Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 6

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 6
Presbyterian Church of Easton
February 27, 2022

Watch S2E6

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7)

Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator … 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Paul is describing what we call sin.   Notice that the problem is idolatry.   People worship things rather than God.   Whatever is most important in our lives, that is what we worship.   So we worship money instead of God.   We worship power instead of God.   We worship relationships instead of God. Whatever we place in importance above God is an idol.   And we are guilty of idolatry.

Now look at what happens when we do this.   God responds in various ways.   God gives us over to shameful lusts and sexual impropriety.   God gives us depraved minds so that we are always doing what we should not do.   God allows us to do things that ultimately harm us and our families and friends.   In other words, God allows us to pursue our heart’s desires and suffer the consequences of bad choices.  

Here is what happens.

29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

What is the answer for all of this?   According to Paul we need to keep God as the highest priority in our lives.    And that requires that we obey the commandments of God.   

So there is our choice: we can either put God first in our lives, or we can put other things first and suffer the consequences.  As for me, I will put God first and receive his blessings.

Heavenly Father,  bless us with faith and strong desire to put you first and follow your commands.   Help us to never put anything above you.    And if we have put something before you, forgive us and help us to put God first.    This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.