Romans 2 - All Under Sin - 1/18/09
Turn with me this morning to Romans 1. Romans comes in the NT after the four gospels, M,M,L,J, and after the book of the Acts of the Apostles. So, we have the history of the gospel, the record of how the gospel brought change to the world, and then in Romans, we have the explanation of the gospel. The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” The essence of Paul’s letter to the Romans is that there is good news that is truly good. He proclaimed the good news that in Christ Jesus sin can be forgiven, selfishness can be overcome, guilt can be removed, anxiety can be alleviated, and life can indeed have meaning and hope that will last throughout all eternity! That IS good news!
As we go through the book of Romans in the next several weeks, we are going to learn more and more about the good news of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. We are going to learn about a lot of big words: in chapters 1-3 condemnation; 3-5 justification; 6-8 sanctification; 9-11 dispensation; 12-16 glorification. And as we go through the book, we’ll understand why each of these big terms means “good news” for us. As we get started this morning, let’s start with prayer. PRAY.
Let’s review what we saw last week:
Romans is a real letter to real people about a real question - the key question of life:
How can a sinful man be made right with a holy God?
Paul is the author. He says he is
• a slave by choice - he is a man who knew his master
• sent by command - he is a man who knew his mission
• separated by calling - he is a man who knew his message
Paul’s message is the good news that we can be made right with God.
Paul goes on to tell us in chapter 1 & 2, who needs salvation? And this is the topic under the $5 word condemnation. Who is condemned by God? Would a loving God condemn anybody to hell? The answer is yes. Even though there are many who think a loving God would never send anyone there. Paul goes on to share that there are some who are such ungodly sinners that they will face God’s condemnation. Let’s see what they are like starting at verse 18. Read 1:18-32
Who needs salvation? The ungodly sinners! If there is anyone we would expect to be under the wrath of God, it would be those who care nothing for God, who reject the truth. Paul tells us
• they knew God - they are without excuse because they knew the truth and rejected it. Man did not begin in ignorance, but with revelation, and man has turned his back on the truth. Sinners are without excuse because of creation -- vs. 20 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. When you look at creation, you see the handiwork of God. Throughout history God has revealed himself to man, but,
• they ignored God - they refused to glorify God. When you come to the point of considering God, you always need to make a choice: to either come to Him and worship and follow Him, or to turn away. You can never come to God and go away unchanged. Either you will bow in worship or stand in defiance. Either you will obey or reject. And that is just what happened to mankind. We see it in verse 21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. We ended here last week.
There are untold millions of fools all across the world today who have heard the truth, they know the good news of God’s salvation, but they have refused to follow God. Just like Cain who knew the right thing to do, but he chose to ignore God and do things his own way. I’m sure you know people like this, who know the truth about God, but choose to live like they will never have to give an account to God.
And that is the epitome of foolishness. It’s sort of like someone who has been diagnosed with a terminal disease, but chooses to ignore it. It will kill them in the end, but they live like nothing is wrong.
Next, verse 23 tells us,
• they replaced God - they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase called The Message, words it this way: They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.
There is a vacuum in the heart of man that seeks for something greater than himself. We look for someone or something to worship. That is why just about every people group under heaven has some form of God or idol that they worship. But when we ignore the true God, we will seek some form of God to worship.
In many eskimo tribes, the tribespeople take the qualities that they admire and look up to, and they find animals that characterize these qualities. We have many phrases -- wise as an “owl” - sly as a “fox” - strong as an “ox” (or horse or mule). And they carve the images of these animals on poles, called totem poles. This concept is called “totemism.” And these qualities, identified in animals, that they seek for themselves, is really a way of them worshiping themselves.
And that has been Satan’s lie all along: for man to worship himself. Humanism - man is the measure of all things. Satan tempts man to worship himself. That’s what we see in verse 25 - Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen
So, man knew God, ignored God, replaced God with worshiping himself, and then,
• they rejected God - we just read verse 25, which states that they changed the truth of God into a lie. Verse 30 calls them “God-haters”. Verse 28 says, they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Man came to a point where he did not even want to acknowledge the existence of God. Refusal to acknowledge God leads to evolution. Why do people hold so strongly to evolution? Not because of science or knowledge, because evolution is filled with gaps and holes. It is just a theory. But the alternative is to believe in God, an intelligent design to the universe, a master creator.
And modern so-called scholars are bright enough to know that if they admit to a creator God, they would be under an obligation to follow him. So, instead, they reject God and hold to the idea that everything came about by chance.
But Paul is also very clear about how God feels about these ungodly people: His judgment is upon them!
Verse 24 - Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Verse 26, in the New Living Translation reads like this:
That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. (NLT)
Verse 28 - (NLT) - When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness . . .
And then Paul goes on to list about 20+ different expressions of their sinfulness.
What happens here? As a result of turning away from God’s truth, ungodly man is judged by God and God allows him to face in his life the consequences of his sin:
• Man’s will is affected - he turns to uncleanness - idolatry - which expresses itself in sexual immorality. Man has no restraint. Sinful man will do whatever he wants. He follows his desires without concern for the consequences. For if God is true, there are standards to follow. But if man is the measure of all things, then whatever feels good, do it! They hold to NO Barriers.
• Man’s emotion is affected - verse 27 calls this inversion into unnatural sexual expression a “perversion” - a twisting of what is true. Why do some people say that homosexuality is perverted? Because God says it is! I am not saying we should call lesbians or homosexuals “perverts” as form of namecalling. But they are perverting the design of nature. They have twisted God’s truth. They hold to NO Boundaries.
• Man’s mind is affected - God’s judgment also affects the way mankind thinks. Verse 28 says God gave them over to a “depraved” mind. Or one that is unfit. One turned from the truth. What happens is they no longer see any difference between right and wrong. They don’t see evil as wrong. They don’t think anything is sinful. They hold to NO Beliefs. And you end up with the situation Paul mentions in verse 32 - Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
They know sin will be judged, but they enjoy it and encourage others to sin with them.
A friend of mine had a sign in his room growing up:
Why worry -- I’ll either stay healthy or get sick.
If I get sick, I’ll either get better or get worse.
If I get worse, I’ll either heal or die.
If I die I’ll either go to heaven or hell.
If I go to heaven, things will be fine, and if I go to hell I’ll be with so many of my friends that I won’t have to worry at all! or something like that.
So this is a constant reminder for us of what the heart of man is like.
man knew God, ignored God, replaced God with worshiping himself, rejected God, and has been judged with a ruined mind, will, and emotions.
That is why the gospel is so very important. Man is not basically good. Man is evil. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. There is only ONE hope for mankind: the saving power of the gospel. That is why as a church and as individuals, we must focus on sharing the gospel with as many as we can. That is the ONLY hope of mankind. Apart from the saving power of the gospel, we would be just like the rest of the world.
But before we get too comfortable, Paul goes on in chapter 2 to talk about another group that is under the condemnation of God: the moral, the upright, the Jew. The Jews prided themselves on being so much better than the Gentiles. But Paul tells us in chapter 2, that even the “morally good” person is also under God’s condemnation.
Remember in Luke 18, Jesus tells this story: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.
The Jews loved to look down on the Gentiles and thought they were above the judgment of God. But Paul tells them something that went against everything inside of them. He says that they were just as bad as these ungodly sinners. Look in chapter 2 of Romans, verse 1:
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. -- verse 3 -- So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? -- verse 5 -- But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
Remember the story in Luke 15 of the prodigal son. Often we look at this as a story about the wayward son who sows his wild oats and then returns home. But we forget the context. Luke 15:1 tells us why Jesus gives this story: Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering round to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.” The key idea of the passage is that the Pharisees, these Jews who prided themselves in their following God’s rules, were the older brother. Remember he heard the party, and it says, The older brother became angry and refused to go in.
To these self-righteous Jews, Paul says God’s judgment is on their sins as well. Paul says in verse 9 - There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile . . . for God does not show favoritism.
God will judge both the ungodly sinner who totally rejects God in the same way that he will condemn the good moral person who goes to church and tries to help his fellow man. Why? For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 3:23 tells us.
So, the gospel is essential for us to share: both to the ungodly neighbor or co-worker who parties on the weekend, has multiple partners, cheats the boss and shoplifts from the store. But we also need to desperately share the gospel with the good, kind, loving friend or relative who goes to church, volunteers at the hospital, and sends care packages to soldiers in Iraq. Because we are ALL under the condemnation of sin. Some may have taken sin a little farther down the road, but we will ALL be judged, condemned, and eternally separated from God unless we accept His salvation. There are many people who think that going to church will save them. We need to share with them that they must personally accept Christ as savior and Lord. We will talk more about that in weeks ahead. But when we think of who we should share the gospel with, don’t say “I don’t know any bikers with tattoos” - because maybe the sweet grandma you live beside has never chosen to ask Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. We are all under condemnation, and all in need of salvation.
But before we end today, I want us to consider the example we give to others. We need to share the gospel with others. And many of us fail to take advantage of the opportunities that God gives us to talk to others. But if we did, what would they think about us. Would they see us as God-sends or as hypocrites. How does you walk match your talk? Look in verse 17. READ 2:17- 24
The sad fact is that there are many people who have seen Christians, those who have claimed to follow Jesus Christ, who have continued to live by the world’s standards. Think about what Paul says here.
• You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? Think about the Christians you know who are always quick to judge, quick to point fingers at others, quick to tell people what they should and shouldn’t be doing -- but their life is a mess. They live by a different standard than they give to others.
• You who preach against stealing, do you steal? We would never think about going downtown and pulling a gun out to rob a bank; but do you ever cheat on your timecard at work - get back for your break a little late, leave for the weekend a little early; take a ream of paper from the office -- after all, you justify it saying you worked a little late last weekend. Stealing is stealing, whether the object is worth a penny or a million dollars. If it isn’t yours, don’t take it! How about your income tax return? Now the pastor’s left off preaching and gone to meddling! Do you report ALL the income you received? Do you take credit for things that you are not entitled to? Do you work “under the table” for money so the IRS won’t have a record of your income? That’s called stealing! And as a Christian you are called to a standard of honesty and integrity. I try to take every tax advantage I can; but I always seek to be honest and above board with everything I do.
• You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You might say, That’s an easy one -- I’ve never cheated on my spouse. But pause to think for a minute. Jesus said, But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. What do you look at on the internet? When no one else is around or watching? What do you fantasize about? What type of “romance” novels do you read? You can say, “It doesn’t affect me” but Jesus says it’s adultery! Adultery is prevalent among many Christians today. Chances are some of us here today, if we were honest, would have some things we looked at or thought about or did this past week that would bring us great shame if it were videotaped and shown on the screen up front.
• You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? Many Christians, like the Pharisees of old, pride themselves with all the things they do. But remember what Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 23 - Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. They were so concerned about tithing, that they would count through the stalks of herbs in their gardens. But they failed to show mercy and justice -- things that God cared about even more. God wants not just outward performance, but inward conformance.
Because of hypocrites and the influence the bring to others, Paul writes in verse 24 - As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Paul goes on to say the outward sign of circumcision -- a physical cutting of the flesh on Jewish males - did not make them a Jew. A true Jew was one who followed God from the heart. In the same way, going to church, carrying a Bible, and putting money in the offering plate does not make anyone a Christian. You aren’t a Christian because you had Christian parents. We are all under the condemnation of sin - whether moral or immoral - we have all sinned and will pay the penalty of that sin by eternal separation in hell, UNLESS we choose to accept the forgiveness offered to us in Jesus Christ. If you’ve never done that before, I invite you today to come forward and accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior. Let’s pray together.
