Amen, well we’re there in 2 Timothy 3. Keep your place there in 2 Timothy and go with me back to the book of Romans. Romans Chapter 1. Make sure you keep your place there in 2 Timothy 3. We’re going to be going back and forth a lot between 2 Timothy 3 and Romans 1. And we’re going to hit a lot of other passages as well. But those will probably be the main ones for tonight. Tonight we are continuing our 2 part sermon series on the subject of Psychopath Reprobates. If you remember this morning, we talked about how we’re filming for a Documentary that we’re making on the subject of Psychopath Reprobates. And if you’re here tonight and you were not here this morning or you didn’t hear this morning’s sermon, you may feel like you’re coming in to the middle of a movie or the middle of a Documentary or conversation. If you did not hear this morning’s sermon, I would really encourage you to go back on our website and listen to this morning’s sermon in order to give this sermon context. You may not understand that we’re talking about. I don’t have time to go back. And we went through the foundation this sermon on this subject. But I would highly encourage you to go on our youtube page or website and go back and listen to this morning’s sermon if tonight’s sermon doesn’t make a lot of sense to you.
But let’s just real quickly do a really fast review from this morning’s sermon. I can’t go through everything. As we were talking about reprobates and Psychopaths, we found this morning that they are both without a conscience. We learned that Psychopaths are people with no conscience while reprobates are what the Bible teaches are people with no conscience. Both psychopaths and reprobates are ruthless predators. We saw that from the experts. And we saw that from the Word of God. And of course, both psychopaths and reprobates are without hope of reformation. They cannot be reformed. They cannot be fixed. And again I would encourage you to go back to this morning’s sermon on a reference for all those things. Tonight we are going to deal with the specific characteristics that both psychopaths and reprobates share. And here’s what I need you to understand about that. Psychopathy is a syndrome. The word syndrome means a group of symptoms that consistently occur together or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms. If you remember this morning, we were talking about when it comes to psychopathy, we were having Robert D. Hare, the Doctor, the Psychiatrist, who is the expert on Psychopathy. He is the worldwide expert. He is a man who everybody goes to when it comes to learning about psychopaths. And we looked at what he had to say about these things.
I’m going to read a lot more things to you from this book tonight. But let me read to you what he says about Psychopathy as a syndrome. Page 25 “Psychopathy is defned as a cluster of both personality traits and socially deviant behaviors”. In Page 34 “Be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive or glib or cold or unfeeling or antisocial but this does not mean they are psychopaths Psychopathy is a syndrome of a cluster of related symptoms”. In Page 69 “A diagnosis of psychopathy is made only when there is solid evidence that the individual matches the complete profile. That is he has most of the symptoms described”. Now, here’s what I want you to understand, psychopathy is a syndrome. And what you need to be careful about when you hear sermons like the one this morning or if you were to read a book like this one is that as I give you the characteristics of psychopaths, those characteristics can be found in a lot of people who are not psychopaths.
Here’s what you need to understand. Just because you can maybe identify….See, some of you went home this afternoon and were looking at your husband or your wife or your cousin or whatever, and here’s what you need to understand. I’m going to give you a whole list of psychopath reprobates tonight. But here’s what you need to understand. Any one of these or 2 of these or 3 of these can be found in normal people. When someone gets diagnosed as a psychopath, it’s when all of these as a cluster or syndrome are found in 1 person. That’s what makes someone a psychopath when you can identify all of these or the vast majority of these in their lives. Now what’s interesting, because the whole point of the sermon is connecting psychopaths and reprobates, the sermon is called Psychopath Reprobates. And we’re talking about how the Bible has talked about what science tells us are psychopaths. In Romans 1:28, the Bible teaches this kind of cluster of syndromes idea for reprobates as well. Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with” I want you to notice this word “All” “Being filled with all”.
Now what he does is go on to give us a list of the characteristics of reprobates “unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,” Now often times people will ridicule us when we preach on the subject of reprobates. When you look at this list here, and people say “Oh what, so if someone is just disobedient to their parents does that make them a reprobate?”. But here’s what you need to understand. In the same way that a psychopath shows in their life a cluster of all of those symptoms together, the Bible teaches the same thing. See it’s not yet that they have these different things in their lives, notice verse 29. “Being filled with all”. And then it goes on and gives you this list.
What the Bible is saying is that it’s not that any one person who does these things, they have envy or murder or they are backbiters or they are disobedient, it’s not that anyone who does any one of these things is a reprobate. But listen to me, someone who is filled with all of these things is a reprobate. I mean can you imagine meeting someone who has all of these characteristics in their lives. Where you can identify every one of these things. And that’s what the Bible is saying. So when it comes to psychopaths or when it comes to reprobates, you can find all of these characteristics in non reprobate, non psychopath people. But the difference is that you will find all of these characteristics in a psychopath reprobate.
So before you start diagnosing everybody you know as being a reprobate or being a psychopath, you have to understand that a true diagnosis for a psychopath is someone that has all of these characteristics in their lives. And in the same way, the Bible says “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness” and so forth. Now, tonight what we’re going to do is this. We’re going to look at what the experts tell us are the characteristics of a psychopath and we’re going to see if we can find evidence in the Bible that reprobates share the same characteristics. So we’re going to look at the psychiatrists who say, here is what a psychopath is. Here’s what they do. Here’s what their life looks like. Here are there characteristics. Here is their personality. And then we’re going to look at what the Bible says about reprobates.
What we’re going to look at tonight is we’re going to go through the list of the characteristics of a reprobate and see if we can match those up. What’s interesting, and we already did this so I’m not going to go back and do it, we looked at the fact that there are several passages that teach us on the subject of reprobates. We have Romans 1. We have 2 Timothy 3. We have Titus 1, 2 Peter 2 and Jude. We’ve already went through all of those passages and showed how they all deal with reprobates. What’s interesting about those passages is that they all also have a list of characteristics of psychopaths. So it’s actually pretty easy to go back and see, well here’s what the Bible says a reprobate does. Can we match that up to what a shrink says, psychiatrist says that a psychopath does. So why? Why learn the characteristics of what a psychopath reprobate does? Dr. Hare says “A major quest has been to develop an accurate means by which to identify psychopaths among us. For if we can’t spot them, we are doomed to be their victims both as individuals and as a society”. See, the reason why we want to learn the characteristics of these people is because if you can’t spot them, if you can’t identify them, if you can’t figure out this is a psychopath reprobate, then you are doomed to be their victim. Both as an individual and all of us collectively as a society. So let’s go through the characteristics. What do the experts tell us are the characteristics of a psychopath. And I don’t have these in any particular order. We’re just going to go through them. These are some that the psychiatrists tell us that a psychopath looks like.
#1 They are covetous and materialistic. In page 134 of the book, the expert write this “Their self image” (talking about psychopaths “Their self image is defined more by possessions and other visible signs of success and power then by love in sight and compassion which are abstractions and have little inherent meaning for them”. So they identify their lives through their possessions and visible signs of success. When the psychopaths are interviewed, when they go to prison, the ones who are violent, when they are interviewed about their crimes, about their relationships, about their lives, they often speak only in the terms of materialism. And that’s why I tell you, when you listen to somebody talk and they only speak in terms of money and resources and material, you are very likely talking to a psychopath. Because most people, when you ask them about life and about relationships, they will tell you about their relationships they have, and the emotional attachment, but a psychopath will speak only in terms of the material. Here’s an example. A psychopath will be asked (who is being interviewed in prison) why they killed someone or how they feel about killing someone or the family of the individual they killed. Instead of speaking to the emotion or guilt or regret, they will say things like “I just wanted what they had so I killed them”. And they speak only in the terms of the material. That’s the only thing that matters to them.
Now here’s the question. The experts tell us that a psychopath and materialistic. And again, there are lots of people that are covetous and materialistic. So that doesn’t mean they are a psychopath. But that’s one of the characteristics of an entire syndrome that you’ll find in a psychopath. Here’s the question. Can we find that same characteristic in reprobates. Well, you’re there in Romans 1. Look at verse 29. Notice what the Bible says “Being with filled with all”. And then he goes on to give us the list of characteristics of a reprobate. Notice what he says “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,” Notice this one “covetousness”. So on the list of reprobates in Romans 1, we see this word covetousness. Can we find it anywhere else? Well go to 2 Timothy 3. Now remember, Romans 1 talks about reprobates and we get a list of their characteristics. 2 Timothy 3 talks about reprobates and we get a list of their characteristics. Let’s see if we can find covetousness or materialism on that list to. 2 Timothy 3 “2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves,” We’ve already looked at this passage. We’ve already proved that it’s talking about reprobates. “For men shall be lovers of their own selves” Notice “covetous,” So on the list of 2 Timothy 3 we see the word covetous. On the list of Romans 1 we see covetousness. Go to Titus 1.
Again, we’ve already seen that this is a passage about reprobates. Notice what the Bible says in Titus 1:11 “11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not,” Why? “for filthy lucre’s sake.” What is lucre? Money. Why do these false prophets teach things they ought not. They do it for 1 reason. They do it for money. You say what is a false prophet or who is a false prophet who teaches things that they ought not for filthy lucre’s sake? That’s your Kenneth Copeland. That’s your Joel Osteen. That’s your TD Jakes. These are false prophets teaching things they ought not. Why? For filthy lucre’s sake. Go to 2 Peter 2.
And by the way, you may want to put a ribbon or bookmark in these passages because we will leave them and come back to them. Notice what the Bible says in 2 Peter 2:3 “3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:” See, you know what false prophets do? They preach for filthy lucre’s sake and because of their covetousness, they actually make merchandise of the house of God, of the people of God, and that’s one of the descriptions of a false prophet reprobate. Look down at verse 14 of the same chapter. Notice what the Bible says in 2 Peter 2:14 “14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls:” Notice what the Bible says “an heart they have exercised with covetous practices;” So notice, almost every list that deals with reprobates, God emphasizes they are covetous, their covetousness, the fact that they do things for filthy lucre’s sake, that in their heart they have exercised themselves with covetous practices. So when we’re connecting psychopath reprobates, is the Biblical teaching of reprobates what the psychiatrists called a psychopath? Well you go to them and ask what a psychopath is like. The first thing they’ll say is that you have covetous, materialistic people. Then we go to the Bible and say are the reprobates covetous? And it’s very clear that they are. They both share that characteristic. I’m going to give you 10 tonight. 1 out of 10, check. They’ve both got it.
Here’s #2. Go back to Romans 1. #2 – They are proud, egocentric and grandiose. Psychopaths are proud, egocentric and grandiose. On Page 38 of the book Without Conscience, the writer says this “Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their own self worth and importance. A truly astounding, egocentricity and sense of entitlement and see themselves as the center of the universe, as superior beings who are justified in living according to their own rules”. On page 38 he continues to say this “Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts, self assured, opinionated, domineering and cocky.”
So according to the experts, psychopaths are not only covetous and materialistic, they are proud, egocentric and grandiose. So here is the question. Are reprobates proud, egocentric, grandiose? Remember the list, being filled with all, right. Look at verse 30 “backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters”. So look, when you go to the experts, they say psychopaths are proud, egocentric, grandiose. When you go to the Word of God and say, is a reprobate proud? Is a reprobate egocentric, grandiose. In Romans 1 it tells us that they are proud, boasters. Go back to 2 Timothy 3. 2 Timothy 3:1 “This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves; covetous, boasters, proud”. Do you see that? “boasters, proud”. Look at verse 4 “traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God”. So in 2 Timothy 3 tells us that they are boasters, they are proud, they are high minded. Romans 1 says they are proud, they are boasters. Psychopaths are proud, egocentric, grandiose. So we’ve got 2 characteristics of a psychopath. They are covetous, they’re materialistic and they’re proud, egocentric, grandiose. When we match that up to the Word of God, and we ask if reprobates are covetous? Yes. Are reprobates proud? Yes. We’ve got 2 out of 2.
Alright, let’s look at the 3rd one. Go back to Romans 1. We’re going to go back and forth between Romans 1 and 2 Timothy 3. Here’s characteristic #3 – Lack of empathy, remorse or guilt. Lack of empathy, remorse or guilt. Remember, these people have no conscience. Nothing that tells them, hey that’s wrong. I shouldn’t cross the line. That’s a line that should not be crossed. These people don’t have that. They lack empathy, remorse or guilt. Here’s what the expert wrote on page 6. These examples also illustrate a frightful and perplexing theme that runs through the case histories of all psychopaths. A deeply disturbing inability to care about the pain and suffering experienced by others. In short, a complete lack of empathy, the prerequisite for love. So according to the experts, they have a complete lack of empathy. He also wrote this on page 99 about psychopaths “They give little thought about the pain and humiliation experienced by the victims”.
So here’s the question, if a psychopath lacks empathy, remorse or guilt, can we see in the Bible where a reprobate would lack empathy, remorse, or guilt? And remember that Dr. Hare said that when you lack empathy, that’s the prerequisite for love. The reason we love is because of the fact that we have the ability to have empathy. Notice Romans 1. Romans 1:31 “without understanding, covenant breakers,” don’t miss this “without natural affection”. They don’t have the natural affection that you and I would have for your child or for your spouse or for just another human being. When you’re seeing them in pain and in hurt, hey, reprobates are without natural affection. Go to 2 Timothy 3. Look at verse 3. 2 Timothy 3:3 the Bible says “without natural affection”. Without natural affection. So a psychopath is covetous, a reprobate is covetous. A psychopath is proud. A reprobate is proud. A psychopath lacks empathy, remorse or guilt. And a reprobate lacks empathy, remorse or guilt. They’re without natural affection.
Now go to the Book of Ephesians. While you go there, let me read there just a little more about this lack of empathy, remorse or guilt. On page 41 of the book Without Conscience, it says this “Before his execution, serial killer Ted Bundy spoke directly about guilty in several interviews. ‘Whatever I’ve done in the past you know, the emotions or emissions or commissions doesn’t bother men. Guilt? He remarked in prison? It’s the mechanism we use to control people. It’s illusion. It’s a control mechanism and it’s very unhealthy’” So here you have Ted Bundy, who killed and literally broke in to women’s houses and beat them to death in their sleep. He’s a rapist and necrophiliac. He’s a pedophile. And he is lecturing us on the fact that guilt’s not a real feeling. Guilty is just a mechanism that society uses to make you do things. Hey, why would he say that? Because he’s without natural affection, that’s why. He doesn’t understand what it means to empathize or feel guilt or feel remorse or look at someone who’s in pain and hurting and able to connect with them. Ephesians 4:18-19 “18 Having the understanding darkened,” Does that sound like the passages we looked at about the Pharisees earlier? “Have the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:” Notice verse 19 “19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”
Look, the Bible says that they are past feelings. They cannot feel the same thing you and I feel. Go to Romans 1. Let me read to you another passage from the book just illustrating the idea of lack of empathy. Because what would lack of empathy, guilt or remorse look like in an individual. They tell a story, it says this “A nightmare driver plowed into a car and killed a mother and her small daughter. Witnesses that the driver was rude and obnoxious after the accident. He was only concerned about it causing him to miss a date. In the ambulance with one of his victims, a badly injured 2 month old baby, the driver who showed no evidence of alcohol or drug use, reportedly responded to the babies cries with ‘Can you shut the **** up’”. That’s how someone with no empathy, remorse or guilt will act like. I mean he just killed a mother and child and a baby is in pain. He’s upset. Why? It’s going to cause him to miss his date. And this is what these reprobates are like. They are without natural affection. They are past feeling. So what is a psychopath according to the experts. They’re covetous and materialistic. What is a reprobate according to the word of God? They’re covetous and materialistic. What is a psychopath according to the experts? Proud, egocentric and grandiose. What is the reprobate according to the word of God? Proud, egocentric and grandiose. According to the experts, psychopaths lack empathy, remorse or guilt. What does the Bible say about Reprobates? They lack empathy, remorse or guilt. They are past feeling. They lack natural affection.
Let me give you the 4th characteristic. The 4th characteristic of a psychopath is they non dependable and lacking in loyalty. They are non dependable and lacking in loyalty. Here’s what the experts wrote on page 62, “Are psychopaths particularly well suited for dangerous professions?”. Now the reason they’re asking that is the fact that psychopaths are very cool under pressure. Because they don’t have feelings guiding them like you and I do. And by the way, that’s often why psychopaths are able to get away with serial murders. Because see if you killed somebody and you had to get rid of the evidence, you would be all frantic and anxious and scared that you’re going to get caught and be freaking out and be like “Oh No”. And that would cause you to maybe mess up and not clean up thoroughly. But with psychopaths, when they carve a person up like we read earlier is the same emotion as us carving a turkey for thanksgiving. They just are cool and calm under pressure which is why they are able to you know just do crime after crime and not get caught for a long time.
You know so the question is asked, are Psychopaths particularly well suited for dangerous professions? Here’s the answer “It is just as unlikely that Psychopaths would make good spies, terrorists or mobsters simply because their impulsiveness, concern only for the moment and lack of allegiance to people or causes make them unpredictable, careless and undependable. Likely to be loose cannons”. You say, couldn’t we use a guy whose cool under pressure, who can cut someone up and not give it a 2nd thought. Couldn’t we use that guy as a spy? Well the problem is that another characteristic of a psychopath is that they’re not loyal to anybody. They’re only loyal to themselves. They’re not dependable They’re not responsible. So they have some characteristics where you think that maybe you could use those in tense, dangerous professions. But the problem is that they’re only out for themselves. So they’ll turn on anyone for any reason. On page 62 it says “Obligations and commitments mean nothing to psychopaths”. Now here’s the question we have to ask. Can we see that same characteristic in a reprobate. Well go to Romans 1:31 “without understand, covenant breakers”. Now look, what did Dr. Hare say about psychopaths on page 62 he said “obligations and commitments mean nothing to psychopaths”. What does the Bible say about reprobates in Romans 1? They’re covenant breakers. Meaning obligations and commitments mean nothing to them. They’ll make covenant with you. They’ll make a deal with you. They’ll make a vow to death do us part and to them it means nothing. They’ll commit adultery. Why? Because a reprobate is non dependable and lacking in loyalty.
2 Timothy 3:3 “Without natural affection” Notice this word “Trucebreakers”. What does that mean? That means that commitments and agreements mean nothing to them. You’ll make a truce. You’ll make a deal. They’ll break it. Look at verse 4 “traitors”. You say why can’t you use them in the military and highly dangerous jobs. Because they’re traitors. They lack loyalty. They’re not loyal to anyone except themselves. 2 Peter 2:10 “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh and the lusts of uncleanness and despise government”. What does that mean? It means they despise any authority in their lives. They “despise government, presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities”. What is a dignity? A dignity is someone who is in authority over you. And a psychopath has no problem just talking about their boss, their pastor or whoever is an authority over them. Why? Because they lack loyalty. They’re not loyal. Again, there are lots of people that are not loyal and that doesn’t make them a psychopath.
But we’re looking at all of these characteristics and they fit all of them. I mean when you know some one and say “I can see how they’re covetous. I can see how they’re proud. I can see how they lack empathy. I can see how they’re not dependable. They can’t hold down a job. I can see how they lack loyalty. I can see how they’re all these things”. Hey, you may start thinking to yourself that they might be a psychopath. That’s what the experts do when they have interviews with these people in prison. Here’s what’s interesting. We’re at 4 out of 4. 4 characteristics of psychopaths we find all in reprobates. You say why? Because they’re psychopath reprobates. Because when you cross the line where you have no conscious, you don’t care about the promises you made. The covenants you made. You don’t care about remorse or guilt. You’ll cross lines that other people won’t. Other people will look at you and say “Wow, I can’t believe you said that. I can’t believe you would do that. I mean this is a social norm. No normal person would say or do that.”. Why? Because there is no remorse or guilt. There is no conscious. They’re proud, egocentric, grandiose. They’ve got more of a right you know to do whatever they want than anybody else. They see themselves as a higher being than anyone else. They’re covetous, materialistic. This is a psychopath and this is a reprobate.
So let’s look at the 5th characteristic. Here’s the 5th one. They are charming and likeable. They are charming and likeable. On Page 34 the book says this “Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can amusing and entertaining conversationalist. Ready and quick and clever comebacks and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast themselves in a good like. They can be very effective in presenting themselves well and are often very likeable and charming.” On page 38 the book says this “They appear charismatic or electrifying to some people”. See, you’ll look at a psychopath and think “Wow, that’s an impressive individual. That’s a charming individual”. You know when you first get to know them, before they start ruining your life, when you first get to know them, you think that they are a likeable person. They’re often charming and likeable.
You say, well, are reprobates like that? Are reprobates someone that you would look at and think “That’s a nice person, they’re a good person, I like that person.”. 2 Corinthians 11:13 “13 For such are false apostles,” Now remember, we already identified that false prophets and false teachers are reprobates according to 2 Peter 2:1. So notice what the Bible says about them “For such are false prophets, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
So the Bible tells us about false prophets that they are able to transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. What does that mean? That means that when you meet them you think “that’s a nice person. That’s a good person”. You meet Joel Osteen and think he has such a nice smile and he’s young and this and that. And you look at these people and think they are charming and likeable. That’s what a psychopath is. Guess what. That’s also what a reprobate is. And here’s what people don’t understand. Sometimes we have to deal with situations and issues at church and people think, “Oh but they’re so nice”. Look, it doesn’t matter how nice and charming they are and if they give gifts. That doesn’t matter. Because the Bible says that Satan himself is transformed in to an angel of light. And you cannot base what you think of someone based on how they look or appear. You always have to base it on what are they doing. What are they doing? What is their behavior like?
So we have covetousness. We have pride. We have lack of empathy. We have non dependable. We have charming and likeable. Here’s #6. Glib, superficial and insincere. Glib, superficial and insincere. On Page 34, we just read this but I’m going to read it again and keep reading a little further from where I stopped in the book. “Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and entertaining conversationalists. Ready with a quick and clever comeback. And can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting themselves well. They can be very likeable and charming. To some people however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously insincere and superficial”.
One of the characteristic of a psychopath according to the experts is that they are glib, superficial and insincere. Now the word glib is not a word we often use in our modern vocabulary today. But here’s what the word glib means. It means a slick, fast talking or smooth with words but insincere and shallow. So someone who is glib is someone who is good with their words. They’re slick with their words. They’re smooth with their words. They’re fast talking with their words but they are also insincere and shallow. Now here’s the question. That’s what a Psychopath is. Does the Bible describe a reprobate as someone who is good with their words but their words are empty, insincere, superficial. What does superficial mean? It means that they’re not deep. They’re shallow. Does the Bible teach that?
Titus 1:10 “10 For there are many unruly” Notice what the Bible says about reprobates. “and vain talkers” Notice the emphasis is on their words. They’re talkers but they’re not deep talkers. They’re not emotional. They’re vain. That means they’re empty. They’re superficial. They are insincere.
Go to 2 Peter 2. Let’s look if the Bible describes reprobates as being glib, superficial and insincere. Smooth talkers yet insincere. Empty, shallow in their words 2 Peter 2:3 “Through covetousness” Don’t miss this. “they with feigned words” What’s the word feign mean? It means not real. Fake. A fraud. Pretend. “with feigned words”. Notice the Bible emphasizes their words. That their words are vain. Does the Bible describe as glib, smooth talkers but yet vain and insincere? You know, insincere and superficial. 2 Peter 2:18 “For when they speak” Notice. Don’t miss this. “great swelling words of vanity”. Notice the Bible. It’s almost like these doctors went to the Bible and just found what are all the descriptions of a reprobate and let’s put it in a book and call it psychiatry and sell it. Because they say, “Hey, a psychopath is glib”. What does it mean to be glib? Good with their words. Smooth with their words. Slick with their words but their words are insincere. Then you go to the Bible and you think that it’s interesting. Does the Bible describe someone like that. Then you open up the Bible and the Bible says that a reprobate has great swelling words of vanity. They’re vain with words. They’re vain talkers. That’s exactly what glib is. So what do we have? Covetousness, pride, lack of empathy, non dependable, lacking in loyalty, charming and likeable and insincere and look, we’re at 6 and all 6 we find in the descriptions of a reprobate. Go to 1 Kings 21. I’m going to use the story in 1 Kings to describe the next characteristic.
Here’s Characteristic #7 – Psychopaths are deceitful and manipulative. Psychopaths are deceitful and manipulative. And by the way, that’s why you need to understand they’re charming and likeable. They’re glib, superficial and insincere. But they’re also deceitful and manipulative. So before you get wound up with all their charm. And you get wound up with all their stories which are really just vain and great swelling words. Realize that they are also deceitful and manipulative. Here’s what the book says on Page 46 “Lying, deceiving and manipulation are natural talents for Psychopaths.”. Here’s what it says in page 12 about a psychopath that the doctor was working with in prison. “He says that Ray had an incredible ability to con. Not just me but everybody. He could talk and lie with a smoothness and directness that sometimes, momentarily disarmed even the most experienced and cynical of the prison staff.”. So when they look at a psychopath they say hey, when someone is a psychopath, they are deceitful and manipulative. So be careful because they’re also likeable and charming. They’re also glib and superficial and insincere. But they are deceitful and manipulative. Does the Bible teach that about reprobates? Let’s look at this well known story in 1 Kings 21 from the lens of reprobates.
1 Kings 21:1 “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth” Now Naboth is a good guy in the story “the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.” Now Ahab is not a good guy but he’s not a reprobate. Alright. He’s a whiner but not a reprobate. Let’s look at it. Look at verse 2. “2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying,” Now look. What Ahab says is a fair deal. He wants to make a fair deal with Naboth. He says “Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house:” He says hey, I want your vineyard. It’s near to my house. I’d like to have it. And then he says this “and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it;” He says I’ll give you a better vineyard. I just want that vineyard because it’s near to my house. “or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.” He says, hey I’ll pay you for it. I’ll give you a better vineyard but I’d like to have your vineyard. Now look, that was a nice deal. That was a fair deal. But Naboth doesn’t have to sell his vineyard to anyone. And he chooses not to. It’s his prerogative to do that. “3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.” Here’s what he’s saying. That vineyard was an inheritance from my fathers. It’s been in our family for years.
We were just in Leviticus and studied how that works. And he says I can’t sell you that vineyard. He says the Lord forbid me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers. “4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.” What’s Ahab doing here? He’s throwing an adult fit. He’s complaining that Naboth won’t sell the vineyard. He says he won’t eat. He’s upset. Look at verse 5 “5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.” He says “He went home with his toys and won’t play with me”.
And listen guys, don’t roll over and complain to your wife about anything. If you have a bad day at work or whatever. Don’t complain. Look at verse 7 “7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:” She says, hey have a time of rejoicing. Get Naboth out. Set him on high. Look at verse 10. “10 And set two men, sons of Belial,” Now we already learned that the Sons of Belial are reprobates. Seducing spirits. Doctrine of Devils. So what did these men do. Because he wants the Vineyard but it’s not available.
Notice what the Bible says “And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him,” False accusations here. They “witnessed against him even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.” Now please listen to me. Taking somebody’s life by stoning is a very hard way of killing someone. I mean, taking rocks and throwing them at someone till they die. They would do that for rapists. They would do that for pedophiles. They would do that for people that hurt other people.
And look, if my children (God forbid that it ever happen) or someone else’s children were ever molested, that they would want to kill that individual. I would have no problem stoning stones at someone till they die if they molested or raped someone I love. You think, “I don’t see how you could say that”. You’re not normal if you say that. That’s the truth. But here’s the thing. Could you imagine being the person, lying about another person, the person did nothing wrong. All they did wrong is they didn’t want to sell their vineyard which was their prerogative. And you sit there and lie and say “We heard him blaspheme God and the king”. I mean, can you imagine Naboth saying “What, NO. I didn’t say that”. I can you imagine as he’s being taken out and he’s being stoned to death. As he’s yelling “No, there’s a misunderstanding. That didn’t happen”. And to have 2 guys there, Sons of Belial. You know the only way you can do that is if you have no conscience. If you have no empathy. If you just have remorse and no guilt. What do these people do? These reprobates. They manipulate and deceive. They lie. They lied about Christ. The Pharisees lied about Christ. And put him to death. Why? Because reprobates are deceitful and manipulative. So before you get all in to their charm and likeability, realize that these people will lie, will steal, they’ll do whatever they need to do. If they want that vineyard then they’ll get that vineyard.
Romans 1:29 “29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,” Notice the word. “deceit,” They’re filled with deceit. Look at 2 Timothy 3:3 “Without natural affection, trucebreakers,” Notice what the Bible says “false accusers”. Go to Titus 1. Look at verse 10. Titus 1:10 “For there are many unruly and vain talkers”. Notice what it says. “and deceivers”. So what are the characteristics of a psychopath? Do they match the characteristics of a reprobate? Well, they’re both covetous and materialistic. They’re both proud, egocentric and grandiose. They both lack empathy, remorse or guilt. They are both non dependable and lacking in loyalty. They’re both charming and likeable. They’re both glib, superficial and insincere. They’re both deceitful and manipulative. What’s another characteristic?
Go to Romans 9. Here’s the 8th characteristic. Let’s see if it matches. They’ll all matched reprobates so far. Let’s see if this one matches reprobates. No fear of consequences. Psychopaths have no fear of consequences. On page 58 of the book it says “Psychopaths are unlikely to spend much time weighing the pros and cons of actions or considering the consequences”. On page 54 it says this “It is emotional awareness of the consequences that compels us to take a particular course of action. Not so with psychopaths. They barely plunge on perhaps knowing what might happen but not really caring”. See psychopaths have no fear of consequences. Does the Bible say that about reprobates? Well in Romans 9 we learn about a famous reprobate in the Bible and that is Pharoah. From the story of Moses where he delivered the people out of Egypt. The Bible says that Pharoah was a reprobate. Look at Romans 9:17 “For the scripture saith unto Pharoah even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared in all the earth”. You say what does that mean? Here’s what it means. The reason why Pharoah was lifted up and placed in the position of Pharoah of Egypt was because he was a reprobate. They’re someone who is exposed to the truth but resists the truth. They know the truth but deny the truth. They’re exposed to the truth but they reject the truth.
You say why would God put a reprobate in the story of Moses? Here’s why. Because here’s how God knew a reprobate would react to the plagues of Egypt. I mean if you were the king of Egypt, how many plays would you have to go through before you decided, you know what God, you win. I think most of us would probably after 2 or 3 or 4 plagues, and you’re probably thinking ok, you win. Uncle. But why didn’t Pharoah do it? Because he’s a reprobate. He’s never going to submit to God. He’s always going to reject it. He lies and deceives. He tells Moses, ok stop the frogs or stop the hail and I’ll let the people go. But as soon as the plagues were gone he changes his mind. I won’t let you go. The only person who would act like that is a reprobate. The only person who would act like that is a reprobate. Why? Because they have no fear of consequences.
Look at Exodus 10 in verse 7. Notice what the Bible says “And Pharoah’s servants said unto him, how long shall this man be a snare unto us. Let them go that they may serve the Lord their God”. Here’s what the servants are saying to Pharoah. “Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed.”. Here’s what they’re saying, don’t you look around? Can’t you see that your decisions are causing Egypt to get destroyed. But listen to me, psychopaths are unlikely to spend much time weighing pros and cons of a course of action. Or considering the possible consequences. Psychopaths are not like normal people that will look at consequences and cause them to take a particular course. No. Not Psychopaths. They barely plunge on and perhaps knowing what might happen but not really caring. Isn’t that Pharoah? I mean you’ve got to think there’s probably another play coming. By the time there’s 5 or 6, but you know he’s just plunging on ahead, not really caring. Because people are pleading with him and saying, knowest thou not that Egypt is destroyed. But he is a reprobate. And it’s the same thing as psychopaths, they have no fear of consequences.
2 Peter 2:10 “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh and the lusts of uncleanness and despise government”. Notice what it says “presumptuous are they, self willed” Notice these words “They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities”. Why? Because psychopaths have no fear of consequences. And you know what? Neither do reprobates. They’re not afraid to speak evil of dignities. They’re not afraid to do whatever they want. Jude 1:12 “These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear”. So look, psychopaths, we’re told by the experts, have no fear of consequences. You know the Bible says have no fear of consequences. They’re not afraid. They don’t consider the pros and cons of things, “you know what after 7 plagues, maybe I should let them go”. No, they just plunge on ahead.
Let me give you the 9th characteristic of a psychopath. Without self control or restraint. Without self control or restraint. Here’s what the book says in page 58 “impulsive acts often result from an aim that plays a central role in most of the Psychopaths behavior. To achieve immediate satisfaction, pleasure or relief. The psychopath is like an infant. Absorbed in his own needs vehemently demanding satiation.”. Here we’re told that they want to achieve immediate satisfaction, pleasure or relief. They are without self-control, without restraint. They can’t stop themselves from doing what they want to do.
So here’s the question. Psychopaths are without self-control or restraint. Are reprobates without self-control or restraint. Romans 1:31 “Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable”. Do you see that word implacable? What does that word mean? It means not to be appeased, mollified or pacified. You see when a reprobate wants something, you can’t talk them out of it. They’re going to get it. They can’t be mollified. They can’t be pacified. Notice 2 Timothy 3. 2 Timothy 3:3 “Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers”. Notice this word “incontinent”. “incontinent”. What does the word incontinent mean? It means lacking in moderation or self-control. Especially of sexual desires. It means lacking in moderation or self-control. So the experts say, Hey, psychopaths are without self-control or restraint. The Bible says that reprobates are incontinent which means lacking in self-control.
2 Peter 2:14 “Having eyes full of adultery”. “Having eyes full of adultery”. Don’t miss this. “and that cannot cease from sin”. Look, they can’t stop if they wanted to. Why? Because they have no restraint. They have no self-control. They are implacable. They are incontinent. Go back to Romans 1. Let me give you the last one. So, so far I’ve given you 9 characteristics of psychopaths, and don’t reprobates match them exactly to the T. It’s almost like God knows everything about anything that happens on the earth. It’s almost like God knows everything. It’s almost like the Bible knows everything about everything. And all we need to do is study the Bible to learn about things. And people say “You guys believe in these reprobates. I can’t believe that you would believe that. And it’s like, look, psychiatrists believe in them too. They just call them psychopaths.”.
Let me give you the last one. No sexual morals. No sexual morals. When you talk to psychiatrists about psychopaths, one of the things they’ll tell you about them is that they have no sexual morals. Writing on page 45 of the book about psychopaths he says this “they were engaging in an unending series of casual impersonal and trivial sexual relationships and so forth. They have no sexual morals. They’ll just do whatever with whoever. What does the Bible say about reprobates. Go to Romans 1:29 “Being filled with all unrighteousness”. Notice “fornication”. These people are overcome with fornication. Go to 2 Timothy 3:6 “For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts” They creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts.
2 Peter 2:10 “Chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lusts of uncleanness”. 2 Peter 2:14 “Having eyes full of adultery”. “Having eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin”. 2 Peter 2:18 “They speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh”. Jude 1:16 “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts”. Look at verse 18 “How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts”. Look at Jude 1:19 “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit”. Now here’s what’s interesting. As I was reading this book, I noticed that there’s an emphasis in this book (And I’m not saying that the writer did this on purpose but it just stood out to me a lot) that these people would have no sexual morals. But he would often bring up that these people were often homosexuals or pedophiles. That they were sodomites or pedophiles. And I don’t think he did that on purpose. He never mentioned that a characteristic is that they are homos. But it seems like every time you read a story that it just comes out that they are a pedophile or homo.
Page 11, he’s talking about how a psychopath pulls a knife out during a counseling session (This is in prison). This guy has made a knife. He’s counseling with him and the guy pulls a knife out. Here’s what he says “He explains that he intended to use the knife, not on me but on another inmate who had been making overtures to his protégé (a prison term for the more passive member of a homosexual pairing). In Page 100 he says this writing about a psychopath “He routinely terrorized the women in his life, sexually abused his daughter and raped her girlfriend. His propensity for sadist sexual behavior carried over into prison where he is well known for his aggressive homosexuality.”.
In Page 73 he wrote this “John Alton called the paperback rapist by Vancouver Press (He wrote he wore a paper bag over his head when he raped women and children). Alton was diagnosed by a court psychiatrist as both a psychopath, lacked a conscience, manipulative, egocentric, unfruitful and lacks the capacity for love and a sexual sadist who gets sexual excitement by inflicting psychological pressure on his victims.”. In Page 108 writing about a psychopath in prison he says this “He was in prison for sexually assaulting a 12 year old female cousin”. On Page 110 he says this “Psychopath abusers are unmoved. I just take what’s available said one of the subjects convicted of sexually assaulting his girlfriend’s 8 year old daughter”. You say, psychopaths, the experts what they teach and highlight is that these people are with no moral sexual morals. Sexual deviants. They are homosexuals. They are sodomites. They are pedophiles. So here’s the question. Does the Bible say that about reprobates?
Well let’s go to Romans 1. Romans 1:24 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections”. It’s vile. It’s not something to be proud of. It’s not something to parade about. He says unto vile affections. “For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature”. Listen to me, it’s not normal. It’s unnatural. “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one to another. Men with men, working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of that error which was meet”. And you can write right next to that verse the word “aids”. That’s the recompense of their error which was meet.
I get sick and tired of this because people say “You are constantly equating a homosexual to a pedophile. You shouldn’t do that.”. Here’s what’s interesting. These guys do. They say hey, psychopaths will rape a woman, a man, a child. The psychopaths will tell you that I’ll take whatever is available. And people say “Well you can’t say that if you’re a sodomite that you’re a pedophile”. Listen to me, when you start going down the road of doing unnatural sins, by the time when a man gets to the point where he will go to bed with another man that he will do anything. He’ll rape a child. He’ll rape a corpse. He’ll rape an animal. Look, that’s why God said that these people are worthy of death.
And you know, I’m tired of Christians just deciding that they don’t want to obey the Bible, they don’t want to believe the Bible. Look, people say, “I’ve got 1 of them in my family”. We’ve all got one of them in our family. “Well I work with one”. Look, if you work with one then they are worthy of death. “I live next to one”. Watch your kids and they are worthy of death. “What if it’s my uncle”. They’re worthy of death. “What if it’s my cousin”. They’re worthy of death. “What if it’s my sibling”. They’re worthy of death. Listen, I don’t care if it’s your Siamese twin. They are worthy of death. That’s what the Bible says. Why? Because they’re unnatural. Their conscience is seared. I mean how much more do you have to study about these people before you realize that you don’t need to be anywhere around these people. They are dangerous. They will rape and kill and by their own admission take whatever is available. Didn’t we see that in Judges 19? They wanted to rape the guy. He’s not available. They throw out the concubine and rape her until she dies. That’s what Judges 19 says. Some of you should read your Bible. Genesis 19 they want to rape a guy. You say why? Because they’re psychopath reprobates, that’s why.
You say “I can’t believe you would say that or preach that. We’ll have people out here protesting us.”. All of those people are a bunch of pedophiles themselves. They’re a bunch of reprobates themselves. They’re mad because we’re calling them out. Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Look, no normal, natural, hair legged man thinks it’s anywhere near normal to go to bed with another man. It’s unnatural. It’s not normal. You say, “Do you think sodomites are pedophiles?”. Yes, I do. “Pastor, weren’t you sad when they died in Orlando?”. No I’m not sad when pedophiles and rapists die. I don’t shed a tear over it. Why? Because I know what they do. I know what they can produce. Because the word of God tells us. You say “Well I don’t know if I can handle that. I can’t take it from you”. Ok, can you take it from him? Just this regular, well educated, well respected scientist. Here’s what he says, if you run across a psychopath, be careful with your children. If you run across a psychopath, they might look charming. They might look nice. But they are sexual deviants. They are without self control or restraint. They have no fear of consequences. They are deceitful and manipulative. They are glib, superficial, insincere, charming and likeable, non dependable and lacking in loyalty, they are proud, they are covetous, they lack empathy. And then I look at the Word of God. Good night. I think this guy has been reading Romans 1. I’m reading this book and it sounds to me like 2 Timothy 3 and 2 Peter 2 and Jude 1. It sounds like the word of God is what it sounds like. You say why? Because they are psychopath reprobates.
Psychiatrists are just now learning how to deal with these people. Let me just read to you a couple more things and we’ll be done. He says “Although these and related questions have been the focus of specific questions and empirical research for over 100 years, and my own work for a quarter century, it is primarily within the last few decades that the deadly mystery of the psychopath has begun to reveal itself. He also says this “This book confronts psychopathy head on for what it is. A dark mystery with staggering implications for society. A mystery that finally is beginning to reveal itself after centuries of speculation and decades of empirical psychological research”.
Do you know what the psychiatrists are saying? After decades, after centuries, we are finally now beginning to shed light on the fact that there is a class of people who love among us. They have no conscience. They’re predators. They’re liars. They’re false accusers. They’ll stab you in the back. They’re saying, we’re just now starting to figure it out. Do you know what’s interesting? Paul had it figured out 2000 years ago. The Bible wrote about it 5000 years ago. You say, why preach this sermon? Well one of these reasons that we should preach this sermon is just to remind ourselves that the Word of God is all we need. The law of the Lord is perfect. It has everything we need. Here’s what’s interesting. Here’s what’s interesting. People hate the Word of God. They hate what the Word of God says. I get up here and I preach hate. The Bible says there’s a bunch of people without a conscience. They’ll rape you and kill you and they don’t care. And they’ll say “You’re a hate monger. You’re a hate preacher. We should protest you”.
But a psychiatrist writes a book and says the same thing and people are like “Let’s give him a reward. Let’s name an achievement award after him”. I wish they’d name an achievement award after me. I didn’t even spend the 4 years in college. I just read the Word of God. I just read the Bible. Because the law of the Lord is perfect. So what do you think of psychopaths? Here’s what I think of psychopaths. They’re reprobates. What do you think of reprobates? I think they’re psychopaths. What do you think of these people? They’re just psychopath reprobates. Be careful. Be careful. Let’s bow our heads and pray.