God Gives Them Over To……..
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation to everyone who believes…..For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written; The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16,17).
The Apostle Paul begins his Epistle to the Romans by clearly laying out God’s Way for all those that will hear and believe. Salvation is found by all those who believe in what Christ accomplished at Calvary. Jesus paid the sin debt owed to God at the Cross, and we receive the Righteousness of God as we come by faith. We, as believers, are to live out our lives by faith.
In the remainder of the chapter, Paul deals with those that reject God and the salvation He offers to all those that come to Him in repentance and faith.
“For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness; because that which is known of God is manifested in them; for God has showed it unto them” (v 18,19).
God’s wrath is against all sin. This verse is speaking about all those that do not recognize God, as God. Paul goes on to say that the knowledge of God as the Creator is within man because God has placed it there. Paul says the following by way of explanation:
“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, even His Eternal Power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (v 20).
We just need to look around us to see that creation requires a Creator and that this should be obvious to everyone.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (v21,22).
Even though men (those that rejected God) knew God by way of creation and conscience, they did not acknowledge him and were ungrateful. They became lifted up in pride and went their own way (whatever seemed right in their own eyes). Their understanding, because they did not acknowledge God, became darkened (without light), and thinking they were walking in wisdom they became fools. Fools for thinking they knew better than God.
“And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (v 23).
This speaks of idols. Whether we make something by our own hand and worship it as a god, or we elevate anything in our lives over our worship of God as our Creator, Savior, and Lord.
Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves” (v 24).
Because they did not honor God and went their own way: God delivered them over to all types of immorality. these are strong words from the Lord: ”God also gave them up to.” This is God’s righteous judgment against those that persist in the way of evil. Any society or people that come to this rebellious and evil state are in serious trouble. The following verse gives us some insight into how a person, nation, or people would come to this state:
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator….” (v 25).
There are moral absolutes that the Lord has shown us through His Word. To ignore these and go our own way always results in degradation and uncleanness through sin. The result of not worshipping and serving God is that man will worship whatever he has made an idol in his life; either by his own hand or in his mind.
“For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections; For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet ( the due penalty of their error)” (v27).
At this point, the Lord lets them go their own way which is a severe downward spiral removing all His restraints. He gives them over to homosexuality, both men and women, which He refers to as “vile affections.”
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over (abandonment) to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient (not fitting)” (V 28).
In this verse, Paul brings us back to the reason for this. When any society, people, or nation gets to this point then they are in extremely serious trouble. They have tested God with their disobedience and reaped the results. God loves us and has shown His love for us in all the beauty around us and has provided a way for us to escape our fallen and sinful nature and have fellowship with Him and enjoy His blessings. He left His home in glory and lived among us teaching us His Way and healing all that came to Him. He made the ultimate sacrifice and display of His love by dying on the cross to pay the sin debt and restore fellowship with us. We can go God’s way or forge our own path. If we choose to go His way we will be blessed.
I’ll close with a warning on what the end result is of any society or people that exclude God and His ways from their daily lives. It’s not a pretty sight. The following verses spell it out clearly and show us the final result of rejecting God:
“Being filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of god, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful” (V29,30,31).
God has made it clear that if we reject Him then ultimately judgment will come. The following verse spells this out clearly:
“Who (those who reject God) knowing the judgment of God (willfully disobedient), that they which commit such things are worthy of death (the judgment of God), not only do the same but have pleasure in them who do them (the reprobate mind)” ( V32).
This was a difficult article to write in light of the serious nature of its content, but the truth needs to be understood. If God is rejected, judgment will come. The end result for an ungrateful, sinful, and rebellious world will be God’s final judgment. Some may look at all the aberrant behavior spoken of here and say that they do not do these things, but the Bible says, “All have sinned and, and come short of the Glory of God” and “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
God is our Creator, Savior, and Lord. He has provided salvation for us and offers us incredible blessings if we go His Way. Why would we not? The Apostle Paul lays it out clearly here in Romans Chapter 1. Go God’s Way and be blessed! Reject God and go our own way and experience the wrath of God. The choice seems to be obvious!
See The A,B,C’s of Salvation page on this website. See the link below:
https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/5448
See The Sinner’s Prayer page on this website. See link below:
https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/1752
Always Remember,
God Loves You!
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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2022
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