Rejecting Truth: The Path to Redemption and Hope

Devotional

Day 1: The Downward Spiral of Rejecting God’s Truth

When people persistently reject the truth about God, their hearts and minds become darkened, leading them further away from Him. This is not a neutral act—rejecting the light of God’s revelation results in spiritual blindness and confusion, as people exchange the glory of the Creator for lesser things. The process begins with knowing God but refusing to honor or thank Him, and it ends with a hardened heart that no longer recognizes right from wrong. The warning is clear: truth rejected does not remain neutral; it turns into darkness, and the further one goes, the harder it is to return. [05:50]

Romans 1:18-25 (NLT)
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes. So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you have been ignoring or resisting God’s truth? What would it look like to honor Him in that area today?

Day 2: The Danger of a Broken Moral Compass

When people continually reject God and His standards, their moral compass becomes broken, and they lose all sense of right and wrong. This leads to celebrating what God condemns and condemning what God celebrates, resulting in confusion, spiritual lostness, and a society that drifts further from God’s design. The consequences are not just personal but societal, as the lines between good and evil are blurred, and people become spiritually and emotionally disconnected from their true purpose. [19:31]

Isaiah 5:20 (ESV)
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Reflection: Where do you see the world—or even your own heart—confusing good and evil? How can you realign your moral compass with God’s truth today?

Day 3: The Hope of Redemption for the Reprobate

No matter how far someone has drifted, God’s mercy is still available. Even those with a debased or reprobate mind are not beyond the reach of God’s grace. Through repentance and faith in Jesus, anyone can be washed, sanctified, and justified. The story does not end with rejection—there is always a call to return, and as long as there is breath, there is hope for transformation and restoration. [33:35]

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Reflection: Who in your life seems “too far gone” for God’s grace? Will you pray for them by name today, believing that God’s mercy can reach even the hardest heart?

Day 4: God Is Still Striving With Us

Even when we stumble and fall, God does not abandon us. He continues to strive with us, working to draw us back to Himself. The most fearful judgment is not when God punishes, but when He stops striving—yet as long as we call on His name, He is near, ready to restore and renew. Like a lifeguard watching over a swimmer, God is always ready to rescue those who realize their need and cry out for help. [21:51]

Jeremiah 29:12-13 (ESV)
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to call out to God for help or restoration today? Will you take a moment to seek Him with all your heart?

Day 5: God’s Spirit Is Being Poured Out—It’s Not Too Late

In these last days, God promises to pour out His Spirit on all people, offering hope and renewal even to those who seem far from Him. The invitation is open: no one is too lost, too hardened, or too late for God’s mercy. Today is the day to return, to receive His Spirit, and to let Him bring new life and purpose. God is not running away from us—He is running toward us, ready to redeem and restore. [42:06]

Joel 2:28-29 (ESV)
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Reflection: Are you willing to let God pour out His Spirit on you today? What step can you take right now to open your heart to His renewing presence?

Sermon Summary

Romans 1 paints a sobering picture of humanity’s downward spiral when truth is persistently rejected. From the very beginning, God has made Himself known to every person—His invisible qualities, His eternal power, and His divine nature are evident in creation. No one is without excuse. The tragedy is not ignorance of God, but the willful refusal to honor, glorify, and worship Him as God. When people exchange the truth for lies and the Creator for created things, their hearts and minds become darkened, and they begin a progression away from God that leads to spiritual blindness and moral confusion.

This progression is not immediate, but gradual. It begins with the suppression of truth, moves to the replacement of God with idols—whether those are physical objects, pleasures, or even self—and then to repeated resistance, where sin becomes normalized and even celebrated. The conscience becomes calloused, and what once brought conviction now brings no feeling at all. This is the state of a reprobate or debased mind: so hardened in sin that God’s voice is no longer heard, conviction is absent, and righteousness is no longer desired. The most fearful judgment is not God’s active punishment, but His passive abandonment—when He simply lets people have it their way.

Yet, even in the midst of this darkness, there is hope. The call to repentance is always present as long as there is breath in our lungs. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. The light of Christ still shines, and even the most hardened heart can be redeemed. The story of the prodigal son reminds us that the Father runs toward those who turn back, no matter how far they have drifted. The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to wash, sanctify, and justify even the vilest sinner. Revival is not just coming—it is here, and God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. The invitation is open: come back before your heart hardens, cry out before you drift too far, and let the Lord renew your mind and restore your soul.

Key Takeaways

1. The Danger of Suppressing Truth God has revealed Himself to every person, leaving no one with an excuse. Suppressing the truth is not a neutral act; it leads to darkness and confusion. When we refuse to honor God as God, we begin a journey away from the light, and the heart grows increasingly blind to spiritual reality. [02:11]
2. Idolatry Is More Than Statues Replacing God doesn’t always look like bowing to golden calves; it can be anything—pleasure, self, entertainment—that takes the place of the Creator in our affections. When we worship the creation rather than the Creator, we lose sight of God’s majesty and our own purpose, and our lives become disordered. [11:03]
3. Repeated Sin Desensitizes the Soul Sin, when repeated and unrepented, hardens the conscience like a callous on the hand. What once brought conviction now brings indifference, and the heart becomes numb to God’s voice. The most dangerous place is not when you feel guilty, but when you feel nothing at all. [13:21]
4. Divine Abandonment Is the Most Fearful Judgment God’s greatest judgment is not always active wrath, but when He stops striving with us and lets us go our own way. Spiritual death and moral confusion follow, and the moral compass is shattered. Yet, as long as we call on the Lord, He is striving with us, working to bring us back. [21:51]
5. Redemption Is Always Possible No matter how far someone has drifted, as long as there is breath, there is hope. The blood of Jesus can wash, sanctify, and justify anyone who turns to Him. The call to repentance is open, and God is running toward every prodigal who turns back—there is no one beyond His reach. [28:08]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:32] - Introduction: “Have It Your Way”
[01:31] - The Wrath of God and Salvation
[02:11] - God’s Revelation Leaves No Excuse
[03:08] - Humanity’s Rejection and Idolatry
[05:50] - The Downward Spiral of Sin
[11:03] - The Reality of Modern Idolatry
[12:39] - The Reprobate Mind in Today’s World
[13:21] - Calloused Hearts and Repeated Sin
[15:29] - The Danger of Losing Conviction
[17:48] - The Broken Moral Compass
[20:39] - The Consequences of Divine Abandonment
[23:32] - Examining Ourselves and the Potter’s Vessels
[28:08] - The Call to Repentance and Hope
[31:14] - Washed, Sanctified, and Justified
[38:47] - The Father’s Pursuit and Rescue
[40:52] - God’s Spirit Poured Out in the Last Days
[42:47] - Invitation to Return and Prayer of Repentance
[46:55] - Revival and Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 1:18-32 (ESV) — > 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
> 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
> 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
> 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
> 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
> 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
> 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
> 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
> 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
> 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
> 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
> 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
> 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
> 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
> 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV) — > 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
> 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
> 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) — > The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Observation Questions

According to Romans 1, what are some ways that God has made Himself known to all people? ([02:11])
What does Paul say happens when people refuse to honor or thank God, even though they know Him? ([03:08])
In the sermon, what are some examples given of modern-day idolatry that don’t involve statues? ([11:03])
What is described as the most fearful judgment God can give, according to the sermon? ([21:51])

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says that suppressing the truth is not a neutral act, but leads to darkness and confusion. Why do you think rejecting God’s truth has such a powerful effect on a person’s heart and mind? ([05:50])
The pastor compared repeated sin to a callous forming on the hand. How does this illustration help us understand the process of becoming numb to conviction? ([13:21])
The sermon describes “divine abandonment” as God letting people “have it their way.” What does this look like in real life, and why is it so dangerous? ([21:51])
The message says that as long as there is breath, there is hope for repentance and redemption. How does this truth challenge the way we view people who seem far from God? ([28:08])

Application Questions

The sermon says that God has revealed Himself to everyone, leaving us without excuse. Are there areas in your life where you have been ignoring or suppressing what you know to be true about God? What would it look like to honor Him in those areas this week? ([02:11])
Idolatry is described as anything that takes the place of God in our affections—pleasure, self, entertainment, etc. What is one thing in your life that sometimes becomes an idol? How can you intentionally put God back in His rightful place? ([11:03])
The pastor warned that repeated sin can make us numb to conviction. Is there a sin or habit in your life that you have become desensitized to? What step could you take this week to bring it into the light and seek God’s help? ([13:21])
The sermon talked about the danger of losing conviction and God “giving us over” to our own way. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt distant or numb toward God? What helped you come back, or what could help you now? ([21:51])
The story of the prodigal son was used to show that God runs toward those who turn back to Him. Is there an area where you need to “come home” to God? What would it look like to take a step toward Him this week? ([38:47])
The message said, “As long as you have breath, it is never too late.” Is there someone in your life who seems too far gone? How can you pray for them or reach out to them in hope this week? ([29:36])
The pastor said revival is not just coming, it’s here, and God is pouring out His Spirit. What is one way you can open yourself up to more of God’s Spirit and participate in what He is doing right now? ([46:55])

Sermon Clips

If you're not worshiping the creator, then you just pick up what he's created and say, we'll worship this. Instead of worshiping God, we have changed the glory of God for different idols. Well, we don't worship idols. No, but we create them. We hold them in our hands. We watch them on TV. It's self, it's pleasure, it's anything but God. [00:10:32] (25 seconds) #IdolsInDisguise

Sin grows bolder and deeper. Things once shameful becomes more celebrated as identity. It's like a calloused hand. It's soft and oh man I'm working with a shovel but it's soft, it might even bleed but the more callous it gets, the harder it gets. And that's what happens to us. The longer you ignore it, the skin harders. Soon you feel nothing at all and that's how repeated sin desensitizes our consciousness. [00:13:13] (35 seconds) #SinDesensitizesConscience

The most fearful judgment is not when God strikes someone down. It's when he stops striving with them. I want you to know this morning that God is striving with you. What does that mean? To make great effort to achieve something. God is with us. He's striving with us. He's working with us. Motion against resistance. He's striving. But I'm not perfect. I can't get it right. I keep stumbling. I keep falling. I got good news for you. God is working with you. He's stumbling with you. He's falling with you to make sure that he can get you back up. God is still striving with you. [00:21:55] (44 seconds) #GodStillStriving

There's a call of repentance before it's too late. Here's the hope. As long as you're breathing, it is never too late. Oh, hallelujah. I said, oh, hallelujah. Oh, I feel some air coming back in the building. I feel some stirring coming back in here. I feel a cool breeze coming through the vents right now. Say, wait a minute. You mean to tell me all hope is lost? No, I'm here to tell you, God is not who we think he is. God is who he is. It doesn't matter where we've been. It doesn't matter. He is who he is. And as long as you have breath in your lungs, it's just not too late. God is merciful. [00:28:38] (46 seconds) #NeverTooLateToRepent

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