Romans 1:8-23 - There is a Good Path - Let’s Stay on It
The most significant risk we face, as individuals and as nations, is being left by God to do whatever our hearts desire. Once abandoned, a person’s life fills with wickedness. They are doomed. The Good News is that God wants us on his path of righteousness, a good course of happiness, satisfaction, and salvation from this evil world. Paul knew that in spades.
When Paul finally got to Rome, he boldly proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. Despite the many risks, he couldn’t wait to get there to do just that. He couldn’t wait to bring the Romans a spiritual gift to help them grow strong in the Lord. He couldn’t wait to encourage the Christians in their faith and to be encouraged by them.
Paul had a great sense of obligation to preach the Good News to the civilized, the educated, the big city folks, the poor, those in the hinterlands, and the barbarians.
What about you? What about me? What’s your great sense of obligation? What are you planning for many times over? Where will you share a special spiritual gift and encourage Christians? Where will you share the power of God, saving everyone who believes?
Lord Jesus, may we not be ashamed of the Good News; please give us a drive and obligation to love all people and share the Good News with them. Lord Jesus, no matter the danger or the worldly pressure to cave in to sin, help us share our faith in Jesus: He makes us right in his sight and keeps us on the path of life.
And yet, in this world, even in the Church, and certainly in every organization, some wicked people suppress the truth by their wickedness.
Their sense of obligation, waking thought, and driving desire is to serve their shameful desires. They may wear fancy clothes and smell nice, but their passion is for more money, more power, and more authority. You see them in our organizations knocking people down rather than encouraging people. They confuse and confound. They share their anger and dysfunction with a smile and are instruments of Satan. They know better. But like a strutting rooster destined for the chopping block, they have no shame.
In fact, many of them are so-called leaders in our community. But they crave recognition and accolades for themselves. They value power and position and hefty bank accounts. They care absolutely nothing about the poor. They only lift a finger to help if it somehow benefits them.
It’s really not hard to see them. They are shameless self-promoters. They boast about their intelligence, accomplishments, experiences, family rank, pedigree, and group affiliations. They’ll even boast of their sacrifices and what victimhood challenge they’ve overcome. God will eventually deal with these people.
God makes his eternal power and divine nature evident to every person. He created the sand dollar, the hummingbird, the universe, the oceans, and the trees. People love to take and use the good things from God. But they won’t worship King Jesus the Creator, nor God our Father, who gives every good and perfect gift in this life and the life to come. The Christian man constantly offers thanks.
People have no excuse for not knowing God. Paul makes that clear. We shall thank God and worship Him. Lord Jesus, please accept our apology and repentance for our sins. We are selfish. We have not had the sense of obligation to obey you and share your salvation that we should have.
Help us this day to love and encourage others. Protect us from those people doing Satan’s business on their way to eternal death. Please give us the boldness to speak the truth about your anger against all sinful, wicked things and your love and salvation for those who have faith in you.
Thank you, Messiah.
Amen.
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