"Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:32)

In reading the last paragraph of Romans 1, it becomes obvious that Paul, while writing to the Romans in his lifetime, was also writing prophetically of the times in which we live.

"They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (vv 29-32)

What pierces my heart is the fact that while mankind knows right from wrong, they not only continue in their sin but they also approve of those who practice such evil.

We serve a righteous and holy God! But our society and culture has taken this Holy and Righteous God and trimmed Him, reshaped Him, and forced Him to fit into our idea of what a "god" should be! Rather than declaring His righteousness, we declare tolerance! Rather than declaring His holiness, we declare lenience. Rather than declaring His purity, we declare compassion. Rather than declaring His splendor, we declare mediocrity. Rather than declaring His truth, we declare political correctness.

Friends, we've lost sight of the God of the Bible! We fail to recognize sin as sin and by so doing, the world is being confronted with an image of God that is of our own design rather than the image of the One True God! The world needs to see God as True and Just and Holy and Righteous and Pure! Yes, He is Love but His love is a PURE love, not the love we have created to meet our need of soothing our sin-sick souls.

Paul asks some stirring questions in Romans 10:14…"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

Let me ask you a question. How can we win the world if we don't reflect the Lord's righteousness and holiness through our own behavior and lifestyle? The watered-down gospel will not convict any sinner; the world needs to not only "know" God's righteous decree but to see it at work in the lives of those who are called by His name – Christians!

Let's begin this New Year by reflecting the glory of our Righteous and Holy God, not some reasonable facsimile thereof! We say we're not ashamed of the Gospel, so let's live like it! Amen!

Father, I repent! Lord, forgive me for not living like I serve a Holy and Righteous God! Lord, so many times I've tried to mold You into my own idea of Who You are rather than the Truth of Who You are! Father, I repent for compromising the truth! Lord, I repent for not representing Your Kingdom in truth! Father, forgive me and teach me to show the world Who You are as Your holy attributes are visible in my own life. Teach me how to surrender to you more each day until Your splendor – Your glorious splendor – is evident in all I do and say! That Jesus might be glorified, I pray . . . amen and amen!

"And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it." (Isaiah 35:8)

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© Jan Ross
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