Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Ephesians chapter 4:
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
The Amplified Version:
17 So this I say and solemnly testify in the name of the Lord as in His presence, that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness (in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls) and the futility of their minds.
18 Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. They are alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God (with no share in it; this is) because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart (to the insensitiveness of their moral nature).
19 In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves(a prey) to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity (that their depraved desires may suggest and demand).
We must not allow ourselves to be frustrated with the world’s perverseness and continuous lawless acts. Jesus was well aware of the blindness among Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes in each encounter. Here they had the Son of GOD standing before yet they had no clue! Would it be any different today? Blindness has no time limitation associated with it.
Even the miracles performed in Jesus’ earthly ministry did not remove the blindness or correct the reasoning among the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes. We look back and marvel at their blindness yet many are blinded to the mysteries which are still hidden. Any revelation which undermines the current, perceived authority is attacked by those who are concerned about the loss of their stature, finances, or position in the “church”.
The spiritual apathy among the masses has caused them to be callous and reckless. They have formed a bias which is designed to rationalize their unbridled sensuality, impurities, sexual perversity and greed. Their confusion definitely describes Mystery Babylon’s attributes.
Paul continues:
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Let us renew our minds daily so that we have a fresh mental and spiritual attitude as we encounter the world’s confusion. We will observe confusion but not be moved or participate in it. Confusion will attempt to draw us into it if we allow ourselves to be moved by it or dwell on it. We must not allow ourselves to be affected by the continuous flow of confusion created by the world.
Our new man will walk in true righteousness and holiness as we wade through this daily confusion and blindness. Our level of frustration will do to zero as we keep our mind renewed on a daily basis. We will be the ones with a smile on our faces.