Message summary: The phrase "having educated himself into imbecility" well describes today's daily text as well as our current time!

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"Professing to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22).

Malcolm Muggeridge was a British journalist who died in 1990. He converted to Christianity as an adult following World War 2. He was an insightful social commentator who wrote many books. Here's a quote of his that seems uncannily prophetic, although it was actually a condition he could see at least thirty-five years ago, probably longer. It's quite thought-provoking and seems to well describe our present time.

The phrase "having educated himself into imbecility" is quite insightful and descriptive! Today's brief text speaks to this condition.

"Professing to be wise". Professing means to affirm, allege, pretend, profess. The idea conveyed is that one is speaking with an air of certainty, stating something with a high degree of confidence, even forcefully or aggressively. With this type of professing one may confidently assert his or her view without need for proof or regard for evidence.

Paul wasn't writing of one specific time period in this text but rather he describes the universal condition of the human race in rejecting the truth of God. Bible commentator Marvin Vincent states, "Thinking they are wise, they have become fools because their own speculations cannot replace the revelation they reject."

However this inspired truth that Paul espouses seems especially applicable to our own age. We live at a time when advanced education is rampant where so many highly educated individuals consider themselves superior intellectually and wiser than previous generations or to those who do not have the same degree of formal education.

C.S. Lewis called this "chronological snobbery" which I find helpful to describe as "generational snobbery". Many of these who claim to be wise are indeed very "educated" (formally) but take their wisdom from this world which leads to foolishness. Sadly, many try to make the Bible say something it doesn't or silences that which it does say.

"They became fools". Those who deny the God of creation become fools and are "without excuse" (Romans 1:20) Yet they come to such a foolish decision in the belief that they are wise and scientific in trying to explain the infinitely complex, majestic, beautiful creation without a Creator.

Man rationalizes his sin and proves his utter foolishness by devising and believing his own philosophies about God, the universe, and himself. The next stage of downfall consists in asserting as truth its opposite—evil is really good, darkness is really light, futility is really wisdom (see Isaiah 5:20). George Orwell who wrote 1984 wisely observed, "The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it". My, oh my, don't we see that happening today!!!

The fact is, once a person rejects the truth of God in Christ, he will fall for anything foolish, and trust far more tenuous and fanciful systems (like evolution, sexual anarchy, the latest gender fads, etc.). This futility of thinking, darkening of the heart, and folly must be seen as one way God's righteous wrath is demonstrated against those who have rejected His revelation.

God warned faithless Israel and by way of application all of sinful mankind in Isaiah 5:20,21, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!"

The foundations are being destroyed and what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

"Praise The Lord"  Listen on YouTube  This morning Brooksyne shared with me this song by The Collingsworth Family who do an excellent rendition of this classic song from 45 years ago.

"Praise The Lord"  Listen on YouTube   We recall when this song first came out in 1979 by the Imperials and we played it over and over and turned up the volume when it was played. Can any of our readers relate?