God Gave Them Up

Reading:  Romans 1:24-32
    
    Paul describes the Gentiles’ descent into sin as a rejection of God followed by a steady movement away from him (Rom 1:21-23).  He also details several ways that human beings exchange the natural created order for what they wanted (Rom 1:23, 25, 26).  What is surprising is God’s reaction to them:  three times Paul says that “God gave them up”(Rom 1:24, 26, 28).  “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 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”(Rom 1:24-25).   Since they were consumed with lust and a desire to glorify themselves, God allowed them to fully dishonor their bodies.  “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.  For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 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”(Rom 1:26-27).  As they move farther from God, they reject the sexual relationships God created for them and seek “those that are contrary to nature”; God gives them up to this as well.

    But these are only stepping stones to further rejection of God.  “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.  They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice”(Rom 1:28-29).  On and on the list goes, detailing their resistance to God’s order and the horrific personal and social consequences that follow.  “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them”(Rom 1:32).  They continue the pattern of refusing to act on what they know about God (Rom 1:21).  God gives them up to this “debased mind” as well.

    “God gave them up” implies that in ordinary circumstances God holds us back from our worst desires and their disastrous consequences.  Yet it also means that we can reach a state of rejection where he removes this protection.  If we are determined to rebel against him and live in sin, he will “give us up” to it.  The only hope is that we see the wreck we have made of our lives and turn to him for deliverance.

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One Thing to Think About:  How have I rejected God and his will for me?

One Thing to Pray For:  God not to “give me up” to sin, but to help me resist it 
 

Without Excuse

Reading:  Romans 1:16-23
    
    Paul is eager to preach about Jesus because he is convinced of the power of the message to change lives and destinies.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek”(Rom 1:16).  People of all nations and spiritual backgrounds need saving.  Jesus has died to achieve it and Paul proclaims this good news to produce faith in his hearers (Rom 1:17).

    But why do people need saving?  “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth”(Rom 1:18).  People have done evil, triggering God’s righteous judgment on them.  Human rebellion (Paul especially has the Gentiles in mind here, as we will see) begins with ignoring God’s revelation of himself.  “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”(Rom 1:20).  Though they understand God’s power and eternal nature, they refuse to honor or thank him and instead turn to evil thoughts.  “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things”(Rom 1:22-23).  Drunk on their own thinking, they substitute God’s creation for God, giving glory to idols depicting animals and humans.  While they retain a desire to worship something greater than themselves, they dishonor the true God by ignoring him and worshiping their own creation in his place.

    Paul remarks that the Gentiles who descend into sin are “without excuse.”  He implies that they know enough about God (“his invisible attributes…have been clearly perceived”) to choose better; if they did not know, they would have some excuse.  Their knowledge makes their sin even more heinous:  “although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him”(Rom 1:21).  There is a warning here for us:  when God gives us knowledge, he expects us to do what we know.  He expects us to honor him and give thanks to him.  Refusing to do so dishonors him and starts us on an unspeakably destructive path.

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One Thing to Think About:  Given what I know about God, what does he expect of me?

One Thing to Pray For:  Humble, God-honoring thinking
 

Eager to Preach the Gospel

Reading:  Romans 1:1-15
    
    Paul begins his letter to the church at Rome by focusing on their common allegiance to Jesus.  He is the subject of the promises of the prophets (Rom 1:2), the heir of David (Rom 1:3), and his resurrection emphatically identifies him as the Son of God (Rom 1:4).  Paul himself has been blessed by Jesus:  “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ”(Rom 1:5-6).  Paul has not only received grace to forgive his sins, but also apostleship to help others find that forgiveness.  Even though Paul has not met the Romans in the flesh, his goal as an apostle is to produce “the obedience of faith” in them as well.

    He is encouraged that their “faith is proclaimed in all the world”(Rom 1:8) and wants to come see them “that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you”(Rom 1:11).  He explains that he has long been intending to travel to them “in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles”(Rom 1:13).  What explains Paul’s passion here?  “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.  So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome”(Rom 1:14-15).  While Paul certainly feels obligation to preach to all people, his eagerness springs from knowing the great power of the gospel to change lives (Rom 1:16-17).

    We may not be apostles, but we can share Paul’s eagerness to preach the gospel.  We know what Jesus has done in our lives and we know what he can do for others.  The deeper our conviction, the more eager we become to talk about him—even without being prompted.  We feel compassion for those around us who have wrecked their lives or been harmed by others; we know that Jesus can help them.  We are confident in what God can do even for people we do not yet know.  We become “eager to preach the gospel.”

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One Thing to Think About:  Am I eager or reluctant to tell others about Jesus?

One Thing to Pray For:  Eagerness to tell others what I have found in Jesus
 

Examine Yourselves

Reading:  2 Corinthians 13:5-14
    
    The Corinthians, agitated by some who deny Paul’s apostolic authority, have been examining his credentials (2 Cor 13:3).  Paul turns the tables:  “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”(2 Cor 13:5).  Rather than focusing on Paul, they should take an introspective look at themselves.  Is Jesus alive in them?  Are they following Jesus’ words?  Now, assuming that they would affirm that they are, Paul makes his point:  “I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.  But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed”(2 Cor 13:6-7).  If Jesus is alive in the Corinthians, then Paul and his apostolic companions (who preached the gospel to them) must be in the faith too!  How could they have effectively taught the Corinthians about Jesus if they are not in the faith?  

    In closing the letter, Paul reaffirms that he loves them and is willing to lower himself to bless them.  “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong.  Your restoration is what we pray for”(2 Cor 13:9).  Paul wants them to follow Jesus more closely, correcting the errors in judgment and relationships that this letter has addressed.  This is his prayer.  He closes his letter with a greeting that reaffirms that despite their differences, everyone involved is still a follower of Jesus:  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”(2 Cor 13:14).

    The Corinthian problem persists in our time.  We tend to spend a lot of time examining and correcting others, often bypassing self-examination.  There is value in scrutinizing our own relationships with God—individually and as a congregation.  Is Jesus Christ in me?  Am I following his word?  Before I criticize others, have I examined myself?

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One Thing to Think About:  In what ways do I try to avoid self-examination?

One Thing to Pray For:  The honesty to apply the truth to myself first 
 

All for Your Upbuilding

Reading:  2 Corinthians 12:19-13:4
    
    Paul reflects on this long section of arguing with his opponents in Corinth:  “Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you?  It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved”(2 Cor 12:19).  He insists that this is not personal, but about his obligation before God to care for Jesus’ people.  Then, amidst this highly charged situation, Paul shockingly lets down his guard and reveals his heart and fears.  “For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish” and “I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented”(2 Cor 12:20, 21).   Paul reveals his fear that his return to Corinth will also be a “painful visit”(2 Cor 2:1) because there will be sin to rebuke and hard hearts to confront.  Their deep spiritual relationship may be tested by even more sharp words and actions.

    The Corinthians seem to have confused Paul’s unimpressive physical appearance for an unwillingness to deal with problems.  “I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me.  He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.  For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.  For we are also weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God”(2 Cor 13:2-4).  The Corinthians keep seeking proof of Paul’s apostolic commission, yet Paul insists that the proof will be in his strong response to their sin.  Just as in Jesus’ crucifixion, seeming weakness is not the last word.

    Many modern scholars view passages like these as typical organizational power dynamics.  Paul is fighting to bend the churches to his will.  Yet Paul protests that his defense is not personal, but “all for your upbuilding.”  Paul is continually concerned with the growth and stability of God’s people, so his every word is calculated to bring them closer to God (rather than himself).  What about us? 

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One Thing to Think About:  How much do I think about the “upbuilding” of my brothers and sisters?

One Thing to Pray For:  The courage to deal with sin—in my own life and others’