Walking with the Wise #183: Given Over

“Do they not go astray who devise evil?

Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.”
—Proverbs 14:22

Doing evil may be fun for a moment, but its end is always painful. If we continue doing evil, then God may give us over to the consequences of our evil. We are responsible for our choices and God has given us plenty of reason to turn from sin and embrace Him. Set aside the Word of God for a moment and we can see from creation itself that there is sufficient evidence to show who He is, as Paul wrote,

“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”—Romans 1:18-20.

In Romans 1, God has made it plain who He is, and yet there are those who seek to suppress the truth of who He is by continuing on in wickedness, therefore God will give them over to the consequences of their actions, they became futile in their thinking (v. 21), their hearts were darkened (v. 21), they became fools (v. 22), and God gave them over to impurity (v. 24), the dishonoring of their bodies (v. 24), dishonorable passions (v. 26)—which resulted in them “receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error” (v. 27). God gave them over to a debased mind (v. 28), and they

“…were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 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 1:29-32.

God doesn’t want us to continue in sin, instead, He desires that we have repentance and pliable hearts—ready to do what is delightful in His sight. Those who seek to do good will be blessed with steadfast love and faithfulness.

Seek God, turn from your sin, and do that which is pleasing in His sight—for in doing so you will be blessed. Amen.