As It is Written:

The Righteous Shall Live By Faith.

Let us take a look at God's Love for humanity. He sent his son to die for us. Yeshua came and died to save us from our sins. Romans 1:18-20 States, "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" (ESV). God provides a way out of our destruction and slavery to sin and has ensured everyone knows about it. That is love.

The question is do you go to God's Word for your answers or rely on your own thinking?

This scripture goes on about how although they knew God, they exchanged the glory of God for this world. By going their way (ungodliness and unrighteousness of men), their thinking becomes clouded and futile, and as they become wise in the world, they become fools. God's divine nature is perceived. They have decided to trust in themselves and the world's reasoning (a world opposed to God). After providing the good news of Christ's blood atoning for sin, and revealing His divine nature, providing no excuse, people don't want to accept God's authority. Paul says this is giving the truth up for a lie, and since God has made everything clear to them, He gives them up to the lusts of their hearts. Being "given up" means that they now think they are doing the right thing even though they directly oppose what God wants.

God provides a way out of our destruction and slavery to sin and has made sure everyone knows about it. That is love.

We must be spending time in God's Word and praying for discernment. Do what God says to do. Culture, the government, a convincing speaker, "common sense," or our enlightenment do not determine right or wrong. Righteousness is following what God says in the Bible. Trust God, not feelings. Pray for conviction, read what God says is righteousness, and don't rely on another source.

American culture is embracing the world's darkened thinking. Romans 1:26-32 goes on to say what happens as one progresses down this path of worshipping one's mind instead of worshipping the Creator. These are things that are rising in the nation, as Paul noted, would happen when giving worship to the creature rather than the Creator:

"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 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. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 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" (ESV).

That is God's Word. Does it make you angry? Do you make the excuse, "Well, it was a man who wrote it," thus creating another way to be futile in your thinking? Trust God, woship Him and make Him your authority.

Do not give in to the world's mindset, your thinking will become futile and darkened. God loves you and has provided a way for you to truly live! Trust God and what he has said in His Word.

Blessings to you!