But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:20-24

Every day we have a great opportunity to shine the light of Christ to those around us in, quite literally, every situation. Yesterday Patrina and I spent a large part of the day with a group of people who live in darkness, even though most of them are not aware of it at this point, and at least some would say they are “Christian” because they attend church regularly. Alistair Begg called these people, “Almost Christian.”

In the first-century church of Ephesus, Paul recognized the opportunity for the people of the local church in their world and so he contrasted the lives of those who do not follow Christ –

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Ephesians 4:18-19

Notice those words I’ve added bold type. Most would be offended to think they are “darkened in their understanding” or “alienated from the life of God” or that they are hardened and callous towards the things of God. On the contrary, most would say they are good people who work hard and love their families even when they are more dedicated to “sensuality and impurity.”

Do they notice the difference between those followers of Christ? Are we being “renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

It’s a serious question for each of us to consider.