The Results of Turning From God

Transcript

GRM 912
9/05/2004
The Results of Turning from God
Romans 1:16-32
Gil Rugh

I’d like to direct your attention to the book of Romans and the first chapter. It’s one of those defining chapters where you have to have a proper understanding of Romans 1 to put the rest of what is going on in our world in proper perspective. We are in times of political issues as we prepare to vote for the President. Certain issues are being presented and this always brings out not only political matters, but moral and social issues. We as believers need to be sure that we have a biblical understanding of what is taking place. Paul sets this down very clearly in Romans chapter 1. Why is the world the way it is? What about issues like sexual immorality? What about all the difficulties, the vileness, the sinfulness that goes on? What is the problem? What is the solution?

Rome was a pretty ugly place by the time that Paul is preparing to go to the city of Rome. The empire is flourishing; they are wealthy, rather content and becoming exceedingly more vile and corrupt in their practices. I want to read you just some comments from a recent work that is talking about first century Rome, the Rome of the time of the New Testament, Rome as it was, the city of Rome, when Paul wrote the letter to the Romans. He’s not writing about the letter to the Romans, but he’s writing about the Roman Empire. Let me just read you some excerpts. I won’t be reading consecutively because there is far too much material. He substantiates some of the quotes I’ll be reading with, extensive quotes from different historians and so on. He makes the note, Rome’s power and ingenuity had provided an ease of life unequaled in the history of the world. The Roman satirical writer, Juvenal, in around 100 A.D. coined the famous phrase, bread and circuses, to indicate how the Roman state looked after the population through material plenty and endless entertainment. You reach a point in your affluence and prosperity that really what you need is plenty of entertainment and to be sure that your prosperity continues. We hear some of this in some of the issues over politics today. How is your life? Do you have more than you had before? It is important to us that the plenty keep coming. So it was with the Romans.

At the time of the formation of the New Testament Rome attained its highest level of material riches. The Roman Empire extended over centuries, but we reach the peak of its wealth and ease at the period of time when the New Testament events are taking place. Discretionary income was lavished on mass entertainment to a degree never seen in the history of the world and unparalleled until modern times. Wealthy, affluent people who are eating well have to be entertained.

Just as they loved the great spectacles, the Romans loved their bodies. They kept them clean, perfumed, suntanned and in excellent condition, because each Roman pictured himself on stage. Image was everything. Sounds like it was written about today, doesn’t it? It was none other than Juvenal, the Roman author of the first century, who came up with the famous phrase, a healthy mind in a healthy body.

And Rome progressively became more involved with their entertainment. Two hundred years before Christ there were 7 days per year devoted to the games. The word for the games was ludi. We get the word ludicrous from it. It means frivolous, so give them credit. They named the games for what they were—they were the frivolous. There were 7 days devoted to those. By the time of the New Testament there were 159 days celebrated as holidays. So we have a ways to go! Ninety-three of these were devoted to games provided at public expense. And with the obsession for sports came an obsession for gambling. We have a little bit of an issue of that rattling around now as well. Material success and leisure came at a price. People demanded more and more festive wealth until Rome choked on its own affluence. A contemporary of Jesus, the Roman historian Livy, left this telling indictment. He said, “Of late, wealth has made us greedy and excessive pleasures produce a general desire to carry wantonness and license to the point of personal ruin and universal destruction.” Even a secular writer states, “Our wealth, our greed, our excessive pleasures carry us into wantonness and license to the point of personal ruin and universal destruction.” The general populous was not bothered as long food and entertainment abounded. And a contemporary of the Emperor Trajan wrote that his wisdom never failed to pay attention to the stars of the theatre, the circus, the arena, for he well knew that the excellence of a government is shown no less in its care for the amusements of its people than in serious matter. So you have to keep the people entertained and the stars--the Hollywood of Rome, had to be given its due.

The Roman family constituted a structure for stability for the Roman Empire. Husbands, wives, children, all benefited from this. During the first century A.D. the Roman family, this unassailable rock, had cracked and crumbled on every side. What does it have to say about the destruction of the family. During this period the role of the woman began to change. No longer content to be “housewives” some Roman women for reasons good or not good, chose emancipation from the duties of maternity and engaged in “male” pursuits like law, politics, public debate, dressing like a man, hunting with men, (spear in hand), gladiatorial jousting in full armor, fencing, wrestling in the nude and other feats of strength and physical prowess. Historian Carcipeno speaks of emancipated wives who were the various products of the new conditions of Roman marriage. Some evaded the duties of maternity for fear of losing their good looks. Some took a pride in being behind their husbands in no sphere of activity. They vied with them in tests of strength, which their sex would have seemed to have forbidden. And he goes on then to talk about the loosening of family ties related to all of this. The role of the father was broken down in the family.

In this liberated culture personal choice prevailed. Adultery became endemic and divorce spread unchecked. Men divorced their wives with impunity and women divorced their husbands. One Roman writer of the period lived from about 40 A.D. to 100 A.D., so he would have been living when Paul wrote Romans during this time. He wrote concerning a woman who was marrying her 10th husband and he said, “I am less offended by a more straight forward prostitute.” This is just legalized prostitution, I’d rather just call it by what it is. That was the state of Rome.

Along with this there was alternate sexuality. Bisexuality was common among the elite. According to the historian, Dupont, pedophilia was constant and an accepted expression of Roman sexual appetite. He goes on to say that if children were constantly molested it was because Roman adults found that the deepest rooted passion and the one that was hardest to overcome, was sexual desire for very young boys and girls. This is disgusting. That’s where Rome was when Paul wrote the letter in anticipation to coming to Rome. I’m not reading all of this here. But there wasn’t a Roman man who hadn’t experienced sexual molestation as a boy. And you understand: license. You’ve broken down all restraint. Who decides what is wrong?

It’s the deepest passion. I’m reminded of the man with an advanced degree from Harvard University who was on his way to prison for child molestation. He said, “I was born this way, why can’t you people accept it?” Well we’ve come to accept it in other areas. It’s not a marriage relationship, and it’s not between a man and a woman. People are born other ways. Where does it stop? Another one of our major psychological groups has redefined adult/child relationships. They’re not deviant any longer. They’re only wrong if they’re harmful to the child. Now who decides it was harmful to the child? You see we have no standard anymore. So we look at this and say how could Rome be so depraved? Well, I think we understand.

According to the historian, Will Durant, the fall of Rome was in great part attributable to Roman refusal to bear and raise children. You know, when you’re affluent, wealthy and rich, you have time; life is fun and kids are work. So the population of Rome began to decline. The Roman Empire, the Romans were no longer keeping up because they had too much fun to have kids. Durant points to the widespread practice of infanticide, abortion, sexual excesses and the avoidance or deferment of marriage as the likely causes in this plunging population. All this contributes to the decadence of the Roman Empire. So they’re at their peak and some areas of their affluence and so on, but they are descending into a moral cesspool. Because with time on their hands, money to spend and the attitude that now I’m free to do as I want and enjoy myself, the structure of the society begins to collapse and be overtaken by its own corruption.

That’s what Paul is writing about when he writes to the Romans. And he’s going to come to this city, the center of the world. The Romans viewed it as “there’s the world and there’s Rome.” This is where it all happens. This was the center of the civilized world, the government of the civilized world is here. Paul comes to this center of the world with all of its flood of activity and all of its moral decadence and he says I come for one reason. Verse 15 of chapter 1, “I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” I want to come to Rome and preach the gospel. I’m not coming to Rome to clean up the society, I’m not coming to Rome hoping to have an influence on the emperor. Because if you can influence the emperor you can influence the empire. Just think of it, Paul could at least influence the emperor. Maybe he wouldn’t get saved but maybe he’d realize he ought to have a marriage amendment and put a stop to this sexual decadence. Then at least we can maybe get some laws passed that will salvage the empire.

But Paul says, “I’m coming to preach the gospel.” Why? I am not ashamed of the gospel. Isn’t it interesting he has to say that? Why do you have to say that? Well, we all know why! We know what it is to be ashamed of the gospel. Stop and think, how many of your neighbors did you share the gospel with this week? How many of the people you’ve come in contact with did you share the gospel with this week? How many unbelievers did we rub shoulders with someplace that we didn’t share the gospel with? Why? Well it wasn’t the right time, there wasn’t an open door, or I don’t think it was the proper occasion. But you know somehow our life goes on with that kind of life, doesn’t it? Paul puts it right out front. You understand when I come there’s going to be trouble because I’m not ashamed of the gospel. When I come to Rome, you know what I’m going to be doing? Same thing I’ve done everywhere else. But you understand this is the capital of the world, and life here is different than anywhere else and the decadence perhaps is greater than most places. I can’t wait to get there and share the gospel. I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. You understand everyone needs the gospel. We take it to the Jews first, but we take it also to the Greeks, the non-Jews.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” I’m coming to present to you the good news from God. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. In it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. It’s all about faith. The righteous man shall live by faith. I’m coming to present the gospel which God uses to unleash His power to bring about the salvation of a person so that they might experience His righteousness brought to their lives. And that comes when a person believes the gospel. That’s why I’m coming to Rome. Not here to clean up the empire, not here to deal with that terrible problem of infanticide that the historian I quoted referred to. It was the common practice, they say, that every night at Coliseum, the Forum, there were babies left. People had babies and they decided they didn’t want them. They just took them out and laid them there. They either died of exposure or slave traders would come by, pick them up and raise them until they were old enough to be sold. Paul says we’re going to put a stop to that. How can a society survive this? Abortion, people running through 10 marriages! I mean, we have to try to salvage this empire. We say nobody would salvage the Roman Empire. Why not? We’re trying to salvage our empire, aren’t we? I mean, we live in the United States and we’re wringing our hands because, “how are we going to save America?”

Ever get the idea that Paul had that as his goal going to Rome? Well you know as long as Rome has a viable empire and they protect us, we can carry the gospel various places, I’m a Roman citizen; we don’t want this to collapse. None of that is on Paul’s mind. I have to bring the gospel and he starts writing verse 18. Why? Why is this so important? Why is the righteousness of God so necessary? Well, you understand the condition of mankind. So from chapter 1 verse 18 through chapter 3 verse 20 he’s going to talk about the wretched, sinful condition of every single human being. Starting out with the Gentiles, from chapter 1 verse 18 down through verse 32, he’s going to do this. I mentioned Amos to you in a previous study where Amos starts out his message, for 3 transgressions of Damascus and for 4. And for 3 transgressions of Moab and for 4. He works through all these nations and all the Jews were saying, “they deserve judgment, yeah, they deserve judgment.” Then he says and for 3 transgressions of Israel and for 4, and for 3 transgressions of Judah and for 4. All of a sudden the Jews find out they’re in the same miserable, sinful condition and facing the judgment of God as the Gentiles. That’s what Paul is going to do here. He’ll start out with the Gentiles, then in chapter 2 he’ll deal with the Jews. So we get into chapter 3 and he can say we have demonstrated all men, Jew and Gentile alike, are under sin and the penalty of sin.

So he says in verse 18, “for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Now you’ll note the contrast here. In verse 17 he talked about the righteousness of God and the righteous man. Now in verse 18 we’re talking about the unrighteousness of men. Men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So we’re talking about unrighteous people now. These are the people who need the righteousness of God. And the wrath of God is being revealed, present tense. We’re not talking about the future wrath that will be poured out on man; that will be the culmination of the wrath that has already begun. God’s wrath has already been revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. You know, people don’t like to talk about the wrath of God. I watched some television preachers again today before I came to the service. You know, I didn’t hear anybody preaching about the wrath of God. I heard about the love of God. I heard about finding fulfillment. But, you know, they seemed to have forgotten about the wrath. You know where Paul starts? You get into the heart of this letter where it begins and he starts talking about the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven. Here is the action of God from heaven and its wrath. And it’s against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. You ought to have that underlined if you don’t already—who suppress the truth, who suppress the truth. We’re talking about men to whom truth has been given and they choose to suppress it. We talk about it in a court case, where they suppress the evidence. They knew certain things but they didn’t want it to become known. Here are people who know the truth but are suppressing it. Now keep in mind we’re talking about Gentiles, not Jews, in this section. We get to the Jews in chapter 2 as we work through Romans. We’re not going to work through it, but as you read it. We’re talking about these pagan Gentiles who worshipped all kinds of gods from all places. They suppress the truth.

Now what the point is going to be here is there are no people who don’t know the truth. We sometimes think that the problem is that we get involved in battles over moral issues, you know, we have to have the marriage amendment, we’ve got to put a stop to homosexuality, we’ve got……… And without getting into the issues personally on these things-- you understand, those are not the issue. That’s what Paul is going to make clear here. Those are a consequence of the issue. Here is the basic issue—men suppress the truth.

He explains it. Because that which is known about God is evident within them, or among them, to them. God made it evident to them. That which is known about God is evident to them, has been manifested to them. God made it evident to them. There is no one anywhere in the world who has ever lived who has not been a recipient of God’s revelation of Himself. This helps me to remember when I go to talk to people, I’m not going to talk to people who are totally ignorant and know nothing about the living God. Anybody I ever talk to about the gospel of Jesus Christ is a person who has knowledge of God but they are suppressing it.

Verse 20, “for since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes.” Remember God is a spirit, no man has seen God at any time. But He reveals Himself, who He is, His character, His nature, His being, His invisible attributes, “His eternal power and divine nature have been vaguely seen” is not what it says. “have been clearly seen.” Being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse. You ought to underline that—they are without excuse. They suppress the truth; they are without excuse. The creation reveals God. It doesn’t reveal everything there is to know about God, but it reveals God. It reveals something of His power, His sovereignty, His ability, His graciousness in the creation to provide for us. Men know that, but they don’t want to acknowledge it.

We don’t have time to go back to Isaiah where Isaiah argues that since God is God and the Creator, that means all creation has to bow before Him. They don’t want to do that. They don’t want to give Him glory. We say they don’t know that. No, I’ve talked to them, they don’t know that. They know it. The only one who can tell us for sure is God and He says they suppress the truth. His revelation has been clearly seen. Is there any excuse for a man not to give glory to the living God, honor Him as the one who created everything. And in our day when we understand something of the marvel of this creation and detail that previous generations never could have conceived. Doesn’t mean men now give God the glory. They’re just amazed that an explosion could cause such a thing, or some such act of chance and randomness and foolishness. But they will not give God the glory. God says they know better in their heart. But they won’t acknowledge Him; they won’t give Him glory.

Even though they knew God they did not honor Him as God or give thanks. You see they don’t want to honor Him as God. This is a foundational thing. Men refuse to honor God. It’s a display of their sinful condition. Well, if they had a chance? They have a chance. Every person who has ever been born has experienced the revelation of creation and that clearly reveals God, and they suppress that truth. They are without excuse.

Even though they knew God they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. They become empty in their reasonings. What are you going to do? You suppress the knowledge of God. Now what? You become empty in your thinking. Your heart’s darkened. So now I have to come up with an explanation. Something is rather than something is not—the basic philosophical issue. We’re here. Why suppress the knowledge that God could have created us, that He deserves glory for it? So I come up with Plan B, my plan, man’s plan. It’s more scientific. No, it just enables me to not have to acknowledge God and give Him glory and honor. That’s the issue, that’s the foundational matter.

Professing to be wise they became fools--now note where we’re going here-- and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man, birds, four-footed animals, crawling creatures. What they did in verse 25, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Man didn’t stop being religious. Man simply made his own god. Remember when Aaron, when Moses was on the mount in the Old Testament, and under the pressure from the people, Aaron made a golden calf. And then he said, “Here’s the god who brought you out of Egypt.” That’s what man does—makes his own god. One writer very perceptively noted we do that all the time. We create a god who will make us happy. But you must worship God because He is God. All kind of people are like this. You want to talk about the wrath of God and they say that’s not my God. My God is not a God of wrath. You know what they want to do? They want to create their own god. That’s a form of idolatry. You know what the Bible says? You must worship God because He is God, not because He makes you happy, not because He gives you something, not because He does something for you, but because He is God. You know what? Those who go to hell will bow before God and give Him glory. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, Philippians 2 tells us.

They’re going to hell, they’re going to suffer for eternity for their sin, but they will give God glory. Not because they’re going to get anything from Him except judgment, not because, “He makes me happy, I’ll worship Him.” They have to worship Him because He is God. You and I even as God’s people need to understand this. We worship God because He is God. We present a false god to people. Oh, He’ll make you happy, He’ll do this, He’ll do that, He’ll do this, He’ll do that. And God does many things. But you understand you must worship Him because He’s God. The basic issue here is God has revealed Himself in creation and men will not worship Him, they will not give Him glory. They suppress the truth concerning Him. They make other gods, they worship aspects of the creation. But they should know better. A stone cannot create life. “That tree you cut down,” as Jeremiah so pointedly mocks. You cut down a tree and use part of it for firewood and with the other part you make yourself a god. You talk about stupid. You say you shouldn’t make fun of other people’s religion. Why? They’re fools! That’s what God says right here. Verse 22, professing to be wise they became fools. Anything so stupid. But we create our own god. That’s what they do. Now I want you to note here, the basic issue to this point—they have rejected God. They refuse to acknowledge Him. They suppress the truth concerning Him.

Verse 24, “therefore God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.” People say, “I need something practical,” but there’s nothing more practical than the knowledge of the living God. But people suppress the knowledge of God. That leads to the corruption of their life. And you’ll note here, it is a result of the direct intervening judgment of God. It says, “God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity.” Doesn’t mean He caused them to be impure, but it was an act of His will to turn them over to their sin as punishment for their rejection of Him. That is crucial. God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. He’s going to talk about specific examples of that impurity, dishonoring the body. But he reminds us in verse 25 of what the issue is here.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen. You understand now we have God acting in judgment and we have repeated the reason several times—they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, the truth that He is the sovereign Creator. He is the God worthy of all glory and honor and praise and worship, for the lie that you could worship the creation. And so God gave them over as a direct act of judgment to their sin. This is the explanation of the depravity and vileness that is overtaking our nation and that is overtaking our world. We have to be clear on this. We have people who claim to be believers and some of them may just be confused believers who are on a crusade. If we don’t get a marriage amendment, what’s going to happen to our country? If we don’t put a stop to homosexual practice what is going to happen to our country? Let me ask you—what is the problem in our country? What is the problem with people? Well, they are immoral. That’s not the problem. That’s the consequence of the problem, and that is the result of the problem. The problem is that they have rejected the living God. They have suppressed the truth concerning Him. We understand that. We’re running around saying, if we get the marriage amendment, that’s going to be key. Key to what? Well, key to the saving of our country. Why? Well, if we don’t deal with immorality God’s going to judge us. Is He judging us for our immorality, or is the immorality the result of His judgment? You’re reading Romans 1 with me. Have we turned things upside down? Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not excusing immorality. I’m not saying it’s anything less than sin. But it’s not the cause of the problem. The cause of the problem is men have rejected God.

We’ll move on here. “God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity so their bodies would be dishonored,” and then He explains the reason again, because, you know, we’re slow. He had told us in verses 18-21 what the reason was, but as He begins to show then the consequence of rejecting Him in the bringing of His judgment, He realizes all of a sudden we’ll forget, so He reminds us. “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie.”

Verse 26, “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions.” Now he’s really explaining, He gave them over in the lust of their heart to impurity, their bodies are dishonored. What do you mean? Well, here is what he’s talking about-- degrading passions. And he uses homosexuality as the example. You see, if our nation descends into homosexuality there is no hope. Well, wait a minute, wait a minute, back up. What’s the problem? They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, they worshipped and served the creation rather than the Creator. That’s the problem. The homosexuality is an evidence of God bringing His judgment on them for rejecting Him. Now we find ourselves in the unhappy position of thinking if we can lift the judgment of God……… We say, “wait a minute, that’s not what I’m trying to do.” I’m trying to get them to stop the immorality so God doesn’t judge us. How many sermons do you hear, that God is going to judge this nation for its sexual sins and immorality. Let me tell you God IS judging this nation and the evidence of His judgment is the sexual sins and immorality. There is no excuse for preachers to be stupid, because the Word of God is clear. And even well-intentioned sermons that deny the truth of God are a lie. The problem is not that our immorality as a nation is going to bring the judgment of God upon us. The problem is, our rejection of the living God has brought the judgment of God on our nation and the immorality is a display of it. Does that mean I wouldn’t be for a marriage amendment? I don’t care. There is no doubt in my mind, there is no doubt the Word of God says marriage is God’s plan. We’re going to talk about that in a moment, but that’s not the solution. That’s why Paul says, “I’m coming to Rome.” To what? To put a stop to immorality, to get Nero to stop sleeping with his own mother, to get Nero to stop sleeping with his sisters, to get Nero to stop carrying on with these young boys? You say that’s gross, don’t talk like that! Well, you find that’s what’s going on, everybody in the Empire knew. All you have to do is read any Roman history books. You don’t find Paul saying that’s what he’s coming to Rome to clean up, do you? It’s a cesspool. But I’m coming to preach the gospel. The solution to this problem is not to get Nero to stop being homosexual or incestuous. The problem is, people need to hear the gospel. That’s where the righteousness of God is found. We get out here and think we’re going to do something because we’re going to deal with consequences. Our nation is under the judgment of God. This world is under the judgment of God. It becomes more clear. That’s why we say the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven. There is a future dimension to the wrath of God, but there is a present dimension.

So someone comes in and says “I’m immoral, I’m homosexual, I’m an adulterer.” Oh, you are? Yes, and I suppose you want me to change? Not particularly. Well, if I stop that sexual immorality? I think it would be good for you. Don’t you think that will please God? Not particularly, because that’s not the root problem between you and God. The root problem is you’ve rejected the living God. You’ve suppressed the truth concerning Him in your life. You do not give Him glory. So don’t think you please Him by trying to paint over this one area. You haven’t dealt with the issue. We want to be careful we know what the issue is. Paul is coming to Rome to preach the gospel.

All right, for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions. And here’s the example. “for women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the women abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another. Men with men committing indecent acts, receiving in their own person the due penalty of the error.” You don’t find Paul going off now on a tangent, “how will the Empire ever survive?!” What’s going to happen to Rome? What will we do as Christians? He’s just explaining the facts and anybody who reads it says “it’s going on all around.” Well you know why that is?

Verse 24, God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity. Verse 26, God gave them over to degrading passions. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven. Look around. Why is His wrath revealed from heaven? Because they suppress the truth concerning Him. They refuse to worship Him as God and give Him glory. It’s not because they are doing these vile deeds. These vile deeds are an evidence of His wrath. We can’t be confused on this. Too many people under the guise of being Bible-believing Christians are running around as moral reformers. That’s not the problem. I’m running around trying to lift the judgment of God without dealing with the cause of the judgment. That’s telling people they can go to heaven by cleaning up their life. It’s a terrible thing to imply.

Sexual indecencies-why does he select homosexuality? Well, remember they exchanged the truth of God in verse 25 for a lie and now they exchange the natural for the unnatural in verse 26 and verse 27. He’s taken what is a clear example. The natural thing for a human being as they were created was to worship the God who created them. It’s unnatural to worship another aspect of the creation; so the natural relationship is a man and a woman. The unnatural is a woman with a woman or a man with a man. So what he just shows is when they became unnatural in their theology, they became unnatural in their lifestyle. I mean, it just follows through. It’s not so amazing there’s homosexuality. We even have people in public office that say, “I think we have to be understanding, people are born this way,” and we say, “If they get voted in what in the world will we do?” Well, if we’re that confused we probably aren’t doing what we should be doing now. What will we do if they get voted in? Oh, I hate to think what will happen to our country! Well, then stop thinking about it. What will you do? Preach the gospel, right?

So whoever the Lord divinely appoints to be voted as the next President, Lord you are sovereign. What will we do? Well, Paul’s advice is good. Honor the king, pray for him, pay your taxes. All right, we got that out of the way. You know some believers have more concern about who is going to be the next President than they do matters of eternal significance. It doesn’t matter, God is sovereign. What does matter is that people hear the truth of His gospel. We get a marriage amendment or we don’t get it, then what? Things are getting worse. This is just an example. We say, “It’s just the homosexuals, you pick on them; you’re guilty of hate speech and you oughtn’t to be able to talk. You know why people don’t want to hear it and we’ve talked about it before. Because they know it’s true. It’s not that they don’t know it’s true. You know how it is, when you’re doing something wrong and someone points it out to you. You just hate that. So I usually hate them for telling me that what I’m doing is wrong. So we tell the homosexual and then they can’t stand it. We have to get laws passed about hate speech. Why? So you can’t say this is wrong. They know in their hearts it’s wrong. Nobody says you have to get a law passed so you can’t say that Nebraska is a better football team than this football team. I mean, is that a form of hate speech? No, it’s just the way it is. Everybody can have their own opinion, but not here. You get to the spiritual issue, this is a spiritual war, this is where the battle is fought. That’s what’s so intimidating in the gospel. I’m going to present the gospel, it’ll get a rise out of people. We need to keep our focus.

That’s just an example, homosexuality, because this is the natural and the unnatural. But just as they did not see fit, we keep coming back to this. Verse 28, and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer. How many times does he have to tell us this? This is the problem—they suppressed the truth. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. They knew God but didn’t honor Him as God. They didn’t see fit to acknowledge God any longer. Here is the root problem. Therefore God gave them over to a depraved mind to do the things which are not profitable. So he gave you one clear example, basically, Paul says, but here’s the rest. And it’s all part of the judgment of God as a result of what? They did not see fit to acknowledge God, to have God in their knowledge. Isn’t that where it’s come to? That’s the literal translation, you note in your margin. They didn’t see fit to have God in their knowledge. In our schools, “Oh you can’t talk about God.” Even students-- you can talk about people who have influenced your life, but you better not talk about God’s influence in your life; these kind of things. We don’t want God anywhere.

They suppress the knowledge of Him. These people know there is a God and they know they will give an account to Him. Follow on. “to do those things which are not proper.” God’s not causing them, He in judgment is turning them over to that, which is the very things they want. “Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful” and on it goes. Sin is a result of turning from the living God. That’s the root, foundational issue. Although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death. We’re not talking about the Jews here who had the Mosaic Law, who knew by the Mosaic Law. In chapter 2 Paul will tell us Gentiles as created in the image of God, marred and defaced as that image has been by sin, know in their heart it is wrong. Why do most unbelievers in this city agree, if you went around and asked, “Do you think it’s all right for adults and young children to have relationships?” They’d say, “Oh no, that’s vile!” Why? Everybody knows that’s wrong. What do you mean everybody knows? When I was a kid everybody knew homosexuality was wrong. Now even leading figures in our nation don’t know it’s wrong. Everybody knows, but they do know.

You know what happens when you lift the lid on sin? It begins to spill out. And you know, all of a sudden now we find there are more and more people that are homosexual. They finally are free to come out. You know what? The more open sin is, the more available it is, the more acceptable it is, the more people want to jump into that cesspool. That’s just the way it is.

So here-- they know the ordinance of God, they know there is a God, they know right and wrong. It’s built in them as made in the image of God. So they know the God who has revealed Himself in creation and by virtue of being made in His image they have in them that innate sense. There is no society, no people anywhere in the world that don’t have some sense of right and wrong. How does that come? Why don’t they just think everything is right no matter what it is? Everybody knows that some things are wrong. How do they know? They just know. Now some of their laws and their view of right and wrong may be distorted, but everybody has that sense.

They not only do the same, they give hearty approval to those who practice them. People who don’t practice homosexuality are willing to give approval to those who do, pass laws and support them. I say I have to get involved in this and I get on my e-mails people who want to send or want to keep you up-to-date on the legislative process and get petitions and explain to me how I can explain these issues in politics to the congregation without getting into problems with our taxes. I say, “What do they think I’m here for?” Believers think we have influence. Just remember, it’s conservative evangelicals that will carry the swing votes and we just are so glad we carry the swing vote. For what? You want to go swing, swing. I mean, what’s this about? What did Paul come to Rome for? You know we get enough people in key places saved and we’re going to begin to make our influence felt and we can put the right pressure on the Emperor and we’ll get the right laws passed and we’ll see that some of the senators….. Who would want to read that in the New Testament?

Paul says I’m coming to Rome for what? I’m eager to get there because I’m not ashamed of the gospel. A lot more people profess to be believers who are ashamed of the gospel than they are of having to stand against abortion. I think all these things are sin. You know people under the judgment of God are under the judgment of God. I can’t lift that judgment. All I can do is bring to them the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. You understand when a person is under the judgment of God nothing can rescue him but the power of God. This is a serious matter. But Paul is going to demonstrate, and when he says when you get to chapter 3. Turn over to chapter 3, we’re not going to get there because we’ll be done with Romans. He says, verse 9, are Jews better than Gentiles? No, we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. Down in verse 19, whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law. If Jews under the Law, you’re guilty under the Law. Gentiles not under the Mosaic Law are guilty not under the Mosaic Law. Every mouth may be closed, all the world may become accountable to God. And through the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight. The Mosaic Law never was a way of salvation.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested. Verse 22, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. This is for everyone because everyone is in the same sunk ship. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Verse 29, this is for Jews and Gentiles. There is one God. There is one way of salvation. That’s the message we have.

Wherever we go, whomever we talk to--don’t you think it will be terrible if so-and-so gets voted in? Don’t you think we really need this? I say, well you know those are issues that many people have strong feelings about. But you’ll note that’s not the most important issue facing us. That’s not really what’s going to make the biggest difference in your life. On no? No, you know what really matters? The gospel of Jesus Christ here and now. Do you know there is a living God who is a holy God, a sovereign God, and He says that you are under His wrath because you have refused to honor Him and give Him glory. Oh, I’m very religious. Wait, that’s not the issue. Because you see, the issue is that you present the gospel. I don’t want to argue about politics; I don’t want to argue about this piece of political legislation and that piece. I think it is part of the judgment of God, and it’s sad to see that we live in a country now that doesn’t even know what marriage is. We have politicians who don’t even understand whether it’s better that a man and a woman are married or if two men or two women. I’m going to try to change their view on that? That’s not the problem. The problem is they’re suppressing the knowledge of God, they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. They have to hear the gospel. You know what happens when they hear the gospel and believe it? It’s all by faith, it’s from faith to faith. The righteous shall live by faith. If I’ve presented the gospel to them and they believe it, the power of God will save them. All the rest of the garbage is taken care of, right? And none of it can be taken care of in any other way. Do we really believe that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes? And it is the only salvation. It’s found in Jesus Christ. That’s why this church exists. That’s why you and I by God’s grace are the children of God left here to present the message of Christ to a lost world. Let’s not muddy it, let’s not confuse it, let’s not dissipate the energy and strength we have in things which are not the issue and make no difference for eternity.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the greatness of your grace, the power of your salvation. Lord, there is no excuse for us as your people to be confused on these matters. We’ve not been called to reform our nation, to help people clean up their lie. That is an impossibility. You, the sovereign, holy God have brought people under your judgment of wrath for their rejection of you. Lord, we would not be so foolish nor so rebellious as to imply we lift that wrath and judgment by helping them clean up their lives. But Lord we’ve been entrusted with truth and the gospel is your power for salvation to everyone who believes. May the message of the death and resurrection of Your Son as full payment for sin for all who believe be the message that burdens our heart. May we be eager to go wherever you send us, that we might proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray in our wonderful Savior’s name. Amen.