In the Futility of their Minds

“Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, IN THE FUTILITY OF THEIR MINDS; 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” (Ephesians 4:17-18).

Note how darkened understanding and futile thinking are “due to...hardness of heart.” The chain of causation linking hardness of heart to ignorance and darkened understanding to futile thinking is a revelation of the highest order. Ignorance is more than mental (soulish); it is also spiritual (involving the conscience). Many think man’s spirit and heart are synonymous, but Watchmen Nee defined the heart as, “The conscience in man’s spirit plus the mind in his soul.” Thus the spirit of man—comprised of conscience, intuition and communion—is not wholly represented by the heart. Likewise, the soul of man—comprised of mind, will and emotion—is also not wholly represented by the heart. The spirit is conscience, intuition and communion, whereas the heart is one-third spirit (conscience) and one-third soul (mind).

Nonetheless, the interrelationship between human aspects of mind and heart makes them all dark, hard and futile whenever the life of God is missing from them. As an example, Friedrich Nietzsche, a staunch atheist (undoubtedly “alienated from the life of God), died in a lunatic asylum with a hard and unrepentant heart still clinging to the futility of his darkened mind. As G. K. Chesterton observed, “The softening of the brain which ultimately overtook him [Nietzsche] was not a physical accident. If Nietzsche had not ended in imbecility, Nietzscheism would end in imbecility. Thinking in isolation and with pride ends in being an idiot. Every man who will not have softening of the heart must at last have softening of the brain.”

Scripture outlines the declension of those who refuse to honor and thank God. And this fundamental lack of honoring God as God and being unthankful are the root causes of their willful ignorance. But atheists such as Nietzsche are simply and undeniably liars, having been informed of God’s benevolent existence. “For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, THEY DID NOT HONOR HIM AS GOD OR GIVE THANKS, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:20-21).

Remember, “Every men who will not have softening of the heart must at last have softening of the brain.”