“…they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images…”

                 It happens every day.  You do it, and so do I.  People go to a store, a mall, a restaurant, a doctor’s office, a sidewalk vendor, a stadium, etc., and exchange money for something perceived of equal or close to equal value.  Sometimes the situation is critical, even life-threatening, if it occurs in a hospital.  Other times it is completely recreational and optional—not needed, just desired if you’re in the mood.

But what can we legitimately exchange for the glory of the immortal God?  On our better days we would say, “Nothing!”  Correct.  But the above verse says that that is exactly what people have done.  It continues today.  Could there be any other more serious offense to God than this?

We might ask, “Who would do such a thing?”  Good question.  In Rom. 1:18 we find the answer:  “Men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”  Literally, they hold down the truth.  In other words, they first recognize the truth to be the truth.  And when they do they hold it down, cover it up, deny it, reject it, when they know it is the truth!  How do they recognize the truth?  “…[W]hat may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (vs. 19-20).  Evidently God expects us to look at the order, design, structure and beauty in the world and deduce that something greater than nature itself—i.e., a creator—exists.  God says you don’t need a college degree to figure out this elemental fact.  Even children can get it.

Lest you think this can’t happen to God’s people, think again.  Paul’s wording reminds us of what Israel did while they waited for Moses to come down from the mountain 1,500 years before.  Psalm 106:19-20 gives us the shorter version of what happened:  “At Horeb they made a calf and worshipped an idol cast from metal.  They exchanged their Glory [God] for an image of a bull, which eats grass.”  In other words, it can happen to anyone.

Clearly the exchange rate has dropped severely!  How can one logically defend swapping something immortal for that which is mortal?  On a purely material level, does that show good business sense?  Of course not!  But that is how deceitful sin and sinful thinking is.  It simply never makes any sense at all.  When you start with a God “who alone is immortal” (1 Tim. 6:16), how can you go anywhere except down when dealing with inferior products…or creatures?  Down, down…way down.

This word immortal in the original language has the idea of incorruptibility.  It can’t get old, decay, wither away or wear out.  It is not subject to the curse on fallen man or the universe.  We see this idea in Acts 2 when Peter preached his first sermon.  Quoting King David from Psalm 16, Peter said, “…nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (v. 27b).  This last word decay is the opposite of immortal.  In explaining this verse Peter went on to say, “[David] spoke of the resurrection of the Christ that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay” (v. 31).  Yes, Jesus died, but his body had not reached the decomposition stage.  God would not permit that to happen because he is immortal! Christ would not be left to that stage.  Death for sin, yes.  Decomposition and decay?  No way.  Our God is immortal and incorruptible!

In thinking of options about God, virtually all of the pagan origin texts from history typically show a pantheon of gods who are jealous, mean-spirited, competitive, fighting and killing each other.  Sounds very much to me like gods made after the image of man instead of man originally made in the image of God.  This making of god in man’s image is one of the many ways he exchanged “the glory of God for images made to look like mortal [corruptible] man.”

How safe is the glory of the immortal God with you?  Is the negative exchange rate visible in your life, or do you aim higher and reflect his glory?