Romans 1:18-23

Scripture Verse

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

This passage is a very tough assessment by Paul.

Our idols might be different from images of birds and animals and reptiles, but there are plenty of new images in our time. It is up to each one of us to define our own idols, any of the things that seriously disturb our relationship with God. Family, friends and of course above all the Bible help us to get to an honest assessment of our individual specific problems.

By reading the 10 commandments and the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes and the Parables we will find plenty of help there.

I find a passage of the prophet Micah helpful for my daily life (Mica 6: 7 – 8): Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. 

Did I do so today?