Text
"God gave them up.... God gave them up.... God gave them up...." —Romans 1:24-28, NRSV
Bible Reading
ROMANS 1:18-28
Devotional
You and I are not to judge those who prefer to live like pigs. They themselves will be the first ones to tell us that their way of living is none of our business.
God is their judge—and ours. God is also the great voice who addresses them in starlight, in dewdrops, and in the depth of their (human!) being. Certainly, they have heard God. But they did not want to listen. Therefore they are "without excuse" (v. 20) when God judges them.
Damnation and salvation are not only future, they are also present— although neither one is fully present. Some people are already walking revelations of God's wrath (v. 18), just as others are already experiencing God's power for salvation (v. 16). The beginnings of both are here and now.
When people suppress the inner voice of which everyone is conscious, the road to hell begins. When they succeed in shutting off the voice of God, they begin to listen eagerly to the voice of their own lusts. Finally they attempt to rewrite God's laws for living: they set their own standards for their own lives. Then the words "God gave them up" are fulfilled before our eyes.
In the year 58, when Paul wrote these words, and in the year when you are reading this page, thousands of people are racing to hell. They began by suppressing the truth God has revealed to all. They follow through by disobeying God's laws that are written in creation itself. When they do what they "like," the Word is fulfilled and God "gives them up." God no longer withholds or restrains them but allows them to have what they wanted all along.
Only the gospel has the power to pull pigs from the mire. It's hard to believe how far God has gone to save filthy sinners. But when Christ hung on the cross, the Word was fulfilled: "God gave him up for us all" (Rom. 8:32).
REFLECTIONS
Do we have an obligation to bring the gospel to people who are "filthy sinners"? Why or why not?
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What do you all think? I need to read this a few more times. But in short, I believe it is our obligation to preach the Gospel. Christ did. And without Christ, we're filthy sinners with no hope of cleanliness. Grace&Peace.
1 comment:
They are the first to tell you,
what they are doing is none of our business.
I suppose thats a tell tale sign of those who are living in the dark and living in denial, living in a life of their own making, and on the road to hell.
Its true what the text says,
we are living in eternity here and now, we are either in the Kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness, and when our heart beat stops it settles for all time where we reside.
"God "gives them up." God no longer withholds or restrains them but allows them to have what they wanted all along"
Its like the story of the father to the prodigal son,
He gave the son his portion of the inheritance and allowed him to go and do as he pleased. No begging or cajoling on the part of the Father towards his son to stay and do whats right.
The rejoicing part of that story?
The son came to his senses.
and went back
he was dead, but now alive
thats the reason for the celebration.
You ask:
"Do we have an obligation to bring the gospel to people who are "filthy sinners"? Why or why not?"
I beleive we have an obligation to follow God, walk in His ways and be a light and a witness to others
not in word alone, but also living our lives in truth and light according to Gods word
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