Daily Devotion in Romans 1

 

Daily Nugget:
A sad discourse of the damage done by sin is detailed in Romans 1.  Paul addressed the people that “… knew God …” or had some kind of relationship with Him (Romans 1:21, 28, 32). Somehow they ignored what they had learned about Him and the way He had shown them to live. They “did their own thing.” The saddest part of this chapter is that God got to the point that He gave them over to the consequences of their sins. God gave up on them!

I imagine God thinking or saying, “I convicted your hearts about sin. I gave you the knowledge to know what is sin and that you would stay away from it, but you ignored me. You think you are so smart (Romans 1:21, 22), but you will not stop sinning. I give up on telling you to flee from iniquity, and now you will reap the consequences of your wickedness.”

Three times God said He would not restrain them anymore from their sinful commissions (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). God’s guiding and warning hand came off of those people, and soon they were involved in at least 23 different violations (Romans 1:26-31) of God’s will and way. They found out their sin would take them much farther down sin’s slippery slope than they had ever expected it to take them.

Sadly, there are many today that are also like the Roman 1 casualties. They have heard admonitions to do right from their Sunday school teachers, parents, preaching, Scripture reading, and hundreds of other avenues. They know what is right or wrong, but sometime they decided to ignore what they had learned and live their lives their way. Soon one sin led to another. Other sins led to a more hardened heart, not heeding any righteous instructions. It happens to Christians and the unsaved alike.

One day they may come to the “bottom of their barrel” and see how low they have sunk. They may repent, turn their lives around, and live righteously. Some may die in their sin and never stop their iniquities.

However, there is hope when one can still hear the small, convicting voice of the Holy Spirit and obey His plea. Constant ignoring of that prodding conscience can result in what happened to the people spoken of in this chapter of Romans — God’s giving up on them. What a frightening life that would be, to be without God’s help and blessing.

Today’s Thought: 
“You play with sin; you will pay it's price.” 

Words to Understand:
Apostle: an early Christian teacher who had been with Jesus
Corruptible: changed for the worse; corrupted
Maliciousness: to injure or cause harm or damage
Malignity: to speak badly about others; holding a grudge
Reprobate: one who turned from living right and obeying God’s commandments; depraved
Unseemly: not decent

Today’s Reading:
Romans 1
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 ¶ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.