Ahh man, it is only Tuesday. Enough said. At least tomorrow is hump day!
What is it about Wednesday that gives people hope for Friday? Anyone? As if some how Wednesday's can lie to us that the rest of the week will get any better in the mundanes of life, right? -LOL! Hey, I am all about celebrating small steps and if hump day is a celebration to get to Friday, I am all for it. Break out the coffee and chips and let's celebrate!
Oh, but back to reality, it is only Tuesday. So, no coffee and chips here, just my usual chit chat about nothing....LOL! Cheer up....tomorrow is hump day!
Anyways,I was reading in the book of Romans again last night and the following scripture got me thinking. Watch out, this could be dangerous, so be prepared, this can go anywhere!
Romans 2:28 " And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper."
What is a depraved mind? The Webster's New World Dictionary says the following, " Depraved- crooked, to make morally bad, corrupt."
Why would God give the people who chose not to honor and thank Him over to their depraved minds?
I think in order for us to answer this question,we must first look at the context of this whole passage of scripture from Romans 18-32. Basically, Paul is talking about the consequences of sin here and how God dealt with the people because of their lack of wanting to honor and obey Him. So, he gave them over to their sin, their lusts, false beliefs, idolatry, homosexuality, greed, anger, strife, murder, etc..
In a way, you might think this contradcits God's nature here, but think about it some more. Does it? God is a loving,forgiving, gracious and Holy God, right? Well, because He is holy, anything that stands before Him that is unholy has to be judged to be made holy! How cool is that? God can NEVER go against His character, this is why I love Him! He is the same God, today and always!!! If He sees unrighteousness, He desires to make it righteous!
You see, God's people back then were no different then we are today. They had a basic understanding of who God was just by the very nature of the world they lived in. They could have clearly seen that there was a God from the creations within the world. Such as, the four seasons, climate changes,mountains, oceans, rainbows,science and all it's unexplained mysteries, but for whatever reason, they chose not to believe and honor God. Instead they honored their false belief systems and depended on lies that went against God's truth and will for them. So, in the end, in order for Him to truly love them, He gave them over to their sin so that they could get deliverance. Tough Love!
Sounds crazy, huh? It is the same as with the Israelite's wandering in the desert for 40 years. They became so desperate in their own flesh and sin that it caused them to cry out for a deliverer, the Deliverer! It was out of the compassion of His heart that HE allowed them to be judged and be made holy!
Please understand that God allowing them to have depraved minds was not the original plan He wanted for His people. He wanted things to be so much easier, but because we live in a fallen world, God has to deal with sin. He gave them evidence of who He was and they still chose not to acknowledge Him as God. I can look at this passage and can so relate to the people's mind sets back then because truth be known,I had a depraved mind too at one point in my life. You could have called me "Krazy Kim!"-LOL!
I had no excuse either,because I was raised in knowing who God was. However, I didn't have a personal relationship with Him, but I knew enough about Him and His commandments to know the things I was doing were not His will. However, I didn't care. I wanted to live my life as my own! No two ways about it, I was in charge and didn't care too much about what others had to say, never mind the God of all the earth. But God loved me anyways! And because of His love for me, He allowed me to be given over to my depraved mind too. He needed me to see that my beliefs were lies. He needed me to see that my authority was not one that could keep me protected, in fact, it did just the opposite, it kept me unprotected and opened me up to the enemies plans to destroy me.
It was in this depraved mind that I started to want deliverance from myself and my way of thinking. It was in this depraved mind that led me to the cross of salvation and grace. It was in this depraved mind that I pleaded to have the mind of Christ! So, my point is, God is love! His character is always displayed even in the midst of our depravity, God is at work on our behalf! God's Word tell us that all things work for the good of those that are called to His purposes. Not one day of failure or trial is wasted! God is in the business of Love and deliverance!
God deserves all the honor and praise because He has a plan even when we choose to go against it. For whatever reason, He still includes us in it. The plan is called salvation, redemption, healing and love! He is a faithful God even when we are unfaithful, His character NEVER changes! Even in the midst of our darken hearts and minds, His plan is to always come after us with such a passionate love to transform us and help us take our rightful places with Him.
How could any of us ever not want to honor and worship Him? But the truth is, if you were saved, it was because you too at one time had a depraved mind but God was faithful to give you HIs mind. Be encouraged as you watch friends, and loved ones around you ac in their depravity, because God is with them!
Today, as you go about your day, think about one of your habitual faults and see how it is rooted in a futile thinking. Why would anyone consider it unworthwhile to retain the knowledge of God? Then, from that, pray for yourself and others who you know might be given over to their depraved minds. And lastly, how does this bring you that much closer to God?
Have a blessed one!
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