So I started reading Romans again today, the first 2 chapters. I've been hesitant to reread and blog on the same book twice, but I believe that there's always something new for God to show me depending on my life circumstances and my walk with Him, so here goes. On January 14, I took a look at the nature of God, and our response to Him, but today I want to look at putting the minds God has given us to good use, so that we can know Him and walk in His ways.
In Romans 1:18-32, Paul talks about the wrath of God against the godlessness and wickedness of men, and it looks like the way His wrath is poured out is by allowing them to continue further and further down the path away from Him. Verses 19 & 20 say, "...what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. / For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." If ungodliness suppresses the truth, and causes a darkened heart and futile thinking (and if I look back at the times in my life where I thought I could work things out my own way rather than God's way, I can honestly say that it does), then if I am to be a godly man, I must use my mind, seek the truth, embrace God's ways and walk with Him. The pattern of the walk away from God looks all too familiar, we have all walked that path at some point, and to some extent. Praise God that He brought us out of that to Himself, from whatever point on that path we reached. It starts with knowing God. Why? Because He has made Himself known. Even the world around us cries out His existence. The first step is refusing to be thankful and give glory to God. Instead of seeking His wisdom, we try to substitute our own, which is really foolishness. At that point we begin to substitute other things for Him, trying to fill the void in our lives that only He can fill. At this point, God gives us over to the things that we think we want, which will only become more sinful, shameful and depraved, to the point where we no longer know God at all. Why won't we know Him? Because He no longer makes Himself known? No, but because we no longer care what He does. We no longer consider Him worth knowing. It's a sad commentary on society, and humanity, if God becomes an outcast, an undesirable, the equivalent of a leper. Everyone may have their own reasons, distorted views of who God is, or what life is about, but what does any of that matter when we finally allow ourselves to come face to face with the God of the universe, who loves us with an unquenchable passion? Mind and heart cry in unison, "He is my God, and I must have more!" Let us not dull our minds, close our eyes and ears to Him, shut our hearts to the greatest love of all. Let us instead walk with Him, listen to His voice, get to know Him, and in Him, get to know the truth. I want to know, as verse 19 says, what may be known about God.
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