³For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

Not given to condescending rhetoric, the apostle Paul includes himself in the “we” when he describes pre-conversion life. On the surface, we know Paul, by his own testimony, was a “good” Mosaic-Law-abiding Jew:

If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee . . . as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. (Phil. 3:4a–6)

That was his outer show of righteousness; no one could fault him on any point of the legalistic interpretation of the Mosaic Law. In his pre-conversion days, he blindly viewed himself that way, and he certainly projected that onto how he assumed others saw him. But now he speaks about the reality from a Christian point of view. The outward was a façade, covering over the inner depravity of mind and soul.

Peter reminds his readers as well:

The time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. (1 Peter 4:3).

Yes, we need to be reminded of what we once were, so that we continually appreciate what we are not, which is just a foretaste of what we shall become:

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (1 John 3:2)

Look again at how Paul describes the pre-conversion condition. He is probably not saying all Christians are guilty of all the things listed, but we can all recognize ourselves in there: disobedient, deceived, enslaved to lusts and pleasures, and fighting continuously for dominance or defense in our relationships. What value is there in remembering this? It reminds us of what changed us from that former condition to our current status as children of God: “the kindness of God our Savior.” That is to be the glorious centrality of our fullness of life now—what God has done in saving us. That is coming next.

Lord, thank You for saving me from such a despicable life.