Embrace the Within no. 177

“For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. For even though they [Anyone who attributes the existence of the world to chance or to a different creator is already guilty of deliberately rejecting God, because to deny the true God one must set aside common sense] knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor [glorify]Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols][Paul’s indictment of idolatry (images) is logical and devastating. He emphasizes that idols are essentially copies of living creatures, whether in human form (as, for example, in ancient Greek myth) or otherwise (as in Egyptian idolatry and metaphysics). These lifeless images are clearly powerless, and even the living creatures which they supposedly represent are either nonexistent hybrids and monsters, or else ordinary creatures on earth who could hardly create so much as a grain of sand] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles.”

Romans 1:20-23 AMP

For as long as I can remember, I have known that God exists. Paul here writes about people that deny this very Truth. “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image” (Romans 1:22-23 AMP).

And sometimes, even though I am certain of God, I exchange knowledge of Him for an image. And sometimes that image is me. Sure, I can exchange Him for sports or family or sin BUT all too often I exchange Him for selfishness. I exchange Him for what I want. I exchange Him for the image of myself.

And if there is one thing that sums up all my problems in my relationship with God, it is selfishness. I don’t have to worry about not believing in Him BUT I do have to worry about exchanging worship of Him for worship of self. When I start to get the idea that I am doing this whole living for Him thing right, that is the time I need to look out the most. I need to be concerned at those times because those are the times I want to enthrone myself in His place. And that selfishness is a constant obstacle this side of eternity.

My own righteousness, my own selfishness, my own indignation, leads to my enthroning myself in His place. I replace Him for an image. And I am then being foolish while claiming to be wise. I need to always focus on His understanding. My thinking becomes worthless because “even though I know God, I do not honor Him” (Romans 1:21).

I pray today that I keep God enthroned in my life. I pray that I give God the honor and respect and praise He deserves. I pray that I give Him the priority in my life and no longer try to replace Him with any image. I pray that I am selfless in my reflection of His image and not my own.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 176

“For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them” (Romans 1:18-19 AMP).

I am all about judgment and vengeance when it is for those other people out there sinning BUT all about grace and mercy when it comes to my own sin. God is the one responsible and accountable for seeking vengeance and not me, “Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their disaster is at hand, And their doom hurries to meet them” (Deuteronomy 32:35 AMP). He is also the one responsible for providing grace and mercy through His sacrifice of Christ, “. . . Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 AMP). Too often I am all about vengeance for others and mercy for me.

What should concern me is my own ungodliness and unrighteousness. What should concern me is my own wickedness and dishonesty. What should concern me is whether my example shows the evidence of God within me. And that example is no more clear in the gospels about the kind of person Christ was on earth. That example of what kind of person shows the evidence of God is through setting the Son as an example and daily striving to make that my goal.

Too often I want to play God rather than reflecting His example. I want to justify my wickedness and ungodliness by comparing my actions to the one who is truly righteous. And my unrighteousness pales in comparison to His example. My unrighteousness is evidence of my failure to live a life that shows evidence of God.

I pray that I seek more to be like Christ today. I pray that I use His example as a model for my walk with Him. I pray that I use the one perfect and righteous example of God as the blueprint of how I should act, how I should speak, and how I should love. I pray that through my modeling of Christ I become a better Ambassador of His Kingdom. I pray that my walk in the Way of the Lord shows evidence of Him within me.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH