Utter Fools

S-Romans 1:21-23

S-"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." Romans 5:1

A-Complete Faith

L-Utter Fools

   "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." Romans 1:21-23


   * First off, let's make note that Paul is referring to the Israelites. I would love to say I knew this but I didn't and I don't want to take it out of context by referring to someone else. I had help! (Thanks Allen)

Once Allen told me who Paul was referring to it made perfect sense. It even made this passage come alive in a whole new way.

It will for you too. Especially if you are familiar with the story of the Israelites.

Jesus bring this to a level of understanding for us today. 

 The Israelites knew God, but they chose not to worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. Which blows my mind being on this side of the Cross, seeing how God protected them, guided and went before them and how much He had provided for them.

-And just as I was in awe of their foolishness, God reminded me, we too can be foolish just like them. We know God, yet so often we choose to ignore Him, to not worship Him, nor give Him thanks for all He has done and provided for us.

            We take so many things for granted that God has blessed us with. The Israelites wandered through the wilderness for 40 years and their clothes nor their shoes ever wore out. To me that is something to be grateful for. They never went hungry and instead of thanking God for what He provided, they griped.

  Does any of this sound familiar to you, maybe because we do it to. We have a pantry full of food, yet we gripe that we have nothing to eat. We have clothes and shoes to wear, yet we gripe that they are old and not good enough. We have a roof over our head, yet we gripe that it is not big enough, nice enough, etc.

-As though that wasn't bad enough, they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. Oh mercy brethren, we do that too.

        Let's look at some ways we do that.

                   1. We make God up to be someone who has a bunch of rules and lists.

                   2. We make God up to be this kind, loving, everyone goes to heaven no matter what person.

                   3. We make Him up to be a harsh, condemning God that shows no mercy

                   4. We make Him up to be a God that should be who we want Him to be and how we want Him to be.

                   5. Or we straight up deny His existence.

                   6. We make Him out to be someone smaller than ourselves. We think we can do it better or be better.

                 We lack knowledge of who God is, because we lack the discipline to study His Word, and find out who He really is, and that makes us foolish.

As a result of this their minds became dark and confused, and so will ours. If we know God, yet don't spend time studying His Word, our minds will become dark and confused too.

If we try to make God up to be someone we want Him to be, our minds will become dark and confused.

And Satan loves it. He loves our lack of knowledge because he uses that against us. He loves when we make God up to be something He's not. Satan loves it when we choose not to worship or give God thanks. He loves and wants us to focus on ourselves, our problems and what we don't have rather than what we do.

Let us not forget what the Lord God has done for us. Let us not worship man made idols that look like people, birds, animals, or snakes.

We all at some time in our lives have placed an idol before God, and how we can tell is where a majority of our time is spent.

  What idols do you have in your life that are taking the place of God? Can you list them out?

Maybe it's your kids
Maybe it's your family
Maybe it's your job
Maybe it's television
Maybe it's technology
Maybe it's your hobby
Maybe it's money
Maybe it's yourself
Maybe it's a boyfriend, girlfriend or your spouse
Maybe it's________ you fill in the blank

God is a jealous God. "Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God who will not share your affections with any other god!" Deuteronomy 5:8-9

He will NOT share our affection with any other god, person or thing!!

"A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash." Proverbs 15:14