As long as I read the Scriptures, I found it so difficult to understand why the wrath of God was so harsh in certain situations. It was a conflict for me because I have personally witnessed how loving and kind the Father is. So why did this come through so prevalent in Scripture from end to end? Then it came crashing down about five years back.
Romans 1:18-20 is one of the best locations to see why this wrath is justified but it makes, or it should make, us look at the things we prop up as holy and good in our lives and what value they truly possess.
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 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.
If you dare to read the next three verses, it gives very basic but general examples of what this type of overt and blatantly defiant behavior looks like then and even in today's times. It's talking about a lot of things such as idolatry, sexual immorality, and the like. This isn't designed to be a religious argument. I don't care to do that just because of what these scriptures highlight. One can make themselves believe whatever they want even if the truth is right in front of them.
Do you know anyone that has the right answers right in front of them but they refuse to accept it because it doesn't fit the narrative or the dream they have mapped out for their own lives? Is that you perhaps?
The damning part of this passage is that the proof is being and has been clearly displayed and have been, as the passage notes, been "made plain". Now the people are without excuse.
Remember Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? I don't know how you took that movie but I was thought it was very, very sad. It was a symbol of how we look at life. We fix our eyes on the good things that make us happy only and ignore the evidence of instruction, reproof, and wisdom that are all around us. Then we hope that we can make a last minute reprieve to obtain heaven after we have lived our lives the way we want to. We just want a golden ticket and frankly, it doesn't work like that.
Heaven isn't something we can work for but our lives are required to line up to the standard left behind for us by the best example of holy living there was, is, and ever will be.
Just something to think about as we enjoy all the finer things in life. What will it be worth if we have nothing but misery after we've done living well? Take a look at this passage and you might see what I mean. (Luke 16:19-31)
If you dare to read the next three verses, it gives very basic but general examples of what this type of overt and blatantly defiant behavior looks like then and even in today's times. It's talking about a lot of things such as idolatry, sexual immorality, and the like. This isn't designed to be a religious argument. I don't care to do that just because of what these scriptures highlight. One can make themselves believe whatever they want even if the truth is right in front of them.
Do you know anyone that has the right answers right in front of them but they refuse to accept it because it doesn't fit the narrative or the dream they have mapped out for their own lives? Is that you perhaps?
The damning part of this passage is that the proof is being and has been clearly displayed and have been, as the passage notes, been "made plain". Now the people are without excuse.
Remember Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? I don't know how you took that movie but I was thought it was very, very sad. It was a symbol of how we look at life. We fix our eyes on the good things that make us happy only and ignore the evidence of instruction, reproof, and wisdom that are all around us. Then we hope that we can make a last minute reprieve to obtain heaven after we have lived our lives the way we want to. We just want a golden ticket and frankly, it doesn't work like that.
Heaven isn't something we can work for but our lives are required to line up to the standard left behind for us by the best example of holy living there was, is, and ever will be.
Just something to think about as we enjoy all the finer things in life. What will it be worth if we have nothing but misery after we've done living well? Take a look at this passage and you might see what I mean. (Luke 16:19-31)
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