Romans 1:18-32
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Last week you learned who Paul was and how much the church at Rome meant to him but more so how much it meant to Paul to share what he had learned from and through Christ and what that knowledge meant to them.
Overview of Romans
Romans 1:1-3:20 The Wrath of God
Romans 3:21-8:39 The Grace of God
Romans 9-11 The Plan of God
Romans 12:1-15:13 The Will of God
Romans 15:14-16:25 Conclusion
The central theme Paul is writing about in Romans is THE GOSPEL! euangelion - The Good news!
Romans 1:1-5 “1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:”
Romans 15:16 “16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”
Romans 15:19 “19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
Romans 15:29 “29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.”
Romans 16:24-25 “24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,”
The good news without bad news is just news. Just another piece of information or data. May be interesting, but who cares.
The Bad News
The Bad News
vs 16-20 is a single flow of a logical argument
Romans 1:16-20 “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
The Message of Romans 4. Depraved Gentile Society (1:18–32)
Paul: I am not ashamed of the gospel (16a).
Q: Why not, Paul?
Paul: Because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (16b).
Q: How so, Paul?
Paul: Because in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, that is, God’s way of justifying sinners (17).
Q: But why is this necessary, Paul?
Paul: Because the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness (18).
Q: But how have people suppressed the truth, Paul?
Paul: Because what may be known about God is plain to them … For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities … have been clearly seen … (19–20).
Verse by Verse
Verse by Verse
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Lost people suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Rebels against God don’t want to hear about God and will go to amazing lengths to acknowledge the truth of God. Will plug their ears, scream and shout, ignore, argue against with reason and logic and “science”.
It’s not just that they do wrong, but they know better
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
All of mankind is made in the image of God and because of this we ALL have inside of us from birth a knowledge of God (following from Stott)
general revelation:
is the knowledge of God made by God to everybody everywhere
made through the “natural” order of creation
‘continuous’ because since the creation of the world it has gone on ‘day after day … night after night’ (Psalm 19:2)
‘creational’ revealing God’s glory in creation
special revelation:
is the knowledge of God may by God to particular people in particular places through Christ and the biblical authors
supernatural involving the incarnation of Christ and the inspiration of the Scriptures
‘final’ and finished in Christ and Scripture
‘saving’ revealing God’s grace in Christ
Even only general revelation means that nobody will be able to stand before the judgement of God and claim “I didn’t know” because God has given enough knowledge to know He is to everybody everywhere.
What implications does this fact have on witnessing? We are not trying to convince morally ignorant and “neutral” people of the existence of God and their responsibility to Him!
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
We think of worshiping idols as the person 2-3000 years ago or the indigenous tribe in the jungle with the statue they call their God
Everyone, lost or saved not only knows God exists but knows who God is and has a part inside that longs to worship God
ALL must either worship the One True God or be an idolater; no neutral position, no “on the fence”.
If you aren’t worshiping the God of the Bible, you’re worshipping yourself, you’re worshiping money, you’re worshiping your kids, you’re worshiping science. If you are not giving worship in heart, time, money and everything else to the One True God, you’re are living in idolatry!
If you are not worshiping the One True God you are in rebellion to the One True God. Doesn’t even matter if you claim to believe in no God. You are worshiping a god of some sort! If not the God of the Bible, then a god of your own making! Anything that takes the place of God in your life is idolatry!
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Because of that idolatry, God has given them over to worshiping themselves SO much they seek to be made one with someone else EXACTLY like them!
Vs 25 is pointing back up to 23 showing Paul is continuing his argument from idolatry to the following
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
The sexual conduct is a consequence of idolatry and the wrath of God
Homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM ( in one form or another until the publication of DSM-III-R in 1987. DIS-order is a lack of or not ordered. NOT NATURAL!
UN-natural; not “born this way” not even individuals who have shown traits from a very young age.
Evidence of America’s condition take the opening line from a Psychology Today online article on June 22, 2019: “Yesterday, the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) issued a formal apology for its past views on homosexuality as a form of mental illness. This represents the first formal apology on this matter from a national mental health organization in the United States.” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/freud-fluoxetine/201906/setting-the-record-straight-homosexuality-and-dsm)
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
We think the actions are only the sins! Yes, the actions are sinful behaviors, but in our minds we rush past the fact that the actions proceed from the heart. Matthew 15:18-19 “18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”
It’s not a behavioral matter. It’s not just how somebody is acting or the wicked things they are doing. It’s a heart matter and the wicked they do is showing a heart in rebellion to the longing inside EVERYONE has to worship the One True God or face the judgement of God on and for idolatry!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Book recommendations
Average American Consumer Expenditure on Alcohol and Entertainment has consistently been 4-5% of income per year from 1990-2022
on Alcohol and Entertainment: $4000 (or 4.3% of income) in 2022 (Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/cex/tables/calendar-year/mean/cu-all-multi-year-2021-2022.pdf)
Avg CE on alcohol and entertainment in 1990: $1700 (5.2%); 2010: $2900 (4.7%)
Avg Income: $94k in 2022; $33k in 1990; $62k in 2010
Tells us Americans will spend a lot of money to not think!
We are horrible about thinking deeply about serious issues.
Entertainment is amusement. Muse:to think deeply on something; alpha privative a- prefix signals absence or negation; theist is someone that believes in God, a-theist is lack of belief in God; muse is think deeply, a-muse is not thinking amusement
We will avoid thinking about even death, a fact that comes to each of us 100% of the time.
In the context of current culture or spirit of the age, how many of us are thinking and studying deeply about LGBTQ+ issues. Not just “it’s an abomination God despises and they’re going to hell!”
Easy position to take until your friend since high school that punched the ticket to heaven before you and you’re pretty sure is getting a crown twice the size of yours tells you: “Ya know, as I’ve been thinking about it, God is love and how can it be wrong for a lesbian couple adopts an orphan that they love with all their heart? God doesn’t intend for us to be lonely, so how can it be wrong for a gay couple to get married if they love each other the rest of their lives?”
That’s an easy position until your son or daughter or grandson or granddaughter tell you they’re gay.
We tend to only think deeply about the wrath and judgement of God when we’ve escaped it or when we’re talking about other people; especially people we don’t like or at least don’t like how they act!
But what does God say:
Romans 1:18 “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness
Yes Paul is writing to us to tell us all the people engaged and enslaved in LGBTQ+ will be judged for their sin, but also that it is a result of them ALREADY under the judgement of God.
What we see going on with LGBTQ+ in America and this nation not only practicing but enjoying and encouraging participation either explicitly, implied, or silence about it is not just “sin that God’s going to judge”; ITS ACTUALLY EVIDENCE THAT THIS NATION IS ALREADY UNDER GODS WRATH AND JUDGEMENT!
But it’s not just them!
Galatians 5:19-21 “19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
What can we do? The answer for the teen who is having homosexual or lesbian thoughts is the same as it is for those of us here this morning that wrestle the idols in our lives that the flesh is tormented by day in and day out.
Galatians 4:3-7 “3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
For those of us who are saved, the longer we fail to repent and ask forgiveness for our idolatry and the sins of the flesh it brings, the harder the whipping at the woodshed and the lower our head will be hung as we return to our Father’s house from the pig sty that is the world!
Every person that hasn’t turned with saving faith to Christ in all He is, has done, and is doing is under the wrath of God. The longer a person refuses to turn to and worship God and instead acts out all the rebellion toward God they have in their heart, the worse the situation gets, the harder their heart grows, and outside of the grace of the same Holy God they rebel against, the more likely they are to spend eternity separated from Him!
“We need to be reminded that we are created by a God who grants significance and safety — that we are created to yearn for it, to look for it, to desire it. And that is found in our Creator, a God who is deeply good, generous, gracious, just — all that satisfies us is found in him. Brokenness, then, is simply the story of looking for that significance and safety somewhere else. The gospel, then, is God’s response to our brokenness and our yearning for significance and safety.” -Richard Lints (https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-does-gods-forgiveness-free-us-from-idols)