April 21
ROMANS 1
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 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. 21 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. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 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.– Romans 1:18-25
ROMANS 1 AFTERMATH OF NOT HONORING GOD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If you know God and do not honor or thank him
You will become foolish and futile in your thinking
Your heart will be hardened because you think you are wise
You will be left in the lusts of your hearts and your sinfulness
Because you exchanged the truth about God for a lie
You will continue to be wicked and darkened in your mind.
Paul challenges us all to bow down to only the One true God because there are consequences if a person doesn’t do so. He clearly gives us God’s invisible attributes here. He is eternal and divine. When he made man in his own image, we were given the internal compass to know what is right and what is wrong. Because our sole purpose is to give him glory, he has put it in every man’s heart to know that. If we defy this purpose, we will definitely pay for the consequences that may follow. Because God hates sin and punishes it, we will have to think twice if we want to be the recipient of these following aftermath: depraved minds, hardened hearts, idolatry, and futility in their thinking.
REFLECTION
• Who can you remember suffered the consequences of dishonoring God?
