If we reject God, we inherit dark hearts and depraved minds…
In Paul’s powerful indictment of the guilt of mankind before God, he points out that we are all without excuse. He says that we all knew God because of His manifestation of Himself through His creation, but we choose not to glorify Him as God, nor to be thankful, and as a result our hearts are darkened. The next step downward is to replace worshiping God with worshiping ourselves. Ultimately, we become our own gods.
The following verses from Romans reveals what happens when we reject God and instead worship ourselves or other gods we create – “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1: 24-32)
When we exchange the truth of God revealed to us in His creation and choose instead to embrace ‘the lie,’ that lie that we embrace is that we can be our own god and worship and serve ourselves. When we become our own god, we think we can do anything that seems right to us. We become the lawmakers. We become our own judges. We decide what is right or wrong. However wise we may think we are when we reject God, our hearts are darkened, and our minds become debased.
No doubt self-worship is prevalent in our world today. The sad fruit of it is seen everywhere.
Ultimately, we are all guilty before God. We all come up short. Consider Isaiah’s words – “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64: 6)
Have you rejected God? Have you believed the lie that you are your own god? Have you declared yourself sovereign over your own life? Have you embraced atheism as your belief system so that you can make up your own rules?
Consider the following Psalms – “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” (Psalm 5: 4-6) “He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.” (Psalm 9: 8) “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalm 9: 17) “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he sneers at them. He has said in his heart, ‘I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.’ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.” (Psalm 10: 4-7) “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” (Psalm 14: 1)
…and the revelation of God as described in Psalm 19 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” (Psalm 19: 1-9)
