4:18Ephesians 4:18

The verse describes the empty Gentile life believers must leave behind, a walk with darkened understanding and separation from God's life through inner ignorance and blindness of heart.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+2 To be alienated is to be cut off by one's own choice from God as the source of life, leaving a person unable in his own strength to live a holy life.DA 763.4–764.3+2 That ignorance comes from a hard and blinded heart that binds mind and soul, leaving them unable to grasp, receive, or share the elements of divine life.Lt 67, 1902, par. 34–36+2 Turning from known light and persisting in sin deepens that blindness, until God withdraws His Spirit and leaves the rejecter to hardness, unable to discern spiritual things.DA 763.4–764.3+3 Against this stands learning Christ, putting off the corrupt old life, being renewed in mind, and receiving life from Him to partake of the divine nature in righteousness and true holiness.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+4

The verse describes the Gentile way of life that those who have learned Christ must leave behind, walking no longer as others walk in vanity of mind with understanding darkened and alienated from the life of God through ignorance and blindness of heart.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+4 That former condition is enslavement to lust and to Satan's devices, being past feeling and given over to lasciviousness and uncleanness with greediness, in contrast to hearing Christ and being taught the truth in Jesus by putting off the corrupt old man of deceitful lusts, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, and putting on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+4 Such renewal must bring a decisive change in life and character, lived out in putting away lying and speaking truth, being angry without sin, giving no place to the devil, stealing no more but laboring to give to the needy, speaking only edifying speech that ministers grace, grieving not the sealing Holy Spirit, and putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving as God forgives.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16 In this alienated state the enemy works by and through members so that God cannot work, seen in having no faith in fellow workers from having no faith in self and in refusing to yield to repentance.Ms 8, 1914, par. 21–24

Alienation means living separate from God, the source of life, and by his own choice man severs himself from Him and cuts himself off from life.DA 763.4–764.3+2 Sin separates from the life of God and leaves people unable by their own power to live a holy life, while Christ can impart life to those spiritually dead and free them from bondage to sin.DA 763.4–764.3+1 The ignorance is rooted in blindness and hardness of the heart, leaving mind and soul so bound up in Satan's plan that man is palsied, incapable of appreciating, appropriating, or imparting the elements of a divine life.Lt 67, 1902, par. 34–36+2 Those in this condition fix their affections and interests on earthly things and follow the course of the world, so they cannot discern, love, or enjoy heavenly and divine things, and the things of the Spirit seem foolish to them.2T 138.2+1

Sin weakens the soul under Satan's influence so that people cannot recognize sin or value and receive the divine nature, for the natural heart has no desire for divine things while Satan uses deceptive thoughts to hinder every good impulse.Ms 50, 1900, par. 2+1 People turn the faculties and powers God gave them against Him and become ingenious to pervert every blessing tended to them and to employ those blessings as weapons against God.Ms 50, 1900, par. 2+1 Although God loves them and made the richest gift He could make in giving His only begotten Son to the world, He cannot venture to bestow safely the greater grace and power, gifts and blessings He otherwise would give and wishes to bestow.Ms 50, 1900, par. 2+1 Left to himself, man is blind and naked and alienated from the life of Christ, not knowing Christ and not feeling need of Him, crying peace to his own soul and to others when there is no peace.Lt 52, 1886, par. 17 Erroneous ideas of his own merits and of his God lull him into carnal security, broken only by seasons of misgiving, until by viewing the character of Jesus consciousness of need grows, by increasing intimate experimental knowledge of Christ and crying from an agonized soul for salvation he becomes in every sense a partaker of the divine nature.Lt 52, 1886, par. 17

The Jews illustrated this darkened understanding, for having no light in themselves they viewed prophecy through corrupt, self-serving desires and judgment and pride.LC1 19.1+2 They interpreted the prophecies as promising a temporal ruler who would overthrow other powers and nations by force, restore Jewish liberty and political power, and exalt their nation, using Scripture to support pride rather than to honor God or to shape life by its teachings and the prophets' standard.LC1 19.1+1 Selfish prejudice kept the leaders from reconciling convicting authority with humble life and appearance and from seeing that real greatness does not need outward display, so they rejected the claim to be the Son of God.LC1 19.1+1 This blindness left them open to Satan's influence and led them toward ruin.LC1 19.1+2 Indulgence in unhealthful food likewise darkens the mind and stupefies the conscience so it is less responsive to impressions, and a conscience made insensible by repeated violation does not lessen the transgressor's guilt.CE 180.3

Hardened refusal to hear God's law leaves people ignorant and alienated from the life of God, while loyalty to His law and obedience bring life and blessing.Ms 116, 1897, par. 27–29 Rejecting the light, word, and warnings God has given brings withdrawal of His Spirit and leaves people to hardness of heart and blindness of mind, ignorant of God and separated from His life.ST Jun 21, 1883+3 Satan blinds eyes and darkens minds in this condition, as in the days of Christ and Luther.ST Jun 21, 1883 To avoid being left in this darkened, alienated condition, people must humble their hearts, confess their sins, and be converted, fearing and trembling lest the Spirit be taken from them, and those who have received that light must heed it rather than follow their own inclinations.Lt 30, 1906, par. 7+1

When people reject truth, God gives them up to blindness of mind and hardness of heart so they greedily accept even ridiculous falsehoods because those falsehoods agree with what their hearts already desire and fit their lustful passions and devices.ST Oct 3, 1878+2 Their readiness to accept falsehoods that fit their desires reveals this ignorant, alienated condition and their inability to recognize truth because their hearts favor falsehood.ST Oct 3, 1878+2 Those deceived for a time because they trusted false guides can still perceive the truth if they are teachable and genuinely seek to know it, and then doubts and perplexities give way as they see the contradictions in their guides.6RED 42.3+1 Choosing sin, shutting the eyes to acknowledged sin, and persisting in one's own ways leave people blind in mind and hard in heart and unable to discern spiritual things, for by alienating themselves from God, the source of life, they cut themselves off from life and ultimately reap the result of that choice.DA 763.4–764.3+1 Each indulgence of sinful desire strengthens aversion to God and darkens spiritual understanding, and each step along evil's path leads into greater darkness.

Close exposure to revealed truth without a life showing growing love for it and its sacred requirements makes people harder and less responsive, destitute of the Spirit's emotions, dead to its heavenly influence, unable to discern eternal things and treating them as common.STPW91 8.2 Ignorance and sin darken the understanding, but when God's truths become part of life the darkness is removed and the person becomes a new creature without receiving new mental powers.CT 452.2 Teachers and others risk this hard-hearted, blind-minded condition when they reject the Holy Spirit's work, mistake its influence for deception or fanaticism, and call righteousness sin and sin righteousness, which deepens blindness and leaves them unable to recognize God's work and unfit to understand its spiritual value.FE 434.2+1 There remains hope they have not yet become hardened and blinded beyond receiving the Spirit, and if they are visited again they must not call righteousness sin and sin righteousness.FE 434.2

Ephesians 4:18 stands in direct contrast to learning Christ and being taught the truth as it is in Jesus.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+3 Those who have not learned Christ walk as other Gentiles walk in vanity of mind, with understanding darkened and alienated from the life of God through ignorance rooted in blindness and hardness of heart.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+2 Their minds and lives are corrupted and enslaved by lustful passions, deceitful lusts, and Satan's devices.5T 171.3–172.1+1 Against this stands putting off the corrupt old man, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, and putting on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+1 Learning the truth in Jesus therefore demands a decisive change in life and character away from enslavement to lust.5T 171.3–172.1+1

Unrenewed, people become past feeling and given over to lasciviousness and uncleanness with greediness, refusing to yield to repentance.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16+1 Renewed life is lived out in putting away lying and speaking truth with one's neighbor.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16 It is lived out in being angry without sin, giving no place to the devil, stealing no more but laboring with the hands to give to the needy, and speaking only edifying speech that ministers grace to the hearers.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16 It is lived out in grieving not the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption, and in putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice, to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving as God for Christ's sake forgives.Ms 59, 1902, par. 15–16

Christ can impart life to those who are spiritually dead and free them from bondage to sin, for sin separates people from the life of God and leaves them unable by their own power to live a holy life.Lt 52, 1886, par. 17+1 Man left to himself is blind and naked and alienated from the life of Christ, not knowing Christ nor feeling need of Him, crying peace when there is no peace, lulled into carnal security by erroneous ideas of his own merits and of God, broken only by seasons of misgiving.Lt 52, 1886, par. 17 His need is to view the character of Jesus until consciousness of need grows, to gain increasing intimate experimental knowledge of Christ, to cry from an agonized soul for salvation, and by that knowledge to become in every sense a partaker of the divine nature.Lt 52, 1886, par. 17 The verse stands as a warning to every soul in the last days, calling for faith joined with works in clear distinct lines, gathering every ray of light amid moral darkness, bearing aloft the third angel's message, setting the churches in order and closing the door of unbelief.Ms 147, 1904, par. 4–6 It warns against Satan's increasing seducing power that would deceive even the very elect, and against failing to make straight paths so the weak are turned out of the way.Ms 147, 1904, par. 4–6

In the church this alienated condition appears when the enemy works by and through members so that God cannot work, seen in having no faith in fellow workers from having no faith in self.Ms 8, 1914, par. 21–24 Many believers have become hard-spirited strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit, and the solemn instruction calls for a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, learning daily to breathe heaven's atmosphere and catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts.Ms 8, 1914, par. 21–24+1 Darkened understanding also appears in practical unfaithfulness, as when men handling books presenting truth misjudge and act unjustly by treating the work as personal enrichment, bringing needless expense, drawing from funds given to present truth, and managing to advance their own line to others' disadvantage.Lt 61, 1901, par. 9–10 Unless converted they cannot see those interests bound up in God's cause nor appropriate means rightly, and what is required are men who reason righteously with wise discrimination and can be trusted implicitly, without lessening the just claims of the publishing house.Lt 61, 1901, par. 9–10 The strange blindness of understanding among those who sustained Dr. Kellogg shows the same condition, and their support made them guilty with him.Lt 258, 1906, par. 2 To avoid being left in this darkened, alienated condition, people must humble their hearts, confess their sins, and be converted, fearing and trembling lest the Spirit be taken from them, heeding the light God has given rather than following their own inclinations, for rejecting His word and light brings withdrawal of His Spirit and leaves people to hardness of heart and blindness of mind.Lt 30, 1906, par. 7+1