Shipwrecked by Sin

 

For the wrath of God lis revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 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. 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. 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. (Romans 1:18-23 ESV).

 

If ever a passage of Scripture was being revealed in our world it is true for today. Our world is in a shambles. There are wars, rumors of wars, hunger, disease, lies and deceits, and all manor of immorality as we seem to find new ways to deny God and exchange His life for that which is merely a caricature of the glory of our eternal God. In the entire chapter of the Book of Romans, the apostle Paul explains that God made his “eternal power and divine nature” clear since the creation of the world, so there is no excuse for anyone who may claim they are not aware of God.

 

No thinking person can view a stunning panorama from a mountaintop, gazing up at a sky filled with stars, or admiring a glorious sunset, we are often filled with awe and wonder at our Creator. Even many people who don’t acknowledge the God of the Bible will exclaim, “Such beauty didn’t just happen by accident!” It’s a matter of opening eyes of faith and focusing on God instead of ourselves. God made us to glorify him and look to the needs of others, as he does for us. But too often we follow our own desires and ignore God, exchanging the truth for a lie (cf. Genesis 3:6). When we push God aside and pour all our energy into other things— career, sports, pleasure, politics, hobbies, trends, and more—we serve those things rather than the Creator. We glorify them instead of the God who made us. We mess up the good life he created us to enjoy.

 

If God didn’t step in to save us, we would have been lost forever. So, in response to God’s love, let’s not listen to lies like “There is no God” or “I am number one.” Instead, knowing the truth revealed in Jesus, we can shout our praise: “Thanks be to God, our Savior!”