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Phil Robertson, Sin and The Christmas Season
(Before we begin our study, let me quickly explain that, although I agree with the main thrust of Phil Robertson’s message, I am sorrowful that he presented his message using some crude language that was unnecessary to say the least and harmful to the cause of Christ.
Without knowing the man and his personal life, it is impossible for me to make a judgment about the intent and motivation behind the inappropriate phrases. Based upon his personal testimony, I am trusting that they are the result of his upbringing and environment and not an indication of any malice in his heart towards those of whom he spoke.
Who among us can say that we have never said things that have harmed the cause of Christ and brought sorrow to our hearts? However I do want to take a look at the Biblical principles he was presenting in the interview and the importance of recognizing their application to our nation and world today.)
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-11) – To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;… He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
The past few days has given us living proof of the truthfulness of this wonderful text of Scripture. How true it is that our Sovereign Lord is in control of the events that take place among men and that He brings these events to pass in His perfect timing, while accomplishing the goals for which they were determined.
The Bible also speaks of this principle in…
(Daniel 2:20-23) – Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter.
Here, we see that our Lord uses the timing of the events of mankind to teach us many of the deep, secret things about Himself and our condition before Him. In other words, He shows us, through His control of the events of mankind, many truths that are very difficult for us to understand and accept as truth.
This principle has come to light this past week as our nation, in the midst of the Christmas season, has witnessed the events surrounding Phil Robertson, A & E network and the world’s response to both of them. I would like us to take a few moments and try to take a Scriptural look at what we can learn from this week’s series of events, and come to understand that these events were perfectly timed by the Lord.
THE STUDY:
First, the Lord has clearly presented to us the truth of the existence and results of sin in our world.
The most controversial of Robertson’s statements involved various types of sin that exist in our world today. The teachings of the Bible confirm the existence of sin, and give us a list of the individual sins that were mentioned by Robertson….
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Secondly, we have clearly displayed the lost world’s blindness to their own sin and the truths of the Word.
As Robertson gave his listing of sins, the appropriate response was for the world to acknowledge that sin exists and be motivated from a Godly sorrow to confess and repent of their sins. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead, we find them denying the existence of some of those sins, justifying their commission and, in doing so, rising up in opposition to these truths of the Word.
(Isaiah 5:20-24) – Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!… Woe unto [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
(2 Timothy 3:13-15) – But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them]; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
(Just a side note: this very principle should bring out a spirit of gratitude and praise from the heart of all who have been brought to a Scriptural repentance and trust in Christ. We were all in this condition of spiritual blindness and apart from the gracious intervention of Christ in our lives, we would also be in denial of these truths of God.)
Thirdly, we have presented to us the solution to sin and its effects in the world.
Here is where we begin to see the wonderful timing of our Lord. Although Phil Robertson presented the need for repentance and faith in Christ, it was not included in most of the news accounts of the interview with him. But the Lord has a way of overcoming any obstacle that opposes His will.
What better time for our nation to be presented with its sinfulness and need of repentance than the Christmas season when all mankind have their thoughts pointed towards the coming of Christ to the earth to save lost mankind from the very sins of which Robertson had spoken.
In direct response to the sin of this world we read that ….
(Matthew 1:20-25) – But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
(1 John 4:14) – And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.
(John 3:16-17) – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
It is only during the Christmas season that the lost world has their minds pointed to the truth that God sent His only begotten Son to save His people from their sins. Just as the new reports of Robertson’s interview reveal to the world their sinful condition, so too, the Christmas season is placing on display the One who was given by God to save the world from their sins.
How is this salvation received? It is by placing faith in the person and work of the One who was born in Bethlehem. It is by placing our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who was God manifest in the flesh…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus is the One who came to this world and died on the cross bearing the sins of His people. His body was buried for three days and three nights in the tomb and then He rose again the third day, proving to us all that His payment for sin on the cross was accepted by His Father in heaven…
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4) – Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
As a matter of fact, Christ came and died on the cross to save people from the exact same sins that Robertson was talking about. Notice in the 1 Corinthians 6: passage that gave us a list of the sins Robertson mentioned, we find the concluding verse that says .. “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Christ came to save those who have committed homosexual acts, adulterous acts, and other immoral, perverse acts…. There is no sin so great for which the grace of God cannot grant forgiveness and cleansing.
But if we read this verse closely we find that those of us who have been saved were guilty of these same offenses as well… “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Therefore there is no room for feeling of superiority on our part, nor is there room for boasting. Folks, we were in the very same “boat” as the unsaved that are around us. Apart from God’s grace, we would still be facing an eternity of separation from Him in the Lake of Fire having committed the same sins as they.
That is why we are to use this holiday season (and every season of the year) to humbly share Christ and the forgiveness He offers to the sinful world around us. Let us put down the carnal aspects of the Christmas season and use it as the perfect opportunity to share Christ with those who are in desperate need of Him.
The Lord has graciously given to each one of us the perfect opportunity to address the sinful state of the world and their need of Christ through the use of the news stories about Robertson’s interview and the Christmas season that is upon us.
May we all use these events to bring honor and glory to His name.
For more information about the Bible’s teachings on homosexual relationships: http://wp.me/pU88A-nE
http://www.settledinheaven.org
From Gold to Brass: The Effects of Sin
Devaluing of the US dollar is a significant issue in today’s time. A devalued dollar has both good and bad results. Increased exports and a lower balance of payments deficit are the two most referenced positive results to devaluing the dollar. The greatest downfall of a devalued dollar is increased inflation and a higher interest payment, for government borrowing.
As you can see from the the chart in the link below, the dollar has been greatly devalued, beginñng in the 1970s and it continues to retain its lower value even unto today. You can read much more about the devalued dollar at: ‘
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historv of the United States dollar.
This chart speaks volumes about the decline of the US economic system. Prior to the seventies, the economy of the US was strong and a devaluing of the dollar was unnecessary to sustain international supremacy. Beginning with the 70s, and the decline in our economy and deficit balance of payments, the US has had to permanently devalue its dollar to remain competitive in the new “global” economy. As the dollar continues its decline, it will signal a continuing weakness of the US economy.
Gold and the US dollar are valuable assets for anyone to own, but; there are spiritual possessions that far outweigh the value of these. Our faith, and its resulting testimony to others around us, will retain eternal, spiritual value.
1 Pet 1:6-9 (KJV)
6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; 8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9) Receiving the end of your faith, (even] the salvation of [your] souls.
THE SCRIPTURES:
1 Kgs 10: 16-17 (KJV)
16) And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target. 17) And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of theforest ofLebanon:
1 Kgs 14:21-28 (KJV)
21) And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitess 22) And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they, provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. . 23) For they also built them high places, and images, and groves. on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24) And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 25) And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam,’ [that] Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: 26) And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s. house even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solornon had made. 27) And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed [them) unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house. 28) And it was [so], when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them,
and brought them back into the guard chamber.
THE STUDY:
1Kgs 10:16-17 (KJV)
16) And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target.
“target” – large shield, you can hide your entire body behind it
“600 shekels of gold” – equals approximately 300 oz of gold with a value of $357,000.00 per target
17) And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
“shield” — smaller shield hooked to arm, hold it up to defend in hand to hand combat
3 Hebrew pounds = 3.75 American lbs = 6Ooz = $ 72,000.00 per shield
All of the targets and shields together totaled over $93 million dollars.
These were only for show and not for use in battle. We know this because the targets were too heavy for a warrior to easily maneuver during battle, and the metal was too soft to supply protection for either the target or the shield.
This collection of targets and shields was symbolic of the nation’s wealth. This collection was a testimony to the strength, presence and grace of Jehovah, as He brought prosperity to the Nation of Israel. These symbols of God’s blessings, were meant to bring Him honor and praise throughout all generations.
Approximately 20 years after the making of the targets and shields that King Solomon died and his son Rehoboam took the throne of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
1 Kngs 14:21-28
21) And Rehoboam the son of Sotomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in – Jerusalem, the city[which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess
At the death of Solomon, Rehoboam his son, takes the throne of Judahthe southern
kingdom. During his reign Rehoboam did not follow the desires of God for his nation but allowed his nation to turn to the worship of false gods and sinful lifestyles….
22) And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done 23) For they also built them high places and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24) And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
Israelhad turned their backs on being faithful to Jehovah! They began to worship the false Gods of the Gentiles. The high places, images, and groves were all instruments for their idol worship taken from the heathen nations that surroundedIsrael. Not only did they worship false gods; but they incorporated the sin of homosexuality with the idolatrous, worship services.
25) And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, [that] Shishak king Egypt came up against Jerusalem: 26) And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
Following the five year decline ofJudahinto idolatry, the Lord allowedEgyptto invadeJudahand pillage the land. Some of the riches that were taken by the Egyptians were the contents of theTempleofSolomon. The contents included the shields of gold that had been previously stored there by Solomon. The times of blessings and superiority that Jehovah had given to the Israelites had come to an end.
27) And king Rehoboam made in their, stead brasen shields,” and committed [them] unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the King’s house 28) And it was [so], when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them and brought them back into the guard chamber.
King Rehoboam now replaces the golden shields with those made of brass. What a poor replacement for those that were previously displays of Jehovah’s blessings and prosperity uponJudah. These new shields were now a stunning admission of the loss of Jehovah’s favor upon this adulterous nation, who had turned their affections from the true God Jehovah to the idols and practices of the ungodly world around them. These replacement shields were a public declaration of sin and its devastating effects upon the public testimony of God’s chosen nation.
Please remember, gold throughout the Bible is a picture of high value and Divine presence; brass, on the other hand, is a picture of minimal temporal value and Divine displeasure.
Israeltraded their worship of the True God, His presence and His favor and blessings; for the worship of man made gods, and the loss of spiritual fidelity, intimacy and displeasure of Almighty God.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
For those who are not saved…
Just as habitual sin ruinedIsrael’s testimony and communion with Jehovah; sin in the lives of Christians, can bring ruin to our testimony and relationship with the Lord, as well. One of our greatest privileges is to possess communion with the Lord and a testimony which is unspotted from this world and results in eternal praise to Almighty God. Let’s strive for faithfulness, allowing the Lord to be shown through our lives to His eternal glory.
Jas 1:27 (KJV) – Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Job 23:10 (KJV) – But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
For those who are not saved…
Living a spiritually prosperous and blessed life of communion with God begins by entering into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. By trusting in His person and work on the cross, you can receive the forgiveness of sins and an assurance of communion with Him.
John 1:10-13 (KJV)
10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:
13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Heb 13:5-6 (KJV)
5) [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6) So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
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To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com
Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
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Who’s Our Boss?
(Rob’s Note: Following my Monday posting of “The True Wonder Of Nature… Ignored!” I have received several emails asking for further information on why the Bible would say that if we reject God as our Creator, it results in many other sins to be committed.
I was planning on posting today’s blog entry sometime next month. However, I thought that this entry might help to answer your questions, so I have chosen to post it today. If you had questions about the relationship between rejecting our Creator and the sin that flourishes around us, please review Monday’s posting after you read this entry.
It is my privilege to answer any questions you may still have about Monday’s posting, just leave a comment or send me an email. It is only through your input that I can know what needs clarification. Thank you for graciously reading my blog, you are all a great blessing to me.)
In the mid 1980’s, Tony Danza, Judith Light and Alyssa Milano starred in a situation comedy called “Who’s the Boss?” This show was a classic about a professional woman, her male housekeeper, and their children. Over the course of the show’s 8 year run, the continual theme was who was running the household, the woman or her housekeeper. Many times, the housekeeper would override the woman’s instructions, creating havoc for the entire household.
If you are not sure if you’ve ever seen this show, just listen to the theme song, it is one of the most memorable theme songs on TV. If you’ve heard it, you will recognize it in a heartbeat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBKsHdZJjZM
In a sitcom, confusion about who runs things can be humorous and harmless. But in the world today, our society is falling apart, due to the confusion concerning to whom we should submit. It is a very serious issue… we are watching our society implode due to a lack of recognition of the ultimate authority that is over us.
Who holds the ultimate authority over us? What should our attitude be towards this authority? The Bible gives us an answer to both of these questions…
THE SCRIPTURE:
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?(Rom 9:20-24)
THE STUDY:
Today we complain about our appearance, or maybe our vocation, or our financial status in life, or even our family and friends. In our text, the people were complaining about their eternal destiny (Rom 9:10-19).
Paul, by the inspiration of God, begins to address these complaints…
Man was complaining to the Creator of the Universe, the true God over all, Jehovah. Paul makes it plain that NO ONE has the right to complain to the One who created him. Why not? Because the God who created us has every right to create us as He pleases. (vs 20)
If a potter desired to make a cup without a handle, he has every right to do so. However, if He desires to make one with a handle, he can do this as well. Does the cup without the handle have a right to complain to the potter due to his lack of a handle?
Oh course not, Why not? Because the potter was not obligated to make only cups with handles. SINCE HE WAS THE CREATOR HE COULD MAKE THE CUP AS HE PLEASES. The cup is obligated to recognize his creator and submit to his desires.
In the same way, if He desired to show the greatness of His wrath in my life, He certainly could do it. But He desired to save my soul from sin and withhold the judgment I deserved. In either case, He would be fair and just (vs 21-24)
Since all men deserve eternal punishment, He can allow it into any one’s life. If He chooses to show His grace and mercy in the life of some, He has every right to do it as well. We are obligated to recognize Him as our Creator, therefore recognize His authority and submit to His wishes for us. (Isa 64:8)
What’s THE major problem in our world today? We are in denial about Jehovah God being our Creator. Because of this, we do not see the need to submit to His will for our life. This is why we see such heinous sin taking place in our society. Once we denied Him as Creator, we no longer see the need to submit to His desires for us. This is the insidious result of denying His Creatorship. This is the state of our society today… we have rejected His Creatorship and, therefore, no longer see the need to submit to His will.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION
For the Christian….
As a Christian, we need to recognize that God is our Creator. He is the Creator of both our physical and spiritual life. Oh, what a responsibility we have to submit to His desires for us.
Our life’s slogan should be…Since God is my Creator and my Savior, I owe Him my all. He has every right to do with me as He pleases, I have no right to complain to Him about my lot in life. No exceptions. He has already blessed me above measure with my salvation. I am only to always be in alignment with His will. (see Jer 18:3-6)
For those who have never trusted in Christ…
Remember, He is our Creator (Gen 1:-2:), therefore, we are obligated to conform to His desires for our lives. What is His utmost desire for us? To come before Him, humbly trusting Him to do what we cannot do… save us from our sins. If you would like more information about receiving the forgiveness He so graciously gives, please take a look at the page labeled “All About Salvation” just beneath my blog heading above. May the Lord bless you.
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
The True Wonder Of Nature… Ignored!
The appreciation of nature is on the upswing. As time progresses, the value of nature is being recognized and more effort is being made to preserve it. More groups are being formed to help conserve nature and the resources we all hold dear. You can see a partial list of the many of the groups now in existence at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_environmental_organizations
What is amazing is this …. Although some of the greatness and awe of nature is receiving more attention, the ultimate purpose of nature is being totally ignored. What am I talking about? The greatest purpose of nature is to reveal the Creator to all mankind. Today we appreciate the creature (nature) without acknowledging the Creator that made and sustains it…
THE SCRIPTURE:
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:.. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;… (Rom 1:20-31)
THE STUDY:
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; –
The Lord made all nature around us with the ultimate purpose of clearly revealing His greatness and power to all mankind.
so that they are without excuse:
For those who have never received His written Word (Bible) they are still held accountable for the revelation of God that they have received through nature. No human being can stand before God and say…. “I have never received a message of your existence, therefore, you cannot judge me for rejecting you.” Due to nature, they are without excuse.
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. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 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.
These verses describe the process of absolute rejection of nature’s message…
step#1 – When God was revealed to them in nature, they choose to ignore that revelation. Therefore they do not praise, nor thank, the Lord for His creation as they should.
step#2 – They become vain in their imaginations… in other words, they seek to explain the existence of nature using empty, worthless theories to replace the true Creator (evolution, big bang theory, panspermia, etc, etc)
step#3 – Because they rejected clear, obvious truth about the Creator God, God then allows them to enter a state of spiritual darkness. They brought this darkness upon themselves by rejecting the truth they had been graciously given. God simply “stands back” and allows them to continue on in their error (instead of actively intervening on their behalf and turning them back to the truth.)
step#4 – Next they believe their own lies and come to the conclusion, by denying God’s role as Creator, they have become wiser than those who worship God.
In actuality, they have become fools. By proclaiming themselves to be wise they have put creation (themselves) on the same level as the Creator. This manifests itself in idol worship… man worshipping themselves or other members of the created world (sun, moon, stars, rivers, air, fire etc etc etc)
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 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.
Following their descent into spiritual darkness, in which they honor themselves and other parts of nature as the truly wise ones… they now begin to abuse their bodies, thinking they know better than God how to use them. They begin to worship their own pleasure and lusts more than the Creator God they have long ago rejected.
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: 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.
One of the greatest ways that mankind can misuse and abuse their bodies is through homosexual acts. These acts not only seek to fulfill sinful lusts, but they also abuse their bodies by perverting the natural sexual union for which the male and female were intended. Even a cursory look at the male and female sexual anatomy clearly shows they were made for union with the opposite sex. To enter into same sex relations is to pervert the very nature of the male/female creation. It is a grave sin in the eyes of God. It is a mark of reprobation.
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; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Due to their original choice to reject nature’s message of the Creator God, God now turns them over to a “reprobate” (totally worthless for the cause of Christ, shipwrecked, unbelieving) mind which leads to a sinful, socially harmful lifestyle.
Some of the aspects of this type of lifestyle include being consumed with:
unrighteousness, – treating others unfairly;
fornication, – intimacy outside of law of God;
wickedness, – planning wickedness;
covetousness, – to desire possessions of another, greed;
maliciousness; – to spread unlawfulness;
full of envy, – jealousy;
murder, – taking of physical life, abortions, euthanasia;
debate, – enjoy quarreling, stirring up arguments;
deceit, – to group together to plan harm to others;
malignity; – totally consumed by evil;
whisperers, – to tell secrets told in confidence;
Backbiters, – to speak and find fault behind back of others;
haters of God, – reject God and His authority;
despiteful, – to avenge grudge by harm;
proud, – to put self above others;
boasters, – to tell of own supremacy;
inventors of evil things, – originator of plan of wickedness;
disobedient to parents, – rebel against parental authority;
Without understanding, – calling evil good and good evil;
covenantbreakers, – to break contracts, unlawful divorces;
without natural affection, – homosexuality, parents abusing children;
implacable, – cannot be brought to peace, cannot be satisfied;
unmerciful: – unable to forgive, unable to show compassion;
All of these above seem to be on the increase in our nation… remember, these things are the result of purposefully rejecting divine revelation. Aren’t these things to be expected when you think of how our nation has rejected God and is running from Him as fast as it possibly can?
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
To lost and saved alike….
If we were to find a Timex watch lying on a sidewalk, the thought would not occur to us that just by accident it came into being. By examining it’s construction it is plain to see that someone had to engineer the watch, and then manufacture it, according to stringent specifications.
How blind is mankind, when science is consistently revealing complexities within nature and it’s harmonious functioning and still say that it came into being by accident?
The greatness of nature is a continuous witness to the greatness of its Creator. Let us all come to a fresh recognition of our Great Creator God and the need to submit to his will and ways. In doing so, we will be pleasing our God; we will be receiving eternal life; and creating a moral, pleasant society in which to live.
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
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