Footsteps #239

Where is the bottom of sin, the final degradation? Paul hints at it in the last part of Romans 1:32: “They not only do” such things as those listed in 1:24-31, but they “approve those who practice them” (RSV). The New English Bible captures the forcefulness of Paul’s idea when it translates the phrase as “they actually applaud such practices.” 

It may seem strange to us that Paul says approving such acts is worse than doing them, but what he is pointing to is the fact that those who do such things not only do them in their own lives but make them a matter of public encouragement for others to follow. Not content to let wrath take its course in their lives, such people, Paul says, seek to make the measure of their sinful conduct the norm for the conduct of others. It is the desire to make their private sin the measure of public conduct that Paul is condemning here. How contemporary is that when you read vs26-27. 

This is a serious issue. We live in a society that approves and applauds a great deal of evil. One only has to look at what the public generally calls “entertainment.” If it isn’t filled with action-packed sex and violence, it hardly rates as popular entertainment. Modern society hasn’t really moved beyond the ancient world in such matters. It is true, of course, that we no longer feed people to the lions or let gladiators battle to the death. No, we are much more sophisticated in the sense that we do the same thing in terms of virtual reality. 

The message of Romans 1 is that God finds sin to be sickening and death developing. He wants to help people move beyond approving evil. Not only does He long to save their souls; He wants to transform their minds (Rom.12:2). The Lord wants Christian influence to be on the side of approving and applauding that which is life-giving and up-building. And He wants His ways to become the social norm. As Christians, we have a part in shaping society through the things that we approve of.