The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Romans 1:21-25, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they

became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and

four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored

among them.

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,

who is blessed forever. Amen.”

In our previous Letter, we learned that while God is Love, He possesses an inestimatibly ferocious wrath! Here we learn that God pours out His wrath upon those who do not honor Him as God. The word “honor” is the Greek ??????, doxazo from which we get our word doxology meaning honor or glory. Not only do they fail to honor Him, they don’t even give thanks for all they have received from Him.

These ungodly people are not Christian people. Their speculations of God are empty; their hearts are dark. They claim to know Him, but they are fools, totally without understanding. The word for “knew” ???????, gnontes, often means “progress in knowledge.” (There is another word ????, oida, that means “fullness of knowledge”). These to whom Paul is writing, even change the true glory, owed only unto the True God, and worship idols that have various images of far lesser creation than that of Man. Robertson, the Greek scholar, reminds us that “No people, however degraded, have yet been found without some yearning after a god, a seeking to find the true God…”

So, what is God to do? Clearly, He has made Himself known to man. He is not in hiding. Man has disavowed and dishonored Him in the lusts of their hearts. They have abandoned God’s Truth and worshiped the creatures made of their own hands. What is God to do? He gave them over to the rancid impurities of their decadent hearts. Believe it! God will give you up! Oh, He loves you; He gave you His Word, the Holy Scriptures, to incite you to make Him LORD of your life! He went to the Cross for your sins! He arose from the grave to demonstrate the completion of His Ministry of salvation on Earth. Yet, when you resist Him and turn away from Him and His love, there is nothing left for Him to do but submerge you in His wrath.

An evangelist friend of mine told of a young woman who attended his meeting one night. She was clearly upset, but did not accept Jesus at the invitation. As she left that night, my friend pleaded with her to accept Christ. She said “No, but I will be back.” Her intention may have been truthful, but she died before she could return. Don’t let yourself “play” with God. And don’t ignore Him! Coming to Him in honest faith is the most serious encounter of your life! What’s more, you may not have much time.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

important contact ever!

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need until He becomes all that we have.”