The objective of this lesson: to challenge us to remember when God had limited or no influence in our lives.
Often when Paul wrote to or talked with gentiles, he referred to (a) their past views as idol worshippers and (b) the impact those views had on their behavior. Their objective in becoming a Christian was NOT to embrace a new form of religion, but to become a different person. Gentile converts were [as far as the majority were concerned] religious before they accepted Christ. Never was the basis of the call to Christ a plea to be religious. The plea was to come to know the true, living God and His son Jesus Christ.
Stress two things: (1) the fact that Paul stressed past convictions about God influenced their daily behavior, and (2) idolatrous people were religious, but had an incorrect view of God.
Consider, as an example, Paul's statement in Romans 1:18-32. Paul said there were a group of people that invited God's wrath on themselves. They were ungodly, unrighteous [note: not non-religious] people who opposed the truth [about God]. These people ignored the obvious. They knew God existed, but they refused to acknowledge the nature of God Who was bigger than they, bigger than creation.
Note it is possible for people to invite divine wrath on them. Being righteous begins with learning a correct view of God. [The emphasis is not on human perfection in concepts or behavior--an impossibility-- but on not ignoring what should be obvious--like the distinction between creatures and the Creator.]
Then Paul used two of his favorite words in this discussion: futile and darkness. Rather than acknowledging the obvious, they became futile in their speculations and darkened in their foolish hearts. Futile referred to an inner condition produced by idolatrous thinking that resulted in wrong views of God. Instead of these wrong views producing the light of understanding, these views had the opposite effect. They produced darkness rather than light. What idol worshippers thought was a form of ignorance that ignored the obvious. Thus, though they declared themselves wise, their convictions and the behavior produced by those convictions made them fools. They substituted the forms of men who died and decayed, of birds that died and decayed, of four legged animals that died and decayed, and of reptiles that died and decayed for an eternal God. They worshipped the created instead of the Creator.
Stress the concepts of futile and darkness. Emphasize that futile thinking produced flawed concepts of God in fundamental considerations. In thinking about darkness, talk about the importance of light to existence, and transfer those concepts to the importance of an enlightened understanding.
The result was terrifyingly destructive! God abandoned them (a) to their own lusts, (b) to degrading passions, and (c) to a depraved mind. In their idolatrous convictions, they were their own worst enemy, and they never realized it! The behavior resulting from their foolish worship of the created rather then the eternal God Who created included every destructive form of excess known in human attitudes and acts! They without hesitation endorsed the practices that destroyed them!
Stress the fact that our stubborn, resisting ignorance can reach a point when God abandons us to ourselves. Note how destructive such abandonment is. Do emphasize that with God's help, recovery is possible. That is the objective of God's grace--to redeem that which appears to be beyond redemption.
Paul's use of the approach to gentiles who worshipped idols can be seen in Acts l7:22-31. (a) He used their ignorance to appeal to their curiosity. He noted their acknowledgment of the Unknown God, and said, "What you worship in ignorance, I proclaim to you." He then discussed God as the Creator that was not dependent on human beings. He declared God was close and knowable. He then declared God's nature should not be reduced to a human form presented by human thoughts in art work. While ignorance was excused in the past, repentance was then [and now] expected. God acted, and people were accountable for their decisions.
This is one of our few sermons presented to a gentile audience. Most sermons in Acts are presented to a Jewish audience or to a Jewish/gentile audience. Note this lesson stressed the nature of God rather than the nature of the Christ. The big issue with a Jewish audience was the nature of the Christ [for example, could the Christ suffer]. The big issue with a gentile audience was the possibility of resurrection.
In Ephesians 4, Paul urged gentile Christians to remember what it was like when they knew nothing about Christ. "Remember when your life was guided by futile thinking like godless people presently are? Remember how such thoughts darkened [not enlightened] your understanding? Remember when ignorance about the true nature of the living God caused your heart to be hard [you were people incapable of being compassionate]? Remember what it was like being people with an insensitive, callused heart? Remember when you had no conscience, put no restraint on yourself? Remember when your lifestyle and objectives were motivated by impure goals and greed?" Remembering again contrasted what they had been to what they were.
The way for Christian gentiles to combat futile thinking and darkened understandings began with remembering their lives when futility and misunderstanding controlled them. They needed to remember what kind of people they were when futility and darkness controlled their behavior.
Sometimes a person has to remember from what he or she was delivered to appreciate who they are and where they are after deliverance! They were morally and spiritually dead when they lived the idolatrous lifestyle (Ephesians 2:1, 5). Even worse, when they were in that condition they had no awareness of how awful their condition was or what consequences they faced! They could take no credit for what God did for them in Christ. The solution to their problems arose from God's mercy expressed in Christ, not from any deservedness on their part.
Appreciation of the present often begins by remembering the past. Stress the picture of their behavior before God influenced their lives was NOT a pleasant one!
The impact of their former convictions in idolatry made them (a) an uncaring people (b) who existed in the darkness of ignorance about the true nature of the living God Who created. The combined influence of these two forces ruled them prior to their being Christians. It made them selfish people who were insensitive to the injustices and sufferings of others. Was that now who they really wanted to be? Was that the existence they once again wished to embrace? Sometimes you have to remember what you were to be committed to being different.
Stress the manner in which their idolatrous convictions influenced their behavior. Emphasize what we believe will [in a primary way] influence how we behave and how we treat other people. Often it is NOT that our belief system and behavior are incompatible, but our belief system is pretense rather than reality.
The decision of faith to belong to Christ involves a "becoming," not merely an acknowledgment. One is converted to Jesus Christ in order to become something he or she was not. For the person who is completely alienated from God, there is an awareness of what I was without God in my life. For the person who was blessed by the influences of a godly home and Christian environment, there is the desire to give God complete control over his/her continued development as a person. In both situations, there is the inner, personal desire to allow the eternal God to determine (a) who I am and (b) how I live as I mature and develop. It involves a conscious choice! It involves a leaving as well as a becoming!
Note that WHY one is a Christian is quite important. Correct motives must be the reason for doing correct acts. The fundamental reason for becoming a Christian is the conscious intent to be a godly person. Becoming a Christian should be the exercise of individual choice.
Who would you be as a person, a spouse, a parent, a friend, or a worker if all influences of God were removed from your life? If Jesus Christ was not at work in any aspect of your life, who would you be and what would you do?
Challenge class members [students] to seriously reflect on these two questions.
For Thought and Discussion
It was never a plea to be religious. It was a plea to know the true, living God and His son Jesus Christ.
A group who invited God's wrath on themselves.
Paul often used futile and darkness.
An inner condition [perspective, thinking] that produced wrong views of God.
They substituted worship of the created for worship of the Creator [the eternal God].
(1) their own lusts; (2) degrading passions; (3) a depraved mind.
They were their own worst enemy, and did not know it.
He used it to appeal to their curiosity.
He encouraged them to remember.
Sometimes he/she had to remember what he/she was delivered from.
It involves a becoming.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2