The Problem of Sin

Introduction

It is good to see you all this morning. Today we are beginning a new series through the book of Romans.

We are going to take a look at some pivotal scriptures in this letter from Paul. Many people consider Romans to be one of the most significant books in the entire Bible because it gives us one of the clearest explanations of the gospel that we have.

The book of Romans was written by the Apostle Paul around AD 57 while he was staying in the city of Corinth during one of his missionary journeys.

Most of Paul’s letter were written to believers in churches that he planted. He had not visited the believers in Rome but he wrote this letter to them and longed to visit them.

In Romans 1, Paul tells them that he wanted to visit them so that he could encourage them in their faith and share in mutual encouragement together. He also hoped that Rome would become a launching point for future missionary work as he continued taking the gospel to new places.

Because Paul had never personally taught this church, he used this letter to carefully explain the message of the gospel. But before Paul began explaining what God had done to save us, he first explained why we need saving in the first place.

That is exactly where Paul begins in Romans 1 talking about sin. And what Paul shows us is that sin is far more serious than most people realize.

If you are like me, when I hear the word sin, I think about individual actions or bad choices I make that go against God’s commands. But as we are going to see this morning, Paul takes us much deeper than that. He shows us that sin is a condition of the human heart.

It is humanity's decision to reject God, suppress His truth, and exchange Him for lesser things. And the result is that we are all in need of a Savior.

Let’s look at what Paul calls the problem of sin. Because until we understand the depth of our need, we may not fully appreciate the greatness of God's grace.

Let's read Romans 1:18-25. “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.”

Pray.

God Has Made Himself Known

Paul starts with a statement that some people can find to be uncomfortable. In verse 18 he writes, "For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."

The first thing to notice is that Paul speaks about the wrath of God. When you hear the word wrath, you might immediately think of uncontrolled anger or someone losing their temper. What Paul is describing here is God's wrath. It is His holy and righteous response to sin. It is God's perfect justice directed toward everything that opposes His character and His holiness.

And Paul says that God's wrath is revealed against those who suppress the truth. That word suppress is important because it helps us understand the real problem that Paul is describing. To suppress something means to hold it down or push it away. Paul is describing people who have been given the truth about God and choose to reject it.

Then Paul explains why in verses 19 and 20. It says, "Since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse."

Paul is explaining that God has made Himself known through creation. When we look at the world around us, we see evidence of a Creator through the design, beauty, order, and complexity of the world He made.

Creation points to the One who made it. David expressed this same truth in Psalm 19:1 when he wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands."

Every sunrise, every mountain, every star in the sky, and every detail of creation testifies to the reality of God. That is why Paul says people are without excuse. The problem is not that God has hidden Himself, but that humanity has chosen not to honor Him for who He is.

This is where we begin to see the seriousness of sin. Sin is rejecting the truth about God and choosing our own way instead. That is why the problem of sin is so much deeper than most people realize.

And that leads us to what humanity has done with the truth God has revealed. Instead of worshiping the Creator, we have exchanged Him for lesser gods.

We Have Exchanged God's Place for Something Else

In verses 21 through 23, he writes, "For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles."

Paul says that they knew God. This means they had enough knowledge of God through His creation to recognize His existence and His power. Yet instead of glorifying Him as God, they chose another path.

Paul then says they did not glorify or show gratitude. At first, that may seem like a small thing. But what Paul is describing is a refusal to give God the honor He deserves.

Rather than worshiping the Creator, humanity began looking to created things for meaning, purpose, satisfaction, and security. That is why Paul says they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images. Those images took the place that belonged to God.

In Paul's day, people often worshiped idols made from wood, stone, or precious metals. They created images and devoted themselves to things that had been made by human hands. While most people in our culture do not bow before carved statues, the temptation has not disappeared. We still have a tendency to give God's place to something else like money, success, relationships, pleasure, comfort, achievement, entertainment, or possessions.

None of those things are necessarily wrong by themselves. But when they become more important to us than God, they become idols.

That is why God said in Exodus 20:3, "Do not have other gods besides me."

God knows that nothing else can fulfill the role He was meant to have in our lives. And that is why Paul says these words to the Romans and to us.

Whenever we give God's place in our lives to something else, we are doing exactly what Paul describes in this passage. We were created to worship God and nothing else.

And that leads us to the consequences of sin and why every one of us is in need of a Savior.

Our Sin Leaves Us In Need of a Savior

As Paul continues in this passage, he shows us the consequences of exchanging God’s glory for other things. In verses 24 and 25, he writes, "Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen."

Notice that Paul again uses the word exchanged. Earlier, humanity exchanged the glory of God for images. Now Paul says they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. This helps us understand that sin is choosing something other than God.

It is choosing our way instead of God's way. It is believing that something created can satisfy us more than our Creator. Paul says that because of this, God delivered them over to the desires of their hearts.

This does not mean God caused them to sin. It means God allowed them to pursue the very things they had chosen instead of Him. One of the consequences of rejecting God is that people begin experiencing the results of life apart from Him. We believe that satisfying our sinful desires will fulfill our every need or make us content but the truth is that only God can do that.

That is why Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities are separating you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not listen."

The greatest problem with sin is that it separates us from God.

Romans 1 is describing all humanity. Every one of us has sinned. Every one of us has chosen our way instead of God's way. Every one of us has fallen short of His standard. That is why we cannot save ourselves. No amount of good works can erase our sin. No amount of effort can restore our relationship with God.

We need a Savior. And that is exactly why Jesus came. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live. He never sinned. He never exchanged God's truth for a lie. He never exchanged God's place for something else. He perfectly obeyed the Father in every way.

Then He went to the cross and took upon Himself the punishment that our sins deserved so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God.

And that brings us to the question each of us must answer: What will we do with the truth God has revealed about Himself and about our sin?

Conclusion

David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way."

This is a good prayer for every believer.

Ask God to reveal the areas where you are still vulnerable to sin. Ask Him to show you what might be competing for your worship and affection.

But there may also be some here this morning who have never trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

If that is you, I want you to understand that the purpose of this passage is to help you see your need for a Savior.

God loves you enough to tell you the truth about your sin, and He loves you enough to provide the solution.

Jesus Christ came into this world, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God.

And today, if you will turn from your sin and place your faith in Jesus Christ, He will save you.

The problem of sin is real.

But so is the grace of God.

Let's pray.