… in the futility of their thinking. 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. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
Summary: What we think has a big impact on what we do and who we are. Thinking there is no God is a faulty assumption that leads to faulty — and dangerous — conclusions.
What is a Gentile? This passage offers an overview, but this overview only makes sense from a believer’s perspective.
People who believe in God and the Bible are right in their thinking (Proverbs 1:7). We acknowledge our Creator and his Word. We understand God makes the rules. God defines what is right and what is wrong. God is our Judge, and at the end of our physical lives, it is God who decides our fate.
The Gentile mind rejects this thinking. Gentiles embrace any excuse not to believe in God. The mere idea that there is a God who judges right and wrong is threatening to the Gentile mind. Rejection of God is how Paul defines a Gentile.
In our world today, we see the fruit of Gentile thinking. Children are taught that there is no God. Families are under attack, and what we call the fabric of society is being intentionally frayed. The power made possible by modern technology has encouraged people to lose their fear of being judged. The fruit of a Godless mind is a society that gives itself over to “sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity.” The Godless mind is motivated by greed in all its forms. Greed for money, power, and control. Greed for the things that the Gentile mind craves.
Paul tells us these kinds of minds are corrupted by the “futility of their thinking.” They “think,” but their efforts at thinking are futile. There is a saying in the world of computer programmers which describes this condition. They say, “Garbage in, garbage out.” If you put bad data into a computer, the answers will be equally bad.
As Gentiles, we are familiar with this condition. Before we knew Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we had to base our thinking on something. What was it? Assumptions? Something Uncle Ned told us? An impression we got from someone who had a bad experience at church?
Without God as the foundation of our thinking, we have no hope of coming up with the right answers. Garbage in, garbage out.
Application: Do not despise wisdom and instruction.
Food for Thought: What causes “hardening of their hearts?”
What causes “hardening of their hearts?
understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them
A mind that is lost without wisdom knowledge or understanding what truth is. Someone without guidance in their life teaching them right from wrong and how to know the difference. A heart that doesn’t understand what the greatest love is ( laying down someone’s life for another ) and the reasons why someone would do that for a someone who was a scoffer calling out to crucify him. A person who believes in their own selfish thoughts separated from God. Thinking that they know better than anyone else including the creator of the universe. A person without remorse, compassion, empathy, ect. for others. An ignorant fool who has turned away from God and doesn’t believe they need help, salvation, grace, or forgiveness. Someone unwillingly to pray and seek out the truth. Those are some of the ways that causes a hardening of a heart, and God can give someone over to their own sinfulness and hardened that person’s heart.
T&A, ,
What a powerful summary of the ways mankind goes wrong! Perhaps the most damning line is “Thinking they know better.”
Well said!
What causes “hardening of their hearts?”
Repeatedly choosing to engage in sin. The more one does the less they feel. Giving in to fear and pain. Allowing it all to foster hatred in your heart.
But there is also softening of the heart. Recognizing sin, accepting salvation from the Lord, making Him Lord of your life, letting go of fear and pain, loving God, others and yourself.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Thanks Chris!
Yes, like a callous takes time to form, so does the hardening of the heart. Giving in to fear and pain is, sadly, one of the things that causes that hardening.
Thanks. I have nothing much to add to the comments today. Good comments.
If I had a one word answer it would either be sin or rebellion. Rebellion and rejection of God leads to a further hardening of the heart (Romans 1: 18 – 32). The only hope is Christ and a heart that embraces that hope.
Thanks Rich!
It is interesting that the source of Eternal Hope requires a tiny seed of hope for us to find it. If we could only learn to listen to the Spirit’s calling in our hearts.
07-06-2023, What causes “hardening of their hearts?”
Purposely turning from God and leaning on our own understanding! Proverbs 3:1-35
Today we live more and more according to “Agnotology Thinking.” The study of deliberate, culturally induced ignorance to influence opinion, through the publication of inaccurate or misleading scientific data, disinformation.
Today, man’s scientific data is teaching, we have zero scientific evidence that Eve was tempted by a serpent, and billions of people have believed in this story for thousands of years. For centuries, millions of Christians have locked themselves inside a self-reinforcing mythological bubble, never daring to question the truth of the words written in the Bible.
One common misconception is, gender isn’t physical. There are tons of other gender identities beyond Male and Female, like non-binary, gender-fluid, and more.The best way to describe someone’s gender identity is as a person’s internal, deeply held knowledge of their own gender. We are no longer the person foreknown by God, prior to our creation. We are being taught we are actually what we may feel like from moment to moment.
Mankind is turning from, responding to the Holy Spirits conviction of truth, making themselves blind to the true way to peace and happiness and are choosing to obtain these in their own power.
Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
2 Timothy 3:1-13, Proverbs 21:2, Revelation 2:23
Thank you, Ron.
The Isaiah 5:20 passage is a powerful warning. I hope people who read this take its message to heart.