Romans 3.18-The Motive Behind Man's Crimes Against God
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday October 31, 2007
Romans: Romans 3:18-The Motive Behind Man’s Crimes Against God
Lesson # 90
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 3:9.
This evening we will continue with our study of the second major section in the book of Romans that is contained in Romans 1:18-3:20, which deals with the universal need of the righteousness of God.
This section is divided into three parts: (1) The unrighteousness of the Gentiles (1:18-32). (2) The unrighteousness of the Jews (2:1-3:8). (3) The universal unrighteousness of men (3:9-20).
We are currently engaged in a study of Romans 3:9-20, which can be treated like a court room trial and is divided into four parts: (1) The Arraignment: The entire human race is brought before the Supreme Court of Heaven to answer to the divine indictment (Romans 3:9). (2) The Indictment: The entire human race faces the charges of crimes against a holy God (Romans 3:10-17). (3) Motive: The motive for man’s crimes against God (Romans 3:18). (4) The Verdict: The entire human race stands condemned before a holy God (Romans 3:19-20).
Thus far, we have noted the arraignment of the entire human race in the courtroom of heaven that is recorded in Romans 3:9 and the thirteen count indictment brought against the human race by God that is recorded in Romans 3:10-17.
This evening we will study Romans 3:18, which records the motive for unregenerate humanity’s crimes against God.
Romans 3:9-18, “What then? Are we (Christians) better (than they: does not appear in the original Greek text)? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin as it is written, ‘THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE. THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD. ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING, THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS. THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD. DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN. DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN. THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.’”
Let’s look at Romans 3:18 in detail.
Romans 3:18, “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
In Romans 3:18, the apostle Paul is citing Psalm 36:1.
Psalm 36:1, “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes.”
If you recall, in Romans 3:17, Paul declares that unregenerate humanity totally refuses to acknowledge the way of peace with God and men.
Peace with God is through faith in Jesus Christ and peace with men is through obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching to love one another as He has loved all men.
Romans 3:17, “Indeed, they totally refused to acknowledge the way, which is peace.”
Romans 3:18 reveals that the motive or the reason why mankind totally refuses to acknowledge the way of peace with God and men is pride or arrogance.
Romans 3:18, “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
In this passage, Paul reveals that they have no reverence for God since they seek to live independently of Him like their father the devil.
“NO” is the objective negative adverb ouk (ou)x), which emphatically declares that there is absolutely no one in the human race that demonstrates reverence for God.
“FEAR” is the noun phobos (fovbo$) (fob-os), which means, “reverence.”
Therefore, the noun phobos in Romans 3:18 means unregenerate man does not have reverence for God.
Webster defines “reverence” as a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration, a strong feeling of deference, respect and esteem. (Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary)
“Deference” is submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion and will of another. (Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary)
Therefore, the noun phobos when used in relation to God refers to an attitude of deep respect tinged with awe for God as well as deference, respect or esteem for Him, and submission to His will.
In Romans 3:18, the emphatic negative adverb ou totally and completely negates the meaning of this noun.
Thus, indicating that the soul of unregenerate man does not possess an attitude of deep respect tinged with awe for God, nor does it have deference, respect or esteem for Him, nor does it submit to His will.
Proverbs 16:6, “By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.”
Proverbs 23:17, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD always.”
Leviticus 25:17, “So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.”
The reason why the human race does not reverence God is that they have bought the lies of Satan’s cosmic system and seek to live independently of God like Satan.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
1 John 5:19, “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
“World” is the noun kosmos, which refers to a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.
This system is promoted by Satan, conformed to his ideals, aims, methods, and character, and stands perpetually in opposition to God the cause of Christ.
This world system is used to seduce men away from God and the person of Christ and is anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-Bible, and very anti-humanity though it often appears as humanitarian as part of Satan’s masquerade as an angel of light.
“The prince of the power of the air” refers to the mastermind of this cosmic world order, who is known by the titles “Satan” and the “Devil.”
As we noted in Romans 3:17, the cosmic system of Satan offers a plethora of ways to conduct one’s life whereas there is only one way according to the teaching of the Word of God, namely, through a relationship and fellowship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:17, “Indeed, they totally refused to acknowledge the way, which is peace.”
The various ways of conducting one’s life, which the cosmic system offers, all lead to destruction and only those who conduct themselves in obedience to the Word of Christ will experience the eternal life of God.
Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
The fact that unregenerate mankind would not acknowledge God’s way of peace indicates that they have knowledge of it.
God’s revelation of Himself in creation) along with the moral code inherent in the heart of every human being as well as the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit in common grace all contribute to make clear to the unbeliever the way of peace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:18-20 makes clear that the entire human race has an objective knowledge of God through what He had created.
Consequently, the human race should reverence God because of this revelation and worship Him but instead they rejected this revelation (Romans 1:18-21).
The presence of a moral code inherent in every human being is another revelation of God’s existence and the presence of guilt when this moral code is violated also is another revelation that man is accountable to God and as a result man should reverence and worship God but instead man continued to sin (Romans 2:13-15).
The convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit in common grace convicts the unbeliever that he is a sinner and that Jesus Christ is their Savior and that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will receive the forgiveness of their sins from a holy God.
When the unbeliever hears the gospel message of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone, the Holy Spirit convicts them of three things, namely, the sin of not believing in Christ, the righteousness of Christ and the judgment of Satan.
John 16:7-11, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you and He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment, concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
Instead of responding to the Holy Spirit, the unbeliever rejects His message and as a result refuses to reverence God, which would take place if they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Romans 3:18, “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
“GOD” is the noun theos (qeov$), which refers to the Lord Jesus Christ who is that member of the Trinity that is both the Creator and Redeemer of mankind and is thus the member of the Trinity that is not reverenced by the human race.
Unregenerate humanity does not reverence the Son of God as Creator nor as their Redeemer.
“EYES” is the noun ophthalmos (o)fqalmov$) (of-thal-mos), which is used in a figurative sense for the function of the human soul, i.e. the mental activity or thoughts of the human soul.
This word speaks of the intellectual activity in the form of ideas, opinions and standards by which one governs their life.
Therefore, the statement “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES” means that God’s character and nature, His will and His ways does not enter into the mental or intellectual activity of the unregenerate soul of man.
Thus, God’s character and nature, His will and His ways do not shape the ideas, opinions and standards of the unregenerate by which they live resulting in sin.
This meaning of the prepositional phrase agrees with the meaning of the noun phobos, “reverence,” which speaks of a particular attitude of deep respect and awe for God as well as deference and submission to His will.
The prepositional phrase apenanti ton ophthalmon auton, “before their eyes” means that reverence for God does not enter the thought process of unregenerate man.
It implies that understanding of God’s character and nature, His will or ways do not enter into the function of the human soul.
God’s character and nature is manifested through what He has created.
A basic understanding of God’s will and ways can be understood from the moral code inherent in man.
A clear and exact understanding of God’s will and ways can be understood through the Scriptures.
Simply put, God does not enter their thoughts since they could care less about God and His opinion about them and the way that He would like them to govern their lives.
Warren Wiersbe commenting on Romans 3:13-18, writes, “The effect is total, because his entire being is vitiated. Observe at this point the various members of the body referred to: the throat, the tongue, and the lips (v13); the mouth (v14); the feet (v15); and the eyes (v18). This list serves to affirm what theologians speak of as total depravity, i.e., not that man in his natural state is as bad as he can possibly be, but rather that his entire being is adversely affected by sin. His whole nature is permeated with it.” (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)