Saturday, June 14, 2008

Change or Exchange?

I cannot recall ever having a “bad” cup of coffee as the sun slowly climbs its way up across the horizon, but Scripture always enhances the wonderful flavor of a hot cup of brew.

Today's thought comes from Romans 21-27, NIV: “… although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.

In this passage, we see humankind given, from the beginning, a twofold revelation of God "in them" and "unto them" (conscience and creation). Therefore, society did not begin with ignorance and gradually work its way up to intelligence; it began with awe-inspiring revelation of the power and wisdom of God, but then gradually turned away from this knowledge.

As the human race turns away from God, it stopped glorifying Him. Societal thinking became more and more vain and foolish, as leaders and followers turn truth to lies. Indifference leads to ingratitude and results in ignorance. People bow before politically correct immoral philosophers and honor their words above the Word of God. This blind ignorance leads to greater poverty and helpless dependence on government. Government is man's invention and is it is foolish reasoning to believe that government will serve the little people; government creates larger bureaucracy for its own sake.

Leaders changed the truth of God and the populaces follow. This word "changed" should really read, "exchanged." Society should always be aware of politicians spouting “change.” Replacing God's truth with Satan's lie is change. What is Satan's lie? Worshiping the creature and not the Creator; worshiping the man instead of God; worshiping things instead of Christ. Satan tempted Christ to do this (Matthew 4:8-11). Note that in Romans 1:18, the Gentiles "held down the truth," and now they "exchange the truth" for a lie! The truth believed and obeyed sets us free (John 8:31-32); the truth rejected and disobeyed makes us slaves. People most against slavery should hold most firmly to those leaders who hold most firmly to God's truth. Our ancestors never envisioned Christians leaving their faith outside the polling booth.

When people with a clear knowledge of God reject the knowledge of God and His judgment against sin, they reach the lowest level of their downward fall; they eventually stop even wanting to have knowledge of God! Remember, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1, NKJV).

God would have each of us as Christians to weigh carefully the words and life of any politician wanting our vote. Christians must be careful not to allow talk of change to take our world further down the path of Satan's lie. Meditate on this and let God's Word simmer in your mind as you sip another cup of coffee.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good to see a new post!

Unknown said...

Dr G

Thanks for posting. Intersting perspective about government and its relationship to the little people...Keep it coming!

Dr. Eddie G. Grigg said...

Thanks Frank, your encouragement helps me. It would be so easy in my busy schedule to cease writing this Blog, but the feedback of the readers, both positive and negative, encourages me to find time to keep "putting it out there."