Paul the
apostle described the pagan “Gentiles” as “having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God”.
This was caused by “the ignorance that is in them, because of
the blindness of their heart”. In chapter four and verse
nineteen of his letter, Paul continued to share about the “Gentiles”
as he declared how they were “given over to lasciviousness,
uncleanness and greediness” where we read:
Who being
past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness,
to work
all uncleanness with greediness.
The verse begins, “Who
being past feeling have given themselves over unto
lasciviousness,...” Paul
began with the word, “Who”
which refers to “the pagan Gentiles” “being
past feeling”
or “cease to feel pain or grief, bear troubles with greater
equanimity, cease to feel pain, become callous, insensible to pain
and apathetic” “have given
themselves””
which is the Greek phrase “paradidōmi
heautou paradidōmi” and
means
“give into the hands, given over into one's power or use, deliver
to one something to keep, use, take care of and manage” “over
unto lasciviousness”
which means “unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, wantonness,
outrageousness, shamelessness and insolence”. Instead of having
Godly ways about them, the “pagan Gentiles” yield themselves to
“unbridled lusts” and “wantonness”.
The
verse goes on to say, “...to work all uncleanness with
greediness.” Paul added,
“to work” or “performing,
gaining by profit and endeavoring in” “all uncleanness”
which means “each, every, any, all, the whole and everyone
of the impurities of lustful, luxurious and profligate living”
“with greediness”
or “covetousness, avarice, fraudulence and extortion”. In
addition to “lasciviousness”,
these “heathen people” live in reckless, extravagant, wasteful in
the use of resources, debauchery, degenerate, dissolute, roué, rake,
sybarite and voluptuary ways”.
When
we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see the degenerate behavior
of those who forsake the ways of God. Christians are to reflect the
ways of Jesus rather than being calloused to “feeling” and
“given over” to “excesses, wantonness, and insolence”
that leads to “greedy” and “reckless” living. May the Lord
Jesus help us to keep our ways, attitudes, actions and words in
alignment with Him, and may He check our spirits when we fail to do
so.
Next
time Paul shares how the Ephesians have not “so learned
Christ”, so read ahead, and we
shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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