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. 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
(Ephesians 4:17-18).

Notice that a hardened heart causes a vicious circle. A hardened heart causes ignorance—the lack of understanding. This darkened understanding causes one to be separated from the Life of God, leaving a person to his own futile thoughts, which eventually lead to evil desires.

AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN, DO NOT CONFORM TO THE EVIL DESIRES YOU HAD WHEN YOU LIVED IN IGNORANCE
(1 Peter 1:14).

Understand that a hardened heart causes a lack of knowing God’s Truth, a lack of experiencing God’s Hope, and a lack of perceiving God’s Love—SEPARATION FROM THE LIFE OF GOD. Once you feel separated from God’s Truth, Hope, and Love, the lies from the father-of-lies seem like the truth. At this point, you are unable to separate right from wrong, evil from good, and God from the father-of-lies. Since your understanding is darkened, you start thinking futile thoughts: thoughts that serve the father-of-lies…thoughts that kill, steal, and destroy…thoughts that disobey God. And if you conform to these futile thoughts, they lead to sin and death.

IN THE PAST GOD OVERLOOKED SUCH IGNORANCE, BUT NOW HE COMMANDS ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE TO REPENT
(Acts 17:30).

NOTICE THAT GOD DOES NOT OVERLOOK IGNORANCE!

Repent from your hardened heart—living in the ignorance of your own understanding and the futility of your own thinking.

Then, you will no longer be separated from the Life of God.  The lies of the father-of-lies will be exposed.  Your hopelessness and despair will be exchanged for God’s Hope.  Your animosity will be exchanged for God’s Love. And you will LIVE!

What has hardened your heart? Why are you holding onto your hardened heart? What will it take for you to surrender the oppressing beliefs from the father-of-lies that are causing your hardened heart, to God, and be changed…or rather, exchanged?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I repent of my hardened heart, because I want to stop conforming to the evil desires that this hardened heart of mine is causing.