Saved From What? (2)
Notes
Transcript
Have you ever heard someone say, “what happens to those innocent people in the middle of the jungle somewhere, who have never heard about Jesus?”
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Notice the Greek word here Ἀποκαλύπτεται is a present passive indicative verb.
It means that God is currently disclosing/revealing His wrath.
I know we often think about wrath in an eschatological way, but here we need to grasp as much as John 10:10 is a now and later verse about the abundant life brought about by Jesus, Romans 1:18 is a now and later verse about God’s wrath.
So last week was a stair step towards this week.
Yes we are saved from wrath, but this week we see where the beginning of that same wrath is derived on the earth.
Men Do Not Have An Excuse.
Men Do Not Have An Excuse.
Romans 1:19–23 (ESV)
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
5 Realities:
Men Knew vs. 19 & 21
God Revealed vs. 19 & 20
Idolatry Abounds vs. 23
Men Reject vs. 21 & 22
Men Suppress Truth vs. 18
You see we can look at the fact that men knew and yet chose to reject.
They think they are wise.
This rejection began with the swaying of the serpent all the way back in the garden of eden.
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
God Turns Them Over!
God Turns Them Over!
Three times in this section of scripture the text repeat this idea. vs. 24, 26, & 28
Romans 1:24 (ESV)
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
Romans 1:26 (ESV)
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
Romans 1:28 (ESV)
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
In essence, because men choose to remain in their rejection, God delivers a present action of wrath.
Dishonoring of their bodies in vs. 24 as a result of trusting a lie over truth (25).
Romans 1:24–25 (ESV)
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Creature worship
God gave them over to homosexual and lesbian acts.
Romans 1:26–27 (ESV)
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
God left them in a state that is not able to recognize moral and ethical correctness.
Romans 1:28–32 (ESV)
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Saved From Truth Suppression!
Saved From Truth Suppression!
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Failure to recognize/honor truth leaves men in opposition to truth.
Walking Away, But In...
Walking Away, But In...
Accept Truth!
Cling to Truth!
Share Truth!