Sermon Tone Analysis

Romans 1:19-21.

"Truth: How do you know when you hear it?"

Safe Haven Community Church.

Sunday June 5th, 2022.

Romans 1:19-21.

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.

(ESV)

The problem with humanity is not so much a lack of knowledge of God, as it is a refusal to acknowledge God, which at the bottom line is a question of moral honesty and integrity.

Paul is saying that people begin their intellectual quest by refusing to acknowledge what they know to be true.

That's what provokes God to anger.

This is the primordial sin of humanity, from which no human being is exempt.

No matter how brilliant the intellect, no matter how cogent the argumentation, before redemption we all are thinking and reasoning and investigating within the context of our fallen nature.

That is to say, we think from a perspective of moral bias.

It is not that people refuse to know what God has made plain, but rather that they refuse to acknowledge what they already know to be true.

It should not surprise us that brilliant thinkers compose very intricate, complex systems of philosophical thought that rise up in opposition against the character of God.

In fact, if a person is logically consistent, there is a certain sense in which the more brilliant one is, the further they will remove himself from the conclusion of the existence of God.

Theologians have a concept which they call the 'noetic' effects of sin.

It comes from the biblical word nous and in its adjectival form comes across into English as 'noetic', which simply means 'mental', or 'pertaining to the mind'.

So, when we speak about the noetic effects of sin, we are speaking about the impact and influence that the unredeemed sinful nature has upon our minds, upon our thinking.

(Sproul, R. C. (1994).

The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (pp.

33-34).

Christian Focus Publications.)

To have our understanding changed to acknowledge what is ultimately true, we need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ which the Holy Spirit uses to open our eyes, change our hearts, repent and believe.

The biblical order in any gospel presentation is always first the warning of danger and then the way of escape, first the judgment on sin and then the means of pardon, first the message of condemnation and then the offer of forgiveness, first the bad news of guilt and then the good news of grace.

The whole message and purpose of the loving, redeeming grace of God offering eternal life through Jesus Christ rests upon the reality of humanity's universal guilt of abandoning God and thereby being under His sentence of eternal condemnation and death.

Not only is God's wrath expressed in future judgment; it is also manifested in God's allowing sin to take its natural, destructive course in this life (Polhill, J. B. (1999).

Paul and his letters (p.

285).

Broadman & Holman.)

Consistent with that approach, the main body of Romans begins with 1:18, a clear affirmation of God's wrath "against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men."

As the apostle points out in his Ephesian letter, all unbelievers are "by nature children of wrath" (Eph.

2:3), born unto God's wrath as their natural inheritance in fallen humanity.

Moses rhetorically asked God, "Who understands the power of your anger, and your fury, according to the fear that is due you?" (Ps.

90:11).

Paul is determined for us to know that before we can understand the grace of God we must first understand His wrath, that before we can understand the meaning of the death of Christ we must first understand why human sin made that death necessary, that before we can begin to comprehend how loving, merciful, and gracious God is we must first see how rebellious, sinful, and guilty unbelieving humanity is.

The truth of human depravity should be evidently realized every day.

It takes great effort to ignore or excuse evil.

Unrepentant evil has eternal consequences of being subject to God's wrath.

The most loving thing believers in Christ can do is tell people the truth about evil and its consequences thereby presenting the need for redemption.

The question becomes how one can know this truth when it is heard?

In Romans 1:19-21, it can be understood through three things: 1) The Gift of Revelation (Romans 1:19), they understand 2) The Content of Revelation (Romans 1:20), yet there is 3) The Rejection of God's Revelation (Romans 1:21).

All people created by God have received:

1) The Gift of Revelation (Romans 1:19)

Romans 1:19.

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

(ESV)

First of all, God is justified in His wrath against sinners because of the revelation of Himself to all humanity.

Romans 1:18-2:16 pertains especially to Gentiles, who did not have the benefit of God's revealed Word as did Israel.

Israel, of course, was doubly guilty, because she not only rejected God's natural, universal revelation of Himself in creation and conscience but even rejected His unique written revelation through Scripture.

Paul's point here is that, even apart from His written revelation, "what can be known about God is plain to them/evident within" even pagan Gentiles.

"What can be known could be rendered "that which is knowable."

Obviously, finite humanity cannot know everything about God even with the perfect revelation of Scripture.

Paul's point is that that which is capable of being known about God apart from special revelation is indeed known by fallen humanity.

The characteristics of God that are reflected in His creation give unmistakable testimony to Him.

From the intricate design of the human cell to the majestic strength of the Rocky Mountains, all of God's works testify to His wisdom and power.

(Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997).

The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Ro 1:19-20).

T. Nelson Publishers.)

Please turn to Acts 17

While ministering in Lystra in Acts 14, Paul told his Gentile audience about the God "who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them."

He went on to explain that "in the generations gone by [God] permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:15-17).

The very goodness of life testifies to the goodness of the God who provides it.

On his next journey Paul told the pagan philosophers on Mars Hill at Athens in Acts 17:

Acts 17:23-28.

23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.

Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for " 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, " 'For we are indeed his offspring.' .

(ESV)

* In other words, God controls the nations, their boundaries, and their destinies.

He controls time, the seasons, and every other aspect both of heaven and earth.

Even more remarkable than that, Paul says, because God has graciously chosen to make Himself known and approachable, "He is not far from each one of us."

Back in Romans 1:19, we can know that "what can be known about God is plain to them/evident within" for "God has shown it to them/made it evident to them".

The Lord testifies through Paul that His outward, visible manifestation of Himself is universally known.

It is evident within them as well as without them.

All people have evidence of God, and what their physical senses can perceive of Him their inner senses can understand to some extent.

As Paul has already attested (Rom.

1:18), sinful humanity naturally suppresses God's truth in their own unrighteousness.

(Augustus Strong.

Systematic Theology [Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson, 1979 reprint], p. 68).

No one can find God on their own initiative or by their own wisdom or searching.

Yet God has never left people to their own initiative and understanding but has graciously provided abundant evidence of Himself.

He has sovereignly and universally shown it to them/made Himself evident to all.

John speaks of Jesus Christ as "the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man" (John 1:9).

He was not speaking about the saving knowledge of God, which comes only through faith, but of the intellectual knowledge of God, which comes to every human being through God's self-manifestation in His creation.

Every person has a witness of God, and therefore every person is accountable to follow the opportunity to respond to Him in faith.

No person, therefore, can legitimately plead ignorance of God, because, entirely apart from Scripture, God has always revealed Himself and continues to reveal Himself to everyone.

God is perfectly just and therefore could not rightly condemn those who are totally ignorant of Him.

As Paul unequivocally asserts here, no person can rightly claim ignorance of God, and therefore no person can rightly claim that God's wrath against them is unjust.

Every person is accountable for the revelation of God that may lead one to salvation.

Tertullian, the prominent early church Father, said that it was not the pen of Moses that initiated the knowledge of the Creator.

The vast majority of humanity, though they had never heard the name of Moses-to say nothing of his book-know the God of Moses nonetheless (Tertullian.

An Answer to the Jews, chap.

2).

Illustration:

It is often asked, "What happens to the poor, innocent native in Africa who has never heard of Jesus?"

That poor, innocent native in Africa goes straight to heaven when he dies.

He has no need for a Savior.

Jesus did not come in the world to save innocent people.

The problem is that there are no innocent natives in Africa or in Australia, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, or anywhere else.