Paul’s letter to the Romans has 16 chapters which cover the things that those who desire to follow Christ should understand. Paul is writing to those “called to be saints” (verse 7). Do you feel that includes you?

Paul’s aim is that they (and you) “may be encouraged by each other’s faith” (verse 12). The foundation to this is a belief in God and His creative power bringing all things into being. “For”, writes Paul, “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who, by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them … his invisible attributes, namely his divine power … have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (verses 18-20).

For at least the last 150 years or more, men have been “claiming to be wise” (verse 22), theorising that there is no God and that all that exists sort of invented itself! There is nothing really new in this. In Paul’s day philosophers had their theories and had no sense of responsibility to a Creator. Today many convince themselves that there has never been a Creator. The only responsibility they have is to themselves – and what a mess they are making of society.

The Jewish world came to an ugly end about 500 years before Christ. Jeremiah 18 tells us about the final decadent years of the kings descended from David; God declares to the distressed prophet, “I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity” (verse 17). Later, the Roman world came to an ugly end as “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity … they exchanged the truth about God for a lie …” (verses 24,25). In chapter 2 Paul tells all who have such an attitude, “you are storing up wrath for yourselves on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed” (verse 5). The ultimate “day of wrath” appears to be getting closer. Let us get closer to God that we may see His face when the world faces a terrible calamity.