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Timothy: Romans 1:24-28
The Consequences of Rejecting God

24 Because of this, God gave them up to impurity in the lusts of their hearts, their bodies to be dishonored among themselves,

25 who changed the truth of God into the lie, and worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them up to dishonorable passions, for even their females changed the natural use to that contrary to nature.

27 And likewise, the males also forsaking the natural use of the female burned in their lust toward one another, males with males working out shamefulness, and receiving back within themselves the reward which was fitting for their error.

28 And even as they did not think fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right,

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I offer thanks to You. For You have granted me another new day and bestowed upon me Your Word of Life to nurture my soul and spirit. Now I pray that the Holy Spirit may lead me to the truth as I read and meditate on Your Word in Romans 1:24-28. Amen.

Dear Father, in just a few brief verses of the Bible, the terrible consequences of rejecting God and living a life without faith in Him are summed up. I understand that when humanity violates Your commandments, they first and foremost bring shame upon themselves. This shame begins within their own souls when their desires become unjust.

Dear Father, I understand that desire is a natural gift from God to humanity. However, when desire goes against your commandments, it becomes greed. This means desiring things that are not rightfully ours and not allowed to be desired.

Dear Father, I understand that when greed becomes actions of the flesh, it causes the body to be disgraced. This is because the body has become a tool to rebel against God. Living a life that reflects the glory of God, which means showing love, justice, and purity, involves living in obedience to God’s commandments with honor. Living a life that is in opposition to God’s commandments is living in disgrace.

Dear Father, I understand that God created humankind in His likeness and with an image of His nature to rule over God’s inheritance. However, humans do not believe in and worship God. Instead, they believe in and worship things that are not God; things that are merely created, even things made by human hands, and things that are not real, such as the false gods in myths. Not only do humans disgrace themselves by worshiping things that are not God, but they also disgrace God because humans were created in God’s likeness and image.

Dear Father, I understand that because of human beings’ indulgence in sin, You abandoned them to live according to their own desires.

Dear Father, I understand that when humans do not believe in and obey God, they commit the most serious sin after the sin of disobedience to God, which is the sin of sexual immorality. The Holy Spirit has clearly taught this:

“Flee fornication. Every sin which a man may do is outside the body, but he doing fornication sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not of yourselves? You were bought with a price; then glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are of God.” (I Corinthians 6:18-20)

So, the sin of sexual immorality is a sin against the person’s own body, as it destroys the body. For the people of God, the sin of sexual immorality is also a sin that destroys the Temple of God, as the body of the people of God is the Temple of God. The Holy Spirit teaches this clearly:

“Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone corrupts the sanctuary of God, God will bring that one to corruption; for the sanctuary of God is holy, which you are” (I Corinthians 3:16-17).

Dear Father, I understand that the ultimate form of sexual immorality is homosexuality, where men have sexual relations with men and women with women. Yet today, humans have created laws to protect this sin. We have truly reached the height of depravity.

Dear Father, I understand that humans violate God’s commandments because they do not want to keep the knowledge of God in their minds, which means they are rebelling against God. And once they have sinned, they continue to sin.

Dear Father, I understand that You have allowed them to follow their evil desires and commit unworthy acts, so that they live in sin instead of taking away their lives immediately. It is because You have mercy on them and give them the opportunity to be saved, to be forgiven, to be cleansed from sin, to be renewed, to be restored to the position of being Your sons and daughters, and to live in glory and happiness with God in the Kingdom of Heaven forever.

I thank You, God, my Beloved Father, for Your Living Word has helped humanity recognize the reality of their sins and their eternal loss. At the same time, it also shows God’s love for humanity through the Gospel of Salvation of God. Through it, I have come to know and believe in the Gospel. I pray that You keep me in Your peace and grace. May Christ accompany me throughout the rest of my life on this earth, and may the Holy Spirit guide me in the truth and enlighten my mind so that I may understand God’s Word more and more. I thank the Triune God and pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
03/06/2023