JEFF TURNER

When looking at the spiritual direction of a nation, certain patterns can be seen over time. Sometimes, there are signs that reflect a shift away from belief in God. Some begin to debate if God is not real or does not matter.

Another concern is the growing acceptance of behaviours the Bible says are sinful. These changes bring to mind the teaching found in Romans 1. The passage speaks about God allowing people to follow their own sinful desires, leading to impurity, shameful actions, and a mind that no longer thinks clearly about right and wrong.

The phrase “God gave them over,” which appears several times in Romans, carries an important meaning. It was used in a legal sense to describe someone who had been judged guilty and then handed over to face the result of that judgment. In this biblical context, it shows that God allows a nation to move forward in its chosen path when it rejects Him.

This pattern has been repeated many times throughout history. People begin with a knowledge of God, but they choose to turn away from that truth. Instead, they create their own beliefs and follow their own desires. There is also a clear order in this decline. It begins with general sexual sin, then moves into homosexuality, and finally leads to a state where the mind is no longer able to judge rightly.

When a society starts to accept and even celebrate these things, it becomes a sign that judgment is already taking place. It is not only about future consequences but about what is happening in the present. The condition of the culture shows the result of turning away from God.

In light of this, the proper response is not only concern but also prayer. There is a need to ask God for mercy and to seek a renewal of the message of the gospel. A change in direction can only come through His grace.

 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Ephesians 4:18–19