1 The Reality of Romans Part 5 “Clearly Seen” Romans 1:18-­‐25 The Word of the Lord reveals the character of God; by faith I will receive it so that I may give an account of my faith. Read: Romans 1:18-25
Introduction: This morning we see Paul writing to the Romans and there is a hard
stance here taken against ungodliness and unrighteousness against those who
suppress the truth and hide it in unrighteousness.
A. I want to go back and reiterate the title of this sermon series for just a
moment. “The Reality of Romans”: The precepts of God outlined in this letter
to the church at Rome by Paul is not opinions, they are not devotionals to
inspire you to feel better about yourself, they are not as we sometimes say
“one way at looking at it”. It is reality; it is about a real God with real doctrine.
1. And there is a reality that we see in the first verse of the passage: The
wrath of God is revealed from heaven!
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And again when something is revealed it mean the veil has been taken
off of it.
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It may not have been seen before but it is clearly seen now!
Ø And this anger of God is not anger toward people that God doesn’t like for
whatever reason it is anger that is revealed against sin, unrighteousness and
against the suppression of the truth.
n There is a reality that has slipped from the common teaching of scripture
today and it is that God is angry about sin!
2. In verse 17 Paul says that the Good News of Christ is the revelation of His
righteousness now just as clearly Paul says in verse 18 that the wrath of
God is the revelation of His righteousness!
Ø The wrath of God is clearly a part of His righteousness!
3. How righteous could God be if He did not get angry and take action
against sin and those who suppress the truth of His righteousness?
2 -­‐
Much of the church today have become comfortable with sin and being
around sin because we have lost touch with the reality that The God of
our salvation is holy and His wrath is kindled against it!
Transition: Here let me share with 3 things that reveal the wrath of God
against ungodliness:
# 1 Suppressing the Truth of God reveals the wrath of God!
I.
Suppressing the Truth of God Reveals the Wrath of God verse
18
A. The word suppress means to hold it back, keep it from being seen.
1. If something is being suppressed it means that it is there but there
is an effort to keep it from being seen and acknowledged.
•
Paul writes: of men who suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, Romans 1:18b
2. Look at what is being used to hold back the truth, look at what man
does in order to cover up and hide the truth of God righteousness.
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!
Ø Man refuses to acknowledge the truth of God’s righteousness because we love
sin to much!
B. Man seeks to know the truth but when the truth is right in front of him
he refuses it because it doesn’t allow for sin and ungodliness in his life.
1. Oh if I could just find a church or teaching that will just allow me to
be me and take me just the way that I am let me hold on to my sin
and still claim the righteousness of God.
n Church that is by definition suppressing the righteousness in
unrighteousness!
Ø Doesn’t God look over all that because after all I believe in Jesus and I try to do
good things at least enough to offset my sin!
•
8 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, Romans
1:18
C. Man’s problem is not a lack of spirituality or spiritual sophistication.
1. For the most part man is very spiritual, but the problem is not with
man’s spirituality the problem is the rejection of the truth, it is
disobedience to the truth of God, his righteousness!
3 Ø SIN!!!
Transition: Hiding the righteousness of God in unrighteousness, suppressing the truth
of God reveals the wrath of God!
A. And ignorance is no excuse!
•
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and
divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been
made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20
Ø Who God is clearly seen by everyone!
B. Paul says that it is not because they do not know about God it is that they
ignore who he is!
II.
Ignoring God Reveals the wrath of God verse 19-21
A. Verse 19 Because that which is known about God is evident:
1. A plea of ignorance is no excuse before God!
2. The attribute of God is on display all around us:
• In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
B. Church take a look around:
• For [a]by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things
have been created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16
• All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into
being that has come into being. John 1:3
Ø There are a bunch more but you get the point: Everything that exists, exist
because God created it and is the evidence that He alone is God!
1. The evolutionist will claim that something happens, some kind of event and
that the earth and everything in it created itself: listen to that “something
created itself????”
= That church is suppressing the righteousness of God in unrighteousness!
Ø And that kindles the wrath of God!
2. It is impossible to see creation and not know that there is a God!
n But even though they have this knowledge they do not honor Him as God and
they do not give Him thanks.
C. They know that He is God but they chose to ignore and refuse to
worship Him as God!
4 1. That is a very dangerous positon to be in.
2. Instead man comes up with his own speculations:
•
For even though they knew God, they did not [a]honor Him as God or give
thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. Romans 1:21
Ø Man is going to figure it out for himself!
3. All the Devine attributes on display through out creation man comes
up with an answers to:
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Man creates idles
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Man develops theory’s
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Man speculates and theorizes
n And it all goes back to if man acknowledges creator God then man must
acknowledge that he is righteous and if He is righteous then we can’t have a
relationship and hang on to our comfortable sin: Suppressing the truth in
unrighteousness!
Transition: Suppressing the truth will reveal the righteous wrath of God, ignoring the
God is God will reveal the wrath of God from heaven.
A. And exchanging God for a god will expose the anger of God!
III.
Exchanging God for a god verse 22-23
A. So here is what happens as man ignores who God is and develops his
own theory and speculations he gets full of himself.
1. Professing to be wise!
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Professing to be anything does not make you anything you are what
you are regardless what you say you are!
2. When mankind ignores God: Now listen I have said this and so
have you this are some of the most intelligent people I know and
believe in evolution.
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Some of people that I know that refuse to honor God are some of the
wisest people I know just not about God.
Ø Listen to us that is about as ridiculous of a statement that can be made: Those
that set themselves up as smarted than God, that know better than God, that
know that there has to be a God and yet refuse to honor him, and give Him
thanks are not ignorant they are fools!
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Professing to be wise, they became fools, Romans 1:22
5 -­‐
They suppress the righteous of God in unrighteousness!
B. And then this is what happens:
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And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of
corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and [a]crawling creatures.
Romans 1:23
1. They trade a holy God for corruption!
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They trade something eternal for something that is temporary
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They perfection for imperfection!
= They can’t poke holes in creationism: In the beginning God created what is there to
debate you either believe in the perfect precept or you believe in foolishness!
C. Man has to do something with the God given knowledge that there is a
God!
1. So because he suppresses it, and he ignores it he has to put
something in its place: So he exchanges God for corruption and
honors the image of man and the image of birds and the image of
animals: In verse 25 Paul writes:
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For they exchanged the truth of God for [a]a lie, and worshiped and served the
creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed [b]forever. Amen. Romans 1:25
Closing: In just a few moments we are going to see obedience to the command of God
to be baptized. They are refusing to suppress the righteousness of God but rather
confess their unrighteousness and hide in the righteousness of Jesus.
A. All those that are coming forward today are not coming because they are
following a crowd, or going through a ritual or tradition they are being baptized
today because they as Paul said in verse 16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel
of Christ because it is the power of salvation and it is the revelation of God
righteousness!!!!!
1. If today you know that you have received the salvation of God trough His Son the
Lord Jesus Christ you can come and talk with an elder and be baptized today!