Romans 1:21-23 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Paul shows the descent of humanity deeper into rebellion of God. These verses get even sadder as people reject God and do not give glory to Him. They are without excuse because they know God. There are people who know better. They know that what they are doing is wrong but they justify their actions because they have suppressed the truth of God. They have followed the way of self. The result is worthless thinking, foolishness, and darkness. Human wisdom becomes total foolishness when God is removed. Sin is a form of rebellion where we elevate ourselves and lower God. When we take God out of our lives, futility and foolishness enter, and these will lead to self-destruction. This appears in idolatry. Idols are human attempts to find meaning for the big questions of life. They only reveal human foolishness to think that an object can represent the infinite God.
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