"GOD HAS SPOKEN OF JUDGMENT"
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (Romans 1:18).
You may remember that Romans 1:19-20 told us that God reveals Himself through nature. We see in verse 18 that something else is also "being revealed" -- the WRATH or ANGER of God. This anger is against ALL of man's sinful ways. Some, of course, doubt that God really is angry. They do not see or feel His anger right now. Paul goes on in the second chapter of Romans to explain that there will come "the day of God's wrath" when God's anger and judgment will be FULLY revealed. Until then, it is being stored up (Romans 2:5).
"THE DAY OF JUDGMENT"
This warning was given through many of God's prophets and apostles. Jesus spoke often of "the day of judgment" (Matthew 11:22,24; 12:36, etc.). He spoke often of the unending pain and fire of "hell" (Matthew 5:22,29; 25:41,46; Mark 9:43-49, etc.). In fact, every time this "hell" is mentioned in the New Testament (except for James 3:6), it is from the lips of Jesus Himself. He knew that terrible punishment was waiting for sinful people. That is why He gave such strong warning, even to His own followers. He said,
"I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him" (Luke 12:4-5).
Jesus Himself will have a part in judging us (John 5:22,27; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
"God has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead"
(Acts 17:310)
How can we be sure that the Day of Judgment is coming? This verse says that the proof is Christ's resurrection! The resurrection of Christ is well-known because there were many eye-witnesses who saw Him alive after His death. Christ's victory over death proves that death is NOT the end. All will one day be resurrected (John 5:29). Man will meet and answer to God.
Looking closely again at Romans chapter one, we find these reasons for God's anger:
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him..." (1:21). “They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" (1:23). "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised. Amen “(1:25).
We have treated the very things made by God as if they were God! People worshipped and served "created things" rather than the Creator. So that which was meant to help us know and honor God (1:20), is used AGAINST knowing and honoring of God. Men try to "suppress" or cover up the truth about God (1:18). They turn away from God's truth and accept the lie. (1:25).
MAKING A MORE PLEASING GOD
This lie, of course, comes from Satan. Remember that the spiritual struggle is about who should be _worshipped_ (Matthew 4 and John 4). People, following Satan's lie, take their love away from God. They give their worship to His enemy, the devil.
Consider what happened at Mount Sinai. God Himself spoke His Ten Commandments to the whole nation. The second commandment was this:
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..." (Exodus 20:4).
However, the people grew tired of waiting at Mount Sinai. A God who could not be seen, and who took as much time as He wanted, did not please them. So they made a statue in the shape of a calf. They called it the "god" who brought them out of Egypt. Aaron made an altar for offering gifts to it. He then announced, "Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD (YHWH)" (Exodus 32:5).
It seems that they had the idea of worshipping the true God, YHWH. But they wanted Him in a form that pleased them. So they made a god they could SEE and FEEL. (Such a god would also let them worship and live as they pleased.) They would worship the LORD through this image.
THE WORSHIP OF DEMONS
Look at the result. They showed _disrespect_ for God by breaking His commandments. Though they had seen the awesome power of God on Sinai, they made the eternal
Creator-Spirit seem like a brute beast.
"They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass" (Psalm 106.20).
Far from worshipping God, they dishonored Him and insulted Him! In His anger, He had 3,000 of the rebels killed and to the rest He made this promise:
"When the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." (Exodus 32:34).
If their worship failed to honor the LORD, then who actually was honored by it? God gave the answer in the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32).
"They made Him jealous with their foreign gods and angered Him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God....They made Me jealous by what is no god" (Deuteronomy 32:16-17,21).
Here God showed what really happened in the worship of idols. The idol itself was "no god" at all. It was a lie. Standing behind that lie was Satan and his helpers, the evil spirits called "demons." Therefore, sacrifices given to the false gods actually went to the DEMONS behind them.
THE NEW TESTAMENT SPEAKS OF WORSHIP OF DEMONS
In 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 we read: "Do I mean that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God; and I do not want you to be participants with demons."
It is wrong to think that all ways of worship are acceptable to God. Many have - without knowing it -- become worshipers of demons, and partners of demons "participants with demons").
1 Timothy 4:1 reveals that those who leave true Christianity, and follow false rules, are actually following teachings from demons. Peter foretold that "many" would be deceived by false leaders who had once been Christians (2 Peter 2:1-2). Sadly, much of this has already come true. It explains why there are so many differing teachings, and so many divided groups, among those who use the Lord's name. Jesus said that "many" use His name but disobey what He commanded. "On that day" (the judgment day), He will have to say to them,
"I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers! (Matthew 7:15-23).
MAN AS HIS OWN GOD
Are we to think that the only idols Satan uses are carved images? Scripture uncovers the fact that he offers many other kinds of "gods" to us. He will even put us and our desires into the place of God, if we let him! It is quite simple. Just get us to think mainly of what we can "see." Man's fleshly eye sees that, among all the animals, he is the highest and wisest. That seems to make MAN the most important.
What can compare with man's great mind? What is to hold man back from fulfilling his own desires? As Paul said of some: "their god is their stomach" (Philippians 3:19). They are "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:4). Who can doubt that the "idols" of many today include pleasures, sex, money, careers, security, success and fame? They seek these things far more seriously than they seek the true God.
"(This person) boasts of the cravings of his heart... In his pride the wicked does not seek God; in all his thoughts, there is no room for God" (Psalm 10:3-4).
These "cravings" (or selfish desires) and "pride" take the place God should have in their hearts. As Colossians 3:5 says, "Greed... is idolatry" Selfish people want more for themselves, and do not care how they hurt others. They think there is no Judge to punish them, so they take advantage of others. They become like the Babylonians of old, "guilty men, whose own strength is their god" (Habakkuk 1:11). To such proud people God says,
"You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you" (Ezekiel 28:9).
GOD MADE IN MAN'S IMAGE
Of course, Satan finds it hard to trick most of us into thinking there is NO God above us. Evidence for God is just too strong. So Satan works on CHANGING truth about God. Satan wants God to be made into the image of likeness of _man_ (instead of man being "in the image of God"). Some feel that God must be as weak as they are. They think God has little power to help them or make their lives better.
Others, having been treated badly, view God as that kind of person. They think that God hates them and seeks their ruin. Others want a God who will never punish anyone. They make God out to be only soft and gentle, with no anger at all. Then there are those who think that God shares their dishonest ways. They do not keep promises, and they feel that God may not keep His word. Although He has promised terrible punishment for sins (Revelation 21:8), they think He may let them off.
Many today escape justice by hiding or by using gifts and bribes. They think they can also hide from God or bargain with Him. To such people God has made these replies:
"For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes" (Deuteronomy 10:17). "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind" (Numbers 23:19). "You thought that I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face” (Psalm 50:21).
When we make God seem like us, we open the way for false worship. The "God" we claim to worship may become quite different from the God who has revealed Himself. Our "God" becomes a lie, and the honor we give this lie goes to "the father of lies."
SERIOUSLY SEEKING GOD
The prophet Isaiah spoke out against the lies about God. He could do this because God had shown His true glory to Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-4).
"I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted.... [Seraph angels] were calling to one another, 'Holy, Holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory'" (Isaiah 6:1, 3).
God is "holy" -- so pure that He is far above all that is false or sinful. God's eyes are "too pure to look at evil" (Habakkuk 1:13). Seeing God's power and purity, Isaiah realized that he and his people would be destroyed (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah himself stayed alive there only because God acted quickly to save him, taking his sins away (Isaiah 6:7). Only those whom God makes holy can live with Him.
"Without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14b).
All of us fall far short of God's holiness and glory (Romans 3:10, 23). So many tell lies, live lies and follow lies that the Bible now calls Satan "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
"The whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19).
All who love worldly things above God make themselves enemies of God (James 4:4, 1 John 2:15). Thus most people -- whether they realize it or not -- are on Satan's side, and must share the defeat and punishment that God plans for all His enemies.
GOD WARNS US
In the book of Matthew, we read this warning: "Enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).
How foolish to think that we cannot be among the "many" on the wide road to ruin! How foolish to think that we may enter that small gate by chance or by accident! There must be "every effort," that is, serious seeking for God's way:
"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and not be able" (Luke 13:24) "Make every effort to...be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).
This explains why the Bereans eagerly searched the Scriptures every day to learn God's truth (Acts 17:11). We too should just as seriously seek God's way to holiness. For GOD HAS SPOKEN, showing that each of us must answer to the true Judge of all.
"Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). "Our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29 – from Deuteronomy 4:24). "The Lord will judge His people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:30-31).
God cannot stand lies, for He is completely honest, pure and holy. God's majesty rejects all false worship. False worship and service ends up going to demons. God's firm justice cannot let rebellion go on unpunished. He has spoken clearly of His anger and warned us that there will be final and full judgment against all His enemies. It is time for us to take the coming judgment very seriously.
God bless you!
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