They Do Not Honor God

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:18-25 ESV)

What does it mean to be godly and to be righteous in the sight of God? This has to do with us living lives which are pleasing to God, in submission to Christ as Lord, in surrender of our wills to the will of God, in true worship of the Lord, which is to give our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him. It means that we love (prefer) what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, and faithful to God. And it engages us, in the power of God, doing what is right in God’s eyes.

So to be ungodly and unrighteous in our deeds is to do the opposite of what it means to be godly and righteous, by God’s standards. It means we are not living lives pleasing to God, but to the flesh, and for self. It means we are not living in submission to Christ as Lord, and we are not living in surrender of our wills to the will of God, in true worship of the Lord. Our lives are not being given over to the Lord as living sacrifices, because self is still on the throne. And so we are preferring what is of the flesh in place of God.

So, this is not just about those people in this world who have never professed faith in Jesus Christ and who refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. This is about anyone who prefers self and sin over true worship of God in surrender of their lives to do the will of God. This is about those who, in practice, are living in sexual immorality, lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery, and/or in unfaithfulness, etc. Although they know who God is, they do not honor him as Lord (Master).

So, what we profess with our lips has little to do with this. What we do in love response to God for what he did for us in sending Jesus Christ to the cross to die for our sins is what really matters to God. For we can honor Christ with our lips but deny him with our actions, and that is not true honor of God, but it is false. So we need to understand here that this wrath of God is not aimed only at those who do not profess him as Lord and Savior, but at those who by their unrighteous deeds suppress the truth about God.

This wrath of God is aimed at all who do not honor God with their lives in how they live, but who go after the things of this world – the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life – instead of honoring Jesus Christ as Lord (Owner-Master) of their lives. For they truly worship what is created rather than the creator, for that is what they chase after. And so God gives them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, for they traded the truth for a lie.

And honestly, this is where many professers of faith in Jesus Christ in America are today, exchanging the truth about God and about his gospel for a lie which is telling them that they can have faith in Christ, have all their sins forgiven, and be on their way to heaven, but regardless of how they live. And so their gods become the things of this world and of the flesh, and God is not their God and Lord, but the world and the flesh are their gods. For that is what they worship, and not God, in truth.

“Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32 ESV)

And this is yet another aspect of the same whole. Even if they do not do some (or all) of the really wicked stuff themselves, they watch TV shows, movies, videos, cartoons, and games (participatory) which glorify these things and which give approval to them and which feed their minds with the filth of the world. And they give honor to these deeds by giving their time and attention and affections to them, and by giving their approval of them. And we can sin against the Lord just in our minds, you know.

So what we need to understand here is that the wrath of God is not just against those who make no professions of faith in Jesus Christ. The wrath of God is against all who by their unrighteous and ungodly deeds suppress the truth about God, and about his gospel, and about his righteousness and his plan for our lives, that we should surrender our lives to him in submission to his will and purpose for our lives, and deny self, and die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to our Lord until the end of time.

And so we need to understand that giving lip service to God alone is not going to secure heaven for any of us. For the Scriptures teach that, as true believers and followers of Christ, that we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but to God. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (Romans 6:1-23).

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

A Believer’s Prayer 

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray 

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You, and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

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