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. (Romans 1:21) Do fools grow on trees?
Like Patrick Star, do they live under heavy rocks and crawl out of their hiding places during full moons? Is being an idiot, moron or dolt more a matter of 'nature' or nurture'? In the book "Flowers for Algernon" there seems to be some hope that scientists one day will find a cure for imbecility. If they already did, does anybody know where I could buy it? I sure could use some. On Thursday, as I was studiously doing research for Sunday's sermon, I happened to stumble upon what seems to be the origins for foolishness. How did I miss this before? Sure Romans is a dry and dusty old book, but who would have suspected that the secret of stupidity has been buried deep in its crinkly pages for the last 2,000 years? How has the rest of the world missed this? It is so straightforward, so clear, just listen: Claiming to be wise, they became fools. (Romans 1:22) There it is, in black and white! Paul is saying that foolishness is a matter of personal transformation. And the tragedy of it is that those who have undergone this moral metamorphosis are in a state of denial; fools can't see their own foolishness, or worse, they don't want to see it. So how do people get here in the first place? How do so many human beings arrive on the shores of the Island of Stupid? The 3 stages of devolution are spelled out for us in Romans: (1) God has made himself known: (1:19-21) The Father of Jesus Christ is daily declaring himself to the people of the world. The smile of a fat baby, the fragrant smell of violets on a spring afternoon, and the warm sun all display his creative genius. (Psalm 19) People know God did this. Oh sure they may argue for random coincidence, but intuitively they know the ecosystem that we live in is fine tuned to a perfect balance. Every time a green atheist argues to save the earth, they are admitting that relying on evolution's random selection process is an exercise in futility. Did you know the theory of evolution cannot think? It is random, life devolves, bed hair will never look good. And if people really believed in evolution, they would not have any problem leaving their 2 and 3 year olds home alone for a week to fend for themselves. Let the strongest kid win! We all know toddlers and the world needs constant care-taking to sustain it because it has been designed to be cared for. God did this. (2) Mankind in general suppresses his witness (1:18) - - because they claimed wisdom for themselves: (1:22-23) Why don't people want to admit the existence of God? Two simple reasons: (1) They don't want anyone telling them what to do; (2) They don't want to admit need. If I admit that God exists, I am admitting that there is someone who is all-wise, all-powerful and all-seeing. This is scary...so in fear we suppress the truth of his excellence. Suppression means to push it down: we mock, use cynicism to distance (ie: think Bill Maher), and we ignore his obvious evidentiary clues. His footprint is everywhere. (3) When you reject truth, lies are the only thing left. You have reached the bottom rung of the human ladder: Total independence from God.(1:22-31) Freedom is what we think we want, but it is brutal tyranny. Not only are we left to the whims of our wicked heart, "God gives us over"; but we become easy pickins for Satan and his hungry demons. Oh, I know you don't believe all that fairy tale stuff...that is because you are a suppressor. You know evil exists, you just have chosen to be a fool and you bury your head in the sand while people lie, cheat, steal and cut each other's heads off! There is only one rule for people who don't want to be ruled, "Might is Right!" Go ahead, shake your puny fist at God and fend for yourself - - but remember, you will be forever lost in the land of foolishness. The results are devastating: (Romans 1:24-31) - Fools will worship created things (idols). The statue they made they bow to - how dumb! - Fools are lust driven...even going so far as being attracted to the same sex. Have you ever noticed, a man and a man cannot produce a baby? - Fools hate. And they hate it when the obvious is pointed out, like the last statement. So they deflect by calling truth, hate. - Fools want what others have. - Fools abhor authority. - Fools slander God. And this passage in Romans ends by saying "Fools deserve to die." Well, after my studies I am relieved to find out that fools aren't born foolish. It isn't a matter of 'nature' nor really even 'nurture', but of worship. In conclusion, I have designed a test for foolishness, it is only one little question: Who do you want on the throne? Only two choices, as C. S. Lewis puts it: "Thy Will Be Done" or "My Will Be Done." Which do you pick?
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