not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don't know God;
The mores and customs of the society in which we live have a greater impact upon our behavior than we realize. By an act of will we must decide whether we will use the atheistic "Gentiles" as role models or whether we will be guided and governed by the "will of God" (4:3). Paul contrasts the options available to us in the words "as ye have received of us" and "as the Gentiles." The Christian will always be guided by the will of God rather than by the standards of contemporary society.