The Dangerous Deception of Sin

Romans 1:18 ESV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Main Point: The consequences of sin run far deeper than we realize, with each sinful act it becomes increasingly more difficult to follow the Lord.

· Sin is the active rejection of God

· Sin is the active suppression of God’s guidance

· Sin is the active embrace of God’s impending wrath

As we continue to look at the Gospel (or today, why we suppress it), let me begin with a quote from D.A. Carson that I read this week in a devotional:

“a little Gospel is a dangerous thing. It gets people to think well of themselves, to sigh with relief that the worst evils have been dissipated, to enjoy a nice sense of belonging. But if a person is not truly justified, regenerated, and transferred from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, the dollop of religion may serve as little more than an inoculation against the real thing.”[1]

We must war against the temptation to suppress the truth of the Gospel by conforming it something we deem more palatable. (all of us feel this temptation)

1. We face the temptation to turn Jesus into nothing more than a comforting “force” within the universe.

2. We face the temptation to turn the Lord into a “cosmic-genie” that is supposed to grant me all of my wishes.

3. We face the temptation to turn our relationship with God into a dogmatic system of rules that we follow (and secretly break) in order to brag and boast in ourselves above others.

4. We face the temptation to water-down Christianity into a “get-out-of-jail card” that we secure sometime in our adolescence and never think about again.

The truth: NONE OF US IS FREE FROM THE TEMPTATION OF DISTORTING AND PERVERTING GOD, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, AND HIS EXPECTATIONS OF US IN ORDER TO FEEL MORE AT EASE WITH WHAT THE BIBLE INSTRUCTS!

Paul desires that his audience understand the significance of rejecting the clear knowledge of God (which we can apply the lesser-to-greater principle in argument to Paul’s argument)

1. If God pours His wrath upon those who reject the lesser revelation of God in creation; AND

2. God poured His wrath out upon Israel when they rejected the revelation of God through the prophets; thus..

3. God must pour His wrath out upon those who reject the greater revelation of God through Jesus Christ—who is God in the flesh (Immanuel)!

The point we see Paul make is this: WRATH IS TO BE EXPECTED FOR ALL WHO REJECT THE LORD!

On the other hand… The Gospel transforms the revelation of God’s righteousness from a message of terror into a promise of blessing!

1. There is a point I must make (in agreement with numerous Biblical scholars), God’s wrath upon humanity is not the message of the gospel—but a consequence of rejection!

a. His wrath poured out upon Christ is the content of the gospel

b. His wrath forever satisfied and, thus, no longer directed at us is the content of the gospel!!!

c. The invitation to be free from wrath and free to approach Him boldly is the content of the gospel.

2. However, for those who are outside of Christ—who continually reject Jesus Christ—the message of God’s righteousness remains an announcement of terror.

a. In Paul brings the whole of humanity under universal judgment.

b. For those in Christ, these chapters foster within us a desire to praise God because He has delivered us.

c. For those who reject Christ, these chapters form a foundational expectation of judgment for all peoples and should foster fear.

Interestingly, the word Paul uses that we translate “revealed” is the Greek apokalypto.

· This word means to disclose, to bring to light, to make fully known, to take out of hiding (BDAG).

In this context, Paul communicates that God keeps us from seeing His wrath EXCEPT when we reject the truth of His existence.

Why does this matter to us? How is this relevant?

D. L. Moody states,

“VERY few people think they are lost. You seldom meet a bankrupt sinner. Most of them think they can pay about seventy-five cents on the dollar; some ninety-nine per cent.—they just come short a little, and they think the Almighty will make it up somehow. Don’t let Satan make you think you are so good that you don’t need the grace of God. We are a bad lot, all of us, with nothing to pay.”[2]

Paul’s letter to the Romans is intended to remind us of the dangers of sin and how it blinds us from seeing, knowing, and enjoying God.

Why do so many people think they are in good standing with God when, in fact, they are not?

Before we answer this question, let’s briefly recount where Jesus addresses the concept that He absolutely wants us to properly believe, respond, and live in Him in such a manner that we are not deceived:

1. The parable of the sower

2. The parable of the wicked servant

3. The parable of the virgins

4. The parable of sheep and the goats

5. The parable of the wheat and the tares

6. The teaching that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees

Jesus does not want us to live in a manner that is misguided, ignorant, or defiant. Why?

· Because He knows what He will do to those who reject Him when He returns.

· Therefore, Jesus warns us to avoid the wrath that is coming.

· How do we avoid the coming wrath? WE KNOW THE TRUTH AND PROPERLY RESPOND TO THE TRUTH!

With this in mind, we are able to see why sin is so dangerous for us. Sin is dangerous because it does three things to us:

1. Sin Blinds Us

2. Sin Deceives Us

3. Sin Separates Us

Sin Blinds Us = Sin keeps us from seeing the truth!

How does sin blind us?

1. When we sin, we focus on the immediate desire without thinking about the eternal consequences

2. When we sin, we focus on the immediate desire without thinking about the temporal consequences

3. When we sin, we must ACTIVELY choose to ignore God and His ways!!!

Why is not knowing the truth so dangerous?

Sin Deceives Us = Sin perverts/distorts the truth!

1. For faith/hope to be effectual, it must be rooted in reality (truth).

2. A lack of concrete truth, when applied to Christianity, results in:

a. A god that is different from the Biblical God

b. A response that is different from the response demanded from God

c. A manner of life that is abhorrent (an abomination) to God

d. A church body that lives independent and cut-off from the head that is Christ.

TO BELIEVE IN AN INVENTED OR FALSIFIED TRUTH IS TO BELIEVE IN A LIE!

1. Satan is the father of all lies.

2. Consequently, sin causes us to be children of Satan instead of God! Sin Deceives Us = Sin perverts/distorts the truth!

How does sin deceive us?

1. It tells me that God is not good

2. It tells me that God is not enough

3. It tells me that God is not watching

4. It tells me that I will never be happy without this sin

5. It tells me that I will never be complete without this sin

6. It tells me that I am missing out without this sin

Why is deception such a big deal?

1. I don’t believe there are many who willingly reject what they ABSOLUTELY know to be true.

2. However, I think there we are many that pervert and distort the truth to obtain the license they feel they need to sin.

a. We distort the origin of the universe

b. We distort the concrete nature of truth and morality

c. We distort the nature, character, and attributes of God

i. We view Him as proud

ii. We view Him as petty

iii. We view Him as harsh

iv. We view Him as exacting/demanding

v. We view Him as less than wonderful/desirable

vi. WE DO THIS SO WE CAN REJECT HIM

Ungodliness = is to live in a manner that shows no reverence for God.

1. Reject His presence

2. Reject His invitation

3. Reject His work

4. Reject His provision

5. Reject His revelation

6. Reject His instruction

7. Reject His commands

8. Reject His people

9. Reject His fellowship

How does sin blind us?

1. When we sin, we focus on the immediate desire without thinking about the eternal consequences

2. When we sin, we focus on the immediate desire without thinking about the temporal consequences

3. When we sin, we must ACTIVELY choose to ignore God and His ways!!!

Why is not knowing the truth so dangerous?

1. For faith/hope to be effectual, it must be rooted in reality (truth).

2. A lack of concrete truth, when applied to Christianity, results in:

a. A god that is different from the Biblical God

b. A response that is different from the response demanded from God

c. A manner of life that is abhorrent (an abomination) to God

d. A church body that lives independent and cut-off from the head that is Christ.

TO BELIEVE IN AN INVENTED OR FALSIFIED TRUTH IS TO BELIEVE IN A LIE!

1. Satan is the father of all lies.

2. Consequently, sin causes us to be children of Satan instead of God!

Sin Separates Us = Sin entices us away from God

How does sin separate us?

1. Definition of Sin: The failure of humanity to live the life in accordance to God’s commands.

a. Old Testament terminology (Hebrew):

i. ḥāṭā˒ (verb) “miss the mark, fail” and related words,

ii. ˓āḇar “pass beyond, transgress” and related words,

iii. ˓āwōn “iniquity, perversion,”

iv. pāša˓ “revolt, transgress” and related words,

v. šāgag̱ and šāg̱â “err, go astray,”

vi. tā˓â “err, wander,” ra˓ “evil,”

vii. rāšā˓ “wicked, impious.”

b. New Testament terminology includes (Greek):

i. hamartía (noun) and related words,

ii. ponērós “evil,”

iii. adikía “injustice, unrighteousness” and related words,

iv. parábasis “transgress” and related words, and

v. anomía “lawlessness.”[3]

2. Sin separates us because it is an affront to who God is!

a. God does not sin

b. To sin, is to actively depart from the presence of a righteous God in order to carry out various acts of abomination.

c. Remember… sin is an abomination to God—thus it ABSOLUTELY removes us from intimate fellowship with God.

3. All sin demands that God punish the sinner!

a. Because sin is an act of rebellion and departure from God, there are only two options that God has extended to us:

i. Embrace His mercy and enter into a relationship with Him

ii. Reject His mercy and embrace His wrath—thereby resulting in permanent separation.

b. Hell is a final and permanent act separation from God

i. In short, God grants the wish of the rebellious to have nothing to do with Him.

ii. The problem for the rebellious, is that to be separated from God is to be separated from His General and Specific Grace

1. General Grace

2. Specific Grace

Why is it such a big deal to be separated from God?

1. No mercy

2. No grace

3. No Fruit of the Spirit

4. No Avoidance of Hell

[1] D. A. Carson, For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word., vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 25.

[2] D. L. Moody, The D. L. Moody Year Book: A Living Daily Message from the Words of D. L. Moody, ed. Emma Moody Fitt (East Northfield, MA: The Bookstore, 1900), 44.

[3] Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 951.