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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Tuesday, June 5 . Rom. 1 : 28 - 32 .
that men are worshipping and serving the creature rather than the Creator. They do not worship and serve the creature by bow ing down before him and rendering formal homage to him, but the philosophy of the time does worship the creature rather than the Creator. Monday, June 4 . Rom. 1 : 26 , 27 . Now follows a picture of the indescrib able vileness that ultimately results from ignoring God and not glorifying Him and returning thanks. The picture grten was literally true of the men of Paul’s day. It was true even of some of their most noted leaders and philosophers, literally true. And alas! is true of many today in heathen lands and in civilized lands. The vilest forms of sin described here are practised today even in America and England with a frequency that is startling. We have become accustomed to saying that our day is much better than that day, to such an extent that we have no word in our language to describe the moral offenses here pictured, but alas! the offenses are only too frequent whether we have a name for them or not. In these verses we have the story, not of the “ascent of man” but of the descent of man. Universal history proves this story to be true. Evolution is a fascinating hypothesis, but it is not true to the facts of history when applied to man. Many who would fain be considered scientific are attempting to reconstruct his tory to fit their hypothesis,' but this can only be done by ignoring ascertained and indisputable facts. Indisputable facts in the history of China, India and other lands prove beyond peradventure that the prog ress in religion and morals through the centuries has been downward rather than upward. It has been downward just as pictured here. Modern inhabitants of heathen countries have discovered in these verses such an accurate photograph of themselves that they have been sure that Christian missionaries must have made up the verses after coming among them.
Because men “worshipped and served the creatuye rather than the Creator” “GOD GAVE THEM, UP.” There are no more terribly significant words to be found any where in history than, these four, I“God gave them up.” Three times in solemn repetition do they occur in this chapter (vs. 24, 26, 28, R. V.). First, “God gave them up unto uncleanness” (v. 24). Second, “God gave them up unto vile passions.” These vile passions are described in a way which makes the cheek burn with shame, but alas! the picture is true not only in heathen lands but in America. These frightful sins carry their penalty in their bosom, and no offender ever escapes un scathed. They "receive in themselves that recompense of their error which .is due.” Third, “God gave them up to a reprobate mind.” Out of this reprobate mind, as out of a foul but full fountain, gushed forth all manner of loathsome and damnable actions. We do well to read again and again this dark catalog that we may be thoroughly aroused and frightened away from taking the steps that lead to such enormous iniqui ties. Note well the words, “filled with all, etc.,” and "full of, etc.," and thus read what it means to desert God and conse quently to be deserted of God. You give God up and God will give you up some day, and all these things here described will follow in due course. The stubborn defiance to God that comes at last is found in these words, “knowing the ordinance of God, that they which practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practice them.” Wednesday, June 6 . Rom. 2 : 1 - 4 . The description of the lost estate of man found in chapter one, verses eighteen to thirty-two, has primarily an especial refer ence to sin among the heathen (i. e. Gen tiles). This loathsome picture is given in o,rder to show the need of the Gospel for
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