GRATITUDE That ADORNS The GOSPEL-III—Romans 1:15-25
OR: Gratitude That Graces The Gospel
Attention:
Most every window of our house(the pastorium) is decorated with a wreath. The circular nature of the wreath obviously references God’s eternity, Christ’s eternity, & thus the eternity of God’s love.
Each wreath has a large red(actually reddish due to weathering) bow attached at the bottom.
The redness represents for us the blood by which Christ came into our world. The red color of the bow also represents the blood of Christ which would be shed on the Cross.
The bow itself represents the arrival of God’s perfect gift for mankind in the birth of Jesus our Savior.
Below each wreath inside the house on each window sill is a candle(electric), which we light every night in December to reference the 24 days leading up to the Advent or our Lord on Christmas Day. It recalls for us the anxious anticipation of God’s people(& thru them, the world) as they had waited for God’s perfect Consolation.
Need:
There is still a Christian influence in American society, which causes a deep appreciation for the life & family that God has blessed them with. These openly recognize God’s provision for them. These realize that they have been abundantly blessed by the Lord their God.
Those who are not so inclined may still be influenced influenced by the Church to such a degree that they readily attach a religious sentimentality to Christmas.
Titus 2:9-10—“Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.”
1Pet. 3:3-4—“Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle & quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”
For the Christians in Rome, Paul delineated the relationship of gratitude to the Gospel.
Personal Gratitude must properly adorn the Gospel of Christ.
What manner of Gratitude properly adorns the Gospel of Christ?
OR...
How can your Gratitude adorn the Gospel of Christ?
8 assurances that your Gratitude is one that Adorns God’s Good News.
Last Sunday morning we found that
Our Gratitude adorns the Gospel thru...
1. Our SHAMELESS TRUST(:15-16)
2. SHARING(:17)
3—Gratitude adorns the Gospel thru...
REINFORCING GOD’s WRATH(:18)
Explanation: (:18)Oppose the lie/Bolster/Adherence to God
:18—“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness & unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
In the Gospel of Christ the “wrath of God” is simultaneously “revealed” with His righteousness in salvation. The wrath originated “from heaven.”
This wrath is directed “against” the “ungodliness” & unrighteousness” which “men” levy against God’s righteousness.
*Reference lexicon elucidations(which follow).
In their battle against God’s righteousness, men willfully “suppress” God’s revealed “truth.” They hold God’s truth from others by their personal unrighteousnesses as well as the unrighteousness which characterizes a world without Christ.
“Truth” is objective[set/decided] & not subjective to individual opinion. It is reality whether I like it or not. It is still reality no matter how much effort I put into holding it back—Philosophies, sciences, theories, religions, ideas, civil participation, love for country, emotional ties, etc.
*Elucidate the concrete manifestations of the above(philisophies, etc.)...
1Cor. 1:18-21—“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
Col. 2:6 -9—“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted & built up in Him & established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy & empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, & not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;”
“Wrath”—orgh—Noun Fem.—1) Anger, the natural disposition, temper, character; 2) Movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any violent emotion, but especially anger; 3) Anger, wrath, indignation; 4) Anger exhibited in punishment, hence used for punishment itself—4a) Of punishments inflicted by magistrates. Strong—properly--Desire(as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), i.e. by analogy--Violent passion(ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication--Punishment.
“Revealed”(See :18)—apokaluptw—Present Passive Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up—1a) Disclose, make bare; 2) To make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown. Apokaluptw is an “unveiling” or internal disclosure, to the thinking believer, & abiding. Strong—To take off the cover, i.e. Disclose. Used 26X.
“From”—apo—Preposition—1) Of separation—1a) Of local separation, after verbs of motion from a place i.e. Of departing, of fleeing, ..., 1b) Of separation of a part from the whole—1b1) Where of a whole some part is taken, 1c) Of any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed, 1d) Of a state of separation, that is of distance—1d1) physical, of distance of place, 1d2) temporal, of distance of time; 2) Of origin—2a) Of the place whence anything is, comes, befalls, is taken, 2b) Of origin of a cause. Strong—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).
“Against/Upon”—epi—Preposition—1) Upon, on, at, by, before; 2) of position--On, at, by, over, against; 3) To, over, on, at, across, against. Strong—properly, meaning superimposition(of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution[with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the dative)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.
“All/Every”—pav—Adj.—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types. Strong—apparently a primary word; All, any, every, the whole.
“Ungodliness”—asebeia—Lit.=‘No Reverence’ or ‘No Adoration.’—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1)Want of reverence towards God, impiety, ungodliness. Strong—Impiety, i.e. by implication--Wickedness. Used 6X.?*From—A(as a negative particle).—& a presumed derivative of—sebomai—To revere, i.e. Adore.
“Unrighteousness”2X—adikia—Lit.=‘No Justice’—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) Injustice, of a judge; 2) Unrighteousness of heart & life; 3) A deed violating law & justice, act of unrighteousness. Strong—legal--Injustice(properly--The quality, by implication, the act); morally--Wrongfulness(of character, life or act). Used 25X.?From—A(as a negative particle) —&—dikh—Right(as self-evident), i.e. Justice(the principle, a decision, or its execution).
“Suppress/Hold”—katecw—Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine—1) To hold back, detain, retain—1a) From going away, 1b) To restrain, hinder(the course or progress of)—1b1) That which hinders, Antichrist from making his appearance, 1b2) To check a ship's headway i.e. to hold or head the ship, 1c) To hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of; 2) To get possession of, take, 2b) To possess. Strong—To hold down(fast), in various applications(literally or figuratively).?From—kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along. Strong—a primary particle; prepositionally--Down(in place or time), in varied relations(according to the case [genitive case, dative case or accusative case] with which it is joined).—&—ecw or scew—1) To have, i.e. To hold; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong—a primary verb; To hold.
“Truth”—alhyeia—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) objectively—1a) What is true in any matter under consideration—1a1) Truly, in truth, according to truth, 1a2) Of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly, 1b) What is true in things appertaining to God & the duties of man, moral & religious truth—1b1) In the greatest latitude, 1b2) The true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention, 1c) The truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God & the execution of his purposes through Christ, & respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles & the inventions of the Jews, & the corrupt opinions & precepts of false teachers even among Christians; 2) subjectively—2a) Truth as a personal excellence—2a1) That candor of mind which is free from affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood, deceit. Strong—from alhyhv; Truth.
“In”—en—
Argumentation:
Rom. 6:12-14—“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, & your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Jn. 3:16-21—““For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light & does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””
Mat. 10:26-27—“Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, & hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; & what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.”
2Thes. 2:9-12—“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, & lying wonders, & with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
1Tim. 4:1-6—“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits & doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, & commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe & know the truth. For every creature of God is good, & nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God & prayer. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith & of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.”
Rev. 3:7-10—[to Philadelphia]““And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens & no one shuts, & shuts & no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, & no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, & have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews & are not, but lie--indeed I will make them come & worship before your feet, & to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
Eph 2:1-10—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 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), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Rom. 12:9—“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”
Illustration:
For too long now I have been considering getting a shock-collar for our dog Hershey/Both my wife & I have a difficult time when Hershey doesn’t listen to commands/He needs to be trained properly so he will properly react to boundaries & the public/REINFORCING GOD’s WRATH
Christians battle with governmental insurance provision/We get up-in-arms at being forced to have government money spent to fund abortions/We are put out that our hard-earned tax money is being used to fund a Planned Parenthood-type of subjective ‘pro-choice’ stance/REINFORCING GOD’s WRATH
TV & Movies generally support the desires of men & society, the world/These would see a lack of acceptance of their ways as wrongly placed or blind prejudice or hate-speech/We appreciate secular rating systems but still disdain the temptations wrought thru worldly choices/What choices do you make in video entertainment?/REINFORCING GOD’s WRATH
Application:
?Does Your REINFORCEMENT Of GOD’s WRATH Adorn the Gospel of Christ?
?Does Your Gratitude Adorn the Gospel of Christ?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
What are you thankful for?
Action:
Gratitude Adorns the Gospel thru...
3. REINFORCING GOD’s WRATH(:18)
1. SHAMELESS TRUST(:15-16)
2. SHARING(:17)
Pt#3 only! Presented 12/02/2018pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(Se Ave. A).
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Presented 11/20/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
