The Truth Is Out There

In some ways, lately, I’ve felt my study lacked focus.  While I feel like God has still been able to drop some things in my heart, I’m not gonna lie: I’ve been kind of aimless.  I don’t like it, either.  I have been asking him to show me what I should study, and yesterday during service, I felt like He directed me to Romans.  In the past year, I’ve made a study of Proverbs and Psalms, and even lately I’ve been reading some amazing commentary on Psalms and Job, but I haven’t read a lot in the New Testament.  So, I said, “Okay, Lord…Romans it is.”

Most folks who know anything about New Testament times are aware of a few things.  For example, Rome was the capitol city of the Roman Empire, the most powerful governing body of its time.  In fact, according to Wikipedia, Rome was the largest city in the world from 100 BC to 400 AD.  The empire boasted a populace of anywhere between 50 to 90 million inhabitants.  We see the influence of Rome woven throughout the New Testament, from the very beginning of Matthew, when Caesar Augustus demands a census to be taken, to the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, to Paul’s imprisonment, ministry, and subsequent execution in Rome, and John’s exile by the Romans to the isle of Patmos.  Rome is a dominant figure and character in the story, even though most of the New Testament takes place up to 1434 miles away—the distance between Rome and Jerusalem.  Roman influence, at one point, encompassed an area of 5 million square kilometers, or for us Americans, 1,930,510.793 square miles.  Yikes. (Am I the only person whose head just exploded trying to wrap my brain around that figure?)

Historian Christopher Kelly describes it like this:  “Then the empire stretched from Hadrian's Wall in drizzle-soaked northern England to the sun-baked banks of the Euphrates in Syria; from the great Rhine–Danube river system, which snaked across the fertile, flat lands of Europe from the Low Countries to the Black Sea, to the rich plains of the North African coast and the luxuriant gash of the Nile Valley in Egypt. The empire completely circled the Mediterranean ... referred to by its conquerors as mare nostrum—'our sea'.”

I read an article that names more than 50 names for ‘gods’ reverenced by the Roman people at one point or another—so when you consider the thought that Christianity presented ONE God, whose name is Jesus, this must have been a real mind-bender for the life-long polytheists that early Christians were surrounded by.  One God.  “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”  The God of Israel was one-stop shopping at its best.  No need to worry if you offended this god, or that one.  There was only one faith to keep up with, and THIS God was not at war with himself, like the pantheon they were coming out from.  It must have been refreshing and mind-boggling at the same time.

In Romans 1, we realize from his opening salutation that he hadn’t yet BEEN to Rome, but he respected the church there, and longed to be with them (v. 15).  He also recognizes that while the identity of God is revealed, it’s only hidden if you just don’t want to know.  And even then, it’s really not hidden.  If you say you don’t know, you’re willfully ignorant.  Get a load of this:

Romans 1:18-19 KJV

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Eek.  That gets under my skin.  He showed them.

Romans 1:20-21KJV

²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being UNDERSTOOD by the things that are MADE, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are WITHOUT EXCUSE:

²¹ Because that, WHEN THEY KNEW GOD, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became VAIN in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

This tells me, at the end of it all, we won’t be able to “play dumb.”  You can’t claim ignorance.  If you look at the natural world, you can SEE His eternal power and Godhead. 

Psalm 19-1-3 KJV

19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

² Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

³ There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Without excuse.

In essence, the things we CAN’T see are understood by what we CAN see—His creation.  All the principles of God are in effect in both arenas.

Romans 1:22-23 KJV

²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

You’ve got to be pretty full of yourself to go around thinking you can change the glory of God, let alone to make him like a man.  You know, that sounds a LOT like what Roman mythology did all the time.  But I digress.  And when you change the truth of God into a lie, and worship the creature MORE than the Creator—well, you’ve pretty much lost your mind.  His words, not mine.

Romans 1:28 KJV

²⁸ 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;

So, I looked up reprobate, and it was very interesting.  I was especially surprised how one definition made it out to be a term of endearment!  (That certainly makes me wonder about the state of things today!) Other sources, like Dictionary.com had more traditional definition: “a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person—beyond hope.”  Vocabulary.com used these synonyms: “missing a moral compass; deviant; selfish; disreputable; scoundrel; depraved.”

Yup, a reprobate person has lost their mind, their moral compass, and their principles.  They are wicked.  And all because, when God SHOWED them, they rejected the knowledge He offered them. 

It’s all about being teachable, y’all.  If you make a mistake, that’s one thing—God is merciful, and He can redeem any sinner from the depths of their darkness.  That’s not even close to being hard for God.  But when God SHOWS you what to do, and how you need Him, and He extends a hand of mercy, and then you essentially spit in His face and walk away?  I.  Can’t.  Even. 

He is SPEAKING, all the time.  He longs for relationship with the pinnacle of His creation, mankind.  He has mercy to spare—the Word says that He is RICH in mercy.  No matter where you’ve been, He is able to save.

Ephesians 2:3-5 KJV

³ Among whom also WE ALL had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

⁴ But God, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

As they used to say on The X-Files, the truth is out there.  Seek, and ye shall find.