Romans 3:9-12

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9 So are we Jews better than others? No! We have already said that Jews and those who are not Jews are all guilty of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who always does what is right, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who looks to God for help. 12 All have turned away. Together, everyone has become useless. There is no one who does anything good; there is not even one.” ~ Romans 3:9-12

Today, we return to our study of Romans 3 where the Apostle Paul delivers a final convincing indictment that all mankind, including the Jews, are sinful and therefore guilty before God. Romans 3:9-20 is Paul’s summary statement of his whole discourse of the bad news of the Gospel. In today's passage, v.9-12, he begins this final argument by pointing us to several verses out of Psalms and Isaiah, levying a 14 count indictment with the pounding of the gavel of God. 

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 So are we Jews better than others? No! We have already said that Jews and those who are not Jews are all guilty of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who always does what is right, not even one."

Having already established the universal fact that both Jews and Gentiles are thoroughly deserving of God's righteous anger, the Apostle Paul now establishes the fact that morally self-righteous people, who pride themselves on their good conduct and clean living, are no better off than the unenlightened pagans of the world. The pinnacle of Paul's reasoning is to repudiate the Jewish opinion that Jews are superior to Gentiles and that they automatically receive salvation because of their Jewish lineage.

In this section, Paul gives count after count against us all that finds us all in desperate need of a savior. Four times the word “none” is used in v.10-18. Three times the word “all” is used establishing the fact that no one escapes this indictment. 

In v.10 Paul quotes Psalm 14:1 and his point is there is no one who is good enough through our actions. Most when asked if they are going to heaven inaccurately say something to the effect that they hope to get to heaven because their good behavior will outweigh their bad. This response clearly shows that their understanding of their sinfulness has not be influenced by the Bible. And, it makes sense that Paul would make the argument that he is making since this book of Romans is about how to be made right with God.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "There is no one who understands. There is no one who looks to God for help."

In this letter to the Romans, Paul sets out the most exhaustive essay on salvation and covers every question that might be raised by both unbelieving skeptics and maturing believers alike. The indictment he delivers in the first three chapters is divided into three parts: the first part deals with sinful man’s character, the second part deals with sinful man’s speech, and the third part deals with sinful man’s conduct.

In v.11, Paul quotes Psalm 14:2 where God establishes the point that all of mankind has no true perception of divine reality, and, we totally lack right apprehension of God and His goodness. Whether we were born a Jew or a Gentile, we are ALL under the control of sin and subject to its power.

The unsaved man has rationalized God out of his life. And, since we lack this understanding, we do not look to God for help regarding our need. This gets to the root to our problem, which is our sin which has separated us from God. We are at our best when we are most needy because we do not naturally look to God for help until we have been convinced that He is our only hope.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "All have turned away. Together, everyone has become useless. There is no one who does anything good; there is not even one."

Again, Paul quotes Psalm 14. This time he dips into v.3. When man rebelled against God, we welcomed a condition that blinded us to the truth. The first three words of this verse literally means we have all run away from God as fast as we could, thinking He was our problem. Poor and unwise choices such as gambling, lying, cheating, sexual immorality and gossiping are sinful, but sin is more than just about right and wrong.

The phrase, "Together, everyone has become useless," literally was used to describe milk that had gone sour. Soured milk can only be thrown out because it is useless. This means mankind is rancid and in our sinful state we can not serve our God-intended function. This smacks in the face of a world that is bent on telling everyone nice things. Ignoring the fact that man's positivism contains lies, lost man has no room for the truth anymore. It is as if man was bent on being told lies, knowing them to be lies and then choosing to be defined by the lies. Foolishness! But, it is the truth that sets us free.

For two whole chapters, Paul systematically lays out the shocking reality that everyone who comes into this world is born dead to the truth and alive to sin. This deadness has separated us all from the life of God. In fact, everyone comes into this world as an enemy of God. All are filled with unrighteousness and all are under God's eternal condemnation. A biblical anthropology renders the understanding that mankind is bad, ignorant, rebellious, wayward, and useless. We are all in need of a savior.

Therefore, we must all admit, there is something deeply wrong with us. This understanding makes satisfying the fact that God who knows all of our flaws to the deepest level, still says to us, "I love you." This is what God has done for us in sending His Son to pay the penalty for our sin. All of this bad news that Paul has given and will yet give about our true condition is great news because this understanding redirects us to God who has provided the remedy. The only question that remains is: Will you receive the remedy which is the application of God's righteousness freely given to all who choose to trust in Christ?

Romans 3:1-8

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1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. ~ Romans 3:1-8

Today, we transition into Romans 3 where the Apostle Paul continues to help us to see inside the courtroom of God. It is in this courtroom that all mankind was found guilty before God for violating His truth. There is no one who escapes the penalty for this rebellion. The theme of Romans is the gospel, the good news that sinful man can be made right before God. And, the way we are made right before God is through the imputation of God's perfection through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?"

Beginning in this verse the Apostle asks a series of rhetorical questions which was a method that was familiar to the rabbis of that day. This is known to be the Socratic method taught and used by Socrates to pose a question and then provide the answer. Having devoted the previous chapter explaining the purpose of the Old Testament practice of circumcision, the Apostle Paul begins here to put forth the advantage the Jew had in light of the teaching behind that of circumcision. 

In v.2-4 the Apostle begins to provide the answer to the question he posed in v.1. In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”

The advantages the Jews had were many, including having been given the very words of God. But, they along the way chose not to believe in the truths that God gave them. In fact, they were known not to believe in and thus be defined by God. The history of the Jews is a history of failure from the golden calf when they first got delivered out of Egypt all the way through to and especially when it came to the arrival of the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. 

The point is that God does not grant salvation to anyone based upon our heritage or religion. No, God grants salvation to the one whom the word of God has done its work in. And, the fact that the Jews did not believe does not negate the promises that God made to them, because though we see a hardness now, that is just temporary. In fact, the Apostle Paul later in Romans 9-11, makes it clear that even though they have largely pushed away from the God of the promises, the fulfillment of all of those promises will come. The fulfillment has only been put on pause for now. Paused but not prevented.  

At the end of v.4 the Apostle Paul quotes Psalm 51:4 which was written by David after he had sinned with Bathsheba. And he was eventually heartbroken because of it. After David wrote, "Against you and you only have I sinned and committed this great wickedness in your sight," he wrote, "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged." This means God is always right in His judgment of our sin. He has to be, otherwise, He would not be God, the arbiter of the truth.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased through my life to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?"

The next rhetorical question challenges the credibility of God. To this rebuttal, the Apostle makes the point that if God were not righteous in His judgement of sin, there would be no way of stopping the destructive advancement of human evil in this world. The fact is, sin never glorifies God. Sin always undermines the truth and it always delivers evil results. This is why the Apostle wrote in Galatians 6:8, "If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life."

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "And why not say, 'Let us do evil that good may come?'—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just."

Paul's logical conclusion to the rebuttal is: the absence of a holy God judging the wretched sinfulness of man would allow moral chaos and anarchy to go unchecked and nobody could judge anything. We simply would be plunged into a tremendous abyss of immorality in which anybody could do anything, and nobody would dare to raise a hand in opposition. This would produce moral anarchy. This merely proves that God is right to judge our sin. It proves that He is just and His condemnation of sin is in keeping with His perfect character.

Romans 2:25-29

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"25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. 

~ Romans 2:25-29

Today, we conclude our study of Romans 2 where the Apostle Paul is in the middle of ushering all mankind into the courtroom of God and showing that we are all guilty and deserving of the punishment of Hell. It is not until we see our smallest sin as violent rebellion against a totally loving God that we begin to appreciate His grace.

In today's passage, the Apostle introduces the subject of circumcision. In fact, he repeats the word ten times in this section in which he makes the point that the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. In fact, in the Bible, God mentions the heart almost 1,000 times. It is obviously one of His biggest concerns.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?"

Long before God gave to Moses the Law, He gave to Abraham the object lesson of circumcision. God gave it to be a daily reminder that He is committed to the one who is dependent upon Him. God did this long before Abraham ever showed even an ounce of commitment to Him. But, the Jews misconstrued circumcision by making it the unique mark of the biological Jew. This is why God makes a distinction in the Bible, particularly in the book of Galatians, between the biological Jew and the spiritual Jew. To God, circumcision was a physical practice that was to lead to a lesson for the human heart. God gave the Jews this object lesson to remind them that their love for God has to always be in response to His love for them. And, as long as it was kept in that sequence, it worked, because God's love for us will always melt our hearts if we understand it aright. 

God has never intended there to be a connection between circumcision and obedience to the Law of Moses. Circumcision was meant to remind the believer to be separated to the Gospel of the good news that God was committed to us through Christ. So, the Apostle Paul, here in v.25, gave us a formula to help us understand his point: Circumcision without perfect and complete obedience to the Law equals uncircumcision. This means that we miss the point of the object lesson if we make its message contingent upon our obedience to God's Law. This is due to the fact that if we break any point of the Law, we are guilty of it all. 

The wedding ring is a good illustration behind the point of circumcision. The wedding ring is honorable as long as there is faithfulness in the marriage. But, if unfaithfulness enters, the ring which is an object lesson to the one wearing it, is just a piece of metal. In that context, the ring becomes an outward object that does not speak of an inward reality. Throughout the Bible the root to our problems is our hearts. And, if our hearts are not involved, no amount of obedience can merit God's favor.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker."

The Jews of Paul's day wrongfully believed that circumcision was a means to being made right before God. They treated it much like people treat baptism today. Often, when we ask people if they are going to heaven, they answer with: "I was baptized on such and such day." They do not understand the fact that no one is ever saved by observing the sacraments.  The Jews, when they lost their heart for God, supposed that circumcision had the power to save them. It did not, because it was always a picture of God putting His ring on the index finger of the believer. It was meant to be a reminder of His faithfulness to us.

In addition to this, Paul is reminding the heartless ones that the obedience of an uncircumcised Gentile is proof of the responsibility of a circumcised Jew to be honest with himself and with God. The absence of honesty always wrecks any relationship. Honesty is an affront to the root of all sin which is covetousness. This explains why confession is so big with God.

In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, "28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God."

The Apostle makes a clear distinction between the physical Jew and the Jew with a heart for God. The phrase: "Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God" is a play on words. The word "praise" is taken from the word "Judah," from which we get the word "Jew." This word can also mean "thank you." I find it most interesting and instructive that man first went wrong because he lacked gratitude in his heart with reference to God. This underscores Paul's point which is: Nothing outward makes someone a Jew. Even Abraham was a Gentile before he became a Jew. And, one becomes a Jew when his heart is engaged with God and that engagement renders gratitude to God.  

The Jews of Paul's day arrived wrongly upon the object lesson of circumcision. They fell into the trap of thinking that God looks at the performance, as if we could earn His favor. They thought, "If we go through the motions, we will be right with God." They lacked the understanding that gratitude is the seed bed of acceptable obedience. This is why God draws our attention to the heart in this passage. When we get our hearts right, when we are honest with ourselves and with God, we will be honest about our utter desperation for His grace. In this case, honesty enlightens us because it enables us to see that our righteousness is as filthy rags before a holy and just God. This is what makes God's grace so great, and, this is what changes us from the inside out.

When we do not operate out of God's grace, self takes over. This leads us to be defined by our flesh which causes us to accentuate our works over our heart response to the grace of God. And, when we operate out of a performance-oriented mindset we see repentance as something we do as a result of something we have done. It is our attempt to fix our sinful and broken selves. It is an atoning for our sin. In contrast, faith-based repentance is always done in response to something God has done. It's the change that happens in our hearts and minds when we have encountered God and His marvelous grace.

Romans 2:17-24

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17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” ~ Romans 2:17-24

Today, we return to our study of the book of Romans where the Apostle Paul is in the middle of addressing the arrogance of the privileged Jews. In today's passage, the Apostle lists four things that the Jews of his day were privileged to have: First, they were given the Law of God. Second, they were instructed by God. Third, they knew the will of God. Fourth, they understood God's morality. 

We all struggle with measuring our value by the wrong things. In fact, we all measure our value by our performance plus what others think of our performance. The one who relies on his performance is the one who sees his problem and sets out to fix it himself. The problem is, he can't solve his problem. Although he has accomplished a lot of good things in his life, he still has a problem: he has a million more good things to do and he does not have enough time during his lifetime to do them. And then, add to this the fact that these folks to whom Paul wrote were so arrogant that they were holding others to a standard that they themselves could not attain. This is the backdrop to today's passage.

In v.17-20 of today's passage we read, "17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth."

The word "Jew" comes from the name "Judah" which means praise or "thank you." The benefits to living a life of thanks are nearly endless. Those who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for, experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.

When we lose sight of God's definition of us, we are in great danger of being defined by sin and self. The Jews to whom Paul wrote this book had a problem with pride. These type of people are those who are always ready to correct others without as much as taking inventory of their own lives and the changes needed therein. 

Throughout v.17-20 the Apostle uses the word "if" which denotes that good behavior on the behalf of those who believe the truth of God's word is not automatic. In order for us to realize the truth and the blessedness of the Scriptures, there must be fertile soil within our hearts. 

In Romans 1:1 the Apostle wrote, "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God." 

In order for us to be defined by God, we must be separated to the gospel of God, especially since the gospel is the greatest news of all time. To be separated to the gospel means we must be separated from other things, like the arrogance and pride and self. It also means we must live in and out of God's favor which we do not deserve. It means we must be defined by God as His beloved. Humility grows in this soil.

In v.21-23 of today's passage we read, "21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?"

Those who are defined by their pride are just as guilty as those described in Romans 1 whom they look down upon. These to whom Paul wrote this book were guilty of not living up to God's law themselves. Of course, this is the case for all of us. Since the hypocrite has lost sight of examining himself, he looks down upon and criticizes others. And, one glaring omission is that they never correct or instruct themselves. Paul's obvious point here is that it is not enough to hear God’s word; one must also apply the truth and be humbled by it. When we are self-examining, an inward change is possible and it can render the goal God had in mind when He gave us His word.

In these verses the Apostle highlights the sins of stealing, adultery, idolatry and dishonoring God. The Law is divided into three sections: the moral law, the ceremonial law, and the civil law. The moral law is how the Jews were to live, the ceremonial law is how the Jews were to worship and approach God, and the civil law contains how the Jews were to function as a nation and as a society. In these verses the Apostle Paul referred these to whom he wrote to the moral law.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

In this verse the Apostle quoted Isaiah 52:5. There is a note of intended sarcasm in this verse, as in the previous verses. The Jews who were supposed to lead the blind to God, were actually blaspheming God in front of the blind. They were supposed to be light to those in darkness, but they were blaspheming God to those in darkness. They were supposed to correct the foolish and teach the immature, but they were blaspheming the name of God by their superficial religion.

The problem the Jews had was they had adopted a religion of selective rule-keeping. They did not have a religion of the heart, but only that of an external facade. Their hearts had experienced very little change if any. They had stiff-armed God and kept Him at a distance. They lacked conviction of sin, repentance, and they saw no need for humility. They had a religion of convenience, where they were not disturbed by God. They had been entrusted with the blessings of God, but they kept those blessings to themselves. They did not allow the truth to penetrate into the depths of their souls. And, it was out of that posture that they indirectly blasphemed the name of God.

To only know about God without coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ leaves one condemned in his sin. We must be born again to know the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. Once we have entered into a personal relationship with God, we must be intent upon being defined by His word. Our lives should reflect the truth that we share with others. May we have the wisdom to resist being like the arrogant, who know God’s word with their minds only. May we be those with hearts that have encountered the living God.

Romans 2:12-16

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"12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. ~ Romans 2:12-16

Today, we return to our study of Romans 2 where the Apostle  Paul is addressing those who openly resist and refuse the gospel by self-righteously condemning those who openly reject God. Up til this point in Romans all efforts at salvation have been from earth upwards. Through his own efforts man has inflated his balloon with hot air but to no avail was he able to get it off the ground. 

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."

One way that we discover the main theme in any passage is to look for the repeatedly used words. You will notice that the word  "law" is repeatedly used in this section. And remember that the Apostle Paul is primarily writing to those who were under the law. These were Jewish people who had trusted in Christ as their Savior. 

Given our sinful human condition, the role that the Law of God serves is to crush us underneath its perfection. And anyone who tries to measure up to God's Law experiences a beat down spiritually because of his inability to hold up under it. And, for most of the Jews of Paul's day, they simply ignored this reality and created a new reality. Their new reality led them further and further away from the truth into the realm of the dishonest.

Today, the Apostle brings us to the unenlightened pagan. These are those who have not heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus. The point that the Apostle makes in today's text is that they still have the messages sent from God to them through creation and their conscience. Their problem is that they have resisted the revelation that God has given to all mankind. They have defiled their consciences by giving in to the way of the fallen one, going the way of self. Here, the Apostle establishes the argument that these will be judged because they will have no payment for the penalty of their sin.

In Romans 2:2 we read, "But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things."

God discriminates according to truth. That means He is realistic and He only deals with that which is actually there according to the truth. God does not falsely accuse anyone, but he judges according to truth. And, if we do not have a Savior, our sin has not been paid for. And, if this is the case, we will stand judged before God in the end.

In Romans 2:26 we read, "Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?"

God always sees what is going on in the heart of a man. He always judges on that basis. When man responds to the revelation about God in one way, God always gives him more revelation in other ways. God waits patiently until the heart of that man changes.  And, He does not give up on anyone, even after they have given up on Him.

This means that God will say to man, "What did you think was right and wrong?" By that standard, of course, everyone fails. This is why the Apostle wrote in v.12, "All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law." 

The fact that some have never heard the Ten Commandments, or anything else that is in the Bible, does not mean that they are going to be acceptable in God's sight. They will perish, not because they did not hear, but because they did not respond to the revelation that God has given to all mankind, and, as a result, they did not know what was right.  

Then the Apostle accurately points out that there is a great difference between hearing and obeying or responding to any message that God has given. Ultimately, it is a matter of the heart, as to whether we are willing within to go with God.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)"

 

Paul's argument is there is a day coming when God will judge the secrets of men everywhere and all that is hidden will be revealed. Now, there were some in Paul's day who said that because the Jews possessed the Law and knew God's truth, they would not be condemned by God. But, one's knowledge of the truth is not what saves him. No, what saves us is the object of our faith. And, not just any object. It must be the sacrifice made on the cross by the Lord Jesus. He is the only Savior there is or ever will be. 

Then, there are those who say that if people have not heard they will be saved. No, because if that were the case, then everyone would be saved. According to the Bible, only those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus as Savior will enter into heaven because all men have the truth written in their hearts. And, if someone has not responded to the general revelation that God has given everyone in creation and through our consciences then they will not know the contents of the Bible. They, therefore, will not know the gospel.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."

God requires perfect obedience to His truth in order for any of us to be right and acceptable in His presence. He can not just wink at sin and let us all go free. His perfection demands and requires the penalty for our sin to be paid for. If He did not do that, His perfection would be undermined. And, no mere man can be perfect in his obedience to the truth. Those who hope that when they die that God will allow them into heaven because their good behavior outweighs their bad, have a rude awakening coming. This is why the Law of God was given to us, to drive home to us the idea that we can not be good enough because perfection is the requirement. And, of course, this is why the Lord Jesus came to earth to live a perfect life and to die a perfect death on our behalf.

When we get to the day when God judges all mankind the question will be on what basis should God allow us entry into heaven. If we resisted the free gift of Christ on our behalf, it will be at that moment that we will have to face the wrath of God for ourselves. This will be senseless because God has made the way for you to know that your sin has been forgiven you. Will you, in this moment, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? I hope you will consider the ABC's of salvation and trust Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sin. Simply tell God that you are a sinner, confess to Him your need for Him to be your Savior, and trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross to make you right and acceptable before God.

Romans 2:5-11

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5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. ~ Romans 2:5-11

Today, we return to our study of Romans 2 where the Apostle Paul is bringing everyone into God's court of law in order to show us that we are all guilty of falling short of His glory. In today's passage, the Apostle has turned the page from those who have rejected God and His truth to those who judge them. The problem with this second group is that they are just as guilty before God as those who practice ungodliness. These in today's passage are just as guilty as those whom they judge. These are guilty of something those who they judge are not: hypocrisy.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

Beginning in v.1 of this chapter, the Apostle Paul turns his attention on those who are moral, but, they do not have a personal relationship with God. These are those who appear to be right with God but they look down their noses at those who act on their sinfulness in more degrading ways than they do.

In this verse the Apostle pinpoints the problem of these who judge others: their hard and impenitent heart. The Greek word translated "hard" here is the word from which we get our English word sclerosis. Anyone with sclerosis of any kind is on his way to death. Spiritually speaking, the Apostle is referencing the self-righteous, moral man, who thinks he sits in judgment with God on his throne with Him. 

The word translated "impenitent" describes someone who has yet entered into a personal relationship with God for if they had they would not be judging the sinfulness of others. To be impenitent is to feel not one ounce of shame for our judgement of others. Those who have been forgiven offer forgiveness to others not condemnation.

The word "treasuring" means this type of person is constantly making self destructive deposits into their own ledger which one day will come due. These types of people think that their supposed morality is a kind of a bargain with God who they think has said, "If you keep a lot of rules, I'll reward your goodness." This is not the case because God righteously judges us all, and, His judgement of our sinfulness shows no respecter of persons. The only thing that enables us to avoid the wrath of God is the gospel of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality."

God's judgment of us all will be based on how we stack up against the truth. This is why in John 14:6 the Lord Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me." 

The two Old Testament passages that Paul quotes here, Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12, both are passages that warn against pride. The way we live our lives reveals what we value. Those who are being defined by God and His culture demonstrate that they value God. Thus, they will be rewarded with what they were seeking: life with God. Those whose disobedience to God demonstrates their selfish ambition, their pride will face His wrath.

The Apostle Paul makes his presentation as he does here to show that no man can produce the "deeds" worthy of God's forgiveness. In fact, this is the direction the book of Romans is going. In order for us to be declared forgiven, we must first be declared guilty. Eternal life only goes to those who trust in the perfect God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. God, at tremendous cost, provided for the believer the only way to avoid His wrath. It is realized by those who give up on our efforts to earn His favor. This is why the Lord Jesus implored us to lose our lives. It is when we submit to the death of our ambitions to measure up to the truth, which we can not do, that we find eternal life only in the Lord Jesus Christ and His merit.

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek."

The real problem of sinful and rebellious man is himself. It is the worship of ourselves that prevents us from seeking the God of truth. In fact, when we worship ourselves, we go the way of Satan, the one whose title means "one who opposes." And, here we see the conflict between God's righteous indignation and the moral man's unrighteous indignation. 

For those without the heart change that is rendered when we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God's indignation, God's wrath, tribulation, and anguish await him. Sinfulness has a price tag and it is only the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ that can cash that price tag in for our rightness before the holy God.

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God."

There is coming a day when God will welcome the righteous into His heaven and the unrighteous will go to hell. The difference will be that the ones who will enter into heaven were those who sought. They sought God's glory, honor, and peace, not their own. We do not read in v.10 that they deserved it. No, what we discover is they just sought God. And, as a result, they will be rewarded by the proof of the righteousness that had been applied to them through believing in Christ as their Savior. The hearts of those who seek God will enjoy His peace, honor, and glory. And, the only favorites God has are those who believed in His One and Only Begotten Son who shares His glory with all humble enough to cry out to Him for help.

Romans 2:1-4

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1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? ~ Romans 2:1- 4

Today, we transition into Romans 2 where we find ourselves in the middle of the Apostle Paul's scathing description of the unsaved man. When man rejected the true God he had nowhere else to turn but to himself, and, when man turns to worshipping himself, he inevitably ends up in destruction.

In v.1 of today's passage, we read, "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."

Whenever we encounter a "therefore" in the Scriptures, we must always ask, "what it is there for?" Having described those who rejected the truth of God and the God of truth in Romans 1, the Apostle Paul turns our attention to those who pass judgment on those who deserve Hell. The people Paul describes here in today's passage were moral people who looked down their nose on those who had just been described in Romans 1:19-32. 

Anyone who sits in the seat of moral judgment proves he is inexcusable if he can condemn other people, since he knows the standard, and, in reality, does the same thing, even if in a secret and hidden fashion. No one can escape the penalty of his sin on his own. Especially can the moral man not escape the judgement of God, because he has been exposed to the standard and to the goodness of God. Morality and spirituality are not one in the same.

We are really good at pointing out other people's faults while we ourselves have those faults ourselves. We all find it very easy to point out others sin, but we hope others do not see ours. In the context of all of this, we forget that we can not possibly know what's going on in other people's hearts. Only God can do that. We tend to be hard on others and soft on ourselves when it comes to passing judgment. The self-confident moralist hopes that God will grade him on a curve. But, the obvious truth is we are all deserving of Hell.

In v.2-3 of today's passage we read, "2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?" 

God judges based upon the truth which does not change. And, God judges also on the basis of our practice. This word "practice" denotes that the sins listed at the end of the previous chapter are descriptive of the person's lifestyle. The Apostle Paul was not writing about those who have temporary slip-ups with said sins. He was addressing those whose lifestyle is regularly described by those sins. He was addressing those who had rejected God and His truth.

The fact that God judged the Lord Jesus while He hung on the cross on the basis of the truth, underscores the preciousness of that voluntary act done by the Lord on our behalf. If He had not gone to the cross and be made sin for us, we would have absolutely no hope. But, since the Lord Jesus did, we can escape the judgement of God by depending upon His work on that cross for the forgiveness of our sin.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"

It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, to turn away from self to be defined by Him. God's goodness, tolerance, and patience are exhibited by the fact that He gives us the chance to own up to our utter wickedness, to confess our need of Him and the depend upon His Son's death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. And, once we do that, we should not be judgmental of others.

Kindness is a better way to explain God's goodness here, because it is not goodness as opposed to badness. It is that He is good in the sense of being benevolent, generous, merciful, and kind. God does not just see our sinful deeds, He also sees our sinful condition. We have to see all our life in this respect. A faithful God, judging the inner part of our lives gives us these opportunities. He knows we are blind to our sinfulness. He knows that we often struggle at recognizing what is wrong in our lives, and so He gives us these opportunities to turn away from self and to turn to Him. These moments of truth are very important.

The repentance the Apostle Paul writes about here is repentance from our way, dependence upon self. The man who equates spirituality with morality does not get what it is really all about. He sees himself sharing the throne with God. He sees Himself as earning God's favor. But there is a problem with sharing the throne with God. We can't! We are still flawed and not consistent with "the Truth." And if we have experienced the kindness of God, we will not be judgemental. 

Have you ever noticed that we do not judge the ones we love? It bears to reason, when we judge, we have a love problem. This is why in Romans 5 the Apostle Paul writes about the love of God being poured out in our hearts. This is Paul's argument and he is nailing the Jewish Christians in Rome with his words "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."

Finally, it appears that that Paul is saying that we earn our salvation, but as we have pointed out over and over before, how much goodness on our behalf is enough to merit God's favor? Of course, the answer is we can not be good enough. We will see that the key to our rightness with God is not the amount or quality of our goodness but the object of our faith in His goodness that makes us right with God. 

Romans 1:28-32

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28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. ~ Romans 1:28-32 

Today, we conclude our study of Romans 1 where we have been considering the essence of sin in v.24-25, the ultimate expression of sin in v.26-27. And, today, we will consider the extent of sin in v.28-32. 

The theme of Romans is the gospel of Jesus Christ reveals God’s righteousness, and, by believing in the finished work of Christ on the cross, man can be made right with God. We do not realize how amazing God's grace is until we have discovered the awfulness of His wrath. Before we can understand the good news of salvation, we must first know the bad news of condemnation. This is why the Apostle Paul addresses the sinfulness of man in the first three chapters of Romans. 

In Romans 1:18 we read, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness."

The bad news is we have been separated from God and life itself, and, we all are bound for the ultimate consequence of our sin which is Hell. Rebellious man is continually being given over to the consequences of his rebellion against God whose wrath was awakened by our sin. Sin is a death always dying.   

As we have considered the essence and the ultimate expression of our sin, today, we come to Paul's third usage of the phrase "God gave them over." 

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting."

This is the beginning of the extent of man's sin. Rebellious and sinful man does not want to retain God in his knowledge. So, God gave man up to his desire to exist independently of Him. We abandoned God! As a result, God has let us go our own way. And, with sin as our master, we are led to a debased, reprobate, defective and corrupt mind. As a result, man chooses to do things that are not fitting, things that God never intended for us to do. 

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers."

The first three words of this verse says it all. It does not read, "affected by" or "influenced by." It reads, "being filled with." This means man is continually being filled with the consequences of thinking God is a fool and he is not. "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"

That word "unrighteousness" means to delight in doing what is opposite of God. This means man deliberately has departed from that which is best for him. The first expression of this is seen in his sexual immorality. The Greek word used here translated "sexual immorality" is the word from which we get our English word pornography which literally means the messages of prostitutes.

This leads to "wickedness" which means the sexual perversions to which pornography leads us. Interestingly, this word "porneia" is most often used of Satan in the Bible. It is active malice. It is not only doing evil, but being evil.

The next sin on the Apostle's list is "covetousness" which reveals the ultimate desire behind all sin. Covetousness is greed, craving more than we have and wishing we had what somebody else has. The problem with this: we will never be satisfied by anything this world has to offer us.

Next is "maliciousness" which comes from the Greek goddess, "Kakia," who personified the spirit of vice and immorality. This goddess was depicted as a vain, plump and heavily made-up woman dressed in revealing clothes. 

And then there is "full of envy" which means hating someone because they have what you want or they are what you want to be. Following this, there is "murder," which is killing someone without just cause. And, "strife" which is being argumentative and anxious to fight about whatever. And then, "deceit" which literally gives the picture of a fish hook being set in the mouth.  And then we have "evil-mindedness" which is spite or revenge with the desire to hurt or to harm another. And then, there is the word "whisperers" which is the word for gossipers and describes private slander.

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, "30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful."

As if this list were not bad enough, the first descriptor used in v.30 is "backbiters." This word describes people who openly slander others. They do this because they are "haters of God," people who do not respect God. They, like Satan, admit God exists but they so hate Him that they openly defy Him.

Then there is the word "violent" which reveals these people have contempt not only for God but for everyone. Then there is the word "proud" which describes a people who display an attitude of superiority. And, then there is the word "boasters" which describes those who vocalize their seeming superiority.

The list next reveals those who are known to be "inventors of evil things." They invent devices designed to express filthiness. "Disobedient to parents," and "undiscerning" go hand in hand since how we grow in respect for authority enables us to think most clearly and logically. "Untrustworthy" and "unloving" also go hand in hand since the word used for "unloving" describes someone who lacks natural affection or brotherly love. The list concludes with "unforgiving" and "unmerciful" which both reveal that they are heartless, cruel, ruthless, and lacking all grace. 

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "... who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."  

Once sin runs its course, it drives us deeper into its dungeon of despair and destruction, even though we may not display all of these sins listed. This is the wrath of God at work and rebellious man is sadly left to the essence, the ultimate expression and the extent of his depravity. The problem is not with God, as some suggest. The problem is that man loves his sin too much. As a result God has given rebellious man over to his own destructive self. The design behind giving man over to himself is the hope that when sin has beaten him up so badly that man has been made ready to welcome the light of God back into his life. For those who get the message, eternity will be the most welcomed sight ever.

Romans 1:26-27

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26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural  relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. ~ Romans 1:26-27

Today, we return to our study of Romans 1. In this chapter the phrase "God gave them over" appears three times. This phrase comes in response to man violently rebelling against God. He believed the lie of Satan that says, "You can make it on your own without God."

The first time the Apostle used this phrase, in v.24, he uncovered the essence of sin which is the worship of self. Today, we will consider his second usage of the phrase where the Apostle reveals the ultimate expression of sin.

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones."

It is at the root of our sin that we find the essence of our sin: the worship of self. Apart from God, the pursuit of pleasure becomes our god. In fact, if we get far enough away from God, we pursue pleasure at all costs. Trying to satisfy our pleasure in a way contrary to the way God has instructed us to only leads to extreme expressions such as "exchanging natural sexual relations for unnatural ones."

Mankind started with revelation from God in his conscience and through creation. But, we embraced rejection of that revelation from God. This, ultimately, led us to a reprobate mind. The phrase "God gave them up,” describes what God does in response to man's rejection of Him. Literally that phrase speaks of turning someone over to a judge in a courtroom, and they are sentenced to death. The man who rejects God suffers the sentence of death, and death brings with it destruction.

Pleasure is a God-given idea. Temptation is the desire to meet a God-given desire in a way that is not God-designed. In this chapter is described the downward spiral of ignoring God's definition of the way human life is supposed to be lived. Blasé Pascal once said it well, "God has created us with a God-shaped vacuum that only He can fill." Today, we must be mindful to allow God to define our lives for us or we go the way of self that so many down throughout time have gone. And, that way will always lead to destruction.

The Romans of Paul's day were very good at pursuing their pleasures apart from God. In his article, Rome didn't Fall in a Day, Edward Gibbon wrote, "Decadence is the first word that comes to mind in almost any discussion on the fall of Rome. Tales of wanton sexual excesses and the gorging of food within Roman vomitoriums are often used to explain how something as enduring as the Roman Empire could possibly be laid to waste by German barbarians. The fall of Rome is often pitched as an antithesis for family values, with pornography and homosexuality touted as the hallmarks of modern moral decadence.”

Someone once said, "Sin is a death always dying." In our passage for today, the Apostle shows us the extreme to where such a pursuit to fulfill our desires in an ungodly way leads us. Psychological confusion with regard to the truth is one of the many consequences of rejecting God and His truth. In v.24-25 we saw that this leads to sexual immorality. When a society becomes pornographic, immorality has definitely gained the upper hand. 

The heart of fallen man is wretched. And, apart from God lust dominates the unforgiven heart. This inevitably leads to impurity and the bodies of those who reject God follow in the most dishonorable ways. This is what is being described in today's passage. 

The word "nature" at the end of v.26 means the natural order of things. God has established a natural order of things and when we ignore His definition of things and we operate according to that which is contrary, we are being defined by sin. Errant theology leads to errant understanding of all things, including our sexuality. When we get God wrong, we get humanity wrong. As a result man defiles and dishonors his body through his vile passions. And, the evil desires that we know to be in us. or the flesh, as the Apostle Paul writes, are never satisfied.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error."   

During the first century world in which Paul lived and wrote, homosexuality was commonplace. Most of the great philosophers extolled it & practiced it. Men like Socrates were homosexuals. Out of the first fifteen Roman emperors, fourteen of them practiced it. Once again, when the restraints are removed, the lies of the enemy define. Homosexuality is against the God of creation. Not even animals don't do this. 

But, the beauty of it all is God loves homosexuals. He hates what any distortion of truth does to people. At the end of v.27 we read, "received in themselves the due penalty for their error."

The consequence of rejecting God and His definition of things leads to error and destruction. This is what sin does, it destroys us. The essence of man's sinfulness is an unclean heart. The expression of his sinfulness is perversion. Evil gets its way when we resist Gods involvement in our lives. Our only hope is found in the Lord Jesus Christ who took sin on directly, so that we could be freed from the clutches of sin itself. 

Romans 1:22-25

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22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore 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 about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. ~ Romans 1:22-25

Today, we return to our study of Romans 1 where we have learned that when we reject God and His culture, our thinking becomes futile and our hearts have become darkened. It is at this point that the needs of others around us become of no concern to us. Selfishness causes us to lose compassion and awareness of the struggles and needs of others around us. Numbness toward God translates into numbness toward the sincere needs of others.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles."

When we claim to be wise, we are trying to be God. The result of such is we become fools. This literally means that we lose touch with reality. Sinful man who refuses to accept the truth, destroys his God-given ability to discriminate. It is in this context that illogical thinking takes over. Once we have abandoned the ability to think logically, every thought becomes captive to what is wrong. In this context, truth cannot be perceived accurately by the one who has rejected God. And, the biggest fool of all is the one who has rejected the light, gone into the darkness, and now rationalizes that the darkness is light, and the light is darkness. 

The word translated here "fools" is the word from which we get our English word "moron." The "wisdom" of the fool is limited to one sphere. He is wise in his own conceited self-styled perception. My dad once accurately said, "Son, some people are so narrow-minded, they can look through a key hole with both eyes."

This leads rebellious man to "exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles."

Since we were created to worship, we will always worship something. And when we reject worshipping God, we will worship things. We call this idolatry. That which we worship will always be a substitute for God. This is an attempt on fallen man's behalf to make God seem to be less than what He is. When we reject God, we essentially end up worshipping self. This is the way Satan operates; he does not get us to follow him, he gets us to follow self. And, when we follow self, we are indirectly following him.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 Therefore 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 about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen."

Due to the Fall, man has no capacity to restrain his sinfulness. There's only one force in the entire universe that can restrain evil and that is God. This is why our worship of God is so important, because what we worship defines us. The problem is when we reject God too much, there comes a point that God no longer restrains the enemy from us. The more God lets go of a person, the worse it gets.   

Since the Fall, man has been trying to remove the consequence of his sin. Think about all the medicines that have been invented to stop venereal disease. But, venereal disease is God's way of stopping immorality. And as soon as we began to get the upper hand on venereal diseases, we are freed up to do whatever we want. And, it is then that we reap the results. So in a very real sense, without hurling fire from heaven, without some cataclysmic event, God pours out His wrath on a day-by-day basis as He gives man up to the destructiveness of his own sin. Man's ill-informed passions become the very instruments of God's wrath.

Beginning in v.24, the Apostle Paul uses a four word phrase to get his point across. The phrase is: “God gave them up.” This phrase is repeated in v.26 and v.28. The phrase used here describes the essence of man's sinfulness. When God lets man go, man always goes directly to moral uncleanness. As indicated in the previous verse, God gave man up because man rejected the revelation of God. And, since we were all created to worship, when we have rejected God, we end up worshipping self. This is the essence of sin.  

The essence of man's sinfulness is discovered in the many expressions of his impure heart. Sinful and unbelieving man was and is being given over to the rottenness that is within him. We were given over to what we desired: a God-rejecting heart.    

As indicated at the end of v.24, when we reject God, we end up dishonoring our own bodies. Our vile hearts, apart from God's presence in our lives, is the reason that man becomes sexually perverted. The phrase, "the degrading of their bodies with one another," is the lust of their hearts. Unsaved man who has rejected God's culture, perverts God's intended use for his body. 

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie." The lie is: God doesn't have to be obeyed or honored or glorified. Satan first pushed this lie in the Garden. Adam and Eve believed this lie, and, they gave into a posture that constantly tempted them to believe God is not good. This is at the very root of sin, the very essence of sin, the suspicion that God is not good. So, mankind deserved punishment. And, everyone is without excuse.

Romans 1:19-21

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"19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 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 people are without excuse. 21 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. ~ Romans 1:19-21

Today, we continue our study of Romans 1 where we are given the process that unbelieving man has gone through that has resulted in his rejection of God and His culture. This process is ultimately steeped in the pride of man. This comes as no surprise since the very sin that inaugurated sin is pride.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 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 people are without excuse."

God can not be blamed for the demise of man because He made Himself known to man through creation. Although God is invisible, He is knowable. God has given man visible proof of His existence in the creation. In addition, He has given us a conscience to know in our hearts that He exists. And so, we are without excuse. 

The argument that Paul uses in this portion is known as the teleological argument  which is the argument of God's existence from the design in creation. Water, for example, is lifted against gravity thousands of feet into the air, suspended until it is carried inland where the rain falls. No earthly agency can lift water like that. God equipped the sun through the process of evaporation to do this incredible thing. And, think of it, the sun is perfectly placed ninety-three million miles away from earth suspended in the air. The very essence of the One who created us all is absolutely everywhere in creation.

Men have experienced God, His wisdom, His power, and His goodness in every moment of their existence, and man has largely rejected God. In doing this man has suppressed the truth about God. When we observe creation, we understand that this world was custom made. In fact, all of creation was designed. And, since it has been designed, it must therefore have a designer. Through the art that we find all around us, we know that there is an Artist behind it all.

The word "plain" in v.19 means evident. In fact, the atheist must turn off his reason in order to believe there is no God behind all of creation. The further out into our galaxy and beyond that we go the more the atheist expects to find chaos, but it never happens because the God of the Bible created it all with design. God would never send someone to hell who didn’t have an opportunity to know Him. The God of the Bible is a God of justice, truth and equity, and, we can trust Him. 

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "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."

Man, in his heart, knows there is a God. Creation manifests the existence of God. The word used here translated "knew" means intimate understanding. It is intimate because God has placed eternity in our hearts. We call this our conscience. And, between our conscience and His creation, man knows there is a God behind it all.

The natural order of things is revealed in v.21. After we acknowledge God exists, it is natural for us to glorify Him. To glorify God means to be defined by Him or to agree with His definition of all things and choosing to live accordingly. But, the man who turns off his logical capabilities does not acknowledge God and therefore does not glorify His existence. This is the heart and soul of the fallenness of man that he refuses to glorify God. 

God could have just obliterated man after we rebelled against Him, but He didn't. God desired to reach out to man by revealing to man His glory. And, God didn't stop at creation, He sent His Son who was full of the glory of God. In sending His Son, God revealed Himself more intimately to the willing.

Interestingly, all of the created world, other than man, naturally glorifies God. In the Old Testament we read, "The heavens declare the glory of God." Creation does not argue with God on this issue. There has never been a revolt among the stars of the sky. No, they day in and day out glorify God by existing according to the purpose for which they were made. The animals glorify God as well. They live and behave in the way that God created them to. Only fallen man chooses not to operate according to his God-given specifications.

When man turns off the revelation of God through his conscience and creation, gratitude for his Maker makes no sense to him at that point. Rebellious and unbelieving man does not ascribe everything he possesses to the God who gave it to him in the first place. When man arrives upon his rejection of God, pretty soon he has no one to thank. Then it becomes illogical for man to be thankful. 

The final words in v.21 are: "but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."

Man’s failure is not that he fails to recognize God, but that he refuses to glorify God. Instead of glorifying God and being grateful to Him, "their thinking became futile." This means their ability to make sense out of life becomes "empty" and "senseless." When we reject God, we end up with an empty mind. Man's empty thoughts, lead him to uselessness, pointlessness, purposeless thinking.  They go from truth to emptiness.

According to the Bible, the heart is the source of emotion, intellect and volition. We feel, think and behave with our hearts. The foolish heart has been “darkened” or separated from its true source. This means that a heart that has been darkened feels, thinks and acts as though God does not exist. And, when we choose not to serve the true God, we will end up serving a false one made in our image. The rejection of the God of the Bible is the height of foolishness and arrogance and results ultimately in the worship of self. This is what darkens our hearts. And that is very important because faith, real faith is the ability to see with our hearts.

Romans 1:18

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"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness." ~ Romans 1:18

What do you think of when you hear the words "the wrath of God?" When I was younger, I had an understanding of God which was quite inconsistent with the Bible. I believed that God was lurking behind any billboard, just waiting for me to do something wrong, and then He would pounce on me. This view of God was not accurate. In fact, the Bible consistently teaches that the problem is not with God, it is with us. 

Interestingly, the gospel message begins with a statement about the wrath of God. Frankly that’s diametrically opposed to most of our evangelistic techniques. Most of our contemporary evangelism purposely avoids the wrath of God. We talk about love, and we talk about happiness, and we talk about abundant living, and we talk about forgiveness, and joy and peace. And we offer people all of those things and ask them if they wouldn’t like to have all of those things. But we very rarely talk about God's judgment. We err when we do this.

The shortness of life, the brevity of it, the sorrow of it, the tragedy of all of the pain involved, this is all part of what is captured here under this phrase, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven." No one escapes God's wrath; it is being revealed, and we have to face it. Fear, for most, must be the first pressure applied. This is the case because we will not understand anything about God's love until we understand God’s hatred of sin. We do not understand nor do we appreciate God's grace until we understand the wickedness of our sin.

God’s attributes are perfectly balanced in His divine perfection. If He had no wrath, He would not be God. God is perfect in love, on the one hand, and He is equally perfect in hate, on the other. Just as totally as He loves, so totally He hates. As His love is unmixed, so is His hatred of sin unmixed. 

The bad news has to come before the good news, doesn’t it?  It’s kind of like going to the doctor and having the doctor say, “I have bad news. You have a fatal illness that has killed many people. But, I have good news. A cure has been found, and I have it right here.” The good news means nothing without the bad news.  We must diagnose the disease before the cure can be appreciated. The bad news is God hates sin, and, the good news is God loves us.  We must start with His hatred of sin. There must be the diagnosis before there can be the cure.

When mankind chose to ignore God's definition of things, we gave the enemy the right to define us and our world. Thus, we are not defined by God and we are messed up because of it. Of course, as Paul has pointed out in Romans 1:16-17, God moved to remedy our sin problem by sending His Son to remove the chasm what was created by the rebellion of mankind. 

When it comes to sin, it is in our nature to water down its definition. We define sin as whites lies, mistakes, disorders. No, sin is deliberate wicked rebellion. It is wicked because we have allowed the one who opposes God and who is wicked to define things for us. Yes, we were deceived but we gave into it. 

Notice the order in v.18 -- godlessness and then wickedness. Throughout the Scriptures, this order is never reversed. It is our godless definitions that produces the wicked actions that we make. That is why the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against man. Godlessness isn't necessarily atheism or the belief that God doesn't exist. Godlessness is acting as though he doesn't exist. 

As a result, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we try to hide or suppress the definition of God of all things by embracing the definitions of Satan. We do not do this knowingly. No, we have been deceived into believing that Satan's definition of things is right and normal. That is until his definition of things begins to bite us in the butt. And then, we want to blame God for that. We act selfishly and we deliberately hurt each other because we disregard God and His definition of things. By means of these hurtful and selfish acts, the truth is suppressed. 

We live in a world in which the truth from God is all around us, but we are busy covering it up, hiding it, suppressing it, keeping it from being prominent and dominant in our thinking and our living. It is against that attitude of hiding truth and suppressing the truth that the wrath of God burns. The reason why life has turned tragic in so many cases is because the world is deprived of the truth which is necessary for life and liberty and freedom and godliness to be realized.

The wrath of God is the absence of God in our world and our lives.

The greatest demonstration of God's wrath ever was given at the cross of Christ. God's hatred for sin was shown best when He poured out His wrath on His own beloved Son. And, He did not hold it back even from His own Son. This underscores God's love for fallen man. That’s how much He hates sin. And, He had not, we would have been left in our sin, defined and destined by Satan himself.