Crossing The Line

Romans 1:24
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired........

As I read this verse, the thought came to me...."Where is the line that we cross in our choices that God would do such a thing?"
Then in occurred to me that I was looking for the line with the intention of how close could a person get before they crossed said line. Would someone know they had crossed, or would they move beyond that point with no awareness that God was turning them loose. Isn't that just like a human heart and mind? To look for the loophole, so to speak, so that we could see what we could get away with?

I see this mentality and behavior a lot with people who are contemplating taking the road to recovery. The thought is..."I do want to be clean, but I want to be clean on my terms. I want to be able to call the shots and still do what I want to do." For an alcoholic this means that his desire in being clean is to be able to drink like others do who don't suffer from his problem.

But the very idea that God would abandon someone is a scary thought. Even though we may live a life totally outside the will of God, with no thought about salvation or the consequences of rejecting Him.........We keep God kind of like our ace in the hole. If things get really hard, we can always run to Him. But here in Romans we are told that if we pursue the darkness and embrace this life of sin....at some point, God may in fact abandon us to the very thing our dark hearts crave. I've said in the past that God will give you what you really want. This includes a life of sin and willful disobedience.

Romans 1:28- Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that never should have been done.
Some may rail that this behavior exhibited by God does not reveal a God who cares and loves His creation. Really? Is that what you see or read in this verse? I see a God who extended every opportunity to a creation that wanted no part of Him, His rule, or His promise of real life. They were so caught in their own deception that they chose the dark life. God let them have what the so desired. I've seen people who have slid so far down the life-ladder that they bragged about how evil they were. They were proud of the life they had lived and openly cursed God. I fear for them. I fear of what awaits them at the end of their days. My Bible says that the "wages of sin is death". Of course we all are going to die at some point, unless Jesus returns...but there is a death beyond physical death. That is eternal life that awaits those who refuse God's offer of real life here and now, and eternal life with Him after we die.

Some have the thought that they want no part of a God who would send people to hell. Well, I wouldn't either. But the route to hell is a direction you row your own boat towards by your choices. God has offered the gift of salvation. You either receive or reject.
I choose to receive.....

God on you....
mbb