SATURDAY, JULY 20
Scripture: Genesis 1

The reason why Genesis 1 is so important in understanding the issue of God’s judicial application in both the Old Testament and the New is the law of creation. When I was in Australia, I noticed that their favorite baseball-type sport was cricket. I was amazed by the rules of cricket. The rules of cricket allow a person to bat forever if they continue to put the bat on the ball. Unlimited foul balls is about all baseball and cricket have in common. The rules for cricket are written in such a way that you could bat for an entire game. Having grown up with baseball, I never connected the culture with the creation of the game. The culture that creates the game establishes the rules. Because God created the heavens and the earth, and put man on it, He establishes the rules! Man wants to change the rules, but we did not create the game. Because life is God’s game, life will be conducted by God’s rules. And the violators will be penalized or even terminated forever. We may not like the rules of Romans 1, but tough luck. God’s game, God’s rules. We have a choice: submit or suffer the consequences. Everyone has a choice and everyone will be awarded or penalized appropriately. Jesus came to deliver us from the penalties of our choices, but only if we accept and yield to Him as Creator and recognize that it is His game and therefore submit to His rules. I trust we understand that and move in that direction. His rules invite axios prayer against perpetrators!