July 15, 2025 -- Romans 1:21-23 -- What's your thinking like? Darkened or bright?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

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. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Romans 1:21-23 ESV
 
In my newsfeed there was a splashy story honouring an early pioneer woman for her study of chimpanzees. The story got crazy as it went on to say humanity needs to honour its nearest living relatives, all the various apes and chimps. Oh pul-lez. It is enough to turn the stomach. It is enough to make one weep with grief at the futility of human thinking.
 
The point in Romans 1 is if one does not worship God and honour Him alone, then one will worship things, creatures, any foolish thing. That disordered worship will lead people deeper into their folly and deeper into the darkness of their wicked hearts. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20. Already in the Old Testament there was a judgment, and a curse pronounced on those who call evil good and good evil. How much greater will that curse be now that Jesus, the radiance of the Father’s glory, the manifestation of His good, has appeared and brought reconciliation. Those who reject Him face the Father’s just and appropriate wrath.
 
God is the source of good. He is the standard of good. He is to be worshiped. His word guides all our living. As the world gets more confused and descending into even more confusion, it is the word of God that lights the way. The word is objective truth. It is the standard by which the Spirit of God can bring restored sanity.
 
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen
BCP
 
https://youtu.be/odKxftGhVRE?si=HAq7C-z-b9St8ikd The King in All His Beauty

 

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