Romans 1:18-32
Aim: knowing the problem points to the solution
A) God's wrath against the suppressing wickedness of people
18) Wrath of God against godlessness, wickedness of people, suppress the truth by wickedness
- Sons of disobedience/unbelief, Deuteronomy 28:15, Eph 2:2 - they forsook the Lord and did not serve him (Judges 10:6)
- Killing innocent people (Exodus 23:7), deceiving empty words (Eph 5:6)
- We all partake in wickedness (Romans 3:9)
- But good news is justification by His blood, saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:9)
19-20) truth about God is obvious in God's creation, see the earth and sky, invisible qualities, eternal power, divine nature, no excuse for not knowing God
21) knew God, but didn't worship, glorify, give thanks, futile thinking, dark hearts
- NLT helps with "they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like" - see the top 10 popular songs for example, in the lyrics you'll see theology. Application: Take a critical look at what you're feeding your mind.
- So what does worship look like? I remember footage of the "British invasion", girls screaming and crying, throwing themselves on their heroes. Stadium shows and super bowls. How powerful is song and harmony within the human hearts? I love praising God with the Teen Challenge Choir, the first time I saw and heard them I stood and sang with them, my heart filled with gratitude at what God did in my life, what he was doing in theirs.
- Principle: Worship and thanksgiving to God makes our thinking useful and brightens our hearts
B) God's judgement visible in depraved people
22-23) claim wisdom, instead, fools - instead of immortal God, created things
- exchanged glory for images (present with believers in church, watching T.V.), the glory of being with your wife versus seeing another
24-25) God gave them over; sinful desires of their heart
- degrading (demean, cheapen, devalue, treat with contempt, disrespect) one another. Cheapening the marriage relationship
- exchanged truth for a lie (marriage love versus "one-night stand")
- Out of a mans heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within (Mark 7:20-23)
- Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5)
26-27) God gave them over; shameful lust, abandoned natural sex for unnatural
- Not just homosexuals
- abandoned, renounced, reckless
28-29) retaining knowledge of God wasn't worthwhile; God gave them over; depraved mind
- doing wrong, filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, depravity. full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice...gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, boastful
- 30) invent ways of doing evil, disobeying parents
- 31) no understanding of fidelity, no love, no mercy
C) God's righteous decree
- 32) know God's righteous decree - "all those who do these things deserve death" - they continue and approve of others doing them too
- Anyone feeling convicted? Deuteronomy 8:3 says, "He humbled you and let you be hungry and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD"
- Jesus said to the devil, man doesn't live of bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God
- God breathed life into the man and he became a living being (Gen 2:7), The first man became a living being, the last Adam a life-giving spirit (1 Cor 15:45), the first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven (1 Cor 15:47). Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. (Ezekiel 37:5)
Application: a new heart is available a heart of flesh, but first you must give God your spirit, soul, and body. Accepting his promised Holy Spirit to teach and guide you. Do it every day, commit this time to the Lord and see where he'll take you. Experience new life in Christ and see the glory of God in every facet around you.
Principle: Retaining the knowledge of God is as daily as eating and drinking.
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