Briefing: We are living in a culture that celebrates rebellion.

Dispatch (Assignment): Read Romans 13:2.

On the Street: There are more people in the United States that have no respect for law enforcement than ever before. Our society seems to be moving closer and closer toward abolishing God’s law. We have seen several Supreme Court decisions overturning laws and attempting to reset the standards of sexuality and marriage. There is an attempt to change definitions and understanding on what morality we should accept and live by. Hollywood continuously puts out entertainment that celebrates lifestyles that are contrary to what we have been taught in the Bible. There is a covert push to numb our minds to the degrading acts and lifestyle they are trying to set as the new normal.

The issue is not the sin, it is the rebellion. We all sin. The point is not to throw attention off of my sin by shining the light on someone else’s sin. The problem is there are sins we commit and repent of and there are sins that by their very nature are lifestyles of rebellion toward God. A good way to determine which category your sin falls into is to ask yourself if you have ever said, “This is who I am and God is just going to have to accept it. He made me this way so it must not be wrong.”

We were all born with sin. It is part of the fallen nature of man. We are called to resist sin and turn to God and repent. I am not saying it is easy, some sins are harder to turn from than others but the fact is, we all have to live a life that dies to our sin daily. Refusing to repent is rebellion.

Who puts the tag on rebellion? Historians look at the facts years later and decide who they will call rebels. Look at the case of Moses and the Israelites. Most people who read the story out of Exodus would say that Moses led a rebellion against Egypt.

God is the president and CEO of the world. He has absolute authority and can promote anyone He wants anytime He wants to. In Exodus 6:29 God tells Moses, “He said to him, “I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.” God is speaking through Moses and if God says let my people go, then Moses is not rebelling against authority of Pharaoh, he is obeying the authority of God. In Exodus 7:2 it says, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.” God has placed Moses in a position of great authority over Pharaoh. Moses is the earthly authority over Pharaoh, “promoted” by God.

We have to recognize God is the ultimate, absolute authority. If you love Him you will obey His commands. If you are hooked on looking at porn, having an affair or living a in a same sex relationship, you are living in rebellion to God. Because the divorce rate in law enforcement is so high, it is only right to conclude we have a problem with these sins.

Investigational Resources: 2 Corinthians 12:21, Ephesians 5:3, Galatians 5:19, Hebrews 13:4 and 1 Corinthians 6:9.

Officer Safety Principle: We all need to stop rebelling against God and repent.

from The Book of Romans Through the Eyes of a Cop
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
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