Romans 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

Ever wonder why Paul points at the Jews first? For me it comes down to God choosing Abram to be the father of all faiths. Abram heard God, believed God and obeyed God. It was the believing that was accounted to him for righteousness. That right standing before God was re-instated to mankind through Abram’s bloodline, his grandson becoming Israel.

In Israel God raised up mighty prophets, did wondrous miracles within their camps, blessed and prospered them. He also punished them when they turned to other gods in worship. They should have known better. They had the pleasure of knowing the way of righteousness and failed to incorporate it into daily life so that it should never be forgotten.

2 Peter 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

At this time some will want to cry out “We live under grace.” True enough, but allow me to ask the hard question. What is grace without faith? You are going to hear about grace allot soon and rightly so. Keep in mind that grace comes through faith.

Think of faith as an inheritance, unmerited favor, received because God loves you. Will you be wise and invest that faith to increase your faith or will you waste it allowing it to be diminished so that in the end you have nothing to pass on to those you love?

Faith is a renewable energy which has to be used to increase, or wither with inactivity.

Romans 1:25a Who changed the truth of God into a lie,

Yes, who indeed changed the truth of God into a lie?

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Romans 1:28 (AMP) And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,

1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

If we have the mind of Christ, is it possible that those who have believed the lies of Satan have the mind of Satan in the same manner? Have they lost their minds? Now I am wondering if God, knowing the end from the beginning, might not have seen that some could only come to their right minds after they suffered that which is improper and repulsive first.

I had to see that my life was unpleasing to my soul before I repented and turned to God. I didn’t go as far as some of these acts talked about in Romans 1 but maybe some do have to go further than I did to turn it around. I praise God that it didn’t get that bad but what of those who suffer the indignations of humanity without understanding there is a way out?

Perhaps this is why Paul jumps right into his entreaty on judgement.

Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.