Praize Blogs

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

V.17 - This verse begins an exhortation by Paul to the saved people. He is testifying “in the Lord.” This means he is speaking words of Jesus. Let’s read John 11:8-10 from the New King James version of the Bible.  “The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”  Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

Jesus made it clear that we need to walk in the Light, which is Himself. If we walk in the darkness of the world that belongs to satan, we will stumble and fall. We are to walk in the way, not as the Gentiles walk on the path that leads to destruction, but on the narrow path that leads to the wide open gate of heaven. Is our path easy to walk? Let’s see what Matthew had to say about it in Matthew 7:13, 14.  “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

What I get from this is that those who are on the way to hell are on a downward slide, and there’s no friction to stop them. Those going to heaven have to fight gravity and move upward on a narrow path. The loss of a loved one might attack you. Maybe you have financial troubles. Perhaps you have marital problems. satan will attack you at every turn to make it difficult to achieve what God wants for you. That’s why we have to lean on God to help us make it all the way, and trust in the Lord with all our hearts.

The Gentiles walk in the futility of their minds. Meaning? They walk in pride. There’s no room in their minds or hearts for God. They think they can make it on their own without help. It’s satan’s deceit again. The Gentiles have not met the real Jesus, and don’t know the power of the resurrected Lord for their lives. 

Gentiles serve and honor many gods. They have lust, money, cars, homes, and all sorts of things they “love.” But they do not have the living God to love who can make changes in their lives. What happened to the prophets of Baal when they begged for an entire day for fire to come and burn their sacrifice? Not a thing!

We’ll read I Kings 18:20-29. “So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Eli'jah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Ba'al, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Eli'jah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Ba'al's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:  and call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.  And Eli'jah said unto the prophets of Ba'al, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.  And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Ba'al from morning even until noon, saying, O Ba'al, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.  And it came to pass at noon, that Eli'jah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.  And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.  And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.”

Even cutting themselves and bleeding all over the place brought no response from their gods.  It’s sad to say that people still worship and speak to false gods. 

Now let’s read VV.30-40 in this same chapter. “And Eli'jah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Eli'jah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.  And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Eli'jah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.  And Eli'jah said unto them, Take the prophets of Ba'al; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Eli'jah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”  The difference is clear. When you serve a living God, He hears your prayers, and He answers them.

When you accept Jesus as Savior, you need to give up the other gods in your life, and walk in clarity of mind, and with purpose of heart. You are on the way to a special place.

More studies at http://www.newbeginmin1.org/BIBLESTUDYOPENING.html