Romans 1:31: Undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful.
There is every reason to expect that members of a family will be united in bonds of love and affection, and it is an evil thing when they are not. Ruthless, a word found here only in the New Testament, means “without pity”, “without mercy”. It is significant that, in an epistle that will stress God’s mercy throughout, the list of vices should be rounded off with “merciless”. This is the very depth of evil, when one shows no mercy. 1
I used to tell the students in my classes to buy any of our metropolitan daily newspapers, sit down, and find a headline for every sin that is mentioned here. This is the condition, not only in Cairo, not only of Calcutta, not only of Beijing, but also of the United States today. How much longer will God tolerate it and be patient with us? He has judged great nations in the past who have gone in this direction. 2
Application
- Do you want a friendship just because it meets your needs, or because you are a trustworthy, loyal and loving friend to someone else?
- It takes a very merciful person to extend forgiveness and receive it. Reconciliation is birthed from the the rich soil of mercy. Time to rototiller some mercy into the soil?
Prayer
Lord, “break my heart, for what breaks Yours.” I want to forgive, just like You do!
1. Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
2. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 1-8) (electronic ed., Vol. 42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
