This past Sunday Pastor Stan was preaching from Romans 1:18-34. Verse 22 in particular grabbed my attention. "Professing to be wise they became fools". I have known many people throughout my life that are quite impressed with their own intelligence. What Paul is talking about here in his letter to the church in Rome, is that when we look to our own wisdom, or our own ability to understand the world we become fools. It often amuses me when my kids are talking to their friends and they are having a serious conversation about something they see. They will do their best to interpret the world around them from their limited perspective. It is cute when they are children but I cannot imagine the harm it would cause then if they never grew past the childish points of view. No matter how smart my kids are they simply lack the necessary vantage point of years and experience to understand the world around them. Their world is small and it will grow as they do.
Why do we adults think this reality does not apply to us? I have seen much of the world and been many places in my life thus far and I know that I have a unique perspective of how the world works. When my children ask me questions about places I have been I can share my perspective with them and grow the world for them just a little bit. Likewise, God has a perspective that is far beyond what I can comprehend and therefore has wisdom and knowledge that I am simply incapable of attaining. With that said, He also has written a book, sent His Son and the Holy Spirit to give us all the knowledge and understanding we are capable of. Plus a bit more.
The creator of the universe who made this amazing creation just for us, and because He loves us also wants us to know that He loves us and He desires a personal relationship with each and every person. As the chapter in Romans continues Paul explains that as men lean more on their own wisdom they are given over to evil. We begin to worship the creature rather then the creator. The more we think we have all the answers the further we get from the truth and we continue to become fools.
Pastor also reminded us of our pledge we take each week in which we profess the the bible is the incorruptible, indestructible and perfect word of God. He asked if we truly believed that what bible said was true. Then he explained that we must know our bible and who God says we are or we will live in confusion. Throughout my life and my walk with Christ, I have have this to be true of me personally. When ever I start to feel confusion coming or doubt or uncertainty I stop and ask myself if I have been seeking God's counsel or man's counsel. God gives us people who have the ability to hear from God and give wise counsel. Their counsel is not wise because they are wise, their counsel is wise because God is wise.
Finally, Pastor made the point that God is not gay. This is not just a provocative statement, it is countering the lie that God "makes" people gay. That myth should die as soon as you read verses 26 and 27 in which Paul is clear that homosexuality is not "natural" and is "shameful". In fact Paul lists this with a number of other sins and explains that God will let them descend in the madness that will come and they are deserving of nothing less then death. This is not a popular point of view in our culture today and in fact can get you lots of scorn form many "Christians" also. I believe this is why Pastor emphasized this point. Not to simply offend for no reason, but to remind us that Christ said that the world would hate us for His sake and as our society gets further from God's truth and is more impressed with man's wisdom the more they will become fools.
Simply put, Pastor does not want us to become fools.
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