October 27
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” (Romans 1:18)
“Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:24-32)
This passage we are all familiar with, describing the depravity mankind falls into when they choose not to acknowledge God or recognize Him as their Creator. I believe this describes the society we live in today, becoming more and more hostile to God, more and more intolerant of Christians who acknowledge and worship God and speak out for righteousness and truth and faith in Him. Our society is becoming more and more perverse, more and more rebellious to the scripture, more and more evil in its deeds, more and more corrupt in its thinking, and more and more immoral in its behavior.
What would have shocked us a generation ago is now prime time television. What would have upset us and repulsed us a few decades ago is now viewed and absorbed without a second thought. What immoral and degrading behaviors would have caused people to be rejected by society as a whole in my youth is now celebrated and imitated and sent all over the world on the internet. The world is more rapidly fulfilling these verses and bringing judgment on itself more rapidly than at any time in history, in my view.
But although this is tragic, it is not totally unexpected or surprising, knowing that the unregenerate man is blind, lost, and enslaved to sin and knowing that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. My biggest concern, however, is the effect that this debauchery and sliding into the abyss is having and will have on the Body of Christ and future generations. The Church is the only light and only hope the world has. It is imperative that we as Christians know right from wrong, know how God views what is happening around us, and know how we ought to conduct ourselves in light of the wickedness that surrounds us. We cannot get sucked into these attitudes and behaviors, nor can we become dull and think lightly about the gravity of these sins. We must remain vigilant in our own churches, in our own homes, and in our own hearts. We need to make certain that the lines are clear in our minds as to what is and is not evil and what God thinks of these things. Romans 1 is a good reminder of this and worthy of regular review.
More on Romans 1 tomorrow.