“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 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. 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. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 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.
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions…
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done… 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.” Romans 1:16-26a,28,32
Paul makes the two opposing ways of life clear: righteousness and reward or dishonor and wrath. Neither just happens, but is the result of a spiral of choices, either to believe and walk by faith or to yield to idolatry and lust. The Lord offers both allowance and grace. Decisions matter. (Romans 2:2,4-6)
Most habits and disciplines, good and bad, are developed over a gradual progression. Since Eden, the pull to veer awry has been strong. If we’re vigilant, we’ll notice the first slip, the first entertaining of a foreign voice, the first dip into sloth, or taste of temptation. The moment of recognition and Spirit-conviction is the time to turn about-face and proceed in a new direction.
The enemy does all he can to impede our progress of faith and to heighten our inclination to sin. What have we allowed to take primacy in our lives that deters us from Christ and His Word? What spiritual discipline have we let slip because of inattentiveness, apathy, or lethargy? What ideas, entertainment, even legal practices did we used to eschew and now justify accepting, even condoning? How will we take care to guard our heart and ways from being given over to the flesh? The Lord’s grace and help are always available. While faith may be a strenuous upward climb, its path is far better than the tenuous slippery slope away from the Lord. (Proverbs 4:23; Hebrews 4:15–16)
Father, keep me on Your good path, and energize me to obey with steadfastness, zeal, and joy, to Your glory.
As the rain and snow 