There is a new sermon available.  If you get a chance to listen to the newest sermon you might need to see these.  In discussing Ephesians 4:17-24 we talked about the spiral of rebellious idolatry and the spiral of redemption.  In the coming weeks we will be spending more time on this spiral of redemption.  As I studied the text I thought this was a decent representation of the life of the Gentile (unbeliever) contrasted with the life of the believer. 

This God rejecting spiral is the result of idolatry (or as I have titled it Fighting the Gospel).  When we reject God and fight the gospel we become hardened and calloused (Losing Humanity).  Then this comes to full fruition and we are given over (as in Romans 1) or we give ourselves over (as in Ephesians 4) to sin. 

The God accepting spiral is the result of Ephesians 1-3 happening in our lives (coming to know God and being transferred from the kingdom of rebellion into the kingdom of redemption).  This spiral is contrasted with the idolatry of our former way of living.  Rather than dying in sin we are now fighting sin (Put off the old self).  We are being renewed in our spirits (growing in the gospel—or being redeemed into who God intends humanity to be).  And we begin growing in holiness and righteousness (we start looking like God).