I want to share something that exploded inside me this morning. Let’s look at Ephesians 4:17-19: “…no longer walk (conduct your manner of life) as the rest of the Gentiles (unbelievers) walk, in the futility (useless—vanity) of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated FROM the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them…who being PAST FEELING, have given themselves over to licentiousness (morally unrestrained), to work all uncleanness with greediness” (parenthesis and caps mine).
First I want to mention that this lifestyle of being ruled by a darkened mind causes one to NOT experience the life of God (that’s a whole other teaching, though). What I want to emphasize is: being past feeling they gave themselves over to a morally unrestrained lifestyle. Or we could say it this way: the nature inside them was able to be given full expression as they were PAST FEELING.
Well, I want to encourage each of us to get to the point of being PAST our FEELINGS (stop being moved by how we “feel” all of the time) and allow the LIFE OF GOD, which is already inside us by the Holy Ghost: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2), to come out and govern our lives. The way we think, the way we talk, how we treat others and so on!
Smith Wigglesworth always said: “I’m not moved by how I feel, I’m moved only by what I believe.” That’s a great way to live. Let’s shoot for that goal!
