Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (Romans 1:24-25)
[More notes from Counterfeit Gods, by Tim Keller.]
Some quotes that stand out from chapter one, All You’ve Ever Wanted:
- “We never imagine that getting our heart’s deepest desires might be the worst thing that can happen to us.” (page 1)
- “Every human being must live for something. Something must capture our imaginations, our heart’s most fundamental allegiance and hope. But, the Bible tells us, without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, that object will never be God himself.” (page 3)
- “Here, then, is the practical answer to our own idolatries, to the ‘Isaacs’ in our lives, which are not spiritually safe to have and hold. We need to offer them up.” (page 17)
- “You [can] say [to God], ‘I see that You may be calling me to live my life without something I never thought I could live without. But if I have You, I have the only wealth, health, love, honor, and security I really need and cannot lose.'” (page 19)
Two questions we should consider:
- Has God ever allowed you to embrace something you love more than him, and it turned out badly?
- Is there some good thing in your life that you feel you cannot live without?
