You do what you think, & you think what you believe, so you better make sure you know what you believe & why you believe it.
Read / Listen to the chapter:
Read the chapter in an outlined format
Watch previous DIG DEEPER video post
Romans 1 Summary
Paul's letter to the Romans is probably the most important, influential thing that's ever been written. But this wasn't just written to a particular people in Rome two millennia ago, rather, he addressed it to you! This letter is for all people who are loved by God and called to be saints (a person made holy through faith in Christ).
This short letter is the clearest explanation of the gospel, which is the good news of the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (v16).
But before you can fully understand the good news, you must come to grips with the bad news, and it's really, really ugly. Although all people know God, our sinful instinct suppresses that knowledge, which has corrupted our ability to think truthfully (v21).
Although these first few chapters are tough to hear, it's critical that you understand how badly sin has infected you so that you can begin to fully appreciate that you've been set free from it.
Dig Deeper
It's obvious that people in this world are really messed up. Romans 1 helps us understand why this is: sin has affected our ability to think.
The truth of who God is and the good things He's done is clear: His fingerprints are all over the universe and our lives. But since sin causes people to ignore God, people have "become futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
So God gave sinful people exactly what they want. Three times in this chapter we read "so God gave them over," to:
the lusts of their hearts (v24)
dishonorable passions (v26)
a debased (literal: failed) mind (v28)
Notice our the root cause of physical, bodily sin is an inability to think straight.
You do what you think, and you think what you believe (about God).
This means to fix the problem, the situation must be reversed. Believe in the gospel and you will be able to think clearly. As you think clearly, you'll behave in a way that honors God.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Holy and powerful Father who has a righteous wrath for sin (v18)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be ashamed of the Gospel, but that you would experience God's power through it (v16), as you learn to think truthfully
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
