saying, “…………” He says that they suppress the truth. That means they are intentionally ignorant. Ignorance is one thing, but, intentional ignorance is the proof of a rebellious heart – someone who will not submit to God. They are not lovers of the truth. But then notice what this leads to in verse 21, “For although they knew God they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” That is exactly what Paul describes in Ephesians 4:17. But watch now how this intentional ignorance of God leads to sexual impurity of the extreme kind. Starting in verse 24, “………….”
My brothers and sisters, your purity is a priority to God. Is your purity a priority to you? Men, how do you look at women? Jesus said if you look at a woman lustfully you have already committed adultery with her in your heart and He knows and He will judge the thoughts of our hearts. Is your purity a priority to you? Or, how do you talk? Ephesians 5:3 says there should not even be a hint of sexual impurity or immorality among us. Verse 4 says there should not be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking. How do you talk?
Illustration: Our Daily Bread. After a violent storm one night, a large tree, which over the years had become a stately giant, was found lying across the pathway in a park. Nothing but a splintered stump was left. Closer examination showed that is was rotten at the core because thousands of tiny insects had eaten away at its heart. The weakness of that tree was not brought on by the sudden storm; it began the very moment the first insect nested within its bark. With the Holy Spirit's help, let's be very careful to guard our purity.
I know we live in a day where there is less and less clothing on women. I know that women wear clothes that fit tighter than their skin, they wear skirts and shorts that are very short and they wear tops that don’t cover enough of their chest. But learn to control your eyes and your thoughts.
That brings up the second point: Ladies, is your purity a priority to you? How do you dress? Do you dress with the intention of showing off certain parts of your body? It seems more and more in church these days, and sometimes in this church, that girls and women get dressed not for Christ, but, for the boys. The motto in today’s society seems to be: wear less and show more. Clothes are tighter than skin, shorts so short they are up to their behinds, tops are so low that a lot is revealed. If men are around you it can be difficult for them to lift their eyes to worship Christ when they are trying not to look at your body. First Peter 3:3 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment…Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
Ladies, one of the ways you can build up your brothers in the faith is by not letting your choice of clothing become a stumbling block to their purity. It is less of a matter of your clothing as it is of your hearts. Do you want to honor Christ and let righteousness be your clothing, and do you want to help your brothers excel in purity by not becoming like the ever-increasingly impure society around, or, do you want to get dressed. Remember 2 weeks ago we talked about maturity means loving each other, which means we will do things for others for their benefit even if it comes at a sacrifice for ourselves. Modesty is being lost. But women can dress modestly and look beautiful. Immodesty is not the only way to be beautiful.
Conclusion:
Don’t be a Gentile
1) Don’t be Ignorant of God
2) Don’t Be insensitive
3) Don’t be Impure
Don’t Be a Gentile
Introduction:
Have you ever been called a “Cretan”? Have you ever called someone a “Cretan”? When we say this we are not referring to the fact that they are from the island of Crete, but, that they are acting like they are from the island of Crete. Paul said in Titus chapter 1:12, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” We’re saying something about the way they are acting, not their ethnicity.
Our sermon title today is “Don’t Be a Gentile”. This is not an ethnic statement, but, a spiritual statement. It has nothing to do with whether we are a Jew or a Gentile. Paul was talking to a mostly Gentile church in Ephesus. And when he says in verse 17, “you must no longer live as the Gentiles do…” he was saying that everything the pagan Gentile world is known for is NOT what Christian’s should be known for. So when we say “Don’t be a Gentile”, what we mean is do not conform to the spiritual condition of Gentiles. Don’t resemble the Gentiles in the way that you live your life.
Now, what is important for us to grasp is that verse 17 is a command, not a suggestion. Look at the language Paul uses, “So I tell you this, and I insist on it in the Lord, that you must…” Paul is not offering optional guidelines. This is what’s called an imperative. It is a command that is given with authority. There is force in what he says, and there is the expectation of full obedience. Do not live like the Gentiles do, “Don’t be a Gentile”.
And when Paul starts out this way in verse 17 it makes me think 2 things.
First, a Christian is expected to live differently than the unbelieving world around. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come.” You may not have a former “gentile” life, but, is the way you live your life now visibly and materially different than the unbelieving people around you?
Second, the fact that Paul is instructing them to not be like Gentiles makes me realize that we as believers need to be instructed and exhorted to live up to our calling (4:1). We need to hear God’s word, we need to read it, listen to it preached and taught and discussed, and we need to be admonished and corrected every now and again, all for the purpose of growing in Christ-likeness. We aren’t perfect when we’re saved. We begin the perfecting process, which includes hearing Biblical instruction teaching us to live righteously.
So today I want us to see 3 things to avoid when we say “Don’t Be a Gentile.” Don’t be Ignorant, Don’t be Insensitive, and Don’t be Impure.
Don’t Be Ignorant (v17-18a)
When we say “Don’t be a Gentile”, the first thing we see in the passage is “Don’t Be Ignorant”. Notice verse 17 – 18a, “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…” Point number 1, Don’t be Ignorant. Notice the emphasis here on the mind. Paul talks about their thinking, their understanding, and their ignorance. He says their thoughts are futile – which means useless, good for nothing – and their thinking is darkened – which means they do not have the light of knowledge of God.
The Bible makes a big deal about the way we think. First Corinthians 14:20 says we are not to think like children. Second Peter 3:1 says, “I want to stimulate you to wholesome thinking”. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Romans 12:2 says, “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
What are we not to be ignorant of? We are not to be ignorant of God. The word “ignorance” in the verse means they don’t know divine things, they are blind to divine morality.
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.
Illustration: Bagpiper: I read a story about a man who played the bagpipes and was hired to play at a funeral. He told the story about getting lost. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late.
I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play my bagpipe. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless fellow. And as I played Amazing Grace, the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together.
When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say: "I never seen nothing like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
But why should we as believers not be ignorant? Because of the fact that God has revealed Himself. And the reason why He has done so is so that those to whom He has revealed Himself would and should know Him. So they would not be ignorant of Him. One man said that the fact that God has revealed Himself means that He has voluntarily forfeited His own personal privacy.
Notice what Paul says in the middle of these verses. He relates our thinking with the life of God. He says the Gentiles are “separated from the life of God”. But he says that because of the way they think: their thinking is futile, darkened, and ignorant. John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Application: Remember what you know of Christ (4:20), and, Set out to grow in your knowing. Become a [Possibly use Andrew Miller’s quote from The Praying Life, used in prayer group]
Don’t Be Insensitive (v18b-19a)
So Don’t be Ignorant, and secondly, Don’t Be Insensitive. Notice verse 18 – 19a, “…because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity…” Notice now the focus on the heart. Don’t be insensitive.
When you have a hard heart you will be insensitive. When Paul says “hardening of their hearts”, the word for “hardening” in the Greek means to cease to feel pain or grief.
Illustration: When I was in elementary school I remember a girl in class who said that she was unable to feel anything in her left leg, including pain. And so as another kid and I listened to her explain this we asked her a question: “So if someone were to kick you in your leg you wouldn’t feel it?” And she said, “No, I wouldn’t feel it.” And then she said, “Go ahead, kick me.” Well, I believed her but my friend learned more by experiment. Being one of the biggest kids in the class he kicked her in the leg and then looked at her. Not a wince, no recoil, no look of pain. She just smiled. And this kid was one of those types that if he can get away with something he’ll do it so he started kicking her in the leg multiple times.
But what we’re talking about is insensitivity; the inability to feel pain. What Paul is referring to here is moral insensitivity. It’s the condition of someone’s heart where they don’t even feel the pain of guilt over immoral behavior in their lives. And when you are unable to feel moral pain, you become unresponsive to righteousness. Don’t be Insensitive.
Don’t Be Impure (v19b)
First, don’t be Ignorant. Second, don’t be Insensitive. And third, don’t be Impure. Notice verse 19, “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.” Paul has spoken of the mind and the heart. Now he speaks of the body. Don’t be impure.
This is an important point for our day. And Paul is going to bring it up again in chapter 5 and verse 3. He says, “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.” How did Paul feel about the way women should be treated? In 1Timothy 5:1-2 Paul says this, “Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” That means no hint of sexual immorality. I think the
Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 Paul says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality, that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in a passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.”
There it is. There is a direct relationship between knowing God and sexual purity. Ignorance of God leads to impurity. Whenever people are given over to sensuality and sexual impurity, it is because they do not know God. They may know things about God, but, they do not know God, but they are ignorant nonetheless. A very clear example of this is found in Romans 1. Please turn there with me. In verse 18 he starts by saying, “…………” He says that they suppress the truth. That means they are intentionally ignorant. Ignorance is one thing, but, intentional ignorance is the proof of a rebellious heart – someone who will not submit to God. They are not lovers of the truth. But then notice what this leads to in verse 21, “For although they knew God they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” That is exactly what Paul describes in Ephesians 4:17. But watch now how this intentional ignorance of God leads to sexual impurity of the extreme kind. Starting in verse 24, “………….”
My brothers and sisters, your purity is a priority to God. Is your purity a priority to you? Men, how do you look at women? Jesus said if you look at a woman lustfully you have already committed adultery with her in your heart and He knows and He will judge the thoughts of our hearts. Is your purity a priority to you? Or, how do you talk? Ephesians 5:3 says there should not even be a hint of sexual impurity or immorality among us. Verse 4 says there should not be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking. How do you talk?
Illustration: Our Daily Bread. After a violent storm one night, a large tree, which over the years had become a stately giant, was found lying across the pathway in a park. Nothing but a splintered stump was left. Closer examination showed that is was rotten at the core because thousands of tiny insects had eaten away at its heart. The weakness of that tree was not brought on by the sudden storm; it began the very moment the first insect nested within its bark. With the Holy Spirit's help, let's be very careful to guard our purity.
I know we live in a day where there is less and less clothing on women. I know that women wear clothes that fit tighter than their skin, they wear skirts and shorts that are very short and they wear tops that don’t cover enough of their chest. But learn to control your eyes and your thoughts.
That brings up the second point: Ladies, is your purity a priority to you? How do you dress? Do you dress with the intention of showing off certain parts of your body? It seems more and more in church these days, and sometimes in this church, that girls and women get dressed not for Christ, but, for the boys. The motto in today’s society seems to be: wear less and show more. Clothes are tighter than skin, shorts so short they are up to their behinds, tops are so low that a lot is revealed. If men are around you it can be difficult for them to lift their eyes to worship Christ when they are trying not to look at your body. First Peter 3:3 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment…Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
Ladies, one of the ways you can build up your brothers in the faith is by not letting your choice of clothing become a stumbling block to their purity. It is less of a matter of your clothing as it is of your hearts. Do you want to honor Christ and let righteousness be your clothing, and do you want to help your brothers excel in purity by not becoming like the ever-increasingly impure society around, or, do you want to get dressed. Remember 2 weeks ago we talked about maturity means loving each other, which means we will do things for others for their benefit even if it comes at a sacrifice for ourselves. Modesty is being lost. But women can dress modestly and look beautiful. Immodesty is not the only way to be beautiful.
Conclusion:
Don’t be a Gentile
1) Don’t be Ignorant of God
2) Don’t Be insensitive
3) Don’t be Impure
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