God gave them over!
Scripture reading for November 16: Romans 1-3
My wife and I have raised 5 children, each born with a sin-nature and self-focus. Part of the job of parenting is to set boundaries and not allow the children to have everything they want. Their own way could be dangerous and lead to injury or possibly death. As parents our goal was to instruct our children to make wise choices that would enable them to go through life with God’s blessing and favor. This meant teaching them to love the Lord Jesus and His Word.
In Romans, the Apostle Paul described God’s discipline of those who refuse to acknowledge Him and His righteous action to discipline their lives. God made Himself known to all men through nature. (Romans 1:20) When men, made in God’s image, refused to acknowledge the truth about God as Creator, they come under God’s wrath. God’s wrath is His holy anger against sin and rebellion. God’s wrath is something that is happening on a continual basis and also something experienced eternally by those who die in a lost state after the final judgment.
As a result of suppressing the truth about God that God revealed to them through nature, men become darkened in their hearts and their thinking becomes futile. They imagine themselves as the center of all things and think they are wise and intelligent. This foolish thinking leaves God out and puts man at the center. When man chooses this route, God’s response is to give them over to what they desire in their darkened hearts. “Have it your way!” might be another way to say it!
As a result of being given over to their desires, men exchange the truth of God for a lie and begin to worship created things rather than the creator. (Romans 1:25) Every kind of sin and wickedness flows into the life that suppressed or blocked out God’s truth. The sexual sins begin to predominate, degrading into fornication, homosexuality and lesbianism. Those ‘given over’ not only participate in this wickedness but encourage others who also practice this same kind of wickedness so as to normalize their choices! (Romans 1:32)
As we look at our nation and it’s spiritual state, we can see that God has given many people over to their own lusts and darkness. Much light is available, but men and women refuse light and choose darkness. God forces no one to follow truth, but offers truth to all. He wants none to perish and has made provision for all who will choose salvation. The power of the Gospel message offers righteousness by faith to all who will believe! (Romans 1:16-17) Lord, have mercy on our nation!
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