Romans 1 – Brandon Hatmaker “Waddaya Know?”
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
“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.” Romans 1:32
This gives us a little insight to our nature. It’s also a major critique to those of us who know the righteousness of God, but who refuse or even neglect it. I’m not writing these things to beat anyone else up… nor do I suggest anyone do it to themselves, it’s just a reality that I have in my life (that I would venture to say others might as well) that while I seek to do the things of God and live by the ways of Jesus, I often fail. I hope they are never out of intentionality. What I need to remember is that a lack of pursuit will create the neglect. None of us are above falling. It’s when we think we are that it most likely is to happen.
For those who are far from God, in a weird way, I hope that gives a little hope. Although at times as believers we act as if we have it all together, we certainly do not. God loves us anyways, yet when we are blind to our own shortfalls or pursuits, surely we will need redirection.
So how do we know when we’re neglecting what we know? Verses 29-31 list just a few indicators, “greed and depravity… full of envy… strife… deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers… arrogant and boastful; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”
When I think about how easy it is to become self-focused in life, a few of those hit a little too close to home.
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Poor yet Generous
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Not long ago I was in line at a downtown Wendy's when a homeless guy cut in
front of me. He literally acted as if he didn't see me. He stepped up to
the co...
"I long to see you...that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."
ReplyDeleteI've always loved these verses. They're constantly reminding me that there is so much to be learned from another brother or sister in the faith.
Age doesn't matter. Spiritual maturity doesn't matter. Education doesn't matter. As long as it's real and authentic fellowship, we all can be mutually encouraged by each other.
I love hearing what God is doing in other people's lives...what he's showing them, teaching them, forming in them, changing in them. God really uses those moments to teach and minister to me. And I hope that he uses me in a similar way.
Every day, I pray that I can be an encouragement to others and it's cool that God returns the favor through the people I run into along the way as well.
I'm glad you pointed this out. I think it's interesting how often we expect encouragement from others, yet so often neglect to give it. "mutually" encouraging relationships are hard to find... maybe that's because we don't "find" them, we create them. Thanks again, Brandon
ReplyDeleteThe thought that kept coming back to me as I read this chapter was how focused Paul was. If you just started reading the bible in Romans you would miss the point that Paul was a prisoner. He not once complained about it. He even thanked God for bringing him to Rome. He came because he was on trail. How many times do I complain about my life? I didn't get this job. This or that happened in my day. The kids did this or didn't do that. I am NOT on trail. Paul was a prisoner and he STILL had a heart to build the kingdom. He still wanted people to know about God and His love for others. That is the focus I strive for.
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