Romans 1:18-32 (Wednesday Evening Bible Study)

Romans 1:18-32

• Romans 1:18-20
• 18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 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.
  • What do you think of when hear “Wrath of God”? End times and judgment  Sodom and  Gomorrah,  a consuming Fire,  “Wrath is defined  as boiling  anger”  Wrath is a God’s response against anything  that  violates His nature  like sin .
  • What was poured out on Jesus while He was no the sin bearer on the cross?
  • Isaiah 53:10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief
  • How is this wrath being revealed?
    • We see at the cross….but Paul uses  the present tense The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven. 
    • We can see it thru events in History where God judged nations especially in the O.T.
    • It is seen in punishment on evil by human authority and  government 
    • God’s wrath is seen when He gets out of the way and lets people have what they want and people suffer the consequences of their sin.
    • Pain of child birth & toiling as a result of a sin-cursed environment
    • Notice it is against  all the godlessness and wickedness of people  it is universal So it is repeated in every generation
  • What are the wickedness of people causing?
    • Suppressing the truth…if you suppress the truth that means they have the truth.  Do we see this in our world?
    • Think about those who steal, do you think they want someone stealing from them? Of course they don’t. They want to keep their hard earned stolen goods. Gossipers may spread tales about you but they don’t want you to spread tales about them. A headhunter may want your head but protects his head from you. They know what’s right, they know the truth, but they deny it. They hide it and pretend it isn’t the truth.
  • Why are people without excuse?
    • See 19 & 20 is it possible to know about God from creation?  20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
  • What can be seen about God from His creation?
    • The invisible qualities of God, His power, His goodness, His faithfulness,
      • Psalm 94:9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?  If God made you… wouldn’t be able to do all you do and more.  Now this  knowledge of God is limited it is only a general revelation,  without  His Word.
• This next section show why people are without excuse:
• Romans 1:21-25
• 21 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. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 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.
  • People knew there was a God but how did they respond?
    • Rejection, no worship, no thanks, no glory given to God… So they refuse to  accept the truth…this is not a onetime event it happens over and over
  • What are the two responses God is looking for here?
    • To give Him glory by recognizing Him… placing Him first. Glorifying is our highest good…then refusing to glorify God is a terrible sin.  The next response is to give Him thanks acknowledging the goodness and blessings come from Him  
  • How did these people become fools?
    • They made a swap or exchange.  They traded the real thing the glory of God…for images of creation (idols and worshipped them instead)
  • How does the Lord respond to their exchange?
    • See verses 24-25
    • 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
  • God gave them over…what does that mean?
    • He leaves them alone to do what they please…He ceases to restrain them from the evil or protect them against it.  This implies that  until  God gives  people over  they are under  His protective care… and I think we could say He does this for individuals as well as nations.  This doesn’t mean God doesn’t care.
  • What did God give them over too?
    • Their sinful desires…these desires were already there.  God is getting out of their way to do what they want to do.  But are they getting away with something here?  No! This is a punitive act by God.
    • We might wonder how letting someone to do what is their heart desires is a penalty.  They reap more than doing what they want they reap the full consequences of it. 
    • When evolution was coming on big in England one of the leaders promoting it said one reason it was readily accepted was that many wanted to be rid of God and His morality and have the freedom to indulge in immorality.
• Romans 1:26-27
• 26 For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.
  • God is not done giving them over, now it is their shameful lusts. What is the prime example Paul gives us of this?
    • Paul specifically names homosexuality
    • Let me point out the Paul’s use of the word natural here and its meaning is “according to God’s created order”. Unnatural then would mean contrary to order God intended. Paul is not talking about natural homosexuality.
  • What happens to those who commit these shameful acts? received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
    • This is more than the  final judgment…received in themselves the penalty are the consequences that  come  from this behavior.  Emotional- Spiritual and physical.. health risks are much higher  for those who participate in this sin.
• Romans 1:28-32
• 28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. 32 Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.
  • How would you describe the direction of these verses?
    • Downward spiral to hell its self.
  • As the slide of sin and rejection of God continues what does He give them over to now?
    • God gave them over to a depraved mind which leads to unrestrained sin
  • What is the answer to man’s unrighteousness and wickedness, what do they need?
    • The Gospel…The only answer is faith in Jesus. If you want to know the answer to crazy world around us it’s the gospel. The answer isn’t found in the White House, the Capital, or the Court House, the answer is found in the gospel. We don’t need more laws or more freedom. We don’t need more lawyers or more psychiatrists. We need the gospel. People need to hear the gospel which is the power of God to save.
• TAKE AWAY
  • Do we see this slide in our culture?
    • Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 5:20)
  • We see God’s General revelation to the Gentiles
  • General Rebellion to God’s truth by the Gentiles
  • General Rejection of the Gentiles by God
  • The only hope is the gospel