Romans 1:24-25

Romans 1:24-25

Romans 1:24-25 (New American Standard Bible)

 24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Since man was bent on having his own way, God gave it to them.  He let them go into their sin and impurities (literally anything that is unclean or dirty).  He let them follow their depraved hearts.  Man willingly laid down the truth for a lie.  This word truth denotes the reality that is clearly laid before the eyes of men.  In other words, the truth was obvious and clear.  Verse 20 makes this clear.  Yet, seeing, knowing, and understanding the truth, they still chose to go their own way.

Man was so corrupt that they would prefer to live in sin and filth rather than in the light and life of God.  God let them have what they wanted in order that their bodies might be dishonored.  Some times, it seems, the only way to recognize the filth and depravity of our sin, is to live it for a while and feel the pain and consequences that it brings.

Man exchanged the truth of God for a lie.  This literally means that they changed from one state to another.  They gave up one thing to take up another.  This indicates that they had the truth of God, they had the words of life, they had full knowledge and willingly rejected it and gave it up.  If you think this is impossible or confounding, just think of a time that you sinned with full knowledge and full willingness.  I am guilty.  I have the truth of God and yet I know that left to myself, I would reject God and turn to my filth and sin.  The only reason that I am kept as God's child and that I desire to do and can do anything good is because of the Holy Spirit in me.  

So, man exchanged the truth for a lie and chose to worship the creature rather than the creature.  They came to think that the creature was more worthy of worship than the created.  This is the depth of our depravity and our sin.  It is despicable.  Yet it is in me.

The natural consequence of not honoring God is to worship the created and to pursue impurities and sin.

Don't we see this all around us?  Don't we see the filth and the depravity of our world and it is because they have refused to honor God as God.  Indeed, we even see it evident in the lives of Christians.  Although we know God and seek Him, we still do not honor Him with our ENTIRE life, with our ENTIRE being.  We hold back so that we can still indulge in that one pleasure and desire that we long for.  We hold back and do not fully give ourselves to God.  As a result, we see sin of every kind emanating from our lives. 

Here this, Michael Stitzel, when I refuse to honor God as Lord of my ENTIRE life, the naturally consequence is that I begin to worship the created thing and fall into sin.  And it may be that God allows me to live in my sin for a time in order to see and learn.

God, protect me.  Give me the grace and faith to honor you in my life, in all aspects.  I cannot honor You aside from You enabling me to do so.  Protect Your Glory.  Promote Your Glory.  And do so through me.