“…all because they traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and served the things God made rather than the God who made all things—glory and praises to him forever and ever! Amen!”
(Romans 1:25)
Paul is on fire in his letter to the Romans! Not specifically angry, just very passionate and not holding back!
The context of the previous verse is moral depravity, but what I find interesting is the answer to a world question: Why? Why does God…. [fill in the blank]?”
“This is why God lifted off his restraining hand and let them have full expression of their sinful and shameful desires…”
(Romans 1:24)
Because we decided to worship things instead of God. To build altars to stuff, instead of our creator. To worship people instead of our Saviour.
The results?
Paul lists the effects of our decisions:
Injustice, selfishness, destructiveness, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strive, guile, hostility, slander, gossip, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, disobedient to parents, without moral understanding, without faith, without natural affections, without mercy, immorality and covenant breakers. (Romans 1:29-32)
This is like Bad News Bingo! I am willing to bet a bowl of my favourite ice-cream that you cannot watch the whole news report on any given day and not identify most of those traits in the news reports of the day.
The world needs Jesus.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”
(Romans 1:16 TPT)
“[This gospel] … it moves us from receiving life through Faith, to the power of living by Faith…”
(Romans 1:17 TPT)
