On the weekend Dominic spoke on Romans 1-3. I liked what he had to say about this bit-'For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened...
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts..'(Rom1:22-24)
The whole 'God gave them over' bit is unsettling, because it raises the questions, well, did He give up on us? Didn't He love us enough to keep trying? Is there a point where He wipes His hands of you? what about the good shepherd who doesn't give up until he finds the lost sheep?
Dominic gave the illustration of a mother who catches her young son smoking. She doesn't get angry, but rather sits down at the dining table with her son, and tells him to finish the smoke. When he's done, his mother tells him to smoke another. Then another. And another. And another, until he's smoked the entire packet. He feels horrible and vomits all over the floor. Just the thought of smoking from that point on absolutely turns his stomach.
Dominic likened this to Gods' 'giving us over' to our sinful desires when we reject Him. He doesn't rush in and smack our hand, He gives us the lighter and says, go ahead. Not because He doesn't love us, but because He does.
3 comments:
I still ddon't understand the expression "gave them over".
Its a little ambiguous. no?
I understand the smoking analogy but the sinful desires?
Please clarify sir.
Hmm. I'm sure other eaders would be able to give you a better answer, but I'll have a crack-
If I was to strain against God, and against the direction He's given me (like a toddler straining against their parent who is holding them), God would let me go, to go and do what I wanted to do.
Not because He wasn't strong enough to keep me leaving, but because that's part of the 'free will' relationship we have with God. What value is our love if He forces it out of us?
In us experiencing the pain of seperation from Him, in tasting what life is like apart from Him, we can then better appreciate the joy of being with Him. It's like the prodigal son parable Jesus told.
But when we do return, He is utterly full of grace, and welcomes us back, if we are repentant. Not because He's soft and will stand for any old rubbish, like a weak parent, but because He put in place a transaction (Jesus) so we could be brought back to Him
i know I've not made it very clear.
Anyone else got a better way of putting it?
No mate, thats well explained.
It was just the term 'given over' that I was unsure of as far as a definition of terms go.
Ta
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