Romans 1:19-21. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (ESV)
The problem with humanity is not so much a lack of knowledge of God, as it is a refusal to acknowledge God, which at the bottom line is a question of moral honesty and integrity. Paul is saying that people begin their intellectual quest by refusing to acknowledge what they know to be true. That’s what provokes God to anger. This is the primordial sin of humanity, from which no human being is exempt. No matter how brilliant the intellect, no matter how cogent the argumentation, before redemption we all are thinking and reasoning and investigating within the context of our fallen nature. That is to say, we think from a perspective of moral bias. It is not that people refuse to know what God has made plain, but rather that they refuse to acknowledge what they already know to be true. It should not surprise us that brilliant thinkers compose very intricate, complex systems of philosophical thought that rise up in opposition against the character of God. In fact, if a person is logically consistent, there is a certain sense in which the more brilliant one is, the further they will remove himself from the conclusion of the existence of God. Theologians have a concept which they call the ‘noetic’ effects of sin. It comes from the biblical word nous and in its adjectival form comes across into English as ‘noetic’, which simply means ‘mental’, or ‘pertaining to the mind’. So, when we speak about the noetic effects of sin, we are speaking about the impact and influence that the unredeemed sinful nature has upon our minds, upon our thinking. (Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (pp. 33–34). Christian Focus Publications.)
To have our understanding changed to acknowledge what is ultimately true, we need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ which the Holy Spirit uses to open our eyes, change our hearts, repent and believe. The biblical order in any gospel presentation is always first the warning of danger and then the way of escape, first the judgment on sin and then the means of pardon, first the message of condemnation and then the offer of forgiveness, first the bad news of guilt and then the good news of grace. The whole message and purpose of the loving, redeeming grace of God offering eternal life through Jesus Christ rests upon the reality of humanity’s universal guilt of abandoning God and thereby being under His sentence of eternal condemnation and death. Not only is God’s wrath expressed in future judgment; it is also manifested in God’s allowing sin to take its natural, destructive course in this life (Polhill, J. B. (1999). Paul and his letters (p. 285). Broadman & Holman.)
Consistent with that approach, the main body of Romans begins with 1:18, a clear affirmation of God’s wrath “against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” As the apostle points out in his Ephesian letter, all unbelievers are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3), born unto God’s wrath as their natural inheritance in fallen humanity. Moses rhetorically asked God, “Who understands the power of your anger, and your fury, according to the fear that is due you?” (Ps. 90:11). Paul is determined for us to know that before we can understand the grace of God we must first understand His wrath, that before we can understand the meaning of the death of Christ we must first understand why human sin made that death necessary, that before we can begin to comprehend how loving, merciful, and gracious God is we must first see how rebellious, sinful, and guilty unbelieving humanity is.
The truth of human depravity should be evidently realized every day. It takes great effort to ignore or excuse evil. Unrepentant evil has eternal consequences of being subject to God’s wrath. The most loving thing believers in Christ can do is tell people the truth about evil and its consequences thereby presenting the need for redemption. The question becomes how one can know this truth when it is heard? In Romans 1:19-21, it can be understood through three things: 1) The Gift of Revelation (Romans 1:19), they understand 2) The Content of Revelation (Romans 1:20), yet there is 3) The Rejection of God’s Revelation (Romans 1:21).
All people created by God have received:
1) The Gift of Revelation (Romans 1:19)
Romans 1:19. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (ESV)
First of all, God is justified in His wrath against sinners because of the revelation of Himself to all humanity. Romans 1:18–2:16 pertains especially to Gentiles, who did not have the benefit of God’s revealed Word as did Israel. Israel, of course, was doubly guilty, because she not only rejected God’s natural, universal revelation of Himself in creation and conscience but even rejected His unique written revelation through Scripture. Paul’s point here is that, even apart from His written revelation, “what can be known about God is plain to them/evident within” even pagan Gentiles. “What can be known could be rendered “that which is knowable.” Obviously, finite humanity cannot know everything about God even with the perfect revelation of Scripture. Paul’s point is that that which is capable of being known about God apart from special revelation is indeed known by fallen humanity. The characteristics of God that are reflected in His creation give unmistakable testimony to Him. From the intricate design of the human cell to the majestic strength of the Rocky Mountains, all of God’s works testify to His wisdom and power. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Ro 1:19–20). T. Nelson Publishers.)
Please turn to Acts 17
While ministering in Lystra in Acts 14, Paul told his Gentile audience about the God “who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.” He went on to explain that “in the generations gone by [God] permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:15–17). The very goodness of life testifies to the goodness of the God who provides it.
On his next journey Paul told the pagan philosophers on Mars Hill at Athens in Acts 17:
Acts 17:23-28. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ . (ESV)
• In other words, God controls the nations, their boundaries, and their destinies. He controls time, the seasons, and every other aspect both of heaven and earth. Even more remarkable than that, Paul says, because God has graciously chosen to make Himself known and approachable, “He is not far from each one of us.”
Back in Romans 1:19, we can know that “what can be known about God is plain to them/evident within” for “God has shown it to them/made it evident to them”. The Lord testifies through Paul that His outward, visible manifestation of Himself is universally known. It is evident within them as well as without them. All people have evidence of God, and what their physical senses can perceive of Him their inner senses can understand to some extent. As Paul has already attested (Rom. 1:18), sinful humanity naturally suppresses God’s truth in their own unrighteousness. (Augustus Strong. Systematic Theology [Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson, 1979 reprint], p. 68). No one can find God on their own initiative or by their own wisdom or searching. Yet God has never left people to their own initiative and understanding but has graciously provided abundant evidence of Himself. He has sovereignly and universally shown it to them/made Himself evident to all. John speaks of Jesus Christ as “the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9). He was not speaking about the saving knowledge of God, which comes only through faith, but of the intellectual knowledge of God, which comes to every human being through God’s self-manifestation in His creation. Every person has a witness of God, and therefore every person is accountable to follow the opportunity to respond to Him in faith. No person, therefore, can legitimately plead ignorance of God, because, entirely apart from Scripture, God has always revealed Himself and continues to reveal Himself to everyone. God is perfectly just and therefore could not rightly condemn those who are totally ignorant of Him. As Paul unequivocally asserts here, no person can rightly claim ignorance of God, and therefore no person can rightly claim that God’s wrath against them is unjust. Every person is accountable for the revelation of God that may lead one to salvation. Tertullian, the prominent early church Father, said that it was not the pen of Moses that initiated the knowledge of the Creator. The vast majority of humanity, though they had never heard the name of Moses—to say nothing of his book—know the God of Moses nonetheless (Tertullian. An Answer to the Jews, chap. 2).
Illustration:
It is often asked, “What happens to the poor, innocent native in Africa who has never heard of Jesus?” That poor, innocent native in Africa goes straight to heaven when he dies. He has no need for a Savior. Jesus did not come in the world to save innocent people. The problem is that there are no innocent natives in Africa or in Australia, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, or anywhere else. People think that those who have not heard of Jesus are surely innocent, but Jesus came into a world already under the indictment of God the Father because it has rejected him. We must disavow ourselves of the idea that there are innocent people anywhere. People also ask, “Will God send people to hell for rejecting Jesus, of whom they have never heard?” God is not going to punish someone for rejecting somebody he has never heard of, but their destination is hell for the rejection of the One they have heard of. Every human being knows of God and clearly perceives God but rejects that knowledge. For that, every person is exposed to the wrath of God. The only possible way someone can be rescued from that wrath is through the Savior. Paul here is setting the foundation for the urgency of the gospel. (Sproul, R. C. (2009). Romans (pp. 40–41). Crossway.)
All people created by God understand:
2) The Content of Revelation (Romans 1:20)
Romans 1:20 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse. (ESV)
In verse 20, Paul specifies the content of the revelation of Himself that God makes known to all. Since the creation of the world, he declares, God has made His invisible attributes visible. The particular attributes that people can perceive in part through their natural senses are God’s eternal power and His divine nature. God’s eternal power refers to His never-failing omnipotence, which is reflected in the awesome creation which that power both brought into being and sustains. God’s divine nature of kindness and graciousness is reflected, as Paul told the Lystrans in Acts 14:17 in the “rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness”. God therefore has never left himself without a witness. His existence and perfections have ever been so manifested that his rational creatures are bound to acknowledge and worship him as the true and only God (Charles Hodge .Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983 reprint], p. 37).
God’s natural revelation of Himself is not obscure or selective, observable only by a few perceptive souls who are specially gifted. His revelation of Himself through creation can be clearly perceived/seen by everyone, being understood through the things that have been made. Natural revelation is sufficient to make people responsible, but is not by itself sufficient to accomplish his salvation (Harrison, E. F. (1976). Romans. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 23). Zondervan Publishing House.)
Please turn to Psalm 19
Even in the most ancient of times, long before the telescope and microscope were invented, the greatness of God was evident both in the vastness and in the tiny intricacies of nature. People could look at the stars and discover the fixed order of their orbits. They could observe a small seed reproduce itself into a giant tree, exactly like the one from which it came. They could see the marvelous cycles of the seasons, the rain, and the snow. They witnessed the marvel of human birth and the glory of the sunrise and sunset. Even without the special revelation in Psalm 19 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.
Psalm 19:1-6. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (ESV)
• Here we see how the creation speaks of its Maker (vv. 1–6). In what God has made we see The glory of God, i.e., his power, wisdom, and worthiness of honor and worship. The speech given through what has been made, all people receive it (although not all attend to it). Therefore, the Revelation of God through nature leaves people with no excuse (Rom. 1:18–23). (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 961). Crossway Bibles.).
Quote: Robert Jastrow, an astrophysicist and director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has said: “Now we see how the astronomical evidence supports the biblical view of the origin of the world.… The essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same. Consider the enormousness of the problem: Science has proved that the universe exploded into being at a certain moment. It asks what cause produced this effect? Who or what put the matter and energy into the Universe? And science cannot answer these questions.… For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been there for centuries”. (Robert Jastrow. God and the Astronomers [New York: Norton, 1978], pp. 14, 114, 116)
• Except to a mind willfully closed to the obvious, it is inconceivable that such power, intricacy, and harmony could have developed by any means but that of a Master Designer who rules the universe. It would be infinitely more reasonable to think that the separate pieces of a watch could be shaken in a bag and eventually become a dependable timepiece than to think that the world could have evolved into its present state by blind chance.
Finally, God’s Wrath abides upon those who have engaged in:
3) The Rejection of God’s Revelation (Romans 1:21)
Romans 1:21. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (ESV)
God is also justified in His wrath and judgment because of people’s willful rejection of Him. Paul explicitly declares that although they knew God through this natural, general revelation, unbelieving people still rejected Him. Although people are innately conscious of God’s existence and power, they are just as innately and wickedly inclined to reject that knowledge. The natural tendency of the unregenerate is to “proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). As Paul reminds believers, “We also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another” (Titus 3:3). Ignorance is the result of a choice. People who do not “know” God are those who have made that choice. Understanding God requires a moral decision, not additional information (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 79). Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
In verse 21, Paul mentions four ways in which people exhibit their rejection of God: by a) dishonoring Him, b) by being thankless to Him, by c) being futile in their speculations concerning Him, and d) by being darkened in their hearts about Him. First, the unbeliever fails to honor God as God. This is the basic expression of the root sin of pride which is at the core of human fallenness. Doxazo (honor) is can also be translated here as glory. The worst deed committed in the universe is failure to give God honor, or glory. Above everything else, God is to be glorified. To glorify God is to exalt Him, to recognize Him as supremely worthy of honor, and to acknowledge His divine attributes. Since the glory of God is also the sum of all the attributes of His being, of all He has revealed of Himself, to give God glory is to acknowledge His glory and extol it. We cannot give Him glory by adding to His perfection, but by praising His perfection. We glorify Him by praising His glory! (cf. Ps. 29:1-2; 1 Cor. 10:31; Rev. 4:11 etc). God has allowed all human beings to know enough to hold them responsible for worshiping him and treating one another justly (Thielman, F. (2018). Romans (C. E. Arnold, Ed.; p. 104). Zondervan.)
Second, because people in their pride fail to honor and glorify God as Creator, they also fail to give thanks to Him for His gracious provision. Unbelief is made still worse by ingratitude. Although God is the source of every good thing that people possess—giving rain, sun, and other natural blessings to the just and unjust alike (cf. Matt. 5:45; Acts 14:15–17)—the unbeliever fails to thank Him because they fail even to acknowledge His existence. Knowledge must lead to reverence and gratitude (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 107). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Third, as a consequence of their failing to honor and thank God, unbelievers have become futile in their thinking/speculations. To reject God is to reject the greatest reality in the universe, the reality which gives the only true meaning, purpose, and understanding to everything else. Refusing to recognize God and to have His truth guide their minds, rebellious humanity are doomed to futile quests for wisdom through various human thinking/speculations that lead only to falsehood and therefore to still greater unbelief and wickedness. The term thinking/speculations embraces all of humanity’s godless reasonings. The intellect is not a part of human nature somehow exempted from the general corruption (Cranfield, C. E. B. (2004). A critical and exegetical commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (p. 118). T&T Clark International.)
To forsake God is to exchange truth for falsehood, meaning for hopelessness, and satisfaction for emptiness. But an empty mind and soul is like a vacuum. It will not long remain empty but will draw in falsehood and darkness to replace the truth and light it has rejected. The history of fallen humanity is devolutionary, not evolutionary. The foolish heart that rejects and dishonors God does not become enlightened and freed, as sophisticated unbelievers like to claim, but rather becomes spiritually darkened and further enslaved to sin. The person who forsakes God forsakes truth, light, and eternal life, as well as meaning, purpose, and happiness. They also forsake the foundation and motivation for moral righteousness. God then gives them over to their foolish hearts. Therefore, this futility of thinking and misguided conduct are manifestations of the wrath of God, not a provocation of it (Fitzmyer, J. A., S. J. (2008). Romans: a new translation with introduction and commentary (Vol. 33, p. 283). Yale University Press.)
Please turn to Colossians 2
Spiritual darkness and moral perversity are inseparable. When people forfeit God, they forfeit virtue. The godless philosophy of the world inescapably leads to moral perversion, because unbelief and immorality are inextricably intertwined.
Paul warned the Colossians, in Colossians 2
Colossians 2:1-10. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (ESV)
• Here at Colossae, false teachers presumably claimed access to the mysteries of God’s truth, but Paul insists that Christ is God’s mystery, and all understanding is to be found in him. Christ is the ultimate storehouse of divine wisdom and spiritual knowledge. For the Colossians, even though they are doing well spiritually, they must be on guard against false teaching. Paul warns the Colossians about the direct and dangerous threat in their midst. It is important to see that the threat comes from within the church and that what the teacher(s) are saying sounds reasonable and even persuasive (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2296). Crossway Bibles.).
When the incarnation of truth and light came into the world, unbelieving humanity would not have Him. Because Jesus was the light of the world, they rejected Him, because their deeds were evil and they loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19–20). For the very reason that Jesus spoke the truth, they would not believe Him (John 8:45). That is the legacy of humanity’s refusal to glorify God.
Prayer: Our Father, we thank you that you have shown us we do know you exist, but just by looking in our own hearts or looking out at nature, that will not be enough. You have shown us that you have clearly shown yourself yet people repress that knowledge. The only thing that will break through is the amazing story of the gospel and what Jesus Christ did for us. We pray, Lord, that you would help us now to get to know you better and better as these weeks go by, but first, to start by acknowledging you and the honor that is due you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (Vol. 1, pp. 69–86). Chicago: Moody Press.)
