Daily Read
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
What is the wrath of God? And how is it revealed from heaven? What is the ungodliness and covetousness of men? How does one "surpress" the truth by unrighteousness?
When scripture says "they" who are they? All men? Just unbelievers?
What are the things that God gives them over to? Notice he gives them over to
1) the Lusts of their heart to impurity (vs 24)
2) to dishonorable passions (vs 26)
3) a debased mind (vs 28)
What then does it mean for God to "give them over to..." ?
Unrigteousness is what causes supression of the truth..and then causes God to give them over to what they want. I liken this to a parent who consistently says to a child "no..stop" and they continue to insist on their own way. Then the parents says "Fine..if you want to contiue to do that go ahead...but I warned you." Then because they have already refused to listen, they continue to continue in their sin. Then they go so far as to approve of those who do the same things as them.
Notice the list given that consists of "unrighteousness"
!) evil
2) covetousness (jelousy)
3) malice
4) envy (jellousy... listed 2x!)
5) murder
6) deceit
7) maliciousness
8)gossips
9) slanderers
10) haters of God
11) insolent
12) haughty
13) boastful
14) inventors of evil
15) disobedient to parents (!!!)
16) foolish
17) faithless
18) heartless
19) ruthless
Do you think that any of us can escape?
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