Salvation: Why? and How?
or, SALVATION: ITS NEED AND PROVISION
Romans Chapters One to Five
Calvary Baptist Church
Series Begins Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sermon 5: When God Says "Enough"
November 11, 2012
Romans 1:24-27
INTRODUCTION:
• In our 1st three sermons, we were in the section of Romans that I have called the salutation (1:1-17).
• Last week we moved into the section of Romans that we call "Sin."
• Paul is laying the foundation of showing the need of salvation.
• This part of Romans is divided into three parts.
• In Section 1, found in Romans 1:18-32, Paul reveals that the Gentiles are lost and condemned before God.
• Then, in Section 2, found in Romans 2:1-3:8, Paul writes that the Jews are lost and condemned before God.
• Finally, in Section 3, Romans 3:9-20, Paul concludes that all the world is condemned.
• We are preaching this first section, the condemnation of the Gentiles, in two parts.
• Last week, we looked at the reason for condemnation.
• God is a just Judge, He is not arbitrary in His judgment.
• Today, we begin looking at the results of condemnation.
• It will take us two sermons to move through this portion.
• While this is no topic for a motivational speaker type preacher, it is necessary for a pastor to teach these truths to the church.
• One final note by way of review, it is very important that we remember the theme of last week's message:
1) God Revealed (In Nature)
2) God Rejected (By Idolatry)
OPEN
• Like most conservative Christians, I went to bed with a heavy heart on Tuesday night.
• Our country made a choice that moved it farther away from God.
• I know that we didn't have the best choice available to us, but America chose the worst choice.
• I will have more to say about this in a different setting.
• In such a situation as we now have, we must remember that Paul ministered under a government far more hostile to faith than this one.
• We must remember that Christianity spread through a world filled with horrible vices.
• We must remember that even in Israel, a theocracy, Kings persecuted the prophets and true faith was often pushed into the corner, even into hiding.
• So we must be salt and light.
• I am very worried about the fiscal situation in America.
• But my greater concern is for marriage and for the unborn.
• We must look back into the source of Gods' truth (His Word) and hear from God afresh today.
The Judgment of God: When God Says "Enough"
ILLUS: When Hispanic women say, "Bastante!" to their children.
Romans 1:24-27 (KJV) 24 Wherefore God also gave them up
to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
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.
26 For this cause God gave them up
unto vile affections:
for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly,
and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
I. The Causes of God's Judgment
A. Because of God Revealed and God Rejected (Cf., 1:23)
24 Wherefore - dio - Therefore, for this reason.
This word looks back to verse 23 (the list of types of idols) and we must look at verse 25, where we see that they worshipped the creature. (humanism)
• Man is accountable.
• All through this text we see his responsibility for this judgment.
B. Because of Their Trading of the Worship of God for the Worship of Man (25)
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie,
CHANGED metallasso - To exchange. To stop one thing and start another.
This verb repeated in vs. 26 below.
truth of God -
apposition - the truth, that is, God.
* subjective - the truth that God revealed.
objective - the truth about God.
a lie - better, "the lie."
believe the lie (2 Thess. 2:11)
NOTE: "The Lie" is that the creature can be worshipped in place of the Creator.
and worshipped
WORSHIPPED sebadzomai - to express in attitude and ritual one’s allegiance to and regard for deity—‘to worship, to venerate.' (Louw and Nida)
NOTE: Only NT use. Paul, in dealing with this sin, uses rare vocabulary. In this passage, the words worshipped, burned and lust occur nowhere else in the N.T.
and served
SERVED latreuo - To perform duties or services for. To serve in worship.
Example use: Rev. 7:15
Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
the creature more than the Creator
who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Paul, according to his custom, breaks forth into a doxology at the mention of the Creator.
BLESSED eulogetos - blessed, praised.
FOR EVER aionas - the past, the present and the age to come.
II. The Contents of God's judgment
A. God gave them up to Uncleanness (1:24)
• Remember, this is because that, when God revealed Himself, they rejected Him and chose idols.
God also gave them up
GAVE THEM UP paradidomi - To hand over, deliver up.
EXAMPLE USE: Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
to uncleanness
UNCLEANNESS akatharsia - Refuse. Moral impurity (often sexual). The state of moral impurity.
It is the antonym for "pure."
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
B. God gave them up to vile affections.
• Remember, this is because they abandoned the worship of God to worship created things. (1:25)
26 For this cause
FOR THIS CAUSE dia touto - because of this.
Becuase of the worship of created things, God gives them up to shameful sexual depravity.
God gave them up
GAVE THEM UP paradidomi - To hand over, deliver. See vs. 24.
ILLUS: One commentator put it this way. If man insists on moving his boat downstream toward the dam, resisting all efforts of God to pull him back, rowing frantically against the efforts of God as he moves toward his own destruction, then there comes a point in which God simply lets go of the rope! (Godet, Commentary on Romans)
III. The Consequences of God's Judgment
A. Dishonoring Their Bodies (24)
through the lusts of their own hearts,
LUSTS epithumia - Strong sexual cravings.
to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
DISHONOUR atimadzo - alpha privative + timao. To treat someone in a shameful manner.
Example use: Luke 20:11
Luke 20:11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
B. Man Becomes Slaves to Shameful Passions (26)
unto vile affections:
VILE atimias - Adj. form of the verb in vs. 24 ("dishonor"). Shameful. A + timao.
AFFECTIONS pathe - passion, suffering.
C. Homosexuality
1. Female Homosexuality (26)
for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
CHANGE metallasso - to exhange. Louw and Nida use the phrase, "to stop and start."
Same word in verse 25.
NATURAL - phusikos. That which is according to nature.
USE - Function. Louw and Nida use the phrase "sexual function."
AGAINST NATURE - phusis. Natural characteristics.
2. Male Homosexuality (27)
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
LEAVING aphiemi - to forsake, leave, abandon.
USE - sexual function. (Note: the condemnation is against the form of sex. To say that a person is homosexually monogamous is contradictory.
ILLUS: I drive drunk, but I always do it with the same person. I have for years. Yep, me and Joe, every Thursday night we get smashed and go for a drive. Aren't you proud of me?
No! This would simply mean that that commit sin with the same person repeatedly. But there is condemnation here of the passion, not just the act!
NATURAL - phusikos. As above. That which is according to nature.
burned in their lust one toward another;
BURNED ekkaio - to start, kindle, inflame. This is an aorist passive. Used in the literature far more often literally than figuratively.
NOTE: Pillar NT Commentary says that the words worshipped, burned and lust occur nowhere else in the N.T.
LUST - orexis - Longing, desire.
men with men working that which is unseemly,
WORKING - katergazomai To achieve, bring about, accomplish.
UNSEEMLY - aschemasune - indecent behavior, a shameless act or state.
D. Reaping the Consequences (27)
and receiving in themselves
RECEIVING - apolambano - To recover, to receive back.
that recompence of their error which was meet.
RECOMPENCE - antimisthea. Wage, reward, exchange.
ERROR plane - deceit, deception, delusion, perversion.
MEET dei - Imperfect. Was necessary.
• God has created a moral universe.
• There are consequences to sin.
• There are natural consequences.
1) Destroyed Relationships
2) Alienation
3) Lonliness
4) Sexual Disease
5) Aids
• But greater by far are the spiritual consequences.
• 1 Cor. 6 reveals that this sin excludes a man from Heaven.
• We will preach more about this later.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Notice the human responsibility here.
Because of what they did ("wherefore" vs. 24, pointing back to verses 18-23)
Through the lusts of their own hearts. (vs. 24)
To dishonor their own bodies between themselves.
They changed the truth of God into a lie. (25)
They worshipped and served the created rather than the Creator. (25)
They received the recompense of their error. (27)
Romans 1:26–27 contains the clearest teaching in the New Testament on homosexuality. In this section Paul described the practice as “shameful,” “unnatural,” “indecent,” and as a “perversion.” Mounce, NAC Romans
• Society accepts many things that I do not accept.
• Adultery, fornication, etc.
• Some things are even legalized. (abortion, alcohol)
• Homosexuality is moving mainstream.
• And many believers are going to follow along, right out of the church and away from God.
• What will be your choice when the going get tough? You have been informed!
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind,
to do those things which are not convenient;
QUOTE: God gave these people over to a reprobate mind, since they came to the conclusion that God was not necessary as one of life’s basic presuppositions. As a result they “do what ought not to be done.” This expression refers not only to the debased sexual activity outlined in vv. 24–28 but also to the twenty-one negative qualities (cf. vv. 29–32) of those abandoned to their own sinful natures. (NAC)
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
