Footsteps #237

Three times in Rom.1:24-28 Paul claims that God has given blatant sinners over to their “sinful desires,” “shameful lusts,” and “depraved minds”. At first sight, that seems quite unlike God. Does God abandon people to evil? 

The key understanding of this phrase seems to be in such words as “sinful desires.” Paul is using a word that makes men do nameless and shameless things. It is a kind of insanity that makes a man do things he would never have done if his desire had not taken away his sense of honour, prudence, and decency. At the bottom of the issue is the fact that God has given each person free will. Furthermore, He has pledged Himself not to interfere with that liberty. Thus God allows us to make wrong choices and do hurtful things. But He doesn’t rescue us from their harmful consequences. In fact, He has actively “given us over” to the frightful effects of sin. He lets us reap the results. 

Why? Because He hates sinners? No, because He loves them and wants them to wake up to their need for salvation. Thus even when God gives people up to their sins, He has a merciful purpose. When we see the depth of our need, God hopes that we will look to Him for mercy and grace. How many people have you heard of that “hit the bottom” and had a conversion? That’s why we established One80dungog – to help turn people’s lives around.

“Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. ²⁹ Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.” NLT (Rom.1:28-19)

Vs28&29 is not a pretty picture. In fact, it sounds more like front page copy for a tabloid than it does for a proper text for devotional meditation. But the passage gets even worse. Paul gives a list of human depravity that is scandalous in its scope: Read Rom.1:29-31. The apostle wants to show what happens to people when they leave God out of their lives. One of the grim facts of life is that sin gives birth to sin. Once a person or a society sets out on the path of sin it becomes easier and easier to practice evil. In fact, they soon become to view evil as normal.