Sunday, April 14, 2019 am
LIGHTS IN A DARK WORLD
(13)
The Darkness Around Us (2)
We
are continuing our study of the darkness around us.
In our last lesson we addressed the wisdom of this world and how
it is contrary to God. We
noted how the world’s wisdom is the foundation of many of the problems
we see in our world today (including a lack of accountability, loose
moral standards, and even hopelessness).
We also noted how to deal with the wisdom of this world as
Christians.
Today we continue our study by examining some worldly behaviors.
We will do this by noting some lists of worldly conduct and see
how these things are just as (if not more so) prevalent today as they
were when the New Testament was penned.
a.
John 3:19-20 (again) –
as Jesus spoke with Nicodemus He noted the rejection of the light.
The reason,
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were
evil. Everyone practicing
evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds
should be exposed.
b.
The New Testament gives
many passages that list sinful behavior.
These often accompany the wisdom of this world, though they are
not limited to such (cf. Romans 3:23)
In these passages we find qualities that are prevalent today.
Finds Paul continuing his address of the character of the worldly (the
ungodly).
He began with the wisdom of man as we noted (1:18-22).
But he then proceeds to describe the RESULT of this worldly
wisdom – they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into idols and
worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator.
Therefore, God gave them over to do whatever they wanted – then
we read of homosexuality, vile passions, lusts, depraved minds to do
what is not fitting.
So LET’S see where this worldly wisdom can lead.
We have here what I describe as a list of selfishness because every
quality is self-serving. We
find the prideful who do whatever they want (lovers of self, proud)
, they are greedy in their pursuits for things (lovers of money),
they brag about sinful and immoral behaviors (boasters,
blasphemers, unholy
- a word meaning to be in opposition to God and that which is
sacred), they rebel against authority disobedient to parents,
they are ungrateful for what they have (unthankful), blasphemous
in their language, choices of entertainment and friends, unloving
(KJV, NASB – without natural affection - think abortion, child
abandonment and abuse, spousal abuse, etc.), slanderers,
(the word from which we get our word devil; unforgiving
(not wanting peace or to even
consider the other side), without self-control – addicted,
brutal (violent in movies, the games they play and sometimes in
their lives), despisers of good (Isaiah 5:20 – in many instances
today, godly arguments and conduct are rejected and even mocked, e.g.:
When a photographer or bakery owner refuses to do a wedding for a
homosexual couple and they are destroyed), traitors (not loyal,
one who will betray a friend, or someone into the hands of another),
headstrong (stubborn, the word actually refers to one who is defiant
and reckless), haughty (arrogant, conceited), lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God (they choose the world over
serving God, when given a choice, cf. Isaiah 30:9-10, Jeremiah 5:26-31 –
the people love for the prophets to prophesy falsely), etc.
Vs. 5 – having a form of godliness but denying its power – many profess
some sort of spirituality (even if its humanism)
Vs. 6-9 give even more detail of such:
1)First, they CAN be religious;
2) They exploit those who are gullible and loaded with sins (they look
for the weak and those struggling);
3) Even among these they are always learning – this is not people
incapable of learning. In
fact, many are intellectual.
4) They may even RESIST those with the truth (as Jannes and Jabres
resisted Moses – probably Egyptian magicians)
5) They are men of corrupt minds – as we addressed last week – oven evil
conduct comes from faulty wisdom and knowledge, their source of
knowledge is often the wisdom of men, OR the twisting of the truth (cf.
2 Peter 3:15-16);
NOTE how we are to respond to such – turn away from them.
Consider 1 Corinthians 15:33
While the previous passage reflects attitudes that govern our conduct,
in this text we find various sinful behaviors.
This list includes:
1) Adultery – unlawful relations involving one who is married to
another. This could include
those in unscriptural (unlawful) marriages – cf. Matthew 19:8-9, Romans
7:1-2, etc. (NOT in earlier MSS,
and the NASB, etc.)
2) Fornication – this would be ANY unlawful relations, which
means sexual relations outside of a God ordained marriage – we are
living in times where marriage is treated as a byproduct of sensual
gratification. Adultery
(also included in this term), premarital relations, homosexuality,
bestiality, polygamy, etc.
And whether one chooses to acknowledge this or not, it has contributed
to the moral decline of our culture.
Hebrews 13:4
3) Uncleanness – a more general word for immoral, vile or filthy
behavior. It would describe
something that makes one unclean.
This extend beyond the fornication and includes the behaviors
such as pornography, immodest clothing, indecent exposure, filthy
language and jokes, many of the dance moves we see today, etc.
4) Lewdness – (sensuality – NASB, lasciviousness – KJV) - a word
meaning unrestrained, depraved, immoral conduct.
This is carrying uncleanness to extreme levels – something else we seem
to be seeing more of today.
It is also being engaged in activities and places that lend themselves
to lust and sensuality.
Modern dancing is often associated with this.
All of the conduct just mentioned
under uncleanness could devolve to this level.
NOTE: We are living in times where
the above are not only treated as normal but even encouraged in many
instances. Our entertainment
industry is filled with portrayals of all sorts of immoral sexual
conduct. We are also living
(while certainly not exclusive to here) in a mecca of immodesty with our
beaches, Hollywood, and progressive & worldly mindset that has branded
California.
5) idolatry – man worshipping whatever he wants, including today
– money, fame and power.
6) Sorcery – this would certainly explicitly include the dark
arts, (satanism, witchcraft, the occult, fortune telling, astrology,
etc. ). This could also
include the taking of drugs and alcohol which alter the mind.
As I understand, in Bible times, what we would call drug use was
associated with sorcery and spells, etc.
7) Hatred - we just see so
much hateful behavior today.
People are uncivil in their treatment of those they disagree with, as
well as their enemies. WE
are truly living in ugly times.
8) Contentions – constant strife and disagreement.
Arguing that reaches a state of bitterness.
ONE place many of the above are manifest is on social media where we
often see the worst being brought out of people.
Contentions (just look at the news media), wrathful conduct (e.g.
road rage), etc.
9) Jealousies and outbursts of wrath – think road rage, violent
crimes of passion, the ungodly attitudes that lead toward such (cf.
Ephesians 4:26-27)
10) Selfish ambitions – discussed in our previous text.
You might describe this as the “win at any cost” mentality
11) Dissensions – just general discord, EVEN among brethren
12) Heresies – false teaching, dividing into sects or cliques
13) Envy – like jealousies, this is ill-will toward others
14) Murders – the taking of a life criminally.
NOTE: We need to let God define this!
Think of the numerous abortions that occur, now in some places at
a very late stage, just because the mother doesn’t want it.
15) Drunkenness – the excessive drinking of alcohol, to the point
of loss of sobriety.
16) Revelries – (carousing – NASB) – this would be the drinking
parties that lead to excess and loss of inhibitions.
17) “And the like” – we find in this that our list is not
exclusive and include behaviors that are similar to or the product of
those mentioned.
NOTE: The warning concerning such – those who practice such will NOT
inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul writing to these brethren describe those who will not
inherit the kingdom of God – in addition to those listed above, we find
more detail here - homosexuals
(effeminate – KJV, NASB) & sodomites (abusers of themselves with
mankind – KJV, homosexuals – NASB).
NOTE 2 words that describe BOTH parties involved in the
homosexual act. In Romans 1
(previously read), this includes both men and women who leave the
natural use of their bodies.
Thieves, covetous…extortioners – those who steal from others or
desire what belongs to them. Those
willing to go to whatever length, including illegal conduct, to take
from others.
Two more lists. But worthy
of mention here are the idolatry of covetousness; AND sins of the tongue
and attitudes – filthiness, foolish talk, coarse jesting, blasphemy,
etc. HOW many sins
that man commits today begin with what we say.
Surely it is not a mystery why Jesus in describing that what
comes out of the mouth begins in the heart, and that is what DEFILES a
man (Matthew 15:18-20). We
could also examine James 3:1-12 here.
NOTE:
In these lists, we find sins associated with human nature, but that
doesn’t mean that everyone practices these things, but simply that it is
the norm, and in many cases accepted, tolerated or even defended.
And if you listen to our news media, you would perceive that such
things are the norm.
In
this lesson, we have simply considered some lists of sins.
Written some 2000 years ago, they describe our society as if they
were written yesterday, and they explain WHY our world is so full of
darkness. But, it is in such
a culture that we are called upon to shine as lights.
How are we doing?