Written by Pastor Mark Driskill
November 3, 2011

Read Ephesians 4:18

“Alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their heart.”
Yesterday we talked about the futility of mind that we are being delivered from through the transformation that is in Jesus Christ. Paul goes on to explain the impact of futile thinking even further in today’s verse; “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their heart.”  This statement says volumes about the condition of a mind that is either separate from Christ, i.e. the lost, or the one who is not allowing the light of Christ to sanctify his or her mind, i.e. the stagnant believer. Let’s unpack this verse to see what it is that Christ desires to deliver us from.

1. “darkened in their understanding…” The ability to perceive the light of the gospel and all it implies is hindered by the mind without saving faith in Christ. As Paul writes elsewhere, “The nonspiritual mind cannot accept the things of the spirit for they are foolishness to him.” Satan has placed blinders on the minds of the unregenerate, “so they cannot see the light of the gospel.” This is why talk of the spirit and his work to a lost person is so difficult and must be done with love and patience. There are many things you cannot make sense of in the Christian faith by looking at it from the outside. Some things only become clear when that first step of faith is taken.
2. “Alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them.” The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” It is the starting point of true wisdom. One may impress the world with so called intelligence that does not take God into account. But from God’s perspective such a person is the ultimate fool and has not even begun to find true wisdom, much less the life of God. Regardless of the Universalist mood of this age, the Bible tells us that people without Christ are alienated from the life of God. This alienation is real separation from the very life of God. Without Christ there is no true wisdom and no eternal life.
3. “Due to the hardness of their heart.” There is a connection here between ignorance and a hard heart. Human beings are a unified whole. The heart cannot be divorced from the mind. A hard heart will keep you from understanding. This is so key in understanding the condition of the lost. The reason for their lack of understanding is a hard heart, not vice versa. Many make the mistake of thinking that the modern cynic is hard hearted because he does not understand, or know enough. But the opposite is true according to Paul. The ignorance is in them “due to their hardness of heart.” The cynic cannot understand as long as they maintain an impenetrable heart. Once a person is dedicated to disbelieving reasoning is futile without an appeal to the heart coming alongside. I cannot believe what I refuse to receive. As you witness to the so called intellectual stay in prayer for an opening to the heart. Once God touches the heart the mind begins to open up to new possibilities. Until then the person remains in a prison of self-delusion, unwilling to consider that there might be more to the universe than what they learned in science class.

Friend, keep your mind clear and sharp by keeping it open to Christ and his light. Never decide you know it all. Never delude yourself into thinking all you know of Christ is all there is. Finally when you minister to the cynic of this age do so with understanding, love, patience and prayer that God will touch that guarded place in the heart that you cannot. Pray that God will “Take captive very thought and make it obedient to Christ.”

Pastor Mark Driskill
Web Minister of Begotten By the Word web ministry
See our website at http://ourchurch.com/member/b/bbtw
and
www.facebook.com (to group “begotten by the word”)
Begotten By the Word is a ministry of Helping Hands Christian resources-Evangelism Outreach
www.hhcr05.org
(Feel free to copy in any way that will bring glory to God and further his kingdom.)