Suppressing the Truth in Unrighteousness
In the book of Romans, Paul speaks about one of the outworkings of God’s wrath upon mankind. Because of our hard and impenitent hearts, God’s wrath is revealed as He removes His restraining hand of grace so that men and women suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18). Paul goes on to tell us that what can be known about God from creation is plain to all people so that everyone is without excuse.
Sadly, in defiance of this revelation, the world claims to be “wise” and champions their ways giving approval to all who practice this “wisdom.” We see such an example of this in the March 16, 2022 US Today in which it names a transgender Biden official as one of its ‘Women of the Year.’
The created order that Paul refers to in Romans chapter 1 is more than just the trees, mountains, oceans and animals. He is also referring to human beings who are the highest order of creation because we have been made in the image of God (Gen 1:27). As such, we have been given the job to serve as vice-regents on behalf of God as we are to steward all that He has created in submission to Him for our good and His glory.
Yet, because of the Fall (Gen 3:1-19), we have failed miserably to do that. Not only have we failed in doing what God has commanded us to do, we have failed in even the basic acknowledgement of reality that God has made evident to us. When men and women no longer can see and acknowledge reality — that a man is a man or that a woman is a woman — we give evidence to the depths of our depravity and fallenness.
Christians must be a people who express the truth in righteousness
Christians are to be like the little boy in The Emperor’s New Clothes who cried out, “The emperor has no clothes!” We don’t cry out in despair nor do we do so out of anger or with any sense of superiority. Instead, we cry out because God has graciously given us new hearts and new minds so that we no longer suppress the truth in unrighteousness. We cry out that God made man and woman in His image and that no amount of make up, hormone therapy, or surgery can change that.
We cry out to the lost and hurting that there is hope in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We cry out that we know there is pain and suffering in this world as we Christians have experienced much of it. We cry out that Jesus Christ Himself is a man of sorrow who is well acquainted with pain, betrayal, suffering, and loss.
Sin and its hideous effect resides within each of us. It is up to us to determine how we will respond to the truth that God has provided. Will we continue to suppress the truth in unrighteousness and cheer on those who do as well (Rom 1:32)? Or, will we surrender the perceived rights and authority we think we have over our bodies (which God graciously made and is sustaining each and every second) and live under His truth in righteousness? Which will it be?
Our society is pushing hard for the former. But those who know and love Jesus must stand strong for the truth by living in loving righteousness in all areas of their lives to include the reality that gender and sexuality are determined by God and not man. May we be a people who express the truth in righteousness.