How do We Escape the Descent Spiral of Sin?
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to impurity for the degrading of their bodies among themselves. 25They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Romans 1:24-25 (NIV)
Romans 1:18-32 indeed presents a grim picture of humanity’s descent into wickedness due to idolatry, leaving many to wonder about the way forward. This passage, like an arrow drawn back in a bow, points us towards a tension-filled question: How do we escape the spiral of sin? The text, while outlining the problem, hints at a solution, particularly in Romans 1:25, where it contrasts the worship of created things with the worship of “the Creator, who [should be] forever praised.”
To navigate away from the idols of our heart, we must first leverage our sorrows and disappointments, which have become all too common in our contemporary lives. Romans 1:24 warns us that God’s justice may involve allowing us to pursue our deepest desires, a form of punishment in itself, by letting our wishes come true. The crux of our problem lies in our “over-desires” or epithumia, which, when left unchecked, lead us away from God. Yet, it is in our moments of disappointment, when our idols fail to satisfy, that we glimpse their insufficiency.
Then, we are called to engage in endless praise, mirroring the angels who are captivated by the Gospel’s glory. Intriguingly, the same Greek word, epithumia, used to describe “sinful desires” in Romans 1:24, is also used to depict the angels’ “long to look” upon the salvation story (1 Peter 1:10-12). This reveals a profound truth: our deepest passions find their rightful place in the adoration of Jesus Christ. In worshiping Him, all other desires are tempered, and we find true fulfillment.
The angels, who are not the direct beneficiaries of Christ’s sacrifice, are nevertheless enraptured by the beauty, love, and wisdom of the Gospel. If these celestial beings find their satisfaction in Jesus, how much more should we, the recipients of His grace? As we learn to delight in and praise Jesus for His sacrificial love, we find our hearts liberated from the grip of idolatry.
So, we should dethrone our dearest idols and place our worship solely on God. It is in seeing Jesus surrendering Himself out of love for us that we are empowered to break free from the ensnarement of our desires. The Gospel not only illuminates the problem of sin but also offers the ultimate solution—transforming our hearts to truly worship the Creator over the creation. Idol cannot be removed, since God created us to worship. It must be replaced.
Thus, Romans 1:18-32, while outlining the depth of human depravity, simultaneously steers us towards the hope found in the subsequent chapters of Romans. Paul sets the stage for unveiling the beauty and power of the Gospel, which redeems, restores, and reorients our worship, drawing us into a life of righteousness and peace with God.
Reflecting on the idea that idols cannot simply be removed but must be replaced, what are some specific ways you can intentionally replace false objects of worship in your life with a wholehearted devotion to Jesus?
[The ideas for this week’s materials on Romans 1:18-32 were drawn from Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones’ book “The Plight of Man and The Power of God” and Tim Keller sermon’s “The Heart of Darkness“
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Lord, thank You for the reminder that “Idol cannot be removed, since God created us to worship. It must be replaced”. I realize that I could do many things for You, but my heart is not with You. Please help me in the practice of adoring You in my daily tasks, doing them with You and not just for You. Amen.
Our reading today really resonated with me. Historically, I have found that the idols of my heart are quickly replaced. When I first got sober, and removed drugs and alcohol from my life, I was quickly pursuing other things- particularly a relationship to fulfill my heart’s desires. In time, I found this to turn out nearly as disastrous as pursuing the drugs and alcohol😔 It took time for me to realize that the only One that could truly fulfill my deepest longings in a permanent, non-artificial sense was God Himself. I think back to something Alan mentioned yesterday- is it wrong to be happy? I would say, no- absolutely not! God wants us to be happy! But he wants us to be truly happy- as opposed to the artificial, temporary happiness that this world has to offer. I think sometimes we can neglect this attribute of God- that He is happy and wants us to be happy. In Psalm 16:11, David prays: “You make known to me the path to life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forever more.” If we look in the New Testament, we find what (or who) is occupying God’s right hand- Jesus Himself! I have found that this happiness is best cultivated through time spent with Him- beholding more and more of Him each day, particularly through His Word and communing with Him through a prayerful life. This is where true, lasting joy and happiness is found!
Augustine said:
“There is a joy that brings true happiness, but is not given to the ungodly. It is only for those who love You for Your own sake. That joy is to know You as You are. This is the happy life, to rejoice in You, of You, and for You.”
I know that each of us is in a different place, at a different part of our walk with the Lord. I would just say, don’t give up on seeking the Lord in your pursuit of happiness, for “at His right hand are pleasures forevermore!”😊
I have said this often lately that I think spending my days reading His Words and reading about Him and trying to understand His nature and keeping my eyes out for His work and generally busying my mind and heart with these activities help me to center myself on the Lord and so I’m less likely to stray. I feel that this is one of the reason why God told the Israeli to keep His laws with them and read them daily. These practices that He asks us to do is for our own benefit. He doesn’t need us to idolize Him for His own good. He doesn’t need us to pay attention to Him and to have a relationship with Him for His ego as some people have said, He wants us to do these things because they will help us be good people for our sake. He doesn’t require our love for his sake. He requires our love because when we fill our heart with “goodness” and “love” which is God by definition then it has no room for “evil” and “hate”. I say this but often even while I’m going through these practices daily, I still find my mind wandering and I still fail to obey even while I recognize that I’m doing evil in His eyes. Not knowing is one thing – God doesn’t excuse that either – but knowing and still doing and then confessing and repenting over and over again – that’s worse I feel. If it was me I wouldn’t continue to forgive – but somehow God infinite grace is granted on me who absolutely does NOT deserve it.