No Excuses (Romans 1:18-32, Psalm 53:1-6)
Rev. David Huffman, June 23, 2024Part of the Series On Romans series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
We must understand our standing before a holy God. What makes the good news Good News? The Good News reveals the power of God unto salvation. God provides what we need: the righteousness that comes from God. His power works in us to bring belief within us. All appointed to salvation believe. The promise of salvation comes to us in Romans 10: 9 because, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." In believing and trusting we will not be put to shame. Jesus is our righteousness. Why is all this necessary? We find the answer in vss. 18-3:20. In the Roman church, there has become contention between the gentile and Jewish Christians. Paul presents the universal reality of sin and God's judgment upon it. Both groups, and the whole world, stand under His judgment and condemnation. The reality of the wrath of God is presented vs. 18. Many people don't want to hear about God's judgment and wrath, only His love and compassion. We are reminded of Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God." Some contemporary preachers, however, will not preach on sin and wrath. There are many instances of God's wrath in the Bible, as we well know by reading the Old Testament. The New Testament presents, for example, the reality of the wrath to come. So what is God's wrath? More than anger, J.I. Packer says it is God's reaction to an affront to God's holy nature and character. It has been described as His holy hatred, righteous indignation and justified anger. God's commands reflect His righteous, holy character. We offend God two ways: dishonoring Him and denying Him of His glory. Sinners suppress truth. We are to both proclaim and do the truth. Truth cannot be separated between proclaiming and acting. God has manifested knowledge of Himself to us unto salvation through special revelation. If we suppress this knowledge, the greater is our guilt in sin. Knowledge of God is manifested everywhere in creation, knowledge of His existence and His power. His wrath is also revealed, but not in the gospel, rather from the throne room of heaven. Those who have trusted in Christ will escape that wrath. Jesus is the only place of sanctuary from God's wrath.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « The Saving Power of God | None | Exchanging the Truth for a Lie » |
Romans 1:18–32 (Listen)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 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. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
(ESV)
Psalm 53 (Listen)
To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.
53:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
3 They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5 There they are, in great terror,
where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
(ESV)