Romans 1:18-25

Are you familiar with the saying, “Hitch your wagon to a star”? It’s an idiom that means “to commit to an aspirational goal or course of action that will lead to fulfillment.” ^[1]

One would think that people would choose to “hitch their wagon” to Creator God, who Romans 1:25 says is BLESSED FOREVER.

However, many people hitch themselves to other things and people. The Bible warns that there are serious consequences for rejecting Him who is Blessed Forever.

What are the consequences?

The Blessed Lord eventually gives people over to that which they have hitched themselves: over to impurity, dishonor, degrading passions, and depraved minds. (Romans 1:26-31)

Creator God is Blessed. We are to hitch our lives to Him.

Are we? Are we encouraging others to hitch their lives to Him? Are we explaining why it is important that they do?

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, who are BLESSED FOREVER, help us examine our lives and release anything to which we are hitched that is not of You and therefore not blessed by You. Use us as Your instruments to point people to You, who are Blessed Forever.

 

Have you ever had a cavity, a tooth that decayed? If so, you know it isn’t a good thing. Can you imagine what an eternally bad thing it would have been if Jesus’s body had decayed in the tomb? It’s what the Jewish leaders expected to happen. It’s what the Roman government expected.  It’s what many in our day think happened. Why? Because they don’t want the Lord Jesus in their lives. They want to do their own thing without consequences for violating God’s eternal laws. Romans 1:18-25  points out the gravity when people ignore the fact that Christ is incorruptible.

Are you familiar with the saying, “Hitch your wagon to a star”? It’s an idiom that means “to commit to an aspirational goal or course of action that will lead to fulfillment.”* But many today are hitching to the opposite. Instead of hitching to what Romans 1:25 describes as God who is BLESSED FOREVER, they’re hitching to the world. The Bible warns us that there are serious repercussions when people don’t honor God, don’t give Him thanks, and they exchange the truth of God for a lie. God eventually gives those people over. Over to what? Romans 1:18-25 tells us – over to impurity, over to dishonor, over to degrading passions, and over to depraved minds. What are we hitching our lives to? The ways of the world or to God?

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, who are BLESSED FOREVER, help us examine the courses of action to which we are hitched and rightly hitch to You. 

 

*Wiktionary

Have you ever had a cavity, a tooth that decayed? If so, you know it isn’t a good thing. Can you imagine what an eternally bad thing it would have been if Jesus’s body had decayed in the tomb? It’s what the Jewish leaders expected to happen. It’s what the Roman government expected.  It’s what many in our day think or hope happened. Why? Because they don’t want the Lord Jesus in their lives. They want to do their own thing without consequences for violating God’s eternal laws. Romans 1:18-25  points out the seriousness of this mentality, of those who ignore the glory of the incorruptible Christ who will never undergo decay. “

Have you ever had a cavity, a tooth that decayed? If so, you know it isn’t a good thing. Can you imagine what a bad thing it would have been if after Jesus was buried in the tomb, His body decayed? It’s what the Jewish leaders hoped would happen. It’s what the Roman government hoped would happen. It’s what many in our day hope happened. Why? Because they don’t want God in their lives. They want to do their own thing without consequences for violating God’s eternal laws. Romans 1:18-25  points out the seriousness of this mentality, of those who ignore the glory of the incorruptible Christ who will never undergo decay. “²¹For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image…²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. ²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie…” Some people ignore their teeth. Some people ignore God. Nature dictates the consequences for both.

Have you ever had a cavity, a tooth that decayed? If you have, you know it isn’t a good thing. Can you imagine what a bad thing it would have been if after Jesus was buried in the tomb, His body decayed? It’s what the Jewish leaders hoped would happen. It’s what the Roman government hoped would happen. It’s what many in our day hope happened. Why? Because they don’t want God in their lives. They want to do their own thing without consequences for violating God’s eternal laws. Romans 1:18-25  points out the seriousness of this mentality, of those who ignore the glory of the incorruptible Christ who will never undergo decay. “²¹For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image…²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. ²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie…” Some people ignore their teeth. Some people ignore God. Nature dictates consequences for both.