Bible Reading: Romans 1
Romans 1:28-31 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
This is a list of what the reprobate mind that refuses to worship God will lead to. Of all the terrible things on this list included are being disobedient to parents and covenantbreakers. Being disobedient to parents might sound like a minor thing, but it is not in God’s eyes. This list contains maliciousness and murder! It also includes being disobedient to parents. God thought that being obedient to parents was a big enough deal that he included it in the Ten Commandments. Remember that the penalty for breaking any of the Ten Commandments for an Israelite was death. Dishonoring mother and father is considered a capital offense by God.
I wonder if we take this as seriously as God. Our society almost values rebellious children. It is as if that is just what is expected for a child to do. Parents shrug their shoulders and shake their heads. However, God says it is as serious a sin as murder.
Also included on the list is being a covenant breaker. Remember that marriage is a covenant. Adultery is breaking a covenant but so is abandonment. Can we see the signs of the reprobate mind in our society? When the divorce rate among Christians is the same as that among non-Christians, we need to reconsider what God’s Word has to say! God does not look lightly on these things. They are the sins that Christ had to die to forgive! We dare not take them lightly. We must see them for what they are – sin. When they are increasing in a society, they are the evidence that God has given much of that society over to the reprobate mind. We must know that the answer is the gospel of Jesus Christ! People need to be saved. It is the only hope for anyone!
In Christ,
Rody
