The Great Exchange

The Great Exchange
Words of Faith 7-13-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Romans 1
    [24] Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. [25] They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator‑‑who is forever praised. Amen.

      In the last few verses, we saw that the journey of the human fall begins with neglecting worship.  As ungrateful humans, our thinking becomes futile, and our foolish hearts are darkened.  Although God never gives up on a human, He will eventually "give them over."  God gives them over to the desires of their hearts, to sexual impurity into the very lies that they worship.  
       Sometimes we look around at all that goes on in our culture, and we wonder how it is that God can tolerate so much sin.  The truth is that God gives sinful humanity over to the very things they desire, and, in this way, sinful humanity brings the wrath of God upon themselves.  It should not surprise us at all that the truth is exchanged for a lie and lost humanity, searching for some sort of meaning, begins to worship the creation rather than the Creator.  
       One of the most difficult things to realize about God is that He will allow whatever is necessary in our lives to bring us to Him.  God will allow even things that will hurt us because such a road will eventually bring us to a place of surrender.  If necessary, God will give us over to our sin until we experience the harsh consequences of disobedience and surrender to Him.  God allows even sexual impurity and bodily degradation, but He also allows the consequences of these actions.  If this is the only way for us to come to know His grace, power, and love, then God will allow it.  God will also allow many lies to exist until the time when he reveals the Truth.
       Suppose we are on the journey described by Paul. In that case, it is vital that we recognize that just because we are comfortable with sexual impurity and degradation, this does not mean that God approves of our behavior or lifestyle.  It simply means that God has given us over until such a time as we learn from the consequences of our actions that these things are wrong.
       We also should keep watch for those on this terrible journey who are very comfortable with a lifestyle of sin and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie.  Such people are in great peril and need our prayer.

        Lord, search me and know me in my innermost parts.  Reveal in me anything that is in rebellion against You.  Cleanse me from all unrighteousness that I may walk with You.  Replace any wrong thinking in my life with Your truth. In Jesus' name.  Amen.  

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2021 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.