Wednesday, April 22, 2020

"Opposition to truth cannot be excused..." - Romans 1:20 (TPT)


God, since the beginning of time, has been calling out in full voice about who He is through His creation. 

Still, the revelation of God has mostly been ignored by humankind, who in recent generations has applied learning and academics to the natural order rather than the divine order. Satan has significantly assisted man in this effort to keep God out of the minds of His people so that they believe that they have the ability to choose to not acknowledge God and His efforts. 

Early in the history of this country, when universities and colleges were founded, their main focus was the study of how God formed the natural order and how He interacts with the earth and with humankind. 

Over time that focus in most universities has shifted away from a God-centered world to a man-centered world who steers his destiny without God’s direction. The belief now taught in many “secular” universities is that God does not exist, and that to believe in God is not only archaic but also foolish.

God’s splendor is a tale that is told; his testament is written in the stars. Space itself speaks his story every day through the marvels of the heavens. His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship.” 
Psalm 19:1 (TPT)

The scripture for today says: “opposition to the truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance.” We cannot make a claim we do not know God simply because we can choose to ignore Him or His ways. This statement puts in question whether we are actually given a choice to believe or not. 

If I went through a red traffic light and was issued a citation, I could choose to go to the court to defend my position with extenuating circumstances that I could present before the court. These extenuating circumstances may be valid, and I may offer a good argument as to why the citation should be dismissed. But, in the eyes of the court, or more precisely in the eyes of the law, the question remains, “did I run the red light? Or not?” 
This question is the most basic, which requires an answer, and if the answer is “yes,” I went through the red light. In the eyes of the law, I am guilty and the citation stands.

When it comes to God, there is an assumption made by Paul, that if you oppose God either through choice or by ignorance, it is clear that there is no excuse that will let you off the hook, no defense you can offer that will be sufficient. We do not get to choose our outcome, for the verdict has already been rendered. 

The choice has been made, and it was God the Father who made the choice, the choice is that “We have been chosen by God,” we did not choose Him.
  
“For at one time you were not God’s people, but now you are. At one time you knew nothing of God’s mercy, because you hadn’t received it yet, but now you are drenched with it!”  
1 Peter 2:10 (TPT)

Our role is this divine drama is to recognize the question that is before us, and that question is—why. Why is a more powerful word than choice is. When we realize why God the Father gave up His Son for us by allowing Jesus to be sacrificed on our behalf, we begin to comprehend the Father’s passion for us. 

Jesus died for us that we may live a life free from the effects of sin. The Father’s intention is that we may know how deep He loves us and inherit the kingdom He has planned for us since the time of the creation, and take our chosen place with Him as His sons and daughters.

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.” 
1 John 3:1 (MSG)

Paul makes it very clear that the natural world speaks of the spiritual world; we are not given a choice concerning the reality of either world; we are only given an opportunity to recognize the free gift afforded to us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When we acknowledge His sacrifice as a free gift for our freedom and receive it, our eyes are opened, and we begin to realize who we are and see that we have a more profound heritage than we have ever realized.  We have a spiritual history that reaches back into eternity past.

For the scripture says, “As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and everyone will confess that I am God.” 
Romans 14:11 (GNT)

A day will come when Jesus Christ will return and rule on this earth; it doesn’t say that some will kneel before me; it says everyone will kneel before me. This will be the time of great sorrow because of those who chose to be ignorant of our God, and did not build a relationship with Him beforehand in any profitable way and realize what could have been; they will have nothing to show for their lives, other than emptiness and ruin as they bow before Him and proclaim Him as the true King.

All creation openly declares the story of God, who created all things, from the beauty of a flower to the majestic mountain peaks covered with snow. Creation cries out declaring the glory of God, that He is to be praised above all of His creation. 

If You Want To Learn, then go and ask the wild animals and the birds, the flowers and the fish. Any of them can tell you what the Lord has done. Every living creature is in the hands of God.” 
Job 12:7-10 (CEV)

It leaves us with one undeniable fact that our Heavenly Father loves His creation.
Be Blessed;
Stephen Barnett

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