With the recent election, I am reminded by the Lord of the importance of controlling what we can control. In other words, we should focus on each day that God has graciously given us, remembering that tomorrow is not promised and that we should not be consumed by its worries (Loading passage…). The rest is in the Lord’s hands.
Paul reminds us in Loading passage… of what matters most: “The just shall live by faith.” Our lives must be rooted in faith, trusting God regardless of what is happening around us.
Following this verse, Paul addresses the sinful nature and moral decline of the world. He reminds us that God has made Himself known through His creation, both through the things that are seen and those that are unseen. His eternal power and divine nature are evident in what He has made, leaving mankind without excuse (Loading passage…). Everything we have had in the past, everything we have today, and everything we will have in the future ultimately belongs to Him.
Jesus reminds us in Loading passage… that the thief (Satan) comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, while Christ came that we might have life more abundantly. When people turn away from God, they begin to worship and serve the creature (creation) rather than the Creator. Paul explains that because of this rebellion, God gave them over to the desires and lusts of their hearts, resulting in dishonor of their own bodies.
Paul then addresses the departure from God’s intended design for human relationships, describing women exchanging natural relations and men likewise turning from natural relations with women, becoming consumed with lust for one another. He describes these actions as contrary to God’s design and speaks of the consequences of rejecting God’s truth (Loading passage…). God designed sex to be between a man and a woman for the creation of another human being (Multiply) as was commanded by God way back in Genesis 1 and 2 with living a fruitful life.
Paul continues by explaining that when people reject the knowledge of God, He gives them over to a reprobate mind, allowing them to pursue things that are not right. This rejection of God is not limited to sexual immorality; it extends into every area of human behavior and character.
In Loading passage…, Paul provides a sobering list of the unrighteousness that can fill the lives of those who turn away from God: fornication, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, wickedness, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, whispering, backbiting, hatred of God, despitefulness, pride, boasting, inventing evil things, disobedience to parents, covenant-breaking, being without natural affection, being unforgiving, and being unmerciful.
Paul’s message is a reminder that sin is not limited to one particular behavior or group of people. It is a reflection of mankind’s fallen nature and our need for God’s grace.
Ultimately, our responsibility is to remain faithful, live according to God’s Word, examine our own hearts, and trust Him with what is beyond our control. We are called to stand firm in faith, not to be consumed by the world around us.
As we walk through the book of Romans, we will examine God’s Word and what our responsibility is as Christians while we are here on this earth.
God reminds us through the book of Revelation of what is to come, including a time when evil will have great influence and authority over the earth. The recent political elections have served as a reminder to me of just how deep the darkness of evil can run which is deep, dark, vain, vile, and corrupt.
History has shown us what happens when people allow the crowd to dictate what is right and wrong. The mob cried out for Jesus to be crucified, choosing to release Barabbas instead (Loading passage…). The same spirit of the mob mentality that rejected Christ is still alive today. The faces and circumstances may change, but the influence of evil and the willingness of people to follow the crowd rather than God’s truth remain.
Our calling as Christians is not to follow the mob, but to follow Christ. We must remain grounded in His Word, stand firm in our faith, and remember that our hope is not in this world or its leaders, but in the Lord as the just live by faith.