An unwillingness to accept and believe the truth about God can start an individual or a society on a dangerous downward spiral. But that rejection is not done in ignorance. Romans 1 tells us that creation alone provides each of us with enough knowledge to know there is a God. It’s not a lack of truth. Instead, men and women suppress the truth because they don’t want to hear it and they don’t want to respect God’s authority in their lives. The consequences are evident in our world today.
Many of those who reject the truth most vehemently are, also, some of the most educated in our society. Our schools, colleges, universities, and many professions are full of people who think they are wise with all their science, business acumen, and knowledge. But though they claim to be wise, God says they’re fools if they reject Him and His authority!
Today’s Readings:
Nehemiah 12 & 13
Psalm 89.30-37
Proverbs 22.3-4
Romans 1.1-32
Man’s Wisdom, Rejection of God & Its Downward Spiral
Romans 1.1-32:
An Overview
As we start the book of Romans, it might be helpful to consider a couple of things. Romans is primarily a book of doctrine, but don’t be put off by that. It doesn’t mean it’s a dry book with no relevance to our lives, quite the contrary! This epistle (letter) has some of the most important truths for us to understand in our Christian lives. In his Study Bible, John MacArthur says:
The overarching theme of Romans is the righteousness that comes from God: the glorious truth that God justifies guilty, condemned sinners by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.
That is the foundation of our faith.
The Books of the Bible
If you are a newcomer to reading through the Bible or you’re new here, you might find it confusing that at the end of Acts, Paul is in Rome and here in Romans he is expressing his desire to go to Rome. It’s important to remember that the books of the Bible are not always arranged in chronological order.
In the New Testament, the first four books are the Gospels, the four accounts of Christ’s life and ministry. The book of Acts is the historical overview of the first three decades of the Church, ending its account in about 60-62 A.D.
The rest of the New Testament, except for the book of Revelation is a series of letters written by various church leaders to churches and individuals meant to be circulated to others within the church. They’re not in chronological order either but are grouped by author. Romans through Philemon, and possibly Hebrews, were written by the Apostle Paul. Romans was written about 56 A.D. before his imprisonment and journey to Rome.
The Joy of Christian Fellowship
So here we are in chapter one and there’s so much in this chapter.
I love verses 11-12 where Paul expresses his desire to visit Rome:
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
What a picture of the joy of Christian fellowship and one-anothering (Rom. 15.14; Gal. 6.2; Col. 3.16; 1 Thess. 4.18, 5.11; Heb. 10.24-25; Jas. 5.16; 1 Pet. 4.9).
Not Ashamed
Then verses 16-17:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Are you tempted to be ashamed of the gospel? In the workplace? Or with your unsaved family? Are you afraid to share the truth because someone might make fun of you or think you’re simple-minded? Even after being beaten, stoned, ridiculed, and all the rest, Paul was “not ashamed of the Gospel”!
The Downward Spiral
Then beginning in verse 18, we have what can be called “the downward spiral of sin.”
This passage explains how an unwillingness to accept and believe the truth about God can start an individual or a society on a downward spiral. And to repeat what I said in the introduction, their rejection is not done in ignorance since Paul explains that creation alone provides each of us with enough knowledge to know there is a God.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Men and women suppress the truth and start on that downward spiral because they don’t want to hear it or submit to His authority in their lives.
Man’s “Wisdom” & the Downward Spiral
And sadly, our schools, colleges, universities, and professions are full of people who routinely reject God and His Word. They think they are wise with all their science, business acumen, and knowledge. But …
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools.
How scientists can study the intricacies of the human body and the wonders of the earth and deny the existence of God is beyond me. It seems to me that it requires more “faith” to believe the lie than to believe the truth! But they choose to believe (and it is a choice) that creation was a cosmic accident and that man is in control of his own destiny.
You have to wonder what the Day of Judgment will be like for some of them when their utter foolishness has been exposed and “every knee bows” to the God of the universe—too late for those who have rejected Him.
This does not mean that all education outside of the Bible is wrong. But when it rejects or opposes God and His truth or substitutes something else for His answers to the tests, trials, and decisions we are all faced with, it is foolishness.
A Snapshot of Our World Today
Back to Romans 1, because of their sin and rejection, three times it says, God “gave them over” or “gave them up” (Rom. 1.24, 26, 28). If you read the passage, you can see how lives and societies progress through that downward spiral. As men and women continue to reject God, He removes His restraining grace and gives them over to their sinful desires. So, the more they turn away from God, the more they turn toward sexual immorality and other sins, eventually reaching the point where they are almost completely deceived. You don’t have to watch much news to realize many people are already there.
The last few verses of chapter one:
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Debased minds, sexual immorality, maliciousness, murder, hatred toward God, pride, disobedient children … it’s a snapshot of our world today. Or as my husband often says, “Everyone eventually proves the Bible to be true, one way or the other!”
The Bottom of the Downward Spiral
And at the very bottom of the downward spiral, we see this phrase “but also approve of those who practice them.” That is what so many in the LGBTQ+ movement want, not just the freedom to do as they please, but universal approval. And if you disagree they want to be able to attack you, call you “intolerant,” charge you with homophobia, or worse.
Standing for the Truth
But we can’t stop standing for the truth. I’m not advocating that we act unloving. In fact, 2 Timothy 2 says:
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Instead, we must continue to pray for those who are caught in a web of sin and speak the truth in love as we have opportunities (Eph. 4.15). And we must seek God and learn to be discerning. Just because something sounds good, doesn’t mean that is the real agenda behind it.
Today’s Other Readings:
Nehemiah 12 & 13:
Business as Usual
Nehemiah had returned to Babylon and, after he left, many of the leaders went back to business as usual:
4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. 5 And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.
6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. 9 Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
Tobiah was one of the men who had been trying to undermine the rebuilding of the wall. Yet, Eliashib had allied himself with him.
Confronting the Downward Spiral
When he returned, Nehemiah didn’t hesitate to confront this wickedness. I can see him going into that storehouse in the temple and throwing out Tobiah’s household goods!
Can you imagine? Allowing Tobiah to be there would be like allowing a Buddhist to set up housekeeping in one of the rooms in your church!—worse yet, a Buddhist whose goal it was to bring down the work of God!
Others were conducting commerce on the Sabbath, some had married pagan women, and their children hadn’t been taught the language of Judah, so they couldn’t even understand what was being taught or read in the temple. One of the High Priest’s grandsons had even married Sanballat’s daughter. Sanballat was the ringleader of the opposition. This is a great example of the downward spiral of sin.
Chapter 13.25:
So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.”
I’m not advocating pulling people’s hair. But we need to be willing to speak the truth in love when people we know, especially those who claim to be followers of Christ, are caught up in some pattern of sin or going down a dangerous road.
We, also, need to be willing to take a stand on the moral issues of our day, just as Nehemiah did. May we speak, speak the truth, speak the truth in love. It has never been more needed than it is today.
Psalm 89.30-37:
Not Forsaken
Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips (vv. 33-34).
Even when we fall short of God’s best and he allows us to suffer the consequences of our actions, if we are truly His children, He doesn’t utterly forsake us!
Proverbs 22.3-4:
Wisdom & Humility
Verse 3 talks about the wise man and how wisdom can keep us from so much unnecessary trouble. As the old saying goes, “Fools rush in …,” in this case, where wise men fear to tread. Verse 4 talks about the humble man, he is the one who ends up with riches, honor, and life as God intended. God’s wisdom and humility are a combination all of us should seek!
You might also want to check out my series “Are You a Wise Woman or a Foolish Woman?”
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk about the deception of self-righteousness, how we as parents expect God to give us guarantees with our children, how to respond when others sin against us, our hope in trials, uncommon friends, and why we should bother living right?
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.
If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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