Foolish Hearts Are Darkened

Foolish hearts are darkened when people turn away from God and His truth. There is certainly a drought in the land for God’s Truth. Most of what one hears preached today is another gospel, another Jesus and another spirit. It is a gospel that pleases the flesh and tickles the ears. It is a gospel that causes foolish hearts to be darkened. Let’s take a verse by verse look at Romans 1:18-32.

Verse 18. ”For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”

Men and women, in their wickedness, repress the truth of the Supreme Being of the Universe to Whom worship and obedience are due. They continually refuse to recognize His superior wisdom and turn a deaf ear to His moral standards, because they would rather dwell in darkness.

Verse 19. “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.”

This reveals that not one person can offer a legitimate excuse for not believing in God, because the world and everything in it reveals Him.

Verse 20. “…the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are
without excuse:”

Everywhere mankind looks, honesty and truthfulness demand the recognition of a Supreme Being. How can anyone believe this glorious universe, all the life on planet earth; animals, birds, sea creatures, plant life and humans, each producing after it’s own kind, all just happened by accident? How can one believe the earth, sun, moon, planets and stars orbiting daily; the sun never once failing to come up in the east and go down in the west, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, for thousands of years, all just happened by chance? They can’t. The above Scripture contradicts that belief.

Deep in everyone’s conscience there is the belief that God really exists. Denial of this fact, in the minds of men, erase the obligation to give God the reverence, worship and obedience due Him.

Verse 21. “Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Because one is a good person or believes in God, does not mean one has saving grace. This is produced only by repenting and asking Jesus Christ to come into your heart as Savior and Lord. Because mankind did not glorify God and were ungrateful for His provisions; even the gift of life, they became puffed up with self-importance and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Verse 22. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Since mankind knew God existed and refused to give Him the honor and praise due, and claimed wisdom for themselves they became fools (morons). Mankind has such self-admiration and self-adulation they do not have the discernment to know they are lost without God.

Verse 23. “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

Rather than have the glory of an infinite God, they chose images of man, birds, cattle, dogs, crocodiles, frogs, lizards and snakes. Such are common among heathen worship and have always been supporters of debauchery, and foolish hearts are darkened.

Verse 24. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:”

We already know that Satan is the instigator of the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden and the sinful nature of mankind. We know that Satan is the god of this world for an allotted time. Thus he is the one that spawns the evil and wickedness in the world.

Since mankind did not want God, He literally gave them over into the hands of Satan, which, in turn, propelled them into the vilest kind of sex sins and their hearts were darkened. Uncleanness is a Scriptural term for homosexuality and other sex perversions of men and women. God will not trespass on Man’s will and force His will on them. When folks persist on having things their own way and following their corrupt nature, God steps back and allows them that freedom of choice. Sin breeds more sin, and foolish hearts are darkened. They become hardened and calloused and no longer care if they wallow in the muck and mire of this world’s gutters.

Verse 25. ”Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

These were pagan people and they preferred a lie rather than the truth of God, much like today. Therefore they worshipped the creatures (images) they had made and foolish hearts were darkened. Today the popular trend seems to be the worship of self, wealth and possessions, and again, it is your choice. God will allow you the freedom of choice, but foolish hearts will be darkened, and you will suffer the consequences.

Verse 26. “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.”

God gave them up so they could follow their lusts for sordid passions, even women turning from that which they were created for and having abnormal sex with each other.Their hearts are darkened and they will suffer the consequences.

Verse 27. “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet,”

Men no longer had the kind of sexual relations that God ordained, but had a burning lust, men doing shameful things with other men. Their hearts are also darkened and they will suffer the consequences.

Verse 28. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

In other words, the Living God of the Bible, is not the kind of God that sanctions His creation doing such vile things, so mankind chose to wipe Him from their minds. God never changes, therefore, He will not allow it today. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, a degenerate mind incapable of knowing the God ordained distinction of right from wrong. Their foolish hearts were darkened. Thus, God’s condemnation will fall on all who choose to live this way and they will suffer the consequences.

Verse 29-31. “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affections, implacable, unmerciful:”

Because their mind could no longer rationalize, they were filled with every one of the evils above. Many of these are prevalent in the Church of today.

Verse 32. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Being fully aware of God’s death sentence for these crimes, they not only chose to continue in this evil conduct, but admire others that do the same. So it is today, more and more are turning to this wickedness; their foolish hearts will be darkened and they will suffer the consequences.

”But when you follow your own wrong inclinations your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticism, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except (you and) those in your own little group—and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Gal. 5:19-21, Living Bible

Let me remind you, Paul was writing to believers at Galatia. It is very plain that anyone participating in any of the above will “not” inherit the kingdom of God. Even born-again children of God can have their foolish hearts darkened when they follow their own inclinations. They can so easily fall into one or more of the above, if they do not keep guard over what they see, hear and read. One can almost fall into false doctrine and not even realize it, because many preachers and teachers of today preach a message so easy to believe. Why is it easy to believe? Because it is what most people want to hear. But much of what so many are preaching for doctrine today is simply not Scriptural.

Foolish hearts are darkenedwhen one seeks desires beyond God’s counsel. Seeking the things that are pleasing to the eyes, the flesh, and things that puff us up with pride (Gen. 3:6), lead us right into Satan’s trap. Preachers of false doctrine and producers of false miracles know how to persuade us to believe what they are saying. That is why Jesus gave us guidelines to know the genuine from the counterfeit. The Bible is our guide. If more people would read it and ask God to reveal His truth from it they would not be so easily deceived.

”Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.”

Matt. 7:15-16a.

”Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

First John 4:1.

One cannot try or test spirits with physical abilities or the five senses. The spirits must be tested or tried by the spiritual or inward man. Motivating false teachers will be their own egotistical, pompous spirit or a demon spirit. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, know God and His Word to successfully do this. Why do we need to test or try spirits? Here’s why,

”Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

First Timothy 4:1.

The Bible tells there will come a time, and I believe that time is here, when people will not listen to God’s Truth. They will go around seeking out the preachers who will tell them what they want to hear. They to not want to bow to a Supreme Being.

And God says, because they do not love His Truth, He will send them strong delusions, and cause them to believe a lie (2 Thess. 2:11-12). And their foolish hearts will be darkened.

Lookup a word or passage in the Bible