Monthly Archives: September 2026

17 BY THE WAY…WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “WAIT”?

Bible Study, ,

Fascinating, isn’t it, to unpack the hidden meaning in the Greek and Hebrew words in the Bible that are lost in translation!

If one takes the time to do some digging, what one discovers is a treasure trove of truth that brings new light into our understanding of the Word of God. 

Take, for example, the words used for “wait”. 

The Bible counsels us, repeatedly, to wait on, or wait for, the Lord…but not simply by sitting passively, doing nothing until God does something. “Waiting” demands something active from the one who waits. 

One of the most well-known and well-loved “waits” comes from the pen of Isaiah. 

“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Translators have messed this one up. The word “qavah”…”wait”, means “to bind together by twisting”. This is not about passively waiting. This is about doing something active…binding oneself to God in “hope” (NIV) and “trust” (NLT), alternative words that try to convey the meaning of the original word. 

The idea comes from the way ropes were made. Rope-makers bought the strands they used for weaving ropes from the market. The quality of the strands did not matter because, when strong and weak strands were twisted together, the rope became strong. 

What a picture of real faith? Our trust in God is woven together from personal experience…the times we trusted Him and the times we failed to trust Him…but He helped us anyway. We bind ourselves to the Lord with this twisted rope as we anticipate His intervention and…He gives us the strength to fly, to run, and to walk… through our troubles, our tests, and even our pain. 

The second “wait”, as I discovered, is equally fascinating…an even more vivid picture, when we follow the threads, of what it means to rest in God while He works for us. 

One morning, as I was reading 1 Corinthians…something caught my attention. Speaking of God’s hidden wisdom, Paul explains that, had rulers of this world known God’s wisdom, they would not have crucified Jesus. Why? They didn’t understand that, by having Jesus killed, they were judging themselves!

“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.””

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…he explained

There is a hidden truth in this quote that I need to unravel. 

Where had I read something like this before?

My search led to me to Isaiah. 

“For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64‬:‭4‬ NLT

…but…by comparing these two statements, two things struck me. First, Isaiah wrote “those who wait for Him”.  Paul wrote “those who love Him”. Why the difference? Second, Paul wrote “those who love Him”, not “those whom God loves”. Why?

Under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, something began to emerge.  

In the Old Covenant, there was an intriguing ritual that was part of the instructions regarding slaves. In the year of Jubilee, every 50th year, Israelite slaves were given their freedom and allowed to return to their land. However…

If a slave loved his master enough to forfeit his freedom, his ear lobe was pierced with an awl as a permanent sign of belonging to his master. 

““But suppose your servant says, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and he has done well with you. In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. And do the same for your female servants.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭15‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Here is where the word “wait” comes in. “Chakah” translated “wait”, comes from the root word “to carve” or “to pierce”. 

By piercing the slave’s ear lobe, his love for his master was indelibly imprinted on his body, indicating that he permanently belonged to his master. 

Now, let’s follow the thread. How do “wait” and “love” connect? First, of course, those who are followers of Jesus are essentially His love-slaves, joined by faith in Him to what He did for us. 

What did Jesus do for us? Isaiah prophesied…and a Roman soldier fulfilled…that Jesus would be “pierced” for our transgressions. The Hebrew word has its root in the idea of twirling or boring as one would bore with an awl. 

“One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In his record, John specifically chose a Greek word that matched Isaiah’s prophecy, a word meaning to “prick”. So, in both Old New Testament language, Jesus was pierced for us. 

Not, let’s connect the dots. Just as we were crucified with Jesus, according to Paul, so we were “pierced” in Him, which is our response…“those who love Him”…i.e., those who were pierced with Him because of their love for Him. 

These two verses, tied together…those who “wait”, (Isaiah 64:4) and those who “love” (1Cor 2:9) Him…are essentially saying the same thing. God has prepared good things beyond our present human understanding because, we “wait”…we belong to Him forever as His love-slaves. Being pierced is the evidence. 

Paul confirmed this amazing connection by his own testimony…

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our belonging to Jesus was indelibly imprinted on His body, and on ours through our union with Him. We know, therefore, that God has prepared things beyond our present understanding because we love Him and “wait” for Him. 

“Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and, by the way…so wrote Paul … there is a sequel to our belonging to Him…our holy lives, separated from sin, are the ultimate witness! 

“Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.””

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and John…

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

16 BY THE WAY…WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE REALLY SAY?

Apologetics, ,

How often we make assumptions about God and us that are…well…simply not in the Bible! Sometimes, we misinterpret. At other times, we add…or even subtract. In these ways,  we can twist God’s Word out of shape until we make it mean what it doesn’t mean. We can build whole doctrines on additions that are not in the Word. God says, “ Don’t do this!”

What God has written is for us to believe. What He has not written is not for us to speculate. 

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭29‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why do some people change the Word, and others believe the change as though it were the truth? I think that the answer is simple. The truth is inconvenient or outright dangerous…so they change it to make it less problematic. 

I could give you many examples but…let me use just one to illustrate my point. This example is, I guess, a hot potato! The issue is infant baptism and its partner…confirmation. 

The practice of infant baptism has a long history, beginning as early as 200AD, from the writings of Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian. 

“c. AD 200 (Tertullian): The North African theologian Tertullian is the first writer to explicitly mention infant baptism, though he actually argued againstrushing innocent children into the rite. His opposition proves the practice was already being discussed or performed by his time.

c. AD 248 (Origen): The scholar Origen wrote that the Church received the tradition of baptizing infants directly from the apostles, noting it washed away innate stains of sin.

c. AD 250 (Cyprian of Carthage): Cyprian formally defended infant baptism, arguing that God’s grace and baptism should not be withheld from newborn children.”

According to Google AI, there are two possible reasons for this unbiblical practice…

“Emergency Measures: Some modern historians suggest that childhood baptism originally spread as an emergency precaution when infants faced deadly epidemics, such as the Antonine Plague in the late second century, to ensure their salvation before death.

“The Doctrine of Original Sin: In the fourth and fifth centuries, Augustine of Hippo tied baptism directly to the concept that all humans inherit the guilt of Adam and Eve. This turned infant baptism from a precaution into a theological necessity for cleansing original sin.” (Google AI)

Have you noticed that those ancient theologians didn’t turn to the Biblical writings for a solution to their problem but to their own reason and logic. Although the truth of Scripture is that all people are born with a sin nature, the answer to that dilemma is not infant baptism to “save” babies before they can believe in Jesus. 

Then why “baptise” babies? 

How much easier it is to sprinkle a few drops of water on a child’s head and then to believe that the child is “saved” than to trust in the power of the gospel and the grace of God. Only He can do the deep, inward transformation of the heart through faith in Jesus. We confirm this transaction by being “buried with Jesus” through baptism, and by rising out of the water to a new life. 

The first question we must answer is…how can an action imposed on a baby change a child’s heart? The Bible clearly states that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s by faith that we are saved, not by sprinkling water on the head. God works in the heart, not through the body. 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How can a baby or a small child make such a decision without understanding?

Secondly, salvation is a two-way action between God and the respondent…

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

No infant can ever experience this radical transformation simply by having water sprinkled on its head. 

Thirdly, the reality of salvation is that it is a death and resurrection. 

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…death to the old life…to the power of the old nature…buried in water just as Jesus was buried in a tomb…a real and powerful demonstration of the truth…

‭

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is God the Holy Spirit doing in the heart what no water can do on the skin!

Fourthly, this transaction can only happen through repentance and faith…not by the decision of human parents…and not by an imposition of one person on another. 

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The pattern is crystal clear! 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fifth, the meaning of the Greek word Biblical writers used for this action cannot mean what is does not mean. “Baptizo” means to immerse or submerge, derived from “bapto” meaning “to whelm”, i.e., “to cover wholly with a fluid”. 

How can “baptise” be twisted to mean “sprinkle”? 

Now, one last comment? One can search the Scriptures from cover to cover and not find, either in the Old or the New Covenant, the  instruction or justification for sprinkling water on a baby’s head to impose salvation or transformation on its heart. Like every other instruction or prescription humans add, what the Scriptures never command, humans have no authorisation to demand. 

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, as Jesus said…

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬


15 BY THE WAY…HOW IS GOD’S JUSTICE PERFECTLY JUST?

Bible Study, ,

In s strange way, according to the Bible, God’s justice works in two ways. 

We like to celebrate His justice when it works in our favour. When we suffer at the hands of others, despite our passion to retaliate, we resign ourselves to the promise that God will avenge the wrongs done to us. We are content to let Him fight our cause for us. 

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In fact, we look forward to the day when God’s vengeance falls on the heads of those who have hurt us!

Let’s pause for a moment to take a look at the way God’s justice works. 

Does God enjoy punishing people for doing wrong? No, He doesn’t! 

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭33‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Unlike us, He grieves when people defy Him. He created every human being to love Him and to enjoy the benefits of His love. People hate God, first because sin makes them afraid of Him. Second, people run from God because they don’t know Him. 

God doesn’t usually punish people by inflicting something bad on them although, in the Bible, there were times when He did judge them for really wicked behaviour in response to blatant disobedience, defiance, or rebellion. 

Of course, the greatest evidence of His justice is the exile of His people to Babylon. He said it would happen if they persisted in their idolatry…and they did persist…and it did happen. God always keeps His Word. 

In the main, how does God’s justice work and how is His justice just?

Everything we say and do has consequences. Sometimes the consequences are good and sometimes they are bad…and sometimes doing the right thing can even have adverse results. 

God warns us of the consequences of doing wrong so that we can make the right choices and take responsibility for the choices we make. This is the place where God’s justice begins to work. 

God gave Adam the right to make choices and decisions before he sinned. After he sinned, he still had the right to make choices but…only within the sinful nature he had chosen after he had fallen. 

Consequences are the way that God’s justice works in practice. If you stick your hand in the fire, you will be burned. That was your choice, not God’s fault. God simply confirms the choices we make. 

There are examples in Scripture of how this works. 

Take Pharaoh, for example. God told Moses to go to Pharaoh, to tell him to release the Israelites. Pharaoh refused…five times…five plagues followed, one consequence for each refusal, confirming Pharaoh’s decisions.   Then God hardened Pharaoh’s heart five times…another five plagues…again confirming Pharaoh’s choices. 

Paul explains God’s justice more clearly in Romans 1. Wicked people refuse to acknowledge God. They worship idols and reject God’s moral standards. In response, God confirms their perverse sexual behaviour by giving them over to their lusts and to a reprobate or depraved mind so that they could no longer make moral judgments. 

So, in simple terms, if people persist in rejecting God and truth, choosing to follow their sinful desires, God gives them what they want…and with it, a dead conscience…and the inability to know the difference between right and wrong. 

How just is God’s justice!

However, God’s justice works in another way as well. 

God is love. His nature is love…therefore He refuses to allow sin to destroy forever the people He made. To reconcile sinners to Himself, the  debt of sin had  to be paid. Since God is perfectly just, sin’s debt must be paid by a human because humans incurred the debt. 

So, what did God do? There was, is, and never has been a human, born into this world, who is without sin. The only alternative, for God, was to come Himself, with the same nature as humans…but without sinning…to live under the same conditions as humans…and to die the death that humans must die to pay the debt of sin. 

We must pay the debt for our sin because God is just. God, in the person of Jesus, paid our debt in our place because God is just.  

So, Paul could write…triumphantly…

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God’s justice is satisfied in that Jesus paid sin’s debt for all people and…in that He is perfectly just in that He can declare that all people who receive His gift of forgiveness by faith, are not guilty. 

God’s justice costs us nothing if we leave vengeance to Him. He repays those who do wrong to us through the consequences that follow them. 

Since we sinned, God’s justice costs us everything if we refuse to repent. Since Jesus did not sin, God’s justice cost Him everything to pay our debt and set us free from the penalty of our sin. 

We can, therefore, say that God’s justice is perfectly just in every way. 

14 BY THE WAY…FAKE OR FOLLOWER?

Christian Life, ,

I think that the greatest of all human tragedies is the tragedy of self-deception. What do I mean? How many people are there in the church…the universal body of the Lord Jesus scattered across the globe…who believe that their future in Jesus is secure but are completely deceived. 

Deceived by what? Deceived by the notion that they are God’s children because they believe and do the right things…without ever having experienced the supernatural work of God’s Spirit in their hearts. 

They have moved their lives…their company and activities…into the orbit of the visible church. They attend every service, participate in the life of the body, keep company with God’s people and appear to be one of them but…they lack one thing…the most important thing that sets them apart from the world. They lack what Jesus called “the new birth”. 

They lack citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. 

Let’s look at the meaning of citizenship. 

We are all born into this world and citizens of the “dominion of darkness”. 

What does it take for one’s citizenship to be transferred from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of God? Jesus said that it takes a “new birth”. 

“Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Whatever Jesus meant, we understand that entrance into God’s kingdom means much more than simply changing one’s behaviour. It means that God does something in us that makes the difference.  It takes a rescue!

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul said it takes resurrection from spiritual death…

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Every one of us was born spiritually dead. We had physical life but we had no connection with God because our human nature was inherited from the first man, Adam. He rebelled against God’s rule and changed allegiance to the one who rules in the “dominion of darkness”. 

Only God could reverse the situation by supernatural intervention. Only through Jesus, our substitute, who took our punishment on the cross, could God forgive our sin, give us His nature, reconcile us to the Father and change our status from slaves to sons. 

This means that we cannot become citizens of heaven by our family connections, by changing our environment, or our behaviour by deciding to be a child of God. This change happens only through God’s grace and by His power at work in us. 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Who initiates this change? Not us! We can’t do a thing about our lost situation unless God begins the process. 

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s the Father who gives to Jesus those He has chosen. 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and it’s by His power that He changes us inside so that we are no longer His enemies but His sons and daughters. 

This change is so dramatic that we, who were once dead to God, become dead to sin and alive to God. 

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— …Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬, ‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 Can you see, then, that going to church or reading the Bible can make no difference to our destiny unless…what we do is the fruit of what we believe and what God has done in us?

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Changing citizenship is a process and a partnership. God works in us by the power of His Spirit when we believe His Word, receive His forgiveness for sin, and surrender our lives to Jesus as Lord. The Holy Spirit does the work in us, changing our hearts, our nature,  and our allegiance from self to God. 

There is one more way in which we can know that we are God’s children. Apart from the changes that are real in us…we love God…we love His Word…we love His people…the Holy Spirit, who has come to live inside us, speaks. 

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now this is the acid test. Paul said that the real way to know whether we are in God’s kingdom or not is simple. Who or what runs your life?

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires…You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ….For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬, ‭9‬, ‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fake “Christians” are like the plastic ornaments of a Christmas tree. They have no connection…no life from the tree. They may look real but they are dead. 

Followers of Jesus are joined to Him like branches in the vine. They draw their life from Him and they bear the fruit of His nature in them. 

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Are you a fake or a follower?



13 BY THE WAY…WHY IS GOD LAUGHING?

Bible Study, ,

The goings on in our land is bending us out of shape. How do we get our minds around the terrible things that are happening? What will become of our beloved country under the control of such wicked men? The outcomes are frightening and unthinkable…. Unless…

Now read this. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

“The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Until… what?

We must first ask…

“What does God think about all this rebellion…this chaos and mess?” What can He do about it…so we think. 

The Bible gives us a very different perspective. What we think is an impossible situation, God thinks is amusing! What!

“The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Of course God can laugh. His laughter clarifies the whole situation. He can laugh and scoff because He knows something the rebels have never considered. 

These crazy fools are playing right into His hands. How can we say that? Because God is just! How can He be just in such chaos? This thought leads us straight to a better understanding of the  way God’s works. His  justice is perfect justice. 

God’s justice is never arbitrary, never imposed on bad people…on bad behaviour. God’s justice is the sequel to, and the outcome of people’s choices. He doesn’t punish people for what they do. He lets them punish themselves through the consequences of what they do. 

What do I mean?

When we follow through on God’s justice in Scripture, something amazing emerges. Paul gave a clear picture, in his letter to the Romans, about the trends in the society in his day. He might as well have been posting his findings on WhatsApp or Facebook. 

They suppress the truth by their wickedness. 

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness…”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

They deny what is real about God. They push it down by what they say and do. 

“…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

They know but ignore the witness of creation…

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

They trade the knowledge of the true God for false gods…

“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV

They reverse God’s moral standards by their perverse behaviour…

Since they refused to acknowledge God and…they make their own rules…

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Can you trace the process of God’s justice? He did nothing except let them do and become what they had chosen. Choices always have consequences…and consequences are the path of God’s justice. 

The inevitable outcome of this stubborn rebellion is the frightening reality of a depraved (reprobate) mind. 

“A reprobate mind is a biblical term for a corrupted state of reasoning where a person repeatedly rejects moral truth until they lose the ability to tell right from wrong. 

“The phrase comes from the New Testament book of Romans, chapter 1, verse 28. The original Greek word used is adokimos, which means “unapproved,” “rejected after testing,” or “worthless”. (Google AI)

God’s laughter at the foolishness of human wickedness is not mirth because it is funny. It is ridicule because people think they can outwit God. His laughter is prompted by the truth of who He is and who they are. They think that they can defy God and get away with it. 

In the face of His own people’s wickedness, God said…

“When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How much more those who hate and defy Him!

Yes! God delights in His people, however weak and failing we might be…

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…but…

“…the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and the irony of it is that people choose their own undoing.