A Tragic Trade

Studies In Paul’s Letter to the Romans
by Bob Burridge ©2011

Lesson 08: Romans 1:18-32

We live in an age where electronics has given
us an amazing window on the world.

Television takes us to wars, scenes of crime, breaking news, and spectacular events. It provides us with an unlimited stream of mesmerizing entertainment interweaving carefully constructed messages about morality and life styles. Magazines and newspapers are able to produce sensational stories with overwhelming speed and influence. The Internet puts millions of pages of information at our fingertips and lets us talk with people all around the world at any time for as long as we want.

The rapid explosion of information, and the immediate connections we have today with so many, make us all the more aware and alarmed with the overflow of wickedness from fallen hearts, and it makes us all the more easily influenced by the dangerous standards and attitudes of the world.

This world that so closely surrounds us is sinking deeper and deeper into sin and depravity. With each generation the limits are pressed just a little farther.

Today, many no longer see governing over a nation, state, or town as a special trust. Constitutionally, leaders were to take time away from a career to represent the people. However, the drift in values has created an opportunists dream, and a nightmare for liberty. Some professional politicians consider it their job to manipulate the people greedily for personal wealth, power to promote their own causes, as a boost for their ego. Deceit and corruption to one degree or another are found in every party and at every level of society. Those few who still try to govern by our founding principles often find themselves losing elections.

Much of the worship in our modern society is not like the worship God has prescribed in Scripture. It has become either entertainment to attract a large audience, mystical rituals to soothe the emotions and divert the mind, a time for promoting political and social theories, or to some worship is ignored or neglected altogether.

The increased power of the individual to control the world around him has crated opportunities for brutal violence. Aggressive drivers run law abiding drivers off the road, and have even shot them. In the video game Carmageddon, you drive various cars through cities and stores to chase down pedestrians to run them over. The game provides painful cries and graphic displays of blood and mangled bodies. Points are earned by hitting and killing various kinds of people as they frantically try to run away with looks of terror on their faces.

Children have shot other children in our schools and neighborhoods. Sexual perversion has made the morality of Scripture something either to ridicule, or to hate. Sex outside of marriage has become so common and expected, that people often smirk with condescension at the mention of God’s commandments. Homosexuality has become a specially protected life-style under the law with special privilege. Homosexuals demand that we have no right to our own views and values. They demand under law that we must recognize marriages between same-sex couples and their right to adopt and raise children training them in their life style. Pornography (the portraying of sexually explicit material) is not only found in strip bars, adult magazines, and X-rated movies. It is there for all to see on network television, the Internet, PG and PG-13 movies, and magazines aimed at teens.

A tragic trade has taken place. The good things God has built into the human race are exchanged for perversions. The spiral into corruption goes down one more level with each generation of any given society.

When fallen man exchanges what is good and right, for what is bad and wrong, what does God do? Does he send fire from heaven? disease and plagues? death and poverty? That is not what it says in the Bible. It says that God gives them over to exactly what they wanted. We see the results choking the world we live in. There is an old saying, “be careful what you ask for … you may get it”

In our last study we saw that there is no excuse — no one can plead ignorance. God is clearly revealing himself in all the things that he made (Romans 1:20). Man suppresses that truth and refuses to see it (1:18). This leaves him inexcusable for his ungodliness (1:19,20).

Verses 21-25 show how the heart of fallen humanity deals with this clear testimony. In arrogant pride the fallen creature dares to stand as judge over his Creator. He runs to do things that offend God. He believes things contrary to what God has revealed. He uses God’s gifts as if they were things he either deserves or has secured on his own.

There are two principles summarized in this last section of Chapter One of the Book of Romans.
1. Fallen man makes an exchange: he prefers distorted truth over reality.
2. God justly gives fallen man over to his own corrupt ways.

1. Mankind in his fallen condition makes a tragic trade.

As we saw in our last study: The fallen nature of man suppresses the truth he sees in things, and foolishly prefers a distorted way of looking at God and what God made. Verse 25 mentions this exchange directly.

Romans 1:25, “… who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen”

The true worship of God is switched for the worship of the things God made. Paul goes on to describe this exchange as it relates to moral behavior. A wrong view of God always shows up in wrong living. The first issue that he brings up is fallen man’s confused attitude toward sex.

Romans 1:26-27, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

Fallen humans tend to exchange proper sexual desires for perverted ones. Sex is one of the strongest drives God has put into us. It is to be satisfied in only one way morally and with God’s blessing: one man and one woman united for life as husband and wife. Any sex outside of that union is condemned as a perversion of God’s creation order.

Paul uses an extreme example to illustrate this principle. He describes homosexuality. This was a growing practice in the ancient Roman Empire. First he deals with women looking to other women for sexual satisfaction. Then he deals with men who have sexual desires for other men. This is never presented in Scripture as an alternative life-style. It is contrary to the way God made us, and is a deep offense to him. These actions are called “shameful” [ασχημοσυνη (aschaemosun), “indecent”]. The practice and desire is called “error.” This is the progression God warns us will happen when we abandon his ways.

Since God condemns their favorite perversions, they reject God as revealed in Scripture.

Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;”

What they do not like they reject. They judge everything against what they assume is right by their own standards. In their rejection, God gives them over to their depraved thinking. They rush ahead into those things that are not right.

The old King James Version says they do things which are not “convenient” The word convenient had a different meaning when the KJV was translated in 1611. Today “convenient” means things that are no strain on us, easy things that require less work. Originally it meant what goes along with something, what conforms with it. The sinner does the things that do not go along with what God says is right.

Then Paul gives a summary list of the sins they love both to do and to defend. Their lives are filled up with them. It is their life-style. They are obsessed with such things. Different translations may choose different English words. But the meanings are clear.

Romans 1:29-31, “being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;”

Those who are given over to their own depravity are filled with unrighteousness [ἀδικία (adikia), “injustice”]. They care only for their own advancement. If a judgment serves them personally, then they see justice as being served. They care little for victims who suffer losses so that they can gain.

They love all sorts of sexual immorality [πορνεία (porneia)]. Most ancient manuscripts use this word for a broad range of sexual activities. Biblically it is used for all sexual conduct outside of a proper marriage bond. This would include sexual activities between unmarried people, as well as adultery committed by someone who is married.

They engage in wickedness [πονηρία (ponaeria)]. This is the disposition that leans toward doing things that are wrong, contrary to what God says is right and moral.

They are covetousness, greedy [πλεονεξία (pleonexia)]. This is that self-serving motive that leads people to covet what they don’t have. They grumble when they lack something. They act as if they have a right to things others have. They are likely to take advantage of others in business, even of their friends. They are not only greedy for financial gain, that may not be everyone’s evil motive. Some maliciously want to promote their own ideas or ways of life, or they want power or respect. Whatever it is that motivates them, they will not care if the liberty, safety, or peace of others is violated, as long as they get that for which they crave.

They are maliciousness, evil [κακία (kakia)]. This is the attitude of those not troubled by seeing people injured. They accept the suffering of others as the inevitable cost of their own advancement.

They are full of envy [φθόνος (phthonos)]. They jealously long for things others have. At the root is a discontent with what God has given them. They fail to see the value of what they have. They only see the value of things they don’t yet possess.

They tend toward murder [φόνος (phonos)]. Even the lives of others will not stand in the way of their personal peace and prosperity.

They are also full of strife [ἔριδος (eridos)]. They are contentious, arguing, and debating in a most demanding manner.

They have no problem with deceit [δόλος (dolos)]. The word here originally meant the bait you use in a trap to catch an animal. The animal sees what appears to be a good meal, but it was there to lure its victim into a hidden trap. These people Paul is describing will deceive, lie, or commit fraud to get what they want from others. They entice people only to take advantage of them.

They are filled with evil-mindedness [κακοηθεία (kakoaetheia), “malice”]. This is a disposition which is gloomy and mean.

These are whisperers [ψιθυριστάς (psithuristas), “gossipers”]. They secretly spread stories that hurt other people. Their intention is to appear superior to those about whom they gossip, or to use the gossip to get others to pay attention to them.

They are backbiters [καταλάλος (katalalos), “slanderers”]. This is when they say hurtful things about others. It is a compound word literally meaning to “speak against”.

They are haters of God [θεοστυγης (theostugaes)]. They have no love at all for God as he is revealed in Scripture. They not only invent a god in a form of their own liking, they actually despise and ridicule the biblical teachings about God.

They are violent [ὑβριστης (hubristaes), more accurately “insulting”, “insolent”]. These show no respect for other people. They put themselves first. Our English word “hubris” comes directly from this ancient Greek word. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “hubris” as, “exaggerated pride or self-confidence”

They are proud [ὑπερηφάνος (huperaephanos), “arrogant”]. These are those who think they are better than everyone else. They are the center of their own attention, and want to be the center of everyone else’s attention too.

They are boastful [ἀλαζων (alazon)]. Those are the ones who love to brag and to tell others about their accomplishments.

They are inventors of evil things [ἐφευρετὰς κακῶν (epheuretas kakon), “inventors of evil”]. They are always scheming ways to justify their immorality.

They are disobedient to their parents [γονεῦσιν ἀπειθεῖς (goneusin apeitheis)]. If authority structures break down in the home, it will produce disrespect in business, in the community, in the church, and wherever someone is held responsible for overseeing things.

They are undiscerning [ἀσυνετος (asunetos), “without understanding”]. This does not mean they have a low IQ, or that they do poorly in school. It means they have no comprehension in spiritual or moral matters.

They are untrustworthy [ἀσυνθέτος (asunthetos)]. The word means they cannot be relied upon. They have little regard for promises or vows. The word was often used for those who were covenant breakers.

They are unloving [ἀστόργος (astorgos)]. These have no natural affection for family or friends, no loyalties.

They are unforgiving [ἀσπονδος (aspondos)]. The word literally means “without a poured out drink offering.” This was normally part of the making of treaties and truces. It refers those who will not be reconciled with others. They are unforgiving, and will not come to agreements to settle differences.

They are unmerciful [ἀνελεήμων (aneleaemon)]. These are they who show no compassion, mercy, or pity.

* (See the literary note at the end of this lesson.)

These traits never stand alone. They stand in support of others who are the same.

Romans 1:32, “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

They know such things are wrong, but look for company in their sins. They love to have others go along with them. They are the ones who would quote numbers as if large numbers agree, that makes it right.

2. God justly gives fallen man over to his own corrupt ways.

Throughout this sections it shows that God gives these unbelievers over to believe the lie (1:25). In their lusts they are left to their own to impurity, to the dishonoring of their own bodies (1:24). They are given over to degrading passions (1:26), and are left to their depraved minds to do what is improper (1:28).

God abandoned them to this level of corruption on the basis of their rebellion, both the rebellion they inherited from Adam, and their own sins that flow from that depraved soul. When God gives them up it is deserved. It is a judgment. It is their rightful punishment. Corrupt people get to live in the consequences of their own rebellion.

They are alone held responsible for their depravity, not God. However, God has a holy purpose in allowing it to be this way. The depravity of man is such that God is not bound ever to hold back man’s sin. If from Eden on God restrained no sin, there would be no injustice at all. However, to reveal the depth of man’s depravity, and to reveal his own justice, holiness, mercy, and grace, God permits them to have their own sinful ways. He allows them to fall deeper and deeper into depravity. They sin most willingly, and want to do it more and more. The abandonment to their flood of corruption is judicial, caused and earned by sin.

Some point out the corruption around us and say, “look at the violence, the sexual perversity, the corruption, the lies. God will judge us for this!” They are partly right. But according to the principles of Scripture, this is a sign that God’s judgment is already here! The evil they see is part of that on-going judgment.

If the heathen who only know God by creation and their conscience are judged in this way, then how horrible for those who know his word yet prefer the perverted things. This same principle applies to the covenant people of God. To his people Israel God said in Psalm 81:11-12, “But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.” In Proverbs 8:36 God says, “But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

The Lord calls out to his children to see the danger and to turn back in sincerity, trusting in his deliverance. Psalm 81:13 says, “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!”

In those who turn to him he reveals the work of Christ, the promised Messiah, upon their hearts. Their sin, their guilt, and its power were dealt with on the cross in their place. He promises to restore the repentant so that again he will restrain sin among them and bless them. Psalm 81 ends with these words in verses 14-16, “I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever. He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

In those who do not turn back, who do not repent, who do not rest in Christ, God reveals that they were never truly his. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:23, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”

God abandons them to the horrors of his judgments. He gives them over to suffer in the sins they seemed to want. There they suffer the miseries of sin in this life, and face the horrible reality of eternal sufferings from which there is no relief or comfort.

This is the lesson Paul teaches us in this section of Romans

Fallen people exchange right things for wrong things, fantasizing that they will be satisfied by them. However, they are in rebellion against the God of the universe. This is a most frightening condition. At some point, God gives them over to the desires of their own hearts.

Instead of finding satisfaction and freedom, they find the horrors of living in a corrupt society. They find that the perverted things do not bring true inner peace and happiness. They search for more options for satisfaction in all the wrong ways, and show the evidences of their abandonment to sin. In those who persist in sin, God reveals his justice, and their own guilt. By contract, in those who repent and turn to the provision for forgiveness in Christ, God reveals his mercy and amazing grace.

Though believers must also live in the corrupt society brought down by society’s sins, they find in the midst of it the comfort of God. They enjoy peace in the church, and security in their homes. They are called to spread that promise of inner peace through the gospel of grace. They are to bear testimony to it in their places of work, among their friends, and in their communities.

God’s blessing always accompanies the obedience of faith in his promises. Our obedience is never the cause or foundation for our blessings, it is the means God uses by which his blessings are dispensed. The cause is always God’s grace. The foundation is always the work of Jesus the Redeemer. By covenant, God promises to honor his work in our hearts by granting the covenant blessings to those transformed by the life and death of the Savior.

We may not live in an age where masses will turn from sin and repent. There have been such times, and in God’s plan they may occur again. However, in our own obedience we tap the wonderful and endless resource of God’s promised blessings in whatever situation we find ourselves.

________________
* Literary Note: Notice the poetic structure of how Paul arranged these words in verses 29-31. They are in groups with similar or contrasting sounds. Read the Greek words out loud and notice the patterns used in some places as a literary effect.

unrighteousness (injustice) – sexual immorality – wickedness – maliciousness
ἀδικία – πορνεία – πονηρία – κακία
adikia – porneia – ponaeria – kakia

envy – murder – strife – deceit
φθόνος – φόνος – ἔριδος – δόλος
phthonos – phonos – eridos – dolos

evil-mindedness (malice) – whisperers (gossippers) – backbiters (slanderers) – haters of God
κακοηθεία – ψιθυριστάς – καταλάλος – θεοστυγης
kakoaetheia – psithuristas – katalalos – theostugaes

violent (insolent) – proud (arrogant) – boastful – inventors of evil – disobedient to parents
ὑβριστης – ὑπερηφάνος – ἀλαζων – ἐφευρετὰς κακῶν – γονεῦσιν ἀπειθεῖς
hubristaes – huperaephanos – alazon – epheuretas kakon – goneusin apeitheis

undiscerning – untrustworthy – unloving – unforgiving – unmerciful
ἀσυνετος – ἀσυνθέτος – ἀστόργος – ἀσπονδος – ἀνελεήμων
asunetos – asunthetos – astorgos – aspondos – aneleaemon

(The Bible quotations in this lesson are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.)

Back to the Index of Studies In Paul’s Letter to the Romans

Seeing the Invisible

Studies In Paul’s Letter to the Romans
by Bob Burridge ©2011

Lesson 7: Romans 1:18-25

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

When you look up into a cloudless night sky you can see stars of different brightnesses arranged in breathtaking patterns. If you look closely you can see that some have a slight color to them. With binoculars or a simple telescope you can see that some of the bright spots are more like little clouds than points of light.

The light from those distant stars has a lot more information in it than what you see with the eye. If you pass the light through a device that shows its spectrum you will see bands of colors that are different for each kind of star. If you magnify the spectrum and spread it out you can see little details in it. There are dark lines that sometimes split up into many very fine lines. The dark bands are caused by gasses absorbing certain colors as the light passes through the surface of the star. The splitting of the lines appears to be caused by the effects of the star’s gravity as the light streams away toward our planet. Sometimes the lines are shifted from where they ought to be on the spectrum. That’s because the star is moving away from us at very high speeds.

Star light often changes in cycles too. Some stars grow brighter then dimmer every month or so. Some stars pulse many times a second like a fast rotating lighthouse beacon. If you look at a graph of the radio and x-ray signatures coming from the stars you see amazing patterns. Each pattern has details that tell us a lot about the star, what is between us and the star, and how the distant star is behaving.

But there is more there still, information beyond those measurable physical features. Creation is pouring fourth information about the Creator every moment of every day. This amazing declaration is not just found in the stars. It is there to behold in the intricacy and beauty of the flowers, trees, and grass on the planet where we live. It can be seen in the complexities in the behaviors of ants, sea gulls, panthers, and alligators. It’s there in the textures, colors, and chemical composition of the rocks, soil, and sand. This testimony is always available to everyone in all the world.

The truth about God is not hidden.

God made all things to tell about himself. Romans 1:19-20 explains it from the Creator’s point of view. It says, “because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”

This was not a new idea that Paul was referring to. God had explained this in his word from the beginning. David put it this way in the opening words of the 19th Psalm, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.”

These verses in Romans explain that the visible things God made tell us about things we can’t see. They show us the Creator’s invisible attributes and glory.

This is a familiar principle. We often see the effects of things we can’t see directly. The wind can’t be seen, but we can see things being moved by it so we know it is there. Even art follows this principle as it attempts to tell us something about the invisible feelings and perceptions of the artist.

All of creation is the artwork of God. By observing what is made, we can see a display of God’s truth.

But, how much does creation tell us about God?

It is amazing how much information is pouring forth from the things God made. We just read Psalm 19:1 which tells us that the heavens and earth are constantly declaring “… the glory of God, and His handiwork.” Our text in Romans 1:20 says that the visible things Created show God’s invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature (some translations say “Godhead”).

Other passages in Scripture show us that even more information is being given out. There is the warning in Psalm 94:9, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?”

Of course this isn’t telling us that the invisible God, who is spirit, has actual ears and eyes. It is explaining that these things reflect something about the God who made them. We are aware of things, so is God. He gave us senses to become aware. Certainly God is aware of the same things he made us able to see and hear.

Long discourses in the book of Job explain how God shows his power and sovereign glory in the acts of nature. His power and glory are seen in the lightning, floods, wind, earthquakes, and similar things.

The apostles taught this truth as they spread the gospel:

When Paul and Barnabas came to the city of Lystra, the people began to honor them as if they were gods. Horrified, they explained to them that the one true living God is the One who made all things, and has controlled the course of history. He is revealing himself all the time. What the Apostle taught them is recorded in Acts 14:15-17.

“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

It is God who gives us the rain and our food. He gives us any gladness we might have. Nothing we have is deserved. It is all given by the mercies of our holy provider. By all this, he is witnessing of himself to all of mankind all of the time.

Paul told the Greek philosophers in Athens that since God is creator and since we are his creation, we should not think of God in terms of material images of silver and stone. It is in him that we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28-29)

The Westminster Confession (21:1) summarizes this principle saying, “The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. …”

All this information is pouring forth from creation day and night. God put it there for that purpose.

Clearly God says he is revealing himself in detail all the time. This raises an important and obvious question.

Why is God’s truth not appreciated by ever observer of creation?

Something is wrong. Immediately after Psalm 19 speaks of how the heavens and the earth are declaring God’s glory, the next verse says, “There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.”

There is a problem with the usual English translation of this verse. The word “where” is not there. There is no word or grammar structure in the Hebrew text to justify it being inserted. Usually they put the word “where” in italics to show that it is a translators insertion. Some believe that it was inserted because some had a problem with the teaching of the text if simply translated the way it is. A more accurate translation is, “There is no speech. There are no words; Their voice is not heard.”

Why, after saying that heaven and earth are pouring forth God’s message, would it say that their voice is not heard? Paul explains it in his letter to the Romans. He even quotes from this 19th Psalm to prove his point.

The fact is, we are lost in sin and that effects our ability to see the glory of God in creation. Paul summarized this biblical truth through out his letters to the churches.

Romans 3:11, “There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.”
1Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

God tells us that as fallen humans we strip away the truth as we see what God made. Paul referred to this same idea later in Romans 10:18. There he wrote, “But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: ‘Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.’ ”

Do you recognize those words Paul uses? They are also taken from Psalm 19. Right after he said that the words of nature are spoken he adds the next verse from Psalm 19, “Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,”

The testimony of creation reaches all men even before the gospel comes to them. It is so clear that, as Romans 1:20 says, it leave them “without excuse!” God has made his truth “manifest to them.” (Romans 1:19). That means it is clear evidence, even if they ignore it or suppress what all of creation is declaring.

The message of creation is clear. It comes to us intact and clear.

The problem is with us, not with the message. Fallen man’s nature immediately strips the truth of God from what he sees. The unbeliever is left without any excuse for this.

So, who are those to whom this truth is shown in Romans 1:19? It is the ungodly, the unbelievers, those without a love for the gospel. Verse 18 of Romans 1 makes this clear: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”

In Romans 1:21-25 Paul explained how the truth is suppressed and actually perverted by our fallen minds.

“because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

Our fallen hearts are so prejudiced against
the real truth about God that they assume lies.

In trying to make up a religion more to his own liking, those still alienated from God’s fellowship accept a perversion of creation’s message. For example, the Humanist Manifesto in its first three articles affirms “the universe as self-existing and not created,” that “man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as a result of a continuous process,” and that “the traditional dualism of mind and body must be rejected.”

Such statements deny the obvious. To avoid facing the truths God has made known, the unredeemed must prove some kind of evolution of man. He must deny the existence of a spiritual part of man and accept him as just a complex bio-chemical machine. So he distorts everything to fit his pre-conceived ideas and conclusions about himself and the universe in which he lives.

God’s truth is rejected and replaced by many different religious and non-religious theories. But as Paul explains in Romans, all of these attempts exchange truth for a lie, and exalt some part of creation over the God who made it.

In humanism man and his desires are greater than the real needs God put into man. In socialism society is more important than the God who made its members. In materialism the universe determines all things by laws and chance without a Creator. In false religions man’s deeds, choices, and rituals are his way of salvation, God becomes the servant of man waiting for man to do the right thing so he can do good to his creatures.

The whole of creation cries out against these ideas. It declares an infinitely powerful God and his divine nature. It tells us that all things depend upon him and that he depends upon nothing outside of himself. The message is so clear that God’s word says it leaves us “without excuse”.

So then how do we know the true message
in creation if our fallen hearts distort everything?

God has also revealed his gospel, the good news. Jesus Christ died in place of his people to remove the offense that stands between them and God. Once redeemed and regenerated by God’s grace alone, our closed eyes are opened again. God’s word tells us clearly in Ephesians 2:4-6, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

John Calvin explained this truth eloquently, “Therefore, though the effulgence which is presented to every eye, both in the heavens and on the earth, leaves the ingratitude of man without excuse, since God, in order to bring the whole human race under the same condemnation, holds forth to all, without exception, a mirror of his Deity in his works, another and better help must be given to guide us properly to God as a Creator. Not in vain, therefore, has he added the light of his Word in order that he might make himself known unto salvation, and bestowed the privilege on those whom he was pleased to bring into nearer and more familiar relation to himself.” (institutes 1:6:1)

Therefore, it is by grace alone that any of us sees God’s glory revealed.

All who receive that grace ought to respond with thankful worship and service. We must be attentive to notice the things God has made and the wonder of them. Believers ought to love the study of God’s universe.

In our privileged moment in history, we have seen close up photographs of distant planets, unraveled the genetic codes that shape our physical bodies, and made computer chips smaller than the connectors on Edison’s first lamp. We can sit at a computer in the comfort of our home to visit and to chat with people from all over the world. We power our homes with the energy formerly locked up in the nuclei of atoms. We fight cancer with lasers, chemicals, and surgeries unknown a few years ago. We can transplant the human heart, lungs, and almost every major organ in the human body.

We ought not see these things as mere amazing advancements of humankind. We should see them as revealing the infinite glory of the God who made us and who gave us the raw materials we use in manufacturing what was thought to be impossible fiction just a few generations ago.

We should be appreciative of the things God made, let their truth impress us with the wonders of the Creator which they display. When walk along the beach, through a woods, or see people shopping at the mall we should say in our hearts with the prophet Jeremiah, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” (Jeremiah 32:17)

We must be thankful for the wonders of creation, and for the grace that opens our eyes to take it in. This should show itself in loving obedience to the Creator of all things, the Infallible Redeemer of all his people.

How can we be silent about such wonderful things? Not only does nature declare the glory of its Creator, God’s children must declare the gospel of Christ that gives life to lost souls, and opens blinded eyes to the wonders that surround them.

The Psalmist simply cries out as should we …

Psalm 72:19, “And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.”

(The Bible quotations in this lesson are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.)

Back to the Index of Studies In Paul’s Letter to the Romans