A Nation of Fools

# 469 - Today's Living Word comes from: Mr 7:21,22 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

Last on this list of “evil things,” is foolishness. Wait a minute! Foolishness is an “evil thing?” “Thou shalt not be foolish? Where's that in the ten commandments? What does Jesus mean here?

Strong's concordance uses the word “folly.” The Apostle Paul uses the same word in 2 Cor 11:1. He says, “ Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly--” and then he goes on to uncharacteristically use the personal pronouns “I” “me” and “myself” 48 times in this chapter.

In 2 Cor 12:11 he says, “I have become a fool in boasting;” which could be restated, “I am foaming at the mouth in all my boasting. In other words, it is sheer madness to boast about yourself as if you had anything to do with your accomplishments apart from God.

Ro 1:21 says it best, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their FOOLISH hearts were darkened.” This is the sin of foolishness.

It is an evil thing to live without glorifying God and giving Him thanks. Please take the time to read the rest of Romans 1 and see where such living leads.

Ro 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them............

Does any of this stuff sound familiar? Perhaps we have become a nation of fools.

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.