Living in This World
I. Conduct and attitude with regard to civil government (vs. 1)
II. Conduct and attitude in regard to "All People" (vs. 2)
III. Reason for Godly conduct and attitude (vs.3)
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I. Conduct and attitude regarding civil government (vs.1)
A. Be continually reminded of this
1. we are to voluntarily subject (surrender, obey) ourselves to "One in
authority"
2. be ready to do good works for these authorities, therefore society in
general
3. all subjection and works must be in accordance with God’s word (Acts
5:29)
B. By honoring civil authorities we honor God who placed them in
authority
II. Conduct and attitude regarding "All people" (vs.2)
A.4 more reminders
1. "Speak ill of no man"
a. applies to leaders and all others
b. we are to never ignore or cover up sin, just don’t gossip to each
other about it, go to the person as previously taught
2. be gentle
3. be kind
4. demonstrate all mild and gentle friendliness to towards all people
a. these are the characteristics of Christ
b. we were won to Christ by His gentle, kind, mild, and friendly
Spirit
III. Reasons for Godly conduct and attitude (vs. 3)
A. Why behave in this manner towards authority and all others?
- because this is the nature that won us (who used to be just like
these others)
B. Seven characteristics of the lost (that used to be true about us)
1. foolishness (without Spiritual understanding)
2. disobedient to God
a. demonstrated by disobedience to civil authorities
b. disobedience to parents
3. deceiving and being deceived (led astray)
4. enslaved in various lust and pleasures
a. evil desires
b. sinful pleasure
5. spending our lives in malice and envy
a. malice is ill will (evil habit of the mind)
b. envy is grudging spirit that can not bear to see others prosper our
succeed
6. hateful
7. hating (detesting) one another
IV. "But" (conjunction of contrast) God (vs. 4)
A. Even though we were in this condition, God showed Himself to us
B. His revealed nature was
a. goodness
b. kindness
c. generosity
C. Result of His appearing, He saved us
