(Two Exciting Announcements Below)

Romans 1:21-22
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.  Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

Because God is good, kind, merciful, forgiving, loving and long-suffering, it becomes easy to think God is a God:

• who is tolerant towards whatever our hearts desire and excuses sin 
• who says any world religion is fine as long as you are well-meaning  
• who says love is all that matters – marry and have sex with whomever you like  
• who says all things are permissible as long as you’re a good person

We see this EVERYWHERE:  people thinking up foolish ideas of what God is like.   But this is thinking up a god who meets our individual desires…

Making Him the god we WANT Him to be… not the God Who reveals Himself on the pages of Scripture.   As a result, Scripture tells us, minds become dark and confused.  What a warning this is for those of us in the church AND outside the church.

The Creator God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God Who sent His Son as the ONLY way to His heaven, is the same God WHO IS loving, merciful, forgiving, long-suffering and kind.

But He is ALSO:

• the God of wrath; (Romans 2)
• the God who will judge sin; (Romans 2)
• the God who shows his anger from heaven by allowing judgments to fall.  (Romans 2)
• The God who will expose and judge our secret lives and thoughts.  (Romans 2)
• the God who disciplines those He loves – allowing them to have hard times;  (James 1)
• the God allows persecution.  Christians aren’t promised freedom on this earth – they’re promised persecution.  (John 15:19)
• the God Who says, “My Spirit will not always strive with man.”  (Gen 6:1)

Is this new to you?  if so, take time to read the references.