Praise Where Praise is Due

  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, ~ Romans 1:22(a)

If you are following along with me in your bible, you will see that this verse is embedded in a larger section dealing with a whole bunch of sinful behaviours and attitudes, including Idolatry and sexual depravity. It doesn't make for comfortable reading. But I think, in a way, this segment of verse 22 is the key to understanding the whole passage.

Let me take the issue of homosexuality, for an example.

In our modern understanding (and lets not pretend it is actually modern, because these things have been present on the planet as long as we have) people's sexual preferences are deemed to be a highly personal thing, beyond question (as long as they fall into societies skewed view of morality) and an inalienable right.

As a compassionate human being, let me lay my Christianity aside for a moment, I have much sympathy with this view. After all I was raised in this culture and it appeals to my sense of fairness. And woe betide you if you question it.

And from a non believers stand point it makes perfect sense. It is really hard to persuade someone without an understanding of God to think any differently on the issue.

We make it all about the individual.

'How can you deny me?'
'What about my rights?'

For me personally, my thinking radically changed on this issue when I came to understand that it is not about fairness to the individual, but about obedience to God. It is about recognition of God and his rightful place of authority in my life.

I do not believe in theocracy. I am more of a libertarian. I don't personally want to force other peoples to live by my beliefs. To me the Kingdom is 'opt in'.


We submit to God as we glorify him and acknowledge his rightful place.

It is not about people's freedom but rather about God's holiness.

I, for example, accept that there are restrictions on my sexual 'freedom'. I am not homosexual, but that doesn't mean I am not attracted to forms of behaviour that do not glorify God. However, as a divorced man, that means I am effectively celibate.

And although it is not always easy, joyfully I accept this to be right.

Why?

Because I acknowledge and love God. It is a joy to follow and serve as he asks me to.

And this is the key. I picked the issue of homosexuality because it is one of the subjects referred to in the text and also one of those issues where my culture is at odds with my faith. And therefore easy to demonstrate. It is one among many issues, and not the most important.

So this has been an example from the negative. Paul is demonstrating what happens when we 'exchange the truth of God for a lie'. But we can look at this way more positively than that.

Let's just say, for a moment, that we don't exchange God's truth for a lie. Let's say that we do know God, Glorify God and Give thanks to God.

What would that look like?

All the descriptions of Sinful behaviour in the passage followed from this abandonment of God in his rightful place and God said, 'Okay. have it your own way then'. But good behaviours flow from a place of submission.

The world thinks of submission as slavery, but we know it is freedom.

Paul says in Galatians that the mind controlled by the sinful nature is death but the mind controlled by the spirit is life and health and peace.

And if we glorify God we are doing what we are created to do. A sense of wholeness, peace, shalom comes from our peace with God. Our lives begin to reflect something of his life and his glory.
And it is joy unspeakable and full of glory.

And of course we give him thanks, as Paul later says, in all things. He is the giver of all good gifts.

Heavenly Father, the father of heavenly lights, we love you and honour you. We accept your truth.
Today we acknowledge you as our Sovereign Lord and Loving Father. Give us the grace and the mind-set today to acknowledge you and glorify you in all we do and to do it with joy and thankfulness,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,

This day,

And all days,

Amen.