Figuratively, what do people see when they look at you and me? How are we dressed "spiritually"? In the quiet moments of honest and open reflection before God, how do we measure up to the dress code of a Christian? More importantly, what do we see when we look into the "mirror" of God's word.
In Ephesians, chapter 4, beginning with verse 17, Paul clearly describes how a Christian is to dress for success. He goes on to describe how our appearance becomes disheveled by compromise of God's spiritual "dress code". He further declares how the gradual unraveling process of the fabric of our new nature in Christ takes place.
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
In this verse, Paul insists; he doesn't ask, he doesn't plead, he isn't addressing them on his own authority. He insists on what he's about to tell them in the Lord's name! He says, they must no longer live as Gentiles. In other words, they are no longer to live in the pattern of their previous life; in a manner that shows no distinction from what was to what is or should be; in a fashion inconsistent with their "higher calling"; in the squalor of their self-sufficiency; in the sinful habits of their past.
As Christians, we need to listen to Paul. We are not to live in such a way that produces "emptiness as to the results", in the futility of our thinking. It is possible once again to "live as the Gentiles do"; that is, to think and act as we did before we became a Christian.
In verses 18 and 19, we are introduced to four steps in the downward spiral of degradation, the road to spiritual unraveling. Careful examination of the passage reveals the order of degradation beginning with a hardening of the heart, followed by darkened understanding leading to ignorance, continuing on to a gradual separation from a life of godliness, and concluding with wallowing in sensuality.
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
STEP #1: Hardness of the Heart (Desensitization)
First of all, what does the Bible have to say about the heart? The Bible refers to the "heart" over 800 times. Nearly all references point to some aspect of human personality. The heart is depicted as the inner being of man and is used interchangeably with "mind" and sometimes "spirit". The heart is seen as the seat of desire, inclination, will, emotion, intuitive knowledge, wisdom, conscience, and moral character.
The Bible also tells us that out of the heart comes evil.(1) God is looking for men and women "after His own heart."(2) He desires a pure heart.(3) The enemy, our adversary, doesn't want the heart to be transformed.(4) God, however, wants our hearts to be transformed.(5) The heart is critical because it is comprised of our beliefs, values, attitudes and motives. Our core beliefs establish our values. Our values inform our attitudes. Our attitudes condition our motives. And our motives stimulate our behavior. When are hearts harden we loose all sensitivity to the things of God.
By the term "hardening" is meant a callousness, blindness, the loss of all power of sensation according to William Barclay, the noted scholar of the Bible. In the original language the term indicates a process and is used metaphorically of dulled spiritual perception. In other words, the center of our being becomes stone-like or petrified.
At first sin is regarded with disdain. Remorse and guilt follow sin. Continuing in this pattern will produce a gradual desensitization until little is felt at all. Hardening then is a progressive degradation through repeated compromising of our faith in the normal routine of our day or in the midst of the heat of trial or persecution.
How does this happen. I believe it takes place in essentially three phases. First, pressure situations cause us to make mini-compromises. These pressures may include deadlines to be meet, objectives to obtain, a reputation to live up to, bosses to please, or relatives or friends to assuage. The influence of our peers, profession, time or unfulfilled expectations exert tremendous pressures on our lives. Small compromises give way to larger compromises. The surrender of our integrity happens an inch at a time.
The second phase leading to a hardening of the heart is brought on by what some have called the tyranny of the urgent. We become too busy for those things that bring health to our lives. Bible study and prayer begin to wane. Worship attendance becomes sporadic. Spiritual disciplines become weak and infrequent. If this process continues we slowly become isolated from fellowship with the Lord and with other Christians.
The third phase happens when good things are taken beyond the boundary of God's will. For instance, ability to profit becomes avarice and greed. Enjoyment of life becomes intemperance. Interest in other's possessions becomes covetousness. Physical pleasure becomes sensuality. Self-protection becomes dishonesty. Judgment becomes criticism. Anger becomes bad temper and rage. Communication becomes gossip. Self-respect becomes conceit. And self-care becomes selfishness.
How can we tell hardening is happening? Dr. Jerry Sheveland, senior pastor of College Avenue Baptist Church in San Diego, provides some helpful clues from 1 Peter 5:1-1. He identifies seven signs of a loss of spiritual sensitivity. 1) When a grudging spirit begins to replace a willing spirit (2a). 2) When material desires begin to overwhelm ministry desires (2b). 3) When manipulation becomes a substitute for mentoring (3). 4) When short term goals prevail over eternal goals (4). 5) When ambition begins to undermine humility (5-6). 6) When anxiety begins to compromise faith (7). 7) When spiritual carelessness begins to erode spiritual discipline (8-11).
STEP #2: Darkened understanding (Distortion)
Mini-compromises with the truth desensitizes our conscience. Decision-making isn't as clear as it was in the past. The grey area in between the black and white becomes larger and larger. Clarity of though on issues gives way to "foggy" thinking. Since we are unsure of our beliefs at this point we adopt a position of indifference. Tolerance and acceptance begin to permeate our thinking. Our ethics become situational instead of resting on the authority of God's word alone. If this process continues we find ourselvesdefending what we once objected to; making excuses for what we opposed in the past. Although we know the consequences we continue to do the very things we used to detest. We not only do them, we approve of those who practice them.(6)
STEP #3: Separated from the life of God (Alienation)
We begin to find excuses for not fellowshipping, usually under the guise of increasing responsibilities or a demanding schedule. Once separated from the life of the body we begin to find fault with it. We project our problems on others and blame them for not reaching out to us - after the fact. Satan has succeeded in cutting us out from the flock.(7) This shouldn't surprise us. Our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
At this point we will take increasing risks all the while rationalizing and convincing ourselves of the merit of our actions. We get used to living on a lower level, the "misty lowlands of mediocrity", and over time we forget what it was like to fly "like the eagles" figuratively and spiritually.
STEP #4: Consuming Sensuality/Impurity/Lust (Accommodation)
Webster's dictionary defines sensuality as over-indulgence; lack of self-control; frequent or excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; strong appeal to that which is pleasing to the eye, ear, touch (the pleasures of sensation); lust, licentiousness, and lewdness. We live our lives for the sensations it produces.
Again, William Barclay helps us understand what is meant by the term "sensuality" and the phrase "continual lust." Referring to Basil, "sensuality is a disposition of the soul incapable of bearing the pain of discipline." Barclay goes on to say, "Usually a man tries to hide his sin. He does not care how much he shocks public opinion or how much he defies and insults all decency as long as he can gratify his desires. Sin has such a grip on the man that he is lost to decency and shame; he doesn't care who sees him after a time." "Continual lust", he says, "is arrogant greediness; the accursed love of possessing; the unlawful desire for things that belong to others; the irresistible desire to have what we have no right to have; it tramples on other people to get its own way. The person in this state does not care who he hurts and what method he uses so long as he gets what he desires."
Is There Any Way Up?
Thank God Almighty! He has provided a way out of our predicament. The process of recovery begins with acknowledgment of the condition in which we find ourselves. The solution to any problem begins with a clear understanding of the factors that contributed to the problem. We need to call it what it is; sin! Secondly, we need to submit to God's word, repent and confess our sin. Acknowledgment, submission, repentance, and confession is the only response that can halt the downward spiral and prevent the disintegration of our character and integrity.
We need to listen to Paul. We should not live as we once did or as others still do! The downward spiral begins with compromise! Acknowledgment, submission, repentance, and confession is the only way up! Act in accordance with who you already are in Christ! Leave your tattered clothes behind, they don't fit anymore!
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge
of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very
great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and
escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort
to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and
to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will
keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2
Peter 1:3-8 NIV
Copyright ©1997 G.W. Bourgond
All Rights Reserved
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