Description
In Romans 1:32, Paul talks about the way people went to the extent of approving of sin. Has anything changed?
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Transcript
I was forcefully struck by this passage in my Bible study this morning. It’s Romans 1:32. 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.
Paul has just listed a whole load of, uh, sinful vices, and he’s talking about people who are not only doing these things, but they’re approving of it. They’re saying, this is great, this is well done. And how much are we as Christians encouraged and pressurised to celebrate lifestyles that are not Christian.
Paul was horrified by this, and he was horrified by it, knowing that he himself was guilty of this very thing. Because while Christians were being persecuted, tortured, killed, he was there giving approval to those deeds. So he knows all too well what it means to go to that extent that you are not just allowing sin to happen, but you are saying that’s well done.
We believe as Christians that God has given us truth and that includes moral truth. And that is a line that we must hold in our lives, in our society. We shouldn’t stop saying. "This is what God accepts, and this is what God does not accept."
We don’t go to the extreme of persecuting people who are sinning. But neither should we start wrapping everybody up in "love" and saying, "It’s okay. What you’re doing is okay," when it’s not, it’s killing them. We can’t approve of sin. Never.
We are the light to this world. We are the salt that brings flavour back to society. Let us not be judgmental, but let us also not participate in and approve of those things that dishonor our God.
Lord God, I ask that you help us to walk this fine line with grace, just as you have given so much grace to us. We wish to be maintaining the witness of the church on this earth. Help us in that endeavor, Lord. Please help us to be obedient, faithful, and gracious children. Amen.
