Ephesians 5:6

Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

A caution and a commination

I. A caution against error.

1. That we may not deceive ourselves. Frequent warnings are given against this self-flattery (1Co 6:9; 1 John 3:7; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Galatians 6:7). Men do what they can to live securely and undisturbedly in their sins, and to guard their hearts against the apprehension of all danger and punishment.

2. That we may not be deceived by others. There were false teachers in those early days, that countenanced profane and licentious Christians; some that taught fornication was an indifferent thing, or at least no such great matter, or not so dangerous.

II. A denunciation of God’s wrath

1. The evil denounced, “The wrath of God cometh”; meaning by “wrath,” punishment from God, who is angry and displeased with these sins.

2. The meritorious procuring cause, “For these things,” fornication, uncleanness, and such like gross sins. God is not severe upon ordinary failings and frailties, but these sins are of another nature.

3. The persons upon whom this vengeance cometh; it shall light upon “the children of disobedience.”

I. What are the vain words or pretences by which they usually harden their hearts?

1. That God will not call them to an account, or punish them for their sins. If you think He will not, it is because He hath no right, or no power, or no will to do it. You cannot say no right, because man is His creature, and therefore His subject. You cannot say no power, for our life is in His hands.

2. That God will be merciful to them; though they sin against Him, they shall notwithstanding escape well enough; that He will not be severe against His creatures. But you reflect but upon one part of God’s nature, His mercy, without His holiness and justice, and so fancy an unreasonable indulgence in God.

3. That they are Christians, and by external profession have received the faith of Christ. But the name will not save you without the power (2 Timothy 2:19).

4. That none is perfect, and the rarest saints have fallen into as great faults, and so are persuaded that these gross sins are but frailties and human infirmities. If David fell, why may not I? was an old excuse in Salvian’s time. Did not they smart grievously for these sins? and was not their repentance as remarkable as their fall?

5. Others say they are justified, and depend on the righteousness of Christ. You may, if you have a right to it; but “He that doeth righteousness is righteous” (1 John 3:7). Where Christ is made righteousness, He is also made sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30).

6. That if they be in an unjustified state for the present, they hope they shall repent at last, and then they will leave off their sins, and cry to God for mercy. But you live in fiat disobedience to God for the present, whereas the Holy Ghost saith, “Today,” etc. (Hebrews 3:7).

7. That they do make amends for a course of sin in one kind by abounding in other duties. But God will be obeyed in all things. These are some of the sorry fig leaves by which men hope to cover their nakedness, those sandy foundations upon which they build their hopes.

II. The reasons how it cometh to pass that such gross self-flattery can possess their minds. Though it be as plain as noonday that they that live in gross sins shall be damned, yet the most profane have good thoughts of their condition.

1. The causes lie in themselves; as--

(1) Self-love, which is very partial, and loath to think of the evil of our condition (Proverbs 16:2).

(2) Unbelief el God’s Word and Divine promises and threatenings. Unbelief and obstinate impenitency always go together.

(3) Non-attendance to God’s warnings, if they are not guilty of express unbelief (Matthew 22:5).

(4) Non-application: “Lo! this, we have searched it; hear it, and know it for thy good” (Job 5:27), “What nor consider, nor apply, no wonder if self-love carrieth it; and in the greatest soul dangers they flatter themselves into a fool’s paradise, that they shall do well enough though they live in their sins.

2. The devil joineth with our self-love, and lulleth us asleep in our carnal security and abuse of grace (Genesis 3:4).

3. He stirreth up instruments, that, with the charms of false doctrine, he may hinder the sight of sin and fears of judgment, and strengthen the hands of the wicked (Jeremiah 23:17).

Let no man deceive you.

1. It is sure you are not justified while you are yet in your sins.

2. How much God is concerned to right Himself, the honour of His providence, and the truth of His Word, against such as flatter themselves in their sins (Deuteronomy 29:19). It should doter us from wilful and heinous sins to think of the wrath of God that shall come upon those that live in them. First: It is a powerful motive; for God’s wrath is very terrible.

Consider--

1. The intension of this wrath. It is compared to a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). It is a fire that burneth, not only to the ground or the surface of the earth, but to the lowest hell (Deuteronomy 32:22).

2. As to extension; the wrath of God compriseth all those evils which are the fruit of sin, be they bodily or spiritual, in life or death, or after death.

Secondly: It is a kindly motive. That is a question whether it be so or no; therefore let us state the matter.

1. We are principally to avoid sin as sin, and as displeasing to God (Genesis 39:9).

2. We must abstain from it, as it will bring down wrath and judgment upon us. So God urgeth this argument (Ezekiel 18:30).

3. The poena damni, to fear the punishment of loss, is out of question. A man cannot love God and not fear the loss of His favour.

4. The poena sensus, the punishment of sense, is necessary also to quicken men to their duty, and to guard their love, and to show that God doth not make little reckoning of sin (2 Corinthians 5:11).

5. The effect which it must produce is not such a fear as driveth us from God, but bringeth us to Him; not torment, and perplexity, and despairing anguish (1 John 4:18), but flight and caution.

6. Punishments on others are for our warning. When God’s judgments are upon others for sin, His hand is to be observed with great reverence; as David (Psalms 119:119). To teach us in what rank to place principles of obedience.

There are several principles by which men are acted and influenced.

1. Some are false and rotten; as custom: “As I have done these so many years” (Zechariah 7:3). Vainglory: “To be seen of men” (Matthew 6:1). Rapine: “To devour widows’ houses” (Matthew 23:14). Envy (Philippians 1:15).

2. Some are more tolerable; as the hope of temporal mercies (Hosea 7:14).

3. Some are very good and sound; as when duties are done out of obedience to God, upon the urgings of an enlightened conscience, without the bent of a renewed heart; for a regenerate man obeyeth, not only as enjoined, but inclined. The principle is sound in the other, but the heart is not fitted.

4. Some are rare and excellent; as when we love God, not only for His benignity, but holiness, and eye our reward for His sake, and love the glory of God above our own happiness, and can subordinate the happy part of our eternal estate to His glory (Romans 9:3). That their condition is of all most miserable who are not only sinners, but stubborn and obstinate in their sin.

The wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

1. Who are the disobedient? It may be said of two sorts--First of all, men in their natural condition with respect to the law: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7). And, secondly, of those that refuse the gospel: “In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). “What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?” (1 Peter 4:17), viz., those that will not submit themselves to God, or be persuaded to forsake their sins. Now, as to the disobedient sinners.

1. They are slaves to sin (Titus 3:3).

2. They are of the devil’s party (Ephesians 2:2).

3. They are rebels to God (Job 24:13). (T. Manton, D. D.)

Children of disobedience

I. Who are children of disobedience.

1. Those who are not only sinners, but stubborn, obstinate, and ignorant sinners; such as are prone to all evil, and are not only indisposed, but averse from all good.

2. This good is either to be determined by the light of nature or the light of the gospel.

(1) Wicked men are called “children of disobedience” because they rebel against the light of nature (Job 24:13).

(2) Those that have heard the gospel, and will not suffer themselves to be persuaded to embrace the blessed offers made therein, nor will they give up themselves to the obedience of Christ. Their condition is more terrible, for these are desperately sick, and refuse their remedy (1 Peter 4:17).

3. This obstinacy and disobedience is aggravated.

(1) From the person who is disobeyed. It is not our counsel, but God’s.

(2) From the manner of the persuasion, which is by the Word and Spirit. In the Word there are the highest motives to allure, the strongest arguments to persuade, the greatest terrors to scare men out of their sins.

(3) From the plenty of offers. God hath called often and long: “He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1). It is dangerous to slight frequent warnings; these are obdurate in their sins.

(4) From the concomitant dispensations of providence. When our obstinacy and resolved continuance in sin is not broken by afflictions; as Pharaoh was Pharaoh still from first to last.

4. This disobedience, the longer it is continued, the more it is increased.

II. The misery of their condition. It is either matter of sense or matter of faith; of sight, because of present judgments, or foresight, because of the threatenings of the Word.

1. It is matter of sight, as God doth inflict remarkable judgments on obstinate sinners in this life, to teach His children to beware of their sins. These judgments are either spiritual or temporal.

2. It is matter of faith and foresight. And so by this wrath of God is meant eternal destruction, which cometh upon them for their disobedience, which is a sin of the highest nature, and a chief cause of their damnation. At death they feel the sad effects of it (1 Peter 3:19).

III. Why this should deter God’s people from being partakers with them. Here I shall inquire

(1) What it is to be partakers with them.

(2) Why God’s wrath should deter us from this?

1. What it is to be partakers with them.

(1) There is a principal sense, and chiefly intended here, that we should not follow their example.

(2) There is a limited sense of the phrase, “Neither be partakers of other men’s sins” (1 Timothy 5:22). There it signifieth not committing the same sins, but being accessory to the sins of others.

(a) By counselling (2 Samuel 13:5).

(b) By alluring and enticing (Proverbs 1:10).

(c) By consenting (1 Kings 21:19).

(d) By applauding or flattering, and lessening the sin (Romans 1:32).

(e) Conniving, contrary to the duty of our place (1 Samuel 3:13).

2. Why the wrath of God should deter us from this.

(1) Because of the unpartiality of God’s judgment.

(2) Because of the greatness of His mercy.

Use--

1. To show us that we are not to be idle spectators of God’s judgments on others, but judicious observers and improvers of them. Observe here--

(1) The use of observing God’s providences on others.

(2) The manner of it.

First, The use and benefit of observing God’s providences is great in these particulars.

1. To cure atheism (Psalms 58:11).

2. To make us more cautious of sin, that we meddle not with it.

3. To humble us, and make us more earnest in deprecating the wrath of God, and suing out our pardon in Christ. We see sin goeth not unpunished. Alas! if God should enter into judgment with us, who could stand? (Psalms 143:2).

4. To make us thankful for our mercies and deliverances by Christ, that, when others are spectacles of His wrath, we should be monuments of His mercy and grace. Were it not for the Lord’s pardoning and healing grace, we had been in as bad a condition as the worst (Romans 11:22). Secondly, the manner of making these observations. This is needful to be stated, because men are apt to misapply providence, and to sit as a coroner’s inquest on the souls of their neighbours, and so rather observe things to censure others than for their own caution.

Rules concerning the observation of God’s providences towards others.

1. Certain it is that judgments on others must be observed. Providence is a comment on the Word, and therefore it is stupidness not to take notice of it. They that will not observe God’s hand shall feel it. If we will not take the warning at a distance, and by others’ smart and rebuke, there is no way left but we ourselves must be taught by experience. He that will plunge himself into a bog or quagmire, where others have miscarried before him, is doubly guilty of folly, because he neither feareth the threatening, nor will take warning by their example and punishment. Observe we must (Amos 6:2).

2. This observation must be to a good end; not to censure others, that is malice; or justify ourselves above them, that is pride and self-conceit, condemned by our Lord Christ (Luke 13:2).

3. In making the observation we must have a care that we do not make providence speak the language of our fancies. (T. Manton, D. D.)

Evil effects of bad company

We are informed by chemists that one grain of iodine will give colour to seven thousand times its own weight of water. One indulgence in bad company is enough to communicate much of its contagion to your moral being. If you handle pitch with your bare hand it will adhere for days or weeks, so the connection which you may form with bad company, will pollute you in a way which a whole life may not suffice to remove. (John Bate.)

Reproving evil company

The Rev. John Elliot was once asked by a pious woman who was vexed with a wicked husband, and bad company frequently infesting her house on his account, what she should do? “Take,” said he, “the Holy Bible into your hand when bad company comes in, and that will soon drive them out of the house.” (K. Arvine.)