January 2, 2014

DON'T LET TOUGH LOVE BE THE CONSEQUENCE OF YOUR SIN

Romans 1:18–32

Jeannie Lewis
Thursday's Devo

January 2, 2014

Thursday's Devo

January 2, 2014

Central Truth

God assures us of His forgiveness when we confess (Psalm 32:5), but there are consequences, especially for those who persist in disobedience.

Key Verse | Romans 1:18

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)

Romans 1:18–32

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, 1 1:20 Or clearly perceived from the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Footnotes

[1] 1:20 Or clearly perceived from the creation of the world

Dive Deeper | Romans 1:18–32

Is there something in your life you absolutely crave? That perfect relationship, that perfect career, that perfect hamburger? Well, welcome to my world. When I introduced myself, I mentioned I'm what's currently known as a foodie. Yes, I love food -- I love planning menus, shopping for the ingredients, and having that oh-so-satisfying meal with family and friends. I love/crave food. But no matter how great the meal, soon I'm hungry again.

That's what hit me as I studied this passage. I saw how the Lord viewed His children and their lusts (cravings). He knew the hearts of these people and knew they would continue down that sinful road. Their cravings would never be satisfied. God had given clear instructions regarding immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), which they disobeyed. So He gave them over to their lusts (Romans 1:24, 26 & 28). No one took away from Him those who had trusted in Christ, nor did they lose their salvation (John 10:28-29). But the Lord gave them over to their cravings. What a painful consequence to suffer!

Painful consequences . . . that reminded me of a sermon I heard by our senior pastor, Todd Wagner. The story involved a bike ride, two of his children, a plethora of candy, Todd's expert advice on candy, and the result. Todd's daughter was allowed to make her choice, but then she had to suffer the consequence of that decision. (Go to watermark.org/media and listen to Purity & The King of Candy message in the This Is the Life series from 2006. You'll love it).

Now, you must be wondering how I made the jump from a child's desire for candy to the impure lusts Paul writes about in these verses. Well, both teach us about love, discipline, and consequences. Do any of us view discipline as love when we're on the receiving end? Probably not. But I'm thankful my Heavenly Father loves me and administers tough love when necessary (Hebrews 12:7-11). When we struggle, let's ask ourselves one question: If God sacrificed His only Son for us (John 3:16), would He withhold any good thing?

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever felt tempted to exchange the truth of God for a lie? (see Romans 1:25) When?

2. When you struggle, do you have people in your life who will help you recognize God's truth?

3. Do you see the Lord's discipline as an opportunity to grow spiritually? How?