17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
"Therefore" is an important transition, signaling that what is about to be said is a result of what has been said thus far. Paul has plainly laid out the truth of our position in the body of Christ, simultaneously seated with Christ at the Father’s right hand, and active in the local assembly of believers on earth. This is then linked to "henceforth,” indicating what we should now do as a result of “therefore.” We last saw it in verse fourteen, where Paul established a different facet of how we are to conduct ourselves (our "walk"). The two words create double emphasis on the instructions for conduct that are to follow.
Here, we are told to not behave as other Gentiles behave. The implication is that we are to be sanctified and set apart. This condemns every way in which we (the Church) attempt to mimic the world's R-rated culture in our own PG-rated style. For absolute clarity, Paul establishes for us exactly how the Gentile world conducts itself: vain, darkened, alienated, ignorant, blind, past feeling, lascivious, unclean, and greedy. Each of these words carries its own nuance, but the major threads among them are futility (words l-6), lustful (words 7-9) and incontinent (all). They are out of control and do not even know it, because they have so surrendered to their sin nature (see Romans 1) that their consciences are numbed. I Timothy 4: l-3 elaborates on the idea of the "seared conscience" that results in wicked doctrines.
The word "all" should serve to remind us that sin is not content to be bound or limited in any of us (see I Corinthians 10:13). "Blindness of their heart" in verse eighteen hearkens to the Laodacieans who walk in carnality and worldliness (see Revelation 3:17).
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