Category: Devotions

After Apostle Paul saved, God transformed his heart, taking away all the hatred and filling it with love and joy and peace. Hallelujah! Christ lived in him, giving a total transformation. This is the power of the gospel. Amen.

Fallen men not only sidelined their Creator by worshipping dumb idols made with their own hands, but their mind become so twisted that the institution of marriage between a man and a woman that God has ordained since time immemorial was overturned. Such shameful passions of utmost perverseness was made a way of life. When such inordinate affections took place, we see in biblical history that God’s judgement was nigh. Sodom and Gomorrah were cities that God judged with fire and brimestones falling from heaven to completely consume these cities.

When men wilfully and blatantly choose to reject God after He reveals something of Himself both in nature and in His Word to them, God gives men over to their sin. This is the permissive will of God. It described God’s judicial act of handing someone over to suffer the consequences of his wrongdoing. This described the present wrath of God upon men (Rom. 1:18) who chooses to go out of the way to satisfy the inordinate lusts of their own hearts through immoral behaviour.

The person described in verse 21 as having a “foolish heart” lacks spiritual sight. He wilfully ignores God. He is an ungodly person who turned his back on God and revealed the state of his lawless heart (v22). The greatest fool of all, therefore, is a person with the greatest intelligence who disobeys God. Paul uses the Greek word “moros” from which we receive the English “moron”. There is a stubborn streak in the person described here.

This was Paul’s concern. And he is articulating in these verses the foolishness of depraved man void of the truth concerning the true God. He has made it his God-given responsibility to make the truth known to a lost world. The challenge is indeed great, where are the labourers? Let us pray that God would raise men and women to work in the ripe harvest field to usher souls into His eternal kingdom. May you be a happy volunteer. Amen.

Romans 1:21-22 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,

Without God’s truth, man is lost. In rejecting God’s revealed truth, man is foolish. In self-conceit, man thinks he is wise. In truth, he is fearfully awaiting a time of judgment. Jesus tells us of the rich man who died and found him tormented in the fires of hell. He realised that there is no way out of this eternal punishment. He requested that word be sent to his relatives so that they may wise up and not end up like him. It was too late for him to escape and he lived in eternal regret. A truly frightening scenario.

The people in the world are sadly moving headlong to destruction. They may not realise their precarious situation. These wise professors, endowed with the best wisdom of this world, are really but fools in the final analysis. The Apostle Paul comments on the lost estate of man and still acting very proudly. I recalled priding myself an agnostic before my conversion. I would tell Christians who tried to share with me the Christian faith to show me proof of God and I will believe. Otherwise, how can I believe?

The turning point came in my life when I was shown the truth that Jesus is the living and true God from John’s gospel.

Romans 1:21 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.

When God created the universe, the earth was the focus. When God created the earth, man was the focus. Man was created only after God had prepared a most habitable paradise for his enjoyment. God placed man in charge of His creation. Only man is made in the image of God, not the angels nor the animal kingdom. Man has the capability to reflect the character and attributes of God. What is God? The Westminster Shorter Catechism states, “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His Being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.” In a limited way, man reflect God in His attributes.

Romans 1:20 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:

The psalmist David declared the unceasing evidence of the infinitely glorious power of a living God as the Perfect Creative Designer of this universe in psalm 19:1-3, “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”

It renders men without excuse not to acknowledge his Creator God. Although God is invisible, He showed Himself visible is His creation. We are reminded in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. This is the greatest self-authenticated statement that needs no proof. Rather it requires faith in the evidence of nature to affirm the truth of a Creator God.

The world was made for man’s enjoyment. God made the world for man’s pleasure, for his delight. Only man can appreciate the beauty of the world around him, its glorious beauty and grandeur. The animals cannot appreciate beauty like man does. The created world is for man to appreciate, for his pleasure, for his enrichment and enjoyment. The peacock does not appreciate its own beauty but for man’s visual pleasure.

Romans 1:18-19 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.

The Bible gives chronological record of God’s wrath as judgement against man’s sin. God’s wrath is manifested when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden after they sinned against God. A mark was placed by God upon Cain after he murdered his brother Abel. Abel offered an acceptable animal sacrifice to God, a pre-figuring of Christ whereas Cain’s offering was rejected by God. It was an offering of his own concoction from the fruits of the ground.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

The Apostle Paul begins this first theme on sin from verse 18 of chapter 1 to verse 20 of chapter 3. He will now show us why men is under condemnation and ready for God’s judgement.

That is the reason why men need the gospel because they are under God’s wrath for their sin. Because God is infinitely holy, He hates sin. This word “wrath” describes an outpouring of extreme anger, the strongest rendering of indignation. Our text speaks of a deliberateness in the heart of men to rebel against God. And the revelation that God judges us after our sins by His great anger must cause men to fear and repent of their sins.