Understanding God: Truth, Idolatry, and Our Response

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Wrath Is Revealed Against Sinful Suppression of Truth

God’s righteous wrath is not an abstract concept but is specifically directed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of humanity, who by their very actions suppress the truth about God that is evident to them. This suppression is not due to a lack of knowledge, but rather a willful rejection and distortion of what is clearly perceived, leading to a deepening separation from God. The reality is that no one is neutral before God; all are accountable for how they respond to the truth He has made plain. [12:00]

Romans 1:18-19 (ESV)
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them."

Reflection: In what ways have you noticed yourself or others suppressing uncomfortable truths about God, and how might you respond differently today by acknowledging and submitting to what He has revealed?

Day 2: God’s Existence and Power Are Clearly Revealed in Creation

God has made His eternal power and divine nature unmistakably clear to every person through the created world, leaving all humanity without excuse. The beauty, order, and complexity of creation are not just background noise but are God’s ongoing testimony to His reality and character. Even those who claim not to believe in God are daily confronted with evidence of His existence, and the call is to respond with worship and gratitude rather than denial. [15:54]

Romans 1:20 (ESV)
"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

Reflection: As you go about your day, what aspect of creation most clearly points you to God’s power and nature, and how can you intentionally respond in worship and gratitude?

Day 3: The Danger of Ingratitude and Refusing to Honor God

Refusing to honor God as God and failing to give Him thanks is not a minor oversight but a grave sin that leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts. Ingratitude is the first step on a downward spiral away from God, resulting in confusion, foolishness, and a loss of true understanding. The call is to cultivate a heart of consistent gratitude, recognizing that every good thing comes from God and that thankfulness guards us from spiritual blindness. [32:04]

Romans 1:21 (ESV)
"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where you have neglected to thank God, and how can you express genuine gratitude to Him today?

Day 4: The Folly and Consequences of Idolatry

When people reject God, they inevitably replace Him with idols—whether physical objects, personal ambitions, or the idol of self—exchanging the glory of the immortal God for lesser things. This exchange is profoundly foolish, as it trades the Creator for created things, leading to deeper spiritual confusion and bondage. The heart is always worshiping something, and the only true freedom and fulfillment come from worshiping God alone. [39:19]

Romans 1:22-23 (ESV)
"Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."

Reflection: What “idols” or substitutes for God are you most tempted to trust in, and what would it look like to turn from them and worship God wholeheartedly today?

Day 5: Only God Can Open Blind Eyes and Change Hearts

The deepest problem of humanity is not a lack of information but a heart enslaved to sin and unbelief, which only God can change. Logical arguments and persuasive words have their place, but it is God alone who can raise the spiritually dead and open blind eyes to the truth. Therefore, prayer is essential—both for ourselves and for those who do not yet believe—trusting in God’s power to save and transform any heart, no matter how hardened. [45:41]

Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

Reflection: Who is one person in your life who seems far from God, and how can you commit to praying specifically and persistently for God to open their heart to Him?

Sermon Summary

What we believe about God and what we believe about humanity are deeply connected, shaping not only our theology but also our understanding of ourselves and the world. Romans 1:18-23 reveals that God has made Himself known to every human being through creation and conscience. There is no such thing as a true atheist, not because people are lying, but because the evidence of God is so plain and pervasive that it cannot be genuinely unknown. Humanity’s problem is not a lack of knowledge, but a willful suppression of the truth. Like trying to hold a beach ball underwater, people push down the knowledge of God, preferring to live on their own terms rather than submit to the Creator.

This suppression of truth is not just an intellectual issue; it is a moral and spiritual one. The heart of humanity is not neutral toward God. Instead, unrighteousness targets the truth, distorting and suppressing it. The world’s confusion about morality, meaning, and logic stems from this suppression. Without God, there is no objective standard for right and wrong, no foundation for logic or reason, and no ultimate meaning or purpose. Yet, people continue to live as if these things matter, borrowing from the very worldview they deny.

The passage also exposes the consequences of rejecting God. When people refuse to honor or thank Him, their thinking becomes futile and their hearts darkened. This is not just a future judgment; it is an immediate reality. The more we reject God, the more foolish and detached from reality we become. This leads to idolatry—worshiping created things or even ourselves instead of the Creator. Our hearts are idol factories, constantly seeking to replace God with something else, but only God can satisfy and save.

Ultimately, everyone is a worshiper. The question is not whether we worship, but whom or what we worship. We either worship the God who made us, or we worship some aspect of His creation. The call is clear: turn from every substitute and trust in Jesus Christ, who alone can rescue us from sin and restore us to the God we were made to know. For those who believe, this truth should humble us, drive us to prayer for those still in darkness, and remind us that only God can open blind eyes and bring dead hearts to life.

Key Takeaways

1. The knowledge of God is universal and inescapable. Every person, regardless of their claims, has been given clear evidence of God’s existence through creation and conscience. The problem is not ignorance, but a willful suppression of the truth, rooted in unrighteousness and rebellion against God. [04:06]
2. Suppressing the truth about God leads to a breakdown in our ability to discern reality. When we refuse to honor or thank God, our thinking becomes futile and our hearts are darkened, resulting in confusion about morality, meaning, and even basic logic. This is not just a distant judgment, but an immediate spiritual consequence of rejecting God. [33:49]
3. Idolatry is the inevitable result of rejecting God. When we exchange the glory of the immortal God for created things—whether ancient idols or modern obsessions with self, status, or pleasure—we reveal the foolishness of our hearts. Our deepest problem is not ignorance, but misplaced worship. [39:19]
4. The foundation for morality, logic, and meaning is found only in God. Attempts to build a worldview apart from Him are ultimately self-defeating, as they borrow from the very truths they deny. True justice, reason, and purpose are possible only because we are made in the image of a rational, moral Creator. [24:20]
5. The only hope for those who suppress the truth is the gracious intervention of God. Logical arguments have their place, but only God can open blind eyes and raise dead hearts to life. Our response should be humble prayer for those in darkness, trusting that God delights to save even the most hardened unbeliever. [45:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:44] - The Link Between Theology and Anthropology
[04:06] - Suppressing the Truth About God
[07:41] - Reading Romans 1:18-23
[12:00] - The Righteousness Gap, Not a Knowledge Gap
[13:03] - The Revelation of God in Creation
[15:54] - God’s Eternal Power and Divine Nature
[20:31] - Humanity’s Rejection of God
[22:28] - Responding to Atheism and the Standard of Truth
[23:32] - The Impossibility of an Atheistic Worldview
[28:50] - The Real Problem: Refusing to Honor God
[32:04] - The Danger of Ingratitude
[33:49] - Immediate Consequences of Rejecting God
[36:17] - The Replacement of God: Idolatry
[39:19] - Modern Idolatry and the Idol of Self
[42:44] - Everyone Is a Worshiper
[44:54] - The Call to Trust in Christ
[45:41] - The Power of Prayer and God’s Grace
[47:24] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 1:18-23 — For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Observation Questions

According to Romans 1:18-23, what has God made plain to every human being? How has He done this?
What does Paul say people do with the truth about God, and what analogy did the sermon use to describe this? [[04:06]]
What are the immediate consequences described in the passage for those who refuse to honor or thank God? [[33:49]]
What do people exchange when they reject God, according to verse 23?

Interpretation Questions

The sermon claims there is “no such thing as a true atheist” because the evidence of God is so plain. How does this challenge or affirm your understanding of people who claim not to believe in God? [[02:52]]
Why is the suppression of truth described as a moral and spiritual issue, not just an intellectual one? [[12:00]]
The passage says that rejecting God leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts. In what ways might this be seen in the world around us today? [[33:49]]
The sermon describes idolatry as “misplaced worship.” What are some modern examples of idolatry, and why are they so tempting? [[39:19]]

Application Questions

The sermon says that everyone is a worshiper—either of God or of something else. What are some things in your life that compete for your worship and attention? How can you identify and turn from these “idols”? [[39:19]]
The passage warns about the danger of ingratitude. Are there areas in your life where you have failed to thank God? How might regular gratitude change your relationship with Him? [[32:04]]
The sermon compared suppressing the truth about God to holding a beach ball underwater. Are there truths about God you find yourself avoiding or pushing down? What would it look like to let those truths “surface” in your life? [[04:06]]
The sermon says that rejecting God leads to confusion about morality, meaning, and logic. Have you ever experienced or observed this kind of confusion in your own life or in society? How did it affect you or others? [[24:20]]
The only hope for those who suppress the truth is God’s gracious intervention. Is there someone in your life who seems far from God? How can you commit to praying for them this week, trusting that only God can open blind eyes? [[45:41]]
The sermon calls us to humble prayer for those still in darkness, rather than pride or frustration. How can you cultivate humility and compassion toward people who reject or struggle with faith? [[46:34]]
The sermon says that even believers can fall into ungratefulness and idolatry. What practical steps can you take this week to honor God and give Him thanks in your daily routine? [[32:04]]

Sermon Clips

You are a worshiper and you cannot deny it. You can deny it verbally, but you're going to demonstrate it with your life. We often think it's a question of those who worship and those who don't. But it's not. It's a question of who and what you're going to worship. You're either going to worship God by faith in Jesus. And you're going to grow to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Or you're going to worship anything and everything else, including yourself. [00:42:51] (30 seconds) Edit Clip

You will either worship the God of creation or you will worship some aspect of His creation. One will save you. One will condemn you. But no matter what you think about humanity, know this plainly from Scriptures. There's no one who is neutral towards God. There are no atheists. We all know there's a God, but we don't all follow Him. [00:43:47] (27 seconds) Edit Clip

It's not that there are a bunch of people around us who don't know that there is a God. The problem is there are so many people around us who know at some level that there is a God and they refuse to honor Him as God. Now they have a million reasons for that and we need to be aware of that. Not least among those reasons why people refuse to honor God is this. As soon as you acknowledge God as God, you have to stop pretending like you're God. [00:29:07] (30 seconds) Edit Clip

The most dangerous idol that we have today in modern America, I think, is the idol of self. You think if you put yourself up on that shelf and you take great care of yourself and you do all the things, you'll figure it out, right? You'll pull yourself up by your bootstraps. If you work hard enough, make good decisions. We have the idol of self or the idol of the recognition of others, fame, fortune, celebrity, status. Relationship. On and on and on we go because our hearts are wicked, idol factories. We generate them as fast as we can tear them down. [00:39:35] (40 seconds) Edit Clip

If you believe this morning, if you trust in Christ, I want you to make sure that you understand the truth about humanity from Scripture, not from a modern psychology book or popular sayings that you've heard repeated. You know, there's this idea that people are basically good. People are not basically good. people are basically sinful. They're not struggling with understanding as much as they're struggling with unbelief. They need God to open their eyes to the truth and bring their dead hearts to life, which means as much as logical argumentation is a key part of sharing the gospel, prayer to God is essential. [00:44:58] (43 seconds) Edit Clip

People may reject god intellectually but they cannot escape him existentially he's everywhere and that means that all people all humanity are without excuse so as we move into this portion of romans chapter 1 this morning i want you to keep this in mind this isn't just a passage about those atheists out there this is a passage about the human heart about every one of us about how we reject god while still trying to hold on to his gifts we want the gifts without the giver we trade the truth for a lie and when we run from god we're running from the very one who we were made to know. [00:06:53] (41 seconds) Edit Clip

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