Just Say Know
Scripture: Romans 1:21-23
"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. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols.."
Observations:
Paul's opening statement here wastes no time pointing out humanity's sinfulness before God. In a few paragraphs he puts mankind on trial and ends with a clear conviction that condemns everyone for their sins. People who may not have done as many "bad" things as some are lumped together with and found just as guilty as those who have committed the worst crimes imaginable which causes some to wonder, "is God fair?" But the point Paul goes on to make is that everyone's sin is equally condemning and that no one has any room to argue for better treatment. If God was fair, He should throw all of us out because even the best of us have no leg to stand on when it comes to our sin. He argues that we should all know better but each of us have rejected at some level the truth God has revealed about Himself and as a result we have made a real mess of our lives.
Application:
Thankfully, God has decided not to leave us in our sins but has offered each of us a way to escape the eternal consequences of our choices. Because Christ came and paid the penalty for our actions, God has now declared that everyone willing to return to Him and accept Chrit's payment on their behalf will be given a clean slate and will be declared once and for all "not guilty". But sometimes after the fact we begin to settle for knowledge about God instead of embracing the knowledge of God He has revealed to us in Christ. As a result our minds once again grow dark and cloudy and our lives begin to reflect our choices that have put other things in God's place. Fact is we were never created to function on our own apart from God and any time we attempt life on our own without Him it always ends up fruitless and empty (John 15:4-5). Fortunately, the same solution (repentence) that "saved" us from our former godless way of life will also lead us back to Him. The question we should always keep before us is, "Do I know Him or do I just know about Him?" The answer to that question is determining the direction of your life and is either leading you to Christ or away from Him. So, where do we go from here? (James 4:8) "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
Prayer:
Father, thank You for revealing Yourself and the privilege of access we have to Your grace. We acknowledge You and desire to know You more today. Turn uw from anything that would rival Your rightful place as Lord and master of our lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
"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. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols.."
Observations:
Paul's opening statement here wastes no time pointing out humanity's sinfulness before God. In a few paragraphs he puts mankind on trial and ends with a clear conviction that condemns everyone for their sins. People who may not have done as many "bad" things as some are lumped together with and found just as guilty as those who have committed the worst crimes imaginable which causes some to wonder, "is God fair?" But the point Paul goes on to make is that everyone's sin is equally condemning and that no one has any room to argue for better treatment. If God was fair, He should throw all of us out because even the best of us have no leg to stand on when it comes to our sin. He argues that we should all know better but each of us have rejected at some level the truth God has revealed about Himself and as a result we have made a real mess of our lives.
Application:
Thankfully, God has decided not to leave us in our sins but has offered each of us a way to escape the eternal consequences of our choices. Because Christ came and paid the penalty for our actions, God has now declared that everyone willing to return to Him and accept Chrit's payment on their behalf will be given a clean slate and will be declared once and for all "not guilty". But sometimes after the fact we begin to settle for knowledge about God instead of embracing the knowledge of God He has revealed to us in Christ. As a result our minds once again grow dark and cloudy and our lives begin to reflect our choices that have put other things in God's place. Fact is we were never created to function on our own apart from God and any time we attempt life on our own without Him it always ends up fruitless and empty (John 15:4-5). Fortunately, the same solution (repentence) that "saved" us from our former godless way of life will also lead us back to Him. The question we should always keep before us is, "Do I know Him or do I just know about Him?" The answer to that question is determining the direction of your life and is either leading you to Christ or away from Him. So, where do we go from here? (James 4:8) "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
Prayer:
Father, thank You for revealing Yourself and the privilege of access we have to Your grace. We acknowledge You and desire to know You more today. Turn uw from anything that would rival Your rightful place as Lord and master of our lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
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