The Wide Road

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.  Romans 1:21 (NIV)

Over the years I have met many people that surprised me with their stories.  You have probably known people just like them.  Those hate filled, foul mouthed, people that you were sure never attended church or heard the gospel message in their life and then when you sit down with them and get to know them you find out they use to be deacons or even pastors some had been raised in church or had very godly parents.  Perhaps they weren’t completely ungodly but they just never spoke of God, church, or the Bible.  In this passage to the Romans, Paul gives us some insight into these lives. 

These Scriptures are often quoted to show the depravity of those that don’t know Jesus, rebels who deny God and are lost in sin.  But this verse surprises us with the declaration that “..They knew God”.  These godless men who have been given over to their sinful desires, that deny the truth and even burn with ungodly desires, at one time knew God!  This is sobering!

Did they just wake up one morning and decide to walk away from the greatest love in the universe?  How could anyone taste of God’s goodness, be humble before His throne, be filled with His Spirit and then walk away.  Is that even possible? First let me remind you that Satan was once an angel.  Not just any angel but an archangel that was intimate with God.  Somewhere in the course of eternity past Lucifer began a journey that led him to the pits of hell.  How is that possible?  He has stood before the throne of God.  He has seen the glory of the Father.  He has heard the voice of many waters.  Created by the hand of God He has stood in the presence of God himself and even carried out His commands as a faithful servant.  What happened?

This week we will be examining the road that leads to depravity and death. It is a road filled with blind people that although they have eyes they cannot see.  It is a place filled with self and pride that although it is thronging with people is lonely and empty. It is a road easily found by those that wander in the dark and never walked by those that live in the light.  It is the wide road where men struggle against unbearable burdens and refuse to look outside of themselves.  It is a place of misery and death parading as self dependence and life where empty people with hollow eyes and souls are deaf to the voice of God.

It is the harvest field.