Home Again

As the Apostle Paul brings the first section of his letter to the Romans to a conclusion, it is obvious that humanity can wander a long way from its moments of beginning.  Made in the likeness of the Creator and bearing the imprint of His holy image we come into this world.  Like the Garden of Eden couple we decide we can be the master of our fate.  We know what we want.  We think we know what we need.  Too early on we find ourselves fitting the description put forth by the Apostle as he writes, "Claiming to be wise, they became fools."  (Romans 1:22)    

The product of such a choice is found in those verses which list every kind of wickedness.  (Romans 1:29-31)  If we read them as a checklist, we are likely to find ourselves checking one after another after another as an expression of wickedness we have allowed at one time or another to take root in our life.  Even though these things are listed as "things that should not be done,"  (Romans 1:28) we are too familiar with them.  It is amazing that a heart that was created filled with the goodness of God could be filled with such evil, but it is the story of each one of us.    

It is obvious that this gospel of God which is proclaimed throughout Romans is needed by each one of us.  We do need this salvation offered to us through Christ and received through faith.  While we may think we can do it alone, we cannot find our way back to place of our origin, we cannot restore a distorted human nature  so that it once again the original human nature gifted to us as a very good gift from the Creator.  The good news is that we cannot do can be done through Christ who is our salvation, or deliverer, and the One who restores us from within so that we can be at home once again.