Help them see the glory of God

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sound doctrine, strong faith”

Our Bible verse for today: “For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.” Romans 1:21-22 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Help them see the glory of God”

What Paul was referring to in Romans 1:21-22 is all the systems of idolatry that create false gods. This is also about the cultural forces that deny God and celebrate sin. That’s how this passage should be applied in contemporary terms. All those things turn people away from God and Paul tells us in Romans 1:18 that there is a special wrath from heaven reserved for those who suppress the truth about God and who lead others astray.

We need to think for just a moment about what the wrath of God is. Our understanding of wrath is colored by our experience of human wrath. When people demonstrate wrath, it often comes in the form of out-of-control anger; vindictiveness; a desire to cause pain and suffering. That’s what wrathful people are like. Therefore, people struggle with the idea of that kind of wrath coming from God.

But there’s a difference between human wrath and God’s wrath. God is righteous, which means His expressions of wrath will always be right. It will be perfect. God’s wrath will come at the right time and in the right way. Our demonstrations of wrath are seldom righteous, or right. Our demonstrations of wrath are often driven by anger, vindictiveness, and self-righteousness. And worse, we often wrongly assume that God has appointed us to be His instruments of wrath. But James 1:20 warns us that “man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God.” God will take care of expressing His own wrath – in His way, and in His time, and He doesn’t need us to do it for Him.

Instead, we are to be God’s advocates in the world. We are to call people’s attention to the glory of the God creation, as revealed by general revelation. And we are to go beyond that. We are to share the Good News of the Gospel, thereby imparting special revelation. And when we do that, we reinforce the truth being taught by Paul in Romans 1:20 that all people are without excuse because there has been revelation.

The idols offered to us by the world are cheap substitutes for God. They are designed to distract people and to either lead them away from God, or to keep them from ever turning to Him at all. It’s up to us, the people of God, to help people see past the idols and idolatrous systems of the world, and to see God in all His glory.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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