Nov. 22, 2008 - Romans chapter 1
The church I attend recently had a revival service at which the guest preacher used Romans 1:18-32 as his text. A fellow church member and homeschooler posted a comment about the sermon on our local homeschool email loop and sparks flew! The discussion touched on racism and slavery then turned into an ugly debate about abortion. I should probably add that said sermon was delivered on election night, as was the original post, which only added fuel to the fire because of opposing views on both abortion and the outcome of the election. The original post, by the way, made no mention of racism, slavery, or abortion. Likewise, I do not intend to talk of those things in this particular post. Since that discussion, I have read and re-read Romans 1:18-32 several times. I would like to talk about what I have been thinking about this passage of scripture which, in my Bible, is titled "God's Wrath on Unrighteousness".
First of all, let it be known that I believe that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and that we are to love one another (1 John 4:11, 20-21; Matthew 22:39). God certainly proved His love for us when He gave His Son (John 3:16) and I believe that Jesus displayed love and compassion during His earthly ministry and that we are to follow His example. With that said, we cannot get around the fact that Romans 1:18 says "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." The remainder of the text (thru verse 32) goes on to list a number of actions which brought on the wrath of God and "...that those who practice such things are worthy of death..." as are those who know "the righteous judgment of God" and "approve of those who practice them". Three times in the NKJV (in this text) it is stated that "God gave them up" or "God gave them over" ; to uncleanness, to vile passions, to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting, etc. This text is often used to point out that homosexuality is a sin (v. 26-27) and also any sexual immorality and murder (v. 29). What has caught my attention in this passage, however, are some of the other actions that are listed so I would like to point them out, along with the definitions of some from Webster's 1828 Dictionary.
Let's begin with "covetousness" which is defined as "A strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; usually in a bad sense, and applied to an inordinate desire of wealth or avarice." "Inordinate" can be defined as excessive. "Avarice" is the same as covetousness. So I will define covetousness as greed.
Next, "maliciousness" (malicious): "Proceeding from extreme hatred or ill will".
"Full of envy": "Pain, uneasiness, mortification or discontent excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied with some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, and with pleasure in seeing him depressed. Envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess." More definitions of envy are "rivalry; competition; malice".
"Strife": "Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts. Contention in anger or enmity; contest; struggle for victory; quarrel or war. Opposition."
"Deceit": "The leading of another person to believe what is false, or not to believe what is true, and thus to ensnare him; fraud; fallacy; cheat."
"Whisperers": "One who tells secrets; a backbiter; one who slanders secretly."
"Backbiters": "One who slanders, calumniates or speaks ill of the absent." In case you are like me and don't know what "calumniates" means, it is "to charge falsely and knowingly with a crime or offense; to propagate evil reports with a design to injure the reputation of another."
As much as I want to keep going, I have got to get going instead! Duty calls! I'll continue on another post.
Comments
Nov. 22, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by 2boysmom
I'm looking forward to hearing the rest. I'll check back.
By the way - my favorite Sonic commercial was when the wife was drinking her drink and had a foamy mustache. She said something about her mustache and he was looking down and thought she was talking about a "real" mustache and made a comment about her really having one. It was very funny.
