Jeremy L. Berg

This week our study in Romans (“The God Report”) takes us to what one pastor titled his sermon “The Dark Exchange.”  Paul addresses the pagan metropolis of ancient Rome with the following critique — which is relevant today as 2,000 years ago:

“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. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

What is the root of all evil?  What is the foundational sin within every human heart at the root of all other manifestations of sin?  Paul’s answer is simple: We have put other created things in the place of God.  This is the dark exchange. 

Interestingly, ABC News “Nightline” has a series tackling the Ten Commandments and featured the 2nd Commandment this week. Check out the following coverage featuring an interview with Pastor Mark Driscoll:

“An idol is someone or something that occupies the place of God in your life,” [Driscoll said. “[It] gives you identity, meaning, value, purpose, love, significance, security. When the Bible uses the word ‘idol’, that’s what it’s getting at.” 

Check out the FULL STORY.