Ephesians 5:6
“See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
This is the third entry on this verse. Today's time will be spent on the object of wrath, the sons of disobedience. This seems like a marked lot, almost like the scarlet letter. They are not, as they are what they are by their choice. They are living in opposition to God.
God created us all to walk in obedience to Him. However, He gave us a choice to do so. No one is forced to obey. He put Adam and Eve in the Garden with complete freedom, except for one thing. They weren't to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For a time they obeyed. However, one day Eve was close to it and she entered a conversation with the serpent and he twisted God's words and she ate. Adam may have committed the greater sin, by eating and knowing it was wrong.
Unfortunately sin entered this perfect place and the couple had to be expelled from the Garden. God instantly attempted to fix things by making clothes for them. He further sought to repair things by promising and delivering a savior.
Does one act deserve the name a son (or daughter) of disobedience? I would say no. The notes in my bible also provide the phrase, "those in opposition to God". That's a lifestyle. There isn't any compliance when in opposition. We know what a rebel or a maverick is, one who blazes his own trail. It doesn't matter what God says, these don't factor Him in at all. There may be in agreement on some things, but it's not due to the fear of God, just coincidence.
Adam and Eve may have lived the remainder of their lives in obedience and will probably be in heaven. Christians will stumble on occasion. They repent and ask for forgiveness and move on. They may disobey, but the sum of their lives is obedience. It's part of the definition of being a christian. To claim Christ, one must accept Jesus as lord and savior. The word lord means that one is subservient to Him.
Is being a servant of Christ difficult? At times, but in general it's easy. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.” His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
The son of disobedience won't yield. It may have been one thing that they wouldn't yield to. That's what defined him. That thing may have lost it's interest to him. Other things replaced it. As was said earlier, God and these may intersect on many things, but not due to the fear of God.
The unfortunate thing is that this commitment against God doesn't bring freedom, but slavery. John 8:34 says, 'Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."' An extreme example is the one who chooses his freedom to take drugs, becomes an addict. Jesus is sharing a general principle. God has worked it in as a law. If one is opposed to God, that area of opposition enslaves him. If it's sex, then that one becomes enslaved to it. If pleasure, then that area becomes distorted, if logic, then it becomes twisted.
It doesn't end with slavery, but one's views become distorted. Romans 1:21 says, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened." Oddly enough, they may sound intelligent and learned. Their audiences still see them as brilliant. They are blind to it. The passage says that their hearts are darkened. They don't have spiritual intelligence. Thus their logic becomes flawed.
Another aspect of the sons of disobedience is they aren't tolerant. Matthew 24:12 says, "And because lawlessness is to be multiplied, the love of the many will grow cold." While this is referring to their behavior during the end times, they presently disapprove of the godly and aren't shy about saying so. Hollywood mocks them in movies, News sources mock them to the nation, colleges ridicule them in their classes.
These are the sons of disobedience. We must pray for them, love them and share the good news with them. Some will turn and honor Christ. There is the famous phrase, "Except for the grace of god, go I." Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" We have been saved. God plucked us out of a dark place and redeemed us. Thank You, God. Use us to share with others.