In this world there are only two types of people. There are saved people and there are unsaved people. Right now as you read this article, you are either saved or lost. You are either on your way to heaven or on your way to hell. There is no middle ground. A person either belongs to God by faith in the Lord Jesus or a person belongs to the devil.
All unsaved people are children of disobedience. These people are lost and perishing. By not having the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, they have the devil as their father. This makes them children of disobedience and they will do the will of their father, Satan. In this tract we will briefly look at some characteristics of the children of disobedience.
Eph 2
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses
and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in
the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others.
- Children of disobedience are dead in sins (verse 1 above). They are perishing and on their way to a Christless eternity suffering forever in hell, the lake of fire. An unsaved person is a walking dead man. Each footstep taken brings such a person closer and closer to an eternity in the lake of fire.
- Children of disobedience walk according to the world (verse 2 above). Since children of disobedience are living their life in rejection of the Lord Jesus, they do not love the things of God. Instead they get all wrapped up in the things of this world. Here on earth is where their heart belongs. Children of disobedience mind earthly things and are obsessed with the temporal things of earth. They think nothing of eternity, heaven, or hell. Of course most hope they go to heaven when they die but other than that they have no interest or desire in the things of God.
- Children of disobedience love sins of the flesh (verse 2 above). They actually lust after fleshly things. Many think nothing of fornication and what God has to say about moral issues. From abortion to fornication and other fleshly desires, children of disobedience seek to gratify themselves. Children of disobedience love to fulfill the lusts of their flesh that can be satisfied in the now or present. The thoughts of heavenly rewards and a home in heaven are not a consideration for those who focus on what they want now or during this life.
- Children of disobedience are energized by the devil. There is a spirit that moves in the hearts of the children of disobedience. Verse 2 above mentions a 'spirit' that works in the hearts of the children of disobedience. That influence affects all unsaved people. The spirit and influence is the devil and his minions as they seek to lead people away from saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The goal of Satan is to keep people from getting saved any way he can. Sins of the flesh, lusts, worldliness are all tools at his disposal to keep the issue and need for salvation far from the minds of the children of disobedience.
- Children of disobedience are children of wrath according to verse 3 above. Since children of disobedience are unsaved, there sins still must be dealt with. Either the sins are to be paid by the Lord Jesus or by the person himself. Those who reject the Lord Jesus are in the position where they must pay for their sins themselves. The penalty for sin is an eternity separated from God burning in torment in the lake of fire. It is a great and terrible penalty. This is why God became a man (the Lord Jesus), came to earth, and died on the cross. The Lord Jesus paid for our sins so we wouldn't have to. Children of disobedience reject the Lord Jesus therefore they must pay the penalty for their sins themselves.
- Children of disobedience do the will of their father, the devil. According to verse 2 above, they walk: according to the prince of the power of the air. Guess what? The prince of the power of the air is Satan, the devil. As children of disobedience fulfill the desires of their flesh and reject the Lord Jesus, they are doing the will of the devil. Satan wants them to be in hell, the lake of fire. This is his will for his children of disobedience. God, on the other hand, wants people saved and living in a beautiful home in heaven for all eternity. However, the Lord Jesus is the only Saviour and the only way that a person can be saved. The devil will do almost anything to insure people are blinded to that fact and die in rejection of the Lord Jesus.
John 8
44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your
father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When
he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar,
and the father of it.
- Children of disobedience have Satan as their father and they have the same lusts as he does. Lost people love the things of this world and all the lusts of the flesh. There are many fleshly sins that God warns people to avoid. (abortion, fornication, obsession with wealth and riches to name a few...)
- Satan is a liar and the father of lies. He even uses lies to deceive and enslave his children of disobedience. People, through lies, reject the Lord Jesus and want no part of Him. Many, through lies, accept false religions and other so-called paths to God. The devil lies to them in order to keep people away from the only way a person may be saved, through the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Children of disobedience want nothing to do with the Lord Jesus. Read the below verses:
John 3
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither
cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Notice verse 19. Light came into the world - salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ! Yet the children of disobedience reject the light and love the darkness. Why do they do this? The answer is they have accepted and believed the lies of the devil. Lost people are obsessed with worldliness, wealth, and sins of the flesh. Children of disobedience do not want to give up their sin. Rejecting the things of the devil and drawing nigh to God is a very negative thought for the children of disobedience.
Some children of disobedience actually come to hate the light. I've noticed lost people who have heard the Gospel again and again. Over time and years of rejection something happens to them. Their heart gets harder and they get to the point where they want nothing to do with the Lord Jesus and salvation. They begin to get angry and separate themselves from such things. For example, after a person gets saved, how many have lost some friends? Many people reject the light and want nothing to do with it. This also involves rejecting Christians who belong to the Lord Jesus.
People who love the darkness of sin, the flesh, worldliness, and the devil, do not love the light of the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
SOME SINS LOVED BY THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE
Eph 5
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let
it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which
are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person,
nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of
these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children
of disobedience.
Children of disobedience reject the things of God while accepting the things offered by the devil. Above is a partial list of things loved by children of disobedience.
Notice the first thing mentioned is fornication. This involves immorality before marriage, adultery during marriage, and homosexuality at any time. Children of disobedience love sexual sin and such sin is at the very top of the enjoyment list! Read through the above list for things blessed by the devil and loved by the children of disobedience.
Finally notice verse 6 above. The wrath of God will come upon the children of disobedience. There comes a point in time when they will be judged for their sins and immorality. After death the children of disobedience will stand before God and be condemned to spend eternity in torment burning in the lake of fire. Quite a price to pay for rejecting the Lord Jesus and accepting the things of the devil!
ANOTHER LIST AND ANOTHER WARNING OF JUDGMENT
Col 3
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the
children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived
in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the
old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created him:
As you read the above verses notice the list of things done and loved by the children of disobedience. Verse 7 illustrates the fact that a saved person wasn't always saved. A person is not born 'saved'. At one time the saved person was also a child of disobedience. However, that person realized that he was a sinner in need of a Saviour. He humbly repented and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as His Lord and Saviour. After salvation a saved person no longer loves the sin that is loved by the children of disobedience. That is the major difference between a saved person and a lost person! The saved person still sins and fails but he does not love the sin. Instead he longs for the time when, in heaven, he will be free from this fleshly body of sin. Saved people no longer love sin. Lost people love their sin and darkness.
GOOD NEWS
The good news is for everyone. A person does not have to stay and continue to be a child of disobedience on the pathway to a Christless eternity in hell. By repenting and accepting the Lord Jesus a person can be saved. Here is some information that gives an outline of the plan of salvation:
ARE YOU BORN AGAIN?
John 3
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.
John 3
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1 Peter 1
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
2 Corinthians 5
17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
WHAT IF I DIE AND I AM NOT BORN AGAIN?
John 8
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:
for if ye believe not that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins.
John 3
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he
that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of
God abideth on him.
1 John 5
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the
Son of God hath not life.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HELL?
Revelation 20
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all
liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation 14
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the
holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:
and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and
his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
WHAT DID THE LORD JESUS DO FOR ME ON THE CROSS?
Isaiah 53
5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed.
1 John 1
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 5
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE BORN AGAIN?
Revelation 3
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will
sup with him, and he with me.
John 1
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
COME TO THE LORD JESUS AND RECEIVE THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS AND ETERNAL LIFE
Acts 16
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do
to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be saved, and thy house.
John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Right now as you read this you have a eternal decision to make. You can either repent of your sins and accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour or you can continue to be a child of disobedience and reject Him.
SINNERS PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner and I ask You to come into my life to forgive and save me. I now receive You as my Saviour (trusting in You ALONE to save me) and my Lord (making You my Master and committing my life to You).
ASSURANCE
John 20
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have
life through his name.
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