Subjection to Civil Authority

Transcript

GR 751
10/19/1986
Subjection to Civil Authority
Titus 3:1-3
Gil Rugh

Titus chapter 3. In this small epistle from the Apostle Paul, he has focused the theme or attention of the letter on the subject of good works. The deeds we do that reflect our relationship with God. You might say the theme of the book is godliness. Godliness with the emphasis on our conduct. The evidence of godliness in the way that we live.

He began in chapter 1 by discussing matters that related to local churches at Crete where Titus is located, and what needed to be done with these local churches to assure godliness on the part of the people there. And Paul begins by saying you must have godly leadership in these churches. So he gave the guidelines for the appointing of elders or spiritual leaders.

Then in chapter 2 Paul talked about godliness or good works in the conduct of families and individual resoonsibi1ities. There he talked about different groups, different ages, what the older men were to be, what the older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves. So our families, how we relate together, what our families are to be to reflect the character of God. What our individual lives are to be to reflect the character of God. That 2nd chapter was drawn to a conclusion with a strong emphasis on the grace of God that makes living a godly life possible. God's grace has appeared and has brought salvation for all men. And Paul makes a strong emphasis here that the reason we can live a life of godliness, the reason we must live a life of godliness is that God has provided for a life of godliness in the death and resurrection of His Son. And it reminds us again that you cannot be saved by your good works. You can only be saved by the grace of God through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which a life is to be built. And the coming of Christ at His first coming, His death and resurrection secured redemption for all who believe. So that believers are now called "the redeemed," and in v. 14, he talked about Christ gave Himself for us, "that He might redeem us." The word redeem, you remember, means "to set free by paying the price." And we are sinners and the penalty for sin is death. And Jesus Christ died for us. So by believing in Him we can be set free. Now He redeemed us "from every lawless deed and purified us for Himself to be a people who are His own special possession, zealous for good deeds." So we are to be a people who are aggressive, who are active in our service for Jesus Christ. He redeemed us. He set us apart for Himself that we might be a people who accomplishes His purposes in this world.

Now as you come into chapter 3, he's going to focus attention on our conduct, our good deeds, our godliness, in the context of the relationships with other people generally. Situations like our responsibility within our governmental setting. Our responsibility for other people who are not believers. He's going to deal again with the issue of false teachers, and in the midst of this chapter he's going to draw attention back again to the great grace of God that brought salvation to sinful men and women. The reason that we must live godly lives is that God has saved us. He has redeemed us. He set us free from sin that we might be a people that reflect His character, that live the new life He has given us in Jesus Christ. Now you can see with that emphasis what the world does and what religion does today. The emphasis in the world, the emphasis in religion today is, do your best; be the best person you can. Even give your life in serving others. It's a life of love that counts. Obviously, then, that would make us acceptable to God. The emphasis of the Book of Titus, as well as the rest of the Scriptures is, we are unacceptable to God because of sin. But through the redemption provided in His Son, we can be cleansed from our sin, be born into His family, and now live lives that are honoring and pleasing to Him. Two great errors or heresies: 1. that you can have salvation by what you do. The Biblical teaching is that you must have salvation by what God has done, the death of His Son. The second heresy, that many believers are living, is that as a child of God under grace, I'm free to do with my life what I choose. No, I am free to do with my life what God wants me to do now, which is true freedom. I can function as I was created to function.

Now between these two great sections on the work of God in salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, at the end of chapter 2, and then in chapter 3, vs. 4-7, we have a section that deals with our relationship with other people and particularly other non-believers. We're going to focus our attention just on the first 3 verses to look at the details there, and then we'll look at the vs. that focus attention on what God has done for us.

He begins with v. 1, "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed." "Remind them to be subject to rulers and to authorities." So as he comes into the way we live our lives, how do we live as citizens? What are our responsibilities as members of this society in which we live? In the country of which we are a part? I realize in the Book of Phi 1ippians, chapter 3, as Paul closes that chapter, that our citizenship is not of this world. However, we do live in this world and have responsibilities as part of this world. So I don't belong here in the full sense of the word, but while I live here I have responsibi1ity. I'm a citizen of heaven, but I have responsibilities living as a citizen of this nation as well. And that responsibility is focused in on "be subject to rulers and to authorities." We note from secular writing that the Cretans were frustrated under Roman rule, and this frustration brings rebellion and discontent. So they were a troublesome people. They did not like Roman rule and Roman oppression. Paul is evidently concerned that this attitude will spill over and affect believers as well. And his concern with the attitude and environment of Crete and its effect and impact upon believers has been discussed by him already, particularly in ch. 1.
Now here, how the Cretans view the Roman rule is liable to affect how believers view Roman rule, and thus how they function in response to that rule.

He says "Remind them." That's giving us a command in the present tense, something that Titus is to be constantly doing. "Do this on a regular basis, Titus. Be reminding them." That would seem to imply, if you're going to remind somebody of something, that they already knew this. This is not new material; however, it is something we are in danger of failing to live by. So he says "Be reminding them of these things." That becomes a key aspect of the responsibility of a teacher of the Word--remind the people of God. One of the tendencies we have, even as believers, is to be always looking for something new and something different. Ever stop and think how much of the Word of God is repetitive? If you took between Genesis and Revelation all the repetition out of the Bible, you would have a greatly condensed message from God. Now we obviously have to believe, if God wanted to, He could have made the Bible as brief as He wanted. He could have taken out all the repetition, but He knows that we need to be reminded. My problem as a believer is not that I don't know certain truths. My problem as a believer is failing to live consistently with the truths that I do know. Thus I constantly need to be reminded.

Back in 2 Tim. chapter 2, v. 14, Paul told Timothy, "Remind them of these things." So again, part of Timothy's responsibility is to be reminding believers of what God has said. Be drawing back to the forefront of their minds, stirring up their thinking. Not just so they have the facts there, but so now that these truths are fresh in my mind, I can evaluate, how am I doing? Does my life conform to the doctrines that I know and profess to believe? Now in Titus 3 he says to remind them "to be subject to rulers and authorities." Rulers and authorities, here, refer to the civil authorities. These expressions are sometimes used of spiritual powers as well, but here in this context, obviously, we're talking about civil authorities. And we'll see where it's used in other contexts as civil authorities as well. The responsibility, when we talk about government, for a believer is very simple. Be submissive. "Be subject to rulers and authorities." Now that word "to be subject," RBBNX to have your life arranged under the authority of someone else XRBI is used a variety of times in a variety of settings in the New Testament. Let me mention some passages, we won't turn there, because of time. You can jot down the reference if you like, and then read it to refresh your mind on the use of this word meaning 'to be subject.'

All the way back to Luke and the 2nd chanter, v. 51. Luke 2:51, and there it's used of Christ's submissiveness to His own parents, Mary and Joseph, on this earth. Christ was submissive to them. That's the word that we have here. In Romans chapter 8, v. 7, it's used of the proper subjection of a person to the Law of God. He are to be a people subject to God's Law. In Ephesians 5:22, the word is used of the submissiveness of a wife to her husband. In Eph. 5:24 it's used of a believer's subjection to Jesus Christ. Key reference. It's used of a believer's submissiveness to Jesus Christ. First Peter 2:18 uses it of a slave's submissiveness to his master. First Peter 5:5 uses it of the submissiveness of younger believers to older believers.

So it's clearly a word that involves submissiveness, subjection, obedience to the authority of a higher power or a person with a greater position, if you will. It does not mean that the person in that position is a superior person. Now that's crucial. Paul writes to Titus and tells him to instruct believers to be submissive to rulers and authorities. We're talking about some of the most wretched, depraved and debauched rulers the world has ever seen. We're talking about emperors who claim to be deity. We're talking about some emperors, such as Nero, who was on the throne when part of the New Testament was written, who was so openly depraved and debauched that even his own subjects finally could not stomach him any longer and drove him to suicide. We’re not talking about necessarily a person who has a position because he is a superior person, or more worthy as a person, it's the position that the person occupies that necessitates submissiveness on the part of a believer. When it comes to governmental authority, that is an authority established by God. As such, it is one that I must submit to. The word 'submissiveness1 is used back in Rom. 13 in this context. Turn back there if you will. Romans chapter 13. This is a more extensive treatment of this subject, and we're not going to do the details, but if you want to study the issue of the believer and governmental authority, you have to study Rom. 13.
Note how it begins. "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities." That word is used in Titus 3:1 as well. "Be subject to rulers and authorities." Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, the reason? "There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." God has established order and authority in the world. In a variety of realms. We have it in the home. The wife is to be subject to the husband. The children are to be subject to their parents. In the church, believers are to be subject to the elders. In our society, believers and people generally are to be subject to the rulers and authorities. It's a principle that God has established. He has established human government. So those that occupy the positions of power and authority occupy those because God has established governmental authority. Now our responsibi1ity in light of this is to be a good citizen and submit to that authority.

Note verse 2, "Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God." It's just that simple. When you resist the authority that God has established, you have resisted God. Now note here. We're not dealing with authorities who are believers. God has established human government, and so that is a binding relationship for all of us. Verse 3, "For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil." We all look around and say, I see exceptions. I see evil, wicked men ruling. Well, keep in mind, these are Roman emperors who are the ultimate rulers of the empire here ruling the world.
You say, are they a cause for good and not evil? In spite of the evil, governmental
authority still serves a good purpose of order for society. All we have to do is look at parts of the world today in countries where governmental authority is powerless to rule, and we've moved to chaos. We've moved to an unlivable society. And we have certain parts of the world or countries in the world today that have deteriorated to just that. Now you can look at other countries where we can say they are atheistic ruled, but there is still a society that has order, that people can walk the streets and somebody doesn't blow their heads off. But where there is no governmental authority, that society disintegrates and no one is safe and it becomes almost nonfunctional. So the principle of government is established in governmental authority.

So much so that we're told in v. 4 we're told, "for it is a minister of God to you for good." Verse 5, "Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, (if you don't you'll get punished; break the laws of government) but also for conscience' sake." I have my conscience before God. If I don't do what God tells me, I'll defile my conscience. Now I cannot be the man God wants me to be with a defiled conscience. Taxes enter into this, and he goes into the realm of taxes.

You know, the unpleasant things about government haven't changed, have they? That's why he had to write about it. So ought not think we have unique complaints today. We don't like the people who are ruling, we don't like the way they're ruling, we don't like the laws they have, and we don't like to pay to support them. Well, that was the same 2000 years ago, so Paul writes and says for us as believers our responsibility is simple--obey, submit, be submissive.

Turn to one other passage. First Peter chapter 2, v. 13. "Submit yourselves, and there's our word again, "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God." Note that. Some believers say they want to pray for the will of God. I find the will of God in the Word of God. I don't have to pray whether God wants me to submit to the rulers of this city or this country. The will of God is already revealed on that matter. All I have to do is submit to it. He tells me that's His will.
Verse 17, "Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." Keep in mind, Paul writes to the Romans. He writes to Titus. Peter writes in the letter we're just reading. Both these men are going to die at the hands of the governmental authorities. Executed for their faith and testimony concerning Jesus Christ, yet the Spirit of God says through them, "Submit to these authorities."

Come back to Titus. I want you to note. He obviously haven't done an exhaustive study, but there is no distinction drawn between good government and bad government. There are no distinctions drawn between good laws and bad laws. I am to be a submissive, obedient citizen. Now I realize in Acts 4:19 and 5:29 we're told we must obey God rather than men. And if human government says to me, You can no longer study the Bible; you can no longer believe in Jesus Christ; you can no longer preach Christ Jesus crucified, I would have to say I must obey God rather than men. And we find that happening in the Book of Acts by the example of God's servants and they willingly take the punishment that comes to them for that. Interesting, we don't find any bitter lashing out against the governmental authorities, even when they are unjustly imprisoning believers for their faith. There is respect and honor that is given to these individuals.

"Submit to rulers and authority." Mow he's going to go on and elaborate on this whole area that will relate to our relationship to governmental authorities as well as to believers generally. I think we as believers need to have fixed in our minds, our responsibility in the realm of government is simple. I challenge you to search the New Testament and find anywhere where a New Testament writer under the influence of the Spirit of Sod encourages believers to try to change that government or to make it something different. But it is always to live godly lives within the framework of those governing authorities. That doesn't mean we don't have rights as citizens, tart I cannot function as a citizen in the country in which I find myself. Paul claimed his Roman citizenship and used it and took the rights that were his as a Roman. I have rights as a citizen of this country. I have the freedom to exercise those rights. I must always do it in the framework of biblical conduct and biblical attitudes.

Back in Titus chapter 3, v. 1, "Be subject to authorities, to be obedient." So he reminds them. You have to remember that the basic characteristic of the flesh, sinful humanity, is rebellion, pride, which is rebellion ultimately against God. And that rebellion against God reflects itself in rebellion against everyone else as well. How often do you hear someone say, who are they to tell me what to do? You see this from young people growing up. The basic problem we see in young people today, rebellion against authority. Parental authority and authority in other realms as well. It's rooted in the sin nature, part of my depravity. In 1 Timothy 2, we ought to note this passage before we move on. 1 Timothy chapter 2, "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." You know what they're praying for? That they'll have the freedom within the governmental structure in which they find themselves to carry on a life of godliness. That's the concern. We ought to be praying for rulers and authorities. For the decisions that they make, so that we can continue the ministry that God has given us. Back in Titus 3:1.

We are to be "ready for every good deed." And this would include our civil duties but it would be broader than that. It paves the way for a more inclusive picture here, that includes the believers functioning in all of his relationships with other believers, but obviously he's been talking about civil authorities directly. For every good deed, to be ready for that. There are some negatives, then, that are ruled out.

"To malign no one." That word 'malign' is the word we carry into English, blaspheme, to speak against someone, to slander them. Often involves the expression of a bitter and angry spirit. A believer has to be careful that he doesn't speak evil of anyone. He is very concerned that we as believers sometimes cross the line in that. When political leaders make decisions we don't approve of, we can become very caustic, very bitter in our attack of these individuals, yet I am to malign no one. And the context here has been talking about civil authorities, speaking evil of them. It's not to be characteristic of me as a believer.

"To be uncontentious." Basically, the believer is to be a peaceable person. Now I realize you have to put this in harmony with the rest of Scripture. Paul has lashed out in very sharp and biting ways against false teachers. He's going to do that again in chapter 3. And false religious teachers become the object of special attack, and they are almost a special case. And Jude asked us to contend for the faith, just like Paul told us in chapter 1 of Titus, that we must "silence these false teachers." Now when we're dealing with religious teachers, we're dealing with a group that must be dealt with a certain way. When we move out of that realm, the rest of mankind, fallen and wicked as they are, are dealt with according to principles and guidelines he's setting down here. We're uncontentious. I'll do battle for the faith, but basically I'm to be a peaceful person. It's very difficult, then, for a believer to get involved in certain arenas as a believer, and not to be noted as a contentious person. One of the requirements of an elder, incidentally in 1 Tim. 3:3, a peaceable, uncontentious person. I think perhaps we as believers as a group in our own society are losing our identity as a peaceable, uncontentious people. Somehow we think we've got to arise and do battle, but we're not doing battle for the faith. We're doing battle, I'm afraid, in a way that is clouding the issue of the Gospel.

"Gentle," and the idea of this word from a Greek dictionary is 'yielding, gentle, or kind.' It would indicate a willingness to give up our rights, the prerogative we might feel are ours. A believer recognizes that he is a fallible, imperfect human being, living among fallible, imperfect human beings. This does not excuse sin, but it helps me understand that a person is going to do wrong things to me. A person is going to make decisions that are hurtful to me, but I am to be a gentle, yielding person. I don't have to have my rights. It does not have to be done my way in the society in which I live.

This too is a qualification for an elder in 1 Tim. 3:3. So believers are to have a tolerance, a kindness that characterizes them, even when they are wrong and things are going against them. And you can expect that will happen in a godless society, will you not? Another characteristic of us as believers: "Showing every consideration for all men." This word translated "consideration," we most often think of it as the word 'meekness.1 Again, the definition in a Greek dictionary would be 'gentleness, humility, courtesy, considerateness, meekness.' This is one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23. This is part of what the Spirit produces in the life of a believer under His control. This quality of considerateness, gentleness, meekness. Some translate it here "show every courtesy to all men." And that gets to the idea. There's to be no harshness or arrogance on the part of believers. Now that's crucial. Any attitude of superiority or pride is out of place. Sometimes we feel that we've come to the end of our rope, and we ought to realize this is going on at Crete, just like we experience. And we see the wretchedness of sinful men, the direction of their life, what it does to a society and we forget who we are and what we are, and I fail to show perfect courtesy to all men, to have that humility and gentleness, that kindness, that courtesy to characterize me as a believer. I end up saying things about people. Again, I'm not talking about attacking false doctrine that is being taught by a false teacher I'm talking about our attitude toward people generally, even toward our political leaders and rulers. Sometimes I think we as believers talk about them just like the unbeliever does. We get just as worked up and just as indignant and just as angry, just as ready to go to battle with them as the unbeliever does, and yet we're to be those manifesting the fruit of the Spirit which includes the meekness and the courtesy mentioned here. Now the difficulty in being considerate or showing consideration for all men, it's the "all men" that's the trouble here. "Toward all men." This is the difficult part. This means the Cretans! Now these believers at Crete were living with the Cretans, and Paul has described the Cretans as "always liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons." They are to show all courtesy to these people who were always liars or evil beasts and lazy gluttons, slow-bel1ies. 'I want you to show all courtesy to them, always considerate in your dealings with them.1 That was back in chapter 1, v. 12, where Paul told them that and applied it and said it was true. Only by God's grace can a believer expect to function this way. It's not natural to the flesh, but it is natural to the Spirit who indwells the believer.

What he's going to do now is give the reasons we are to function this way, and we can only start the reasons, give the first one and then we'll do the second one in a future study.

First, we were at one time miserable, wretched, depraved sinners ourselves. You know one of the problems we have as believers? We get self-righteous. We forget what we were. And all of a sudden we look with indignity and distain upon those terrible sinners; they just make you feel dirty. How can they do that? I forget, I'm one of them! But by the grace of God, as Whitfield said, there I go. And we forget that. We say, I just can't be patient with them any longer! Oh, who could put up with that! It's so terrible. Paul said, one of the reasons I have to treat them with kindness, courtesy, dignity, is we were just like them. And the second reason is, we are the subjects of God's great salvation and redemption, and but for that redemption we would still be there.

Look the list in v. 3 in case you've forgotten what you were like as God saw you. "For 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." Now the danger is, you read this list and say Wow! That doesn't include me! Includes some of you but it doesn't include me!' And yet Paul says that's what we were. Not every sin had manifested itself to the fullest in my life. That's why we say, I wasn't as bad as I could have been but I was as bad off as I could have been. But different sin and a different setting manifests itself more fully. There's a progressive deterioration. Why do we find that it is much easier for a young person of 6 to trust Jesus Christ as Savior than it is for an older person of 36 to trust Jesus Christ as Savior? That stubborn pride, that rebellion against God becomes more settled. Vie become more hardened with the passing of time, more satisfied with myself and less open to what God would want to do with me. So this is how God says we were.

This is comparative to other lists. 1 Cor. 6 and Ephesians 4 that Paul lays out that this is the characteristic of the ungodly which was us. V. 3, "for we also once were foolish." You note this is to be something that once characterized us before salvation, but godliness must now be the evidence of our life. "We also once were foolish ourselves." Ignorant, had no understanding. We had no spiritual perception or understanding. I Cor. 2:14 says the natural man, the man apart from the supernatural ministry of the Spirit in his life cannot know the things of God, has no ability to understand and perceive the work of God. So a person, no matter how brilliant or how intelligent, no matter how insightful, when it comes to spiritual things apart from the work of the Spirit of God, he's blind. He's stupid; he's dumb. Paul uses the word 'moron' in writing to the Corinthians. Here, he's ignorant. We were ignorant, we were foolish. As unbelievers we did dumb things because we didn't know the grace of God. Ever look at the unbeliever and see where the consistency of their sinful life is taking them? You say, how can they be so dumb? How can they be so foolish? Wouldn't you expect they would see what is happening, that they're on a road to self-destruction? How can I be expected to be patient with such stupidity? Because I was once just like them. Foolish, without perception, without understanding. Eph. 1:8 talked about being darkened in the realm of the mind. I didn't understand. "We were disobedient," in v. 3. lie were disobedient to God's authority, and we were disobedient to human authority, and they go hand-in-hand incidentally. As I mentioned earlier, that rebellion against God which is at the heart of the sin nature. Pride which lifts me up in rebellion against God manifests itself in my relationship to human authority. I don't like anybody telling me what to do, and especially I don't like somebody who I view as my inferior telling me what to do. And there is that constant chafing against authority that is a mark of the unbeliever. This is ought not to be a mark of the believer. That's why we are to be a submissive, obedient people. It's a characteristic of the unbeliever to be constantly in rebellion and challenging authority. It ought not to characterize us as believers.

V. 10 of chapter 1 in Titus Paul said, "for there are many rebellious men, empty talkers, deceivers," talking about false teachers. Down in v. 16 of Titus 1 he uses the same word we have in v. 3 of Titus 3, "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him being detestable and disobedient, worthless for any good deed." Now I want to take a moment here. Go back to Romans 1.

Romans 1. You see in v. 21 what we talked about being foolish, "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." Their foolish heart was darkened, they had no perception in the spiritual realm. They were ignorant. Look down in v. 30, they were "slanderers, haters of God." Remember slanderers, not to speak evil of anyone. "Insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents." In family relationships, that disobedience is at the heart of our sin nature, what I am as a fallen being, manifests itself initially and often within the environment of the home. Disobedient to parents is one of the marks of an unbeliever, an ungodly person. Look over in 2 Timothy chapter 3, v. 2. Second Timothy 3:2, just before Titus: "For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents." We see in that list again and he wants us to mark out the characteristics of the ungodly. Disobedient to parents. It's important we see this is something an unbeliever used to be. We have young people here, and disobedient to parents is a mark of sin, the mark of your rebellion against God, not just against your human parents. That's why the Book of Proverbs tells us "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod shall drive it far from him." Part of the problem is we as parents haven't taken ahold of the authority God has given us, and I'm no longer in charge of my home. When I fail to be what God says I must be as the authority in my home, that doesn't mean to bully any more than a government can rule without bullying, but it is required of young people that they submit to their parents. I also realize it is a characteristic of their sin nature that they are going to rebel against their parents, and a person who persists in their rebellion against their parents is giving a sign that they are not a child of God at all. That's the mark we saw in Romans 1, in 2 Tim. 3, of an unbeliever. They are disobedient to their parents. For a young person to say, Oh yes, I trusted Christ; I went forward in a meeting; I did that beside my bed or I did it with a Sunday school teacher, and living a life of rebellion against their parents, they are liars. This is a mark that they are the ungodly; they don't belong to God.

Now I as a parent also need to see the other side to that. I must require obedience in my home, because God has established that for the good of that young person. Foolishness is bound up in their heart and if I don't drive it far from them with the rod, then I'll give an account before God. Some parents don't know what the rod is any more, they're so busy trying to psychologize in a discussion with the children. But they've forgotten what God says. They wonder why it's not working. I'm not talking about beating the daylights out of your children. My children have not been so beaten that they have not been able to drag their bruised bodies outside. But sometimes it's good for them to have to adjust the way they sit for a while! For their good! Is it any wonder we have a society that doesn't respect authority when we raise our young people in our homes not to respect that authority, because we won't take God's advice. And that's another sermon, and hopefully we'll do it fully someday.

Come back to Titus chapter 3. "Deceived," and isn't it interesting how some of these things blend in with one another? Verse 3, "Deceived," and it pictures straying from the proper path by following false guides. So someone was on the right path, but someone lured them off it. That’s the idea in this word. And we were people that were led astray by false teachers and false leaders, from the path God would want us on. That ties to disobedience and even the realm of disobedient parents, because some people read psychology books instead of the Bible. They've been deceived! They've been led from the proper path. God's always right! Isn't it nice, I don't even have to weigh it! and say, This is what God says and this is what Dr. So-and-so says. Well, if they conflict, God's right! That's just like my life. Deceived, and that carries into every realm. We're just susceptible to deception. Ever wonder why the unbeliever believes some of the dumb things he does? I mean, he tears apart the family; he tears apart the society; he self-destructs. Why does he do it? He's deceived! He has no standard of right and wrong, of the proof or perception of it. So he's ripe for those who would lead him off the path.

"Enslaved to various lusts and pleasures." Characteristic drawn out through Scripture is the unbeliever is enslaved. How it's just the opposite of the picture the unbeliever has of himself. The unbeliever thinks he's free. And I wouldn't want to become a Christian and lose my freedom! When the Bible says you become a Christian, you gain your freedom. John chapter 8, Jesus said, "He that sins is the slave of sin, but if the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed." There is no such thing as a free sinner! They are under the slavery, the domination and under the control of your lusts and desires. That's characteristic of sin. One writer put it, I thought, very clearly: Once a person gives himself over to sinful lusts and pleasures, the tentacles of sin tighten. A good thing to note. Once a person gives himself over to sinful lusts and pleasures, the tentacles of sin tighten. Isn't that the way it works? Person just starts out, he's just going to have a drink. He's going to have a good time. They never intended to end up in the gutter. Person just wanted to have drugs to brighten their life a little bit and to be part of the group, and the tentacles tighten. Characteristic of sin, it doesn't look like it will enslave to start.
It looks like it will be enjoyable. But once you take that step, it's like you're being wrapped up and they only get tighter and tighter. It's like a snake, a constricting snake. Every breath you take, it squeezes a little tighter. It's harder to take the next breath and the next breath. That's the way sin is. You think, I'll just drape it around me, it'll be fun. Pretty soon I find myself in a vice grip and I cannot step out. The deceptiveness of sin is, I'm my own man. I'm my own person. I'm in control of my life, lihat a fool! Enslaved by various lusts and pleasures.

"Spending (living) our life in malice and envy." Malice—evil, perversity, wickedness. The life apart from God is a life of wickedness. He's just talking about degrees. Oh my life isn't nearly so bad as someone else—well, we're going to come to that. Envy? Envy and jealousy are the driving factors in the life of the unbeliever. That desire for what someone else has. The expression "green with envy." Drives our world. Vie see people driving on for more things. If you get a new car, I've got to have a newer one. And if you get this, I've got to have something like it or I'm upset because I don't.

These last are interesting, these last couple. "Hateful." And that word denotes being 'odious, repulsive, destructive to others.' So it doesn't mean hating others, it means become hateful to others. Someone who becomes disgusting to others. The sinner reaches that stage of degradation where he is repulsive even to other sinners. Ever notice that? You have those sinners get together and they're all having fun their at the club or wherever, and they're enjoying a social drink. Ever note that attitude when they walk by--they don't do it as much here as they do in the larger cities--you see the drunk laying there in his own vomit and it's 9:30 in the morning. The unbeliever walks by and mumbles, 'Oh, disgusting, disgusting.' That's where sin takes us. Revolting. The rise of various sexually transmitted diseases, somehow the people who get them say, 'Oh that's repulsive!' Oh it's not repulsive to be sexually loose, but oh now when someone gets caught in the tentacles of the results of that, 'Oh that's disgusting!' And the sinner even becomes disgustingly repulsive to other sinners. He doesn't want to see the results of sin wrapping its arms around and taking hold of a person. A person who eats through the membranes of his nose snorting drugs. Oh, gross; but that's different than just enjoying a high once in a while. And we see even among sinners they begin to hate themselves. They despise other sinners. I despise someone who is more enslaved than I am. I'm proud I'm not as enslaved as he is--this is what I'm saying. We were talking about degrees of slavery, the degree of being controlled and the manifestation of that control. The result of that is when you become odious, repulsive to someone; then they're involved in hating one another. That's a strong word. It's a different word than 'hateful,' that preceded it. That was one strong word, but this is another one. It means 'to detest, to abhor.' Sinners can't even stand each other. That's where it comes to. Pretty soon they can't stand one another.

Now why all of that? To remind ourselves of what we were. The track we were on! You say, Oh I wasn't near some of that! That's because in the grace of God He grabbed you by the collar and pulled you out! Where would I have been if God had not intervened in my life? I don't know, and I tend to forget. I think Oh my life would have gone on and I'd have done this, I just may not have studied the Bible and been a religious person. Oh yes? We fail to realize how completely sin enslaves and absorbs us. That's what I was before Christ came into my life, before I experienced the mighty grace of God. So the solution, v. 4, "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us!" That's the miraculous! The liberating truth! God saved us, not on the basis of our works but on the basis of His mercy and grace. That's how great His salvation is.

That's why I must, then, in my relationship with others. I view those who have authority, who are leaders in government--I may think they're making some lousy decisions, they're godless people, what they're doing is destructive to our society, destructive for our families, but I pray for them. I'm to treat them with courtesy and honor. Not because of their personal qualities, but because of the position they have before God as a governmental authority. When I speak about them, I must do it with respect because of the position they have. It's the same with parents. You don't respect parents because of what they do. I respect my parents because of who they are. It doesn't matter what they do, they're my parents. I'm responsible to submit to them and have proper respect for them. You say, you don't know my Dad! It doesn't matter, he's my Dad. That's the line! That's the way it is in my relationships. And I remember, I was at one time without Christ. I was one time enslaved in my sin. But for His grace I would be foolish and ignorant, living a life of blindness today, probably so deluded I would think I was free.
So much in darkness I would think I had a good life, not knowing that I was apart from God. That's His marvelous grace.

Where are you today? You're one place or the other. Have you ever come to understand that you are a sinner just like God said, and in light of that believed that Jesus Christ the Son of God died for you? If not, you are still enslaved and bound in your sin. If you have, does your life evidence that dramatic transformation? While the world is up in arms, caught up in making changes in the political process and changing society, are you satisfied to live a life of godliness and representing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, presenting the glorious liberating truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is that what drives us on? If so, may we have lives that honor and exalt the One who saved us. Let's pray together.