“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” (Ephesians 4:17-19 ESV)
When Paul used the term “Gentiles” here, it was a term used for the ungodly. For the Gentiles used to be those who were of the world and who were not God’s chosen people, so they were once all who were non-Jews by physical birth. The Scriptures will also, sometimes, use the term “nations” in place of “Gentiles,” which is also speaking of the ungodly, those outside of genuine faith in Jesus Christ. So this includes all Jews and Gentiles by physical birth who do not believe in Jesus, and all professers of faith in Jesus Christ who do not follow our Lord in obedience to his commands.
So, all of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ are to no longer walk (in conduct, in practice) as the ungodly do. We are to no longer walk in sin, doing whatever our flesh desires, which includes giving ourselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity, but is certainly not limited to only that. For the Bible talks about many different kinds of sins, such as adultery, lying, cheating, stealing, slander, all sexual sin, malice, hate, faithlessness, gossip, idolatry, drunkenness, and the like. We are not to make these kinds of sins or any sins our practice (habit, go to).
[Matt 5:27-30; Matt 7:21-23; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
“But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:20-24 ESV)
For that is not the way in which we should have learned Christ, if we were taught the truth that is in Christ Jesus. But sadly so many people today are not teaching and not hearing the truth of the gospel because the lies have gained much popularity. For many people are now teaching that our salvation only means that we are forgiven our sins and that heaven now is guaranteed us, but regardless of how we live. So what they are teaching is a godless salvation message which does not agree with the Scriptures, for it does not insist on death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness.
For the truth, which is in Christ Jesus, instructs us to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” For this is the essence of the gospel message that Jesus Christ taught and that his NT apostles taught, that the old life of sin must be put to death and now we must walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in walks of holiness, righteousness, moral purity, honesty, uprightness, and faithfulness.
For Jesus taught that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Christ we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life with God. For he also taught that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Draw Me Close To You
Donnie McClurkin
Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I'm Your friend
You are my desire
And no one else will do
'Cause nothing else can take Your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace
Help me find a way
Bring me back to You
Bring me back, oh Jesus
You're all I want
You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want
Help me know You are near
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