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.
Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
Two phrases stand out in the passage above:
"separated from the life of God because....."
"ignorance that is in them due to.. "
A focus on the heart of the passage leads to the very heart of the problem the Gentiles have: "the hardening of their hearts...
So tracing it backwards a hardened heart begins before we get to the hardened part. A definite progression is in action here.
You must no longer live as the Gentile do
4) in the futility of their thinking
3) They are darkened in their understanding
2) and separated from the life of God
1) because of the ignorance that in in them
4-1 the process how their hearts became hardened. It started seemingly small as step one, but each step opened the door for the next step leading to the futility of their thinking.
The end of futility of their thinking leads from step 1-4:
1) Having lost all sensitivity
2) They have given themselves over to sensuality
3) So as to indulge in every kind of impurity
4) With a continual lust for more.
So that, having lost our conscience, and increasing sensuality and impurity the lust grows 'til, without Christ we are lost, unable to stop a life of sin.
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