The appreciation of nature is on the upswing.  As time progresses, the value of nature is being recognized and more effort is being made to preserve it.  More groups are being formed to help conserve nature and the resources we all hold dear.  You can see a partial list of the many of the groups now in existence at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_environmental_organizations

What is amazing is this …. Although some of the greatness and awe of nature is receiving more attention, the ultimate purpose of nature is being totally ignored.  What am I talking about?  The greatest purpose of nature is to reveal the Creator to all mankind.  Today we appreciate the creature (nature) without acknowledging the Creator that made and sustains it…

THE SCRIPTURE:

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:.. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;… (Rom 1:20-31)

THE STUDY:

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; -

The Lord made all nature around us with the ultimate purpose of clearly revealing His greatness and power to all mankind.  

so that they are without excuse:

For those who have never received His written Word (Bible) they are still held accountable for the revelation of God that they have received through nature.  No human being can stand before God and say…. “I have never received a message of your existence, therefore, you cannot judge me for rejecting you.”    Due to nature, they are without excuse.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

These verses describe the process of absolute rejection of nature’s message…

step#1 – When God was revealed to them in nature, they choose to ignore that revelation.  Therefore they do not praise, nor thank, the Lord for His creation as they should.

step#2 – They become vain in their imaginations… in other words, they seek to explain the existence of nature using empty, worthless theories to replace the true Creator (evolution, big bang theory, panspermia, etc, etc)  

step#3 - Because they rejected clear, obvious truth about the Creator God, God then allows them to enter a state of spiritual darkness.  They brought this darkness upon themselves by rejecting the truth they had been graciously given.  God simply “stands back” and allows them to continue on in their error (instead of actively intervening on their behalf and turning them back to the truth.)

step#4 – Next they believe their own lies and come to the conclusion, by denying God’s role as Creator, they have become wiser than those who worship God. 

In actuality, they have become fools. By proclaiming themselves to be wise they have put creation (themselves) on the same level as the Creator. This manifests itself in idol worship… man worshipping themselves or other members of the created world (sun, moon, stars, rivers, air, fire etc etc etc)   

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Following their descent into spiritual darkness, in which they honor themselves and other parts of nature as the truly wise ones… they now begin to abuse their bodies, thinking they know better than God how to use them.   They begin to worship their own pleasure and lusts more than the Creator God they have long ago rejected.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

One of the greatest ways that mankind can misuse and abuse their bodies is through homosexual acts.  These acts not only seek to fulfill sinful lusts, but they also abuse their bodies by perverting the natural sexual union for which the male and female were intended.   Even a cursory look at the male and female sexual anatomy clearly shows they were made for union with the opposite sex.  To enter into same sex relations is to pervert the very nature of the male/female creation. It is a grave sin in the eyes of God.  It is a mark of reprobation.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Due to their original choice to reject nature’s message of the Creator God, God now turns them over to a “reprobate”  (totally worthless for the cause of Christ, shipwrecked, unbelieving) mind which leads to a sinful, socially harmful lifestyle.  

Some of the aspects of this type of lifestyle include being consumed with:

unrighteousness, - treating others unfairly;

fornication, - intimacy outside of law of God;

wickedness, - planning wickedness;

covetousness, - to desire possessions of another, greed;

maliciousness; - to spread unlawfulness;

full of envy, - jealousy;

murder, - taking of physical life, abortions, euthanasia;

debate, - enjoy quarreling, stirring up arguments;

deceit, - to group together to plan harm to others;

malignity; - totally consumed by evil;

whisperers, - to tell secrets told in confidence;

Backbiters, - to speak and find fault behind back of others;

haters of God, - reject God and His authority;

despiteful, - to avenge grudge by harm;

proud, - to put self above others;

boasters, - to tell of own supremacy;

inventors of evil things, - originator of plan of wickedness;

disobedient to parents, - rebel against parental authority;

Without understanding, - calling evil good and good evil;

covenantbreakers, - to break contracts, unlawful divorces;

without natural affection, - homosexuality, parents abusing children;

implacable, - cannot be brought to peace, cannot be satisfied;

unmerciful: - unable to forgive, unable to show compassion;

All of these above seem to be on the increase in our nation… remember, these things are the result of purposefully rejecting divine revelation.  Aren’t these things to be expected when you think of how our nation has rejected God and is running from Him as fast as it possibly can?

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

To lost and saved alike….

If we were to find a Timex watch lying on a sidewalk, the thought would not occur to us that just by accident it came into being.  By examining it’s construction it is plain to see that someone had to engineer the watch, and then manufacture it, according to stringent specifications. 

How blind is mankind, when science is consistently revealing complexities within nature and it’s harmonious functioning and still say that it came into being by accident? 

The greatness of nature is a continuous witness to the greatness of its Creator.  Let us all come to a fresh recognition of our Great Creator God and the need to submit to his will and ways. In doing so, we will be pleasing our God; we will be receiving eternal life; and creating a moral, pleasant society in which to live.

  If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

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 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”