Trading God for a lie + Link Up

If you take a quick look around you can see people everywhere falling away from God.

It requires no special attention to come to that conclusion; it is plain, it is worldwide, it is everyday!

Here are the series of events that take place when a person decides they no longer are interested in God or His offer of salvation. In Romans Chapter 1, God explains how and why the wrath of God comes upon mankind.

11 STEPS 

BELIEVING TRUTH to BELIEVING LIES

1. God makes Himself known to man in a plain and simple way. 
          He does this so that there is no excuse.

2. Man doesn't glorify God and does not give thanks to Him.

3. God allows mans thinking to becomes futile and man's heart becomes dark.

4. Man says he is wise but is really becoming foolish.  He soon decides that other things are "God" in his life.

5. God releases man over to the sinful desires of his heart.

6. Man exchanges the truth of God for a lie and start to worship other things.

7. God gives him over to lust.

8. Man refuses to learn or retain any knowledge or truth about God

9. God then gives him over to a depraved mindset, and man does what he knows he shouldn't.

10. Man is given over to wickedness and every form of it.

11. Man still knows better; but continues to do wrong and celebrate others who are like himself.

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And there they are...the common steps of walking away, falling away, whatever you may call it.
Man knows better & God allows him to choose.

It isn't a natural thing for us to choose something other then God.  Our hearts do chase sin but somewhere inside of us...we know better.  Our spirits are yearning to be with God; to be part of Him and be connected with him.  As even simple animals understand instinct; our instinct is to be called, connected, and cared for by our Creator.  

Somewhere deep inside us we scream, "No!" when we choose ourselves over God.

Whenever we do anything against God we really know better.  We we lie, cheat, slander, etc, we know we really shouldn't.  People that get caught can admit it, others sometimes let pride lie for them and pretend they knew no better.  But regardless, no one is without excuse.

Ever since we were children we knew God existed & I say that as a Christ persecutor until I was 26 yrs old.  I admit I knew better.  At the time, I had ran through the steps in Romans 1 myself & God stepped aside while I entertained myself with the world.  He loved me but moved over and let me go.

We can verbally explain God away but that doesn't mean that what we say is true.

His invisible qualities doesn't make the visible parts of Him unseen.
And so, we still lay eyes on Him everyday even though we deny Him with our hearts- and He still loves us.

If you recall the steps in Romans, you notice that step 1 in the equation is having no excuse and
step 2 is forgetting God.

I can't tell you how many times I have been on step 2.  I started to begin looking at my desires more then God...wanting them more then I wanted Him.  I would spend countless hours reading, researching, and browsing the Internet and not even glance at God's Word.  Step 2 is where my heart would begin to wander.  I stopped recognizing Him; stopped thanking Him.. It is where I tread on dangerous ground.

Step 3  -God moves away and allows darkness to come.

In between steps 2 & 3 I have sat a many days, as a unbeliever and even as a follower of Jesus.
This is the time of deciding if you will continue looking inward at what you crave & desire or will you recognize your need for God above all else.  It's the time that God exhibits His qualities and positions Himself in a mercy stance towards you.  His posture says that He doesn't care that you have turned away as long as you turn back to Him.

No one will ever be that loyal to you
That loving.
That genuine.

When you realize that His attributes cannot be received from anyone or anything in this world, you will see your need for Him.  Then you can chose to sprint back to the One who loves you; or chase the futility of what's around you.  

If you chose to return to God; you will admire the fact that He knows how badly you really need Him; but overall He just wants you to want Him.


Thank you all for joining me this week!  Now it is time for our Thursday #LookingUp Link Up!!
Please join me and share this link with your friends..I enjoy reading your posts and look forward to seeing what all you have written this week.  :)

An InLinkz Link-up