For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Romans 1:21-23
So could this really be the problem of all mankind - a simple problem of bad manners - not giving thanks to God? We are taught since kids, and we are teaching our Grandchildren, "What do you say??? " "Thank you." Did God really create the universe and put mankind in it and on the 6th day say to Adam and Eve, "Now what do you say...? Was the first sin not saying thank you? And then what kind of God punishes the verbally ungrateful one with the punishment spelled out in Genesis 3?
I wrestle with the problem of thinking I deserve things. Don't you? Doesn't humanity? We think we deserve health care, a nice house, cars, pay raises, a long life, more channels and cheaper television, vacations at Disney, cell phone and internet service, education ... Lately I struggle with thinking that I deserve respect. After all I'm 66. Age in and of itself should demand respect, right? I'm an MD with 12 years of post high school training, that should have nurses and hospital personnel deferring to me - right? The other day, I told an LPN (the lowest status nurse) that I needed to do a circumcision on a baby and to get it ready. She proceeded to do that but then the Pediatrician came and she also got a phone call , she informed me that I could do the circumcision after the pediatrician saw the baby and after she returned her phone call. I had moved to the end of the line despite being on the medical staff 37 years, previous chief of staff, chief of OB and Pediatrics for 37 years, and having asked first! I deserved better and anger started welling up because I deserve better - right?
The question is, What did Adam and Eve deserve, anything? Their very existence was due to God creating them. The paradise they lived in was waiting for them to arrive. Yet Satan convinced them they deserved to be like God and know good from evil like Him. They were ungrateful - unthankful - entitled. What does mankind deserve who though they knew God, decided to worship themselves instead? What do I deserve when my longevity, mind, family that could afford to send me to school, my very existence is all a gift from Him?
The answer to the question, "What do I deserve?" is blunt and painful and one 4 letter word - "Hell". That's all this traitorous, proud, self seeking, self worshipping entitled race deserves, an existence apart from God because we wouldn't give thanks, wouldn't honor the one to whom our very existence is do. So it's more than bad manners it's cosmic plagiarism.( I have to give credit to Tim Keller for that thought otherwise I'd be committing it.) It is taking someone else's work and taking credit for it. So because of that God lets us go and see where worshipping ourselves as God takes us - and it wasn't a pretty picture, it isn't a pretty picture, and it won't be a pretty picture.
Repent - turn and thank God. Give Him the glory. Let Him be God. There is a second chance and it is the good news of Jesus!
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