Dismaly Distant

03.11.09

J.A. Matteson

"...and God gave them over...." Romans 1:24

The people of God are called out into a distinct relationship with the Creator of all things. They are to be a peculiar people, separated unto holiness as the Lord their God is holy, “put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Ephesians 4:24). While longsuffering and merciful the Lord will not strive indefinitely with sin when hearts become dismally distant from His. There exists a dreadful transition zone, a tipping point, when persistent and willful defiance results in the provocation of divine wrath.

In any generation when the heart of a people grows numb to the leaven of the Spirit by pronouncing right as ‘wrong’ and wrong as ‘right’, judgment is as certain to fall as a blind man who trips over a large stone. Judgment is progressive—recall the plagues of Egypt—, observable, and commences as a result of the suppression the Word of the Lord, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Any who turn a blind eye to biblical revelation are teetering on the ledge of a perilous hillside. When the Word of the Lord is rejected something else takes its place and the only possibility is a psudo-truth that is demonically informed, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2 Timothy 4:3).

The fruit of the initial stage of judgment is a sensual orientation where chastity and modesty are euphorically jettisoned, “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them” (Romans 1:24). A pornographic culture with all of its trappings is the result. To what extent is the culture experiencing stage one?

The second stage is progressively worse—homosexuality becomes mainstream, “…God gave them over to degrading passions…women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural… men…burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts….” (Romans 1:26-27). On this point God’s moral law is explicit, “…do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived…nor homosexuals…” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Unrepentant homosexuality is categorically inconsistent with the new birth and any person professing Christ yet remaining in that lifestyle is on the wide road to destruction, hell bound, being tragically deceived by Satan. To what extent is the culture experiencing stage two?

The third stage is the loss of the general capacity to think correctly along moral lines, a spiritual dementia ensues whereby people simply cannot find their way back to the pathway of righteousness, “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Romans 1:28). The mind is now broken and no longer works as designed, professing to be wise people in this stage have become utter fools, “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed” (Titus 1:16). To what extent is our culture experiencing stage three?

In addition to these three stages divine judgment may also include war, pestilence, and famine. Considering the forgoing, perhaps those called out by the Lord unto salvation need not look to the future for judgment, it has likely already arrived. And if so to what extent has the Church been infected by the debauchery of the culture? Has she lost her savor? Has she trimmed her lamp so low as not to be visible? Repentance in the culture begins with the household of God, “Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations” (Ezekiel 14:6).

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