Lesson 58 August 31, 2003
Categories of mankind from God's viewpoint
|
Natural |
Spiritual |
Fleshly |
|
|
View of Truth |
Its foolishness has no capacity to appreciate |
It is the Word of God It's God breathed |
Inability to perceive, understand truth 1 Cor 3:2-3 |
|
Relation to God |
w/o the Spirit; dead Eph. 2:1-3 separate from God; no possibility of a relationship w/God |
In Christ; new creation; now have the basis of a relationship w/God; oneness with Him |
Also in Christ, a new creation but because sin in the life the Holy Spirit is not enabling; no fellowship |
|
Issue |
Salvation, Gospel What think ye of Christ? |
Walk by faith, walk by the Spirit |
Reestablish fellowship 1 Jn 1:9 |
|
Result |
Destiny is one of wrath Jn 3:18,36 |
Normal Christian life; blessed in time and eternity |
Discipline Heb 12:5-11
|
|
Lifestyle |
godless, may be a great person, nicest one you know; but from God's vpt is dead, under wrath |
reflects the character of Christ, life is based on divine viewpoint |
"walks like mere men" like the unbeliever; What Paul warns about in Eph. 4:17-24 |
Observation: Basic to Christian growth is learning from the word of God what God expects of us, things that always are in our best interest when we are obedient to them;
WOG details for us those things we need to think and to set aside in our life so that we are not living like unbelievers! Like Pagans!
We might raise a question for the 3rd category, the fleshly believer!
Is God passive toward them? toward their sin?
Now to the details!
4:17-19 Old life to be rejected;
"This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord,"
What Paul is giving us, as he always does, is DVPT.
"that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk,"
** Point is our change in position, our new relationship with Christ demands a change of lifestyle.
- Idea 2 things; If your still living as you did, before salvation then stop it! If your not living as you once did then don't revert to doing so, don't return to that former pattern of life.
What we've already noted in Eph.
As UB'rs we walked in our trespasses and sins; 2:1 according to the course of this world 2:2
As believers we are to walk by the Spirit being God's masterpiece producing good works; 2:10
** When Paul refers to walking, as a way of life, or lifestyle, (as he does here) what he is saying is that "walking" is synonymous with living out God's purposes in your life!
When he starts to describe what are the salient points of walking as Gentiles walk, what is it he starts with? What is the focal point?
What they think! How they think what impacts their thinking; then he moves on to the overt conduct that flows out of that thinking. [once again demos the importance of thinking as the basis for life lived.
* The term Walking incorporates then, the way we think, your MA.
- See that right here in vs:17-18; 23; 5:6; 5:17
The unbeliever here is described as being "excluded from the life of God,"
This sequence; mental state before actions, the moral state; why??
Goes back to basics; as a man thinks so is he! Prov. 23:7; Mt. 15:16-20
Characteristics emphasized: 1st mental! [here’s what we'll find]
1. empty and aimless thinking!
2. darkened in their understanding!
3. ignorant of truth
4. hardness of heart
5. callous, beyond feeling.
Then moral conduct!
6. unrestrained living
7. indulging self-gratification
1. Empty and aimless thinking! "in the futility of your mind."
- futility;