Romans 1:18-32  Paul has reminded us that the gospel is the power to save... it is the revealed righteousness of God.. and it must be received by faith.. We are persuaded, convinced, certain, and constant in the Truth.  Jesus Christ came for one purpose.. to seek and to save those who are lost... 

And, this part of Paul's letter spells out just how lost mankind really is...  "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." 

Mankind has "suppressed the truth". Suppressing the evidence within themselves that God even exists.  Refusing to see the truth of God's work of creation, men make up their own theories.. foolish ideas of how a planet, once barren and empty, has become a planet full of life.. perfectly situated in a galaxy that is beyond our grasp. 

Mankind suppressed the truth about the One True God.. "even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God.."  They chose to exchange "the glory of the incorruptible God.. "  for idols.  They "exchanged the truth of God for a lie.."  The very same people who saw the Red Sea part, who watched a pillar of fire lead them through the night, and who heard God's voice thunder on the mountain.. were the ones who demanded a golden calf to worship.  Things have not changed much "under the sun".. for men still refuse the truth of God and chose to follow after idols of their own.. whatever pleases them at the moment. 

Suppression of the Truth brings consequences..  "Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity... for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions.. . And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind.. " ( v24;26; 28)  Three times Paul tells us that God acts against those who will not honor Him, believe Him, or even acknowledge Him. When God.. gives them over.. the result is devastating:

Men and women lose their natural, God-given identities.. resulting in "unnatural.. indecent.. not proper" behavior.... "being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." (v29-32)

I hate to watch the news.. but when I hear it, my thoughts always turn to this passage.. for I truly believe that God has given America over .. for our nation has suppressed the truth.. over and over and over again... and we are seeing the consequences across the nation on the nightly news. 

Yet, we are not overcome yet.. and God in His grace has given us the Good News of Jesus Christ which has the power to save.  May the Word of Truth be spoken loud and clear across our land today!

Father, You alone are God, our Creator and our Savior.  We hallow Your Name and we give You honor and praise and thanks.  How marvelous is Your grace to us in Christ Jesus. Father we ask that Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Deliver us from the evil one.. from the deceiver and from those who suppress the truth and lead others into wickedness.  Protect the children, Lord God, from those who wish to destroy their innocence and pervert their thinking. O God, how we need Your Spirit of power, of love, and of sound minds.. to stand firm and to wield the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God in this land where You have placed us. Fill us now, Father and keep us walking in the Truth.. in Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.