Truth Everyone Knows About God

Transcript

GR 1408
11/01/09
Truth Everyone Knows about God
Romans1:18-23
Gil Rugh

We're in Romans 1. Paul has introduced the letter and really his theme which will be the gospel. In verses 16-17 Paul says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. And that tied to his eagerness to come to Rome and preach the gospel because I'm not ashamed of the gospel. It's the gospel that is the power of God for salvation. So we noted it's not talking about the gospel, it's not information related to the gospel, it is the gospel, the truth of the message of Jesus Christ, His death taking our place to pay the penalty for our sin, His resurrection from the dead in victory over sin and death. It is God's plan to provide for us forgiveness of sins, deliverance from condemnation and new life. That comes to each and every person who believes in Jesus Christ.

So we're told that I am not ashamed of the gospel in Romans 1:16, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. We noted this is a narrow way because Jesus is the only way. But it's broad in the sense it includes everyone who will believe, everyone who will place their faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work can experience the power of God for salvation. It's the gospel that reveals, verse 17, the righteousness of God from faith to faith. Receiving God's righteousness is a matter of faith. That's all there is to it, that's everything there is to it. You must believe in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. The righteous shall live by faith. That's a quote from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. It has always been God's plan, that will be emphasized when we get to Romans 4 and Abraham is used as the example of one who is declared righteous by faith in the revelation God has given of Himself.

Paul is now ready to move into the main development of his theme, the gospel. And it's interesting where the Spirit of God directs him to start. The first major section covers from chapter 1 verse 18 over to chapter 3 verse 20. And it is about sin and condemnation. This is where we must start if we are to understand the gospel and God's salvation. Paul begins where we don't like to begin, with God's wrath, with man's sinfulness. You say, let's start out talking about something positive. Let's talk about the good things God will do—He'll give you a better attitude toward life, He'll make you happier, He'll give you a better marriage, He'll help you do better in life and make more money. Let's start out where God starts. He is angry, He is filled with wrath. The terrible thing is that mankind is under that wrath. If we don't have the foundation of understanding these truths, what are we talking about when we talk about the gospel? What are we talking about when we say the gospel is God's power for salvation? Why is it needed? What's the importance? And even many believers are not as clear on this as they must be. There is no more important portion of the Word of God for understanding God's purposes and plans than understanding Romans 1 beginning with verse 18. If you are confused here, you will be confused through the rest of the way through the book of Romans. And we bring confusion to people's lives when we start out where God does not start out. We want them to hear something positive so we want to tell them all the good things. If you trust Christ it will bring happiness and joy and it will do all these thing. That may be true but that's not where we have to start out with the gospel.

So Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, it is God's power for salvation. It's the gospel that reveals the righteousness of God that comes to man through faith in Christ. Why is all this important and necessary? Verse 18, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. The gospel is necessary because only God's power can bring man deliverance from the condemnation that comes to him by virtue of his sin. This is an important section of the Word of God. It seems trite, we say that about every section. But this is so foundational and there is confusion among believers on this. You know we talk about apologetics. Some of us were talking after our study last time and the very section we're in divides people over the issue of apologetics. You think, if we could offer more convincing proofs, evidences regarding the existence of God, regarding the fact that the Bible is the Word of God, proving that the creation account of scripture is true, not evolution or other theories, we could get people to pay more attention to the gospel. What this passage of scripture does is show that's not the problem. We're starting off with a faulty flawed understanding, with a foundation of sand. The problem is not that people don't have enough evidence, the problem is not that people don't know. The problem is people know but they suppress what they know. They are without excuse.

Two key expressions we'll get to. Toward the end of verse 18, it talks about men who suppress the truth, they suppress the truth so that, at the end of verse 20, they are without excuse. You should mark those two statements—they suppress the truth, they are without excuse. It puts it together. In fact verse 18 brackets this first section as Paul unfolds the seriousness of our sin and guilt before God. He'll spend verses 18-32 of chapter 1 talking really about Gentiles, Greeks, non-Jews. He'll spend chapter 2 talking about the guilt and condemnation of the Jews. So that when you get over to chapter 3 verse 9 he will say, what then? Are we better than they? Paul is a Jew, are we Jews better than the non-Jews? Not at all, for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. It's been basically from chapter 1 verse 18 through chapter 3 verse 20 demonstrating that Gentile and Jew alike are under sin. But it's starting out here even with the Gentiles who had not experienced the revelation of God that He had given to the Jews, contained in their Old Testament scriptures. Have a knowledge of God, they know God but they are unwilling to recognize Him as God, they are without excuse.

Verse 32, which will form the other book end, if you will, in this argument for the Gentiles' lostness with verse 18. Verse 32, although they know the ordinance of God, now note this, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death. They not only do the same, but give hearty approval to those who practice them. Verse 18, they suppress the truth; verse 20, they are without excuse; verse 32, they know the ordinance of God. We'll talk in verse 21, even though they knew God they did not honor Him.

We have to be careful we don't come to people that we want to share the truth of the gospel with and think, they are good people, they are searching and seeking for God, they are religious, they just don't know any better. The argument from Romans 1:18 ff is they know very much better. They will not acknowledge what they know, they will not submit to the truth that they know. They are without excuse. Serious, serious section of God's Word.

Look at verse 18, for the wrath of God is revealed form heaven. The wrath of God is revealed. Present tense. Not something that happened in the past, not something that will happen in the future, although there is a future dimension to the wrath of God. But he's talking about here right now, what is being revealed from heaven. You understand people are living under the wrath of God.

Back up to John 3. People don't like to think of God as a God of wrath. Right away you start out, the wrath of God, and you say wait, that's not the God that I worship. I think God is a God of love, He's an understanding God, He's a kind God. All of that is true but it's not a complete picture of the truth. Arthur W. Pink, some of his work is better than others, but he did a search of scripture on what the Bible said about the love of God and related ideas. And he searched the scripture on what the Bible said about the wrath of God and the judgment of God. He came out, the scripture says far more about the wrath of God and the judgment of God than it does the love of God. That's not to minimize the love of God, but woe to the person who fails to take into understanding the wrath of God. I don't like to think of the wrath of God.

I think of it with my father. It was five years ago today he went home to be with the Lord. He was a loving father, he was a kind father, he was a father who could get angry. There were three boys and a girl in our family, so one of the four never did anything wrong. We still love here. But you know the worst thing that could happen in our house, we'd do something and we always did it when Dad was at work. My mother would say, she didn't discipline us, she never disciplined us, she always left that to my Dad. She says, I'll talk to your Dad when he gets home. Oh, not Dad. So you know what we spent the rest of the day doing, trying to butter Mom up. You know do nice things so that hopefully by the time Dad got home she would think, those are good boys, I don't want them to get into trouble. You know the worst thing that happened, I would hear the door open, I'd be at my bedroom door listening. My Dad would walk in, greet my mother, then my mother would say, Gil, I have to talk to you about the boys. Or worse yet, I have to talk to you about one of the boys. Now Dad was going to be upset, you could say he would be angry. Well did that mean he wasn't loving? No, but when you did something wrong there were consequences.

God is a loving God, but He is also a God of anger and wrath. His love is demonstrated in giving His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin. Look at John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son in order that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. That's the love of God. In fact Romans 5 says this is the greatest demonstration of love that has been given. God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now He is a God of love, He has demonstrated that love. But you understand God is a God of wrath and anger and His wrath is poured out on sin and sinners. We'll see this when we move through the book of Romans. Some people say God hates sin and loves the sinner. You understand that is a ridiculous statement. Where does sin come from? Who commits the sin? You understand the Bible says God hates sinners? We'll see this as we move through the book of Romans. It's also true He loves sinners.

We've come here to look at John 3:36. That's all background. Verse 36, he who believes in the Son has eternal life. There's the key word again, that word believe in the noun form, have faith. He who believes in the Son has eternal life, he who does not obey the Son will not see life. But note this, the wrath of God abides on him. That word abide, present tense, word means to stay. It remains on him. You understand we don't deal with neutral people. The Bible talks about humanity, mankind, we're talking about sinners, guilty before God. We sometimes approach them as they are not so bad, they are good, they have good intentions. The Bible approaches human beings with the approach, they are sinners, they are guilty, they are the enemies of God, they are the objects of His wrath and they are under condemnation. Unless something intervenes, they will spend eternity in hell. They live under the wrath of God. It's not you have a choice to experience God's wrath or to believe in Christ. There is the ultimate dimension of God's wrath you will experience, but you understand presently today, right now the unbeliever you talk to lives under the wrath of God. He remains under that wrath until he believes in Christ. If he does not believe in Christ, he will remain under the wrath of God and then experience the full brunt of that wrath when he is sentenced to an eternal hell.

So we have this understanding of the people that we are sharing the gospel with. We have this understanding of our condition before we were saved. We were the objects of God's wrath. It was faith in Christ that removed us from that wrath and being the objects of that wrath.

Come back to Romans 1. The wrath of God is revealed or is being revealed form heaven. I mean, this is a serious matter. This is God's wrath, God's anger poured out from heaven on the ungodly and the unrighteous.

We need to go back to Psalms 76, we'll just look at two passages in the Psalms. Verse 7, you, even you, are to be feared. But who may stand in your presence when once you are angry? You are a God to be feared and who can stand in the presence of an angry God? You understand His wrath is being poured out on unbelievers today. We'll get to the manifestation of that wrath as we move on in Romans 1. We think often of the future dimension of God's wrath, condemnation to an eternal hell. And that is true. But we understand that is the present condition. That's why the Bible speaks of them in passages like II Corinthians 2 as those who are perishing; I Corinthians 1, to those who are perishing. Present tense. Those living under the wrath of God, on their way to eternal destruction. Even you are to be feared. Who may stand in your presence when once you are angry?

Turn over to Psalm 90:2, something of the greatness of God. We're going to get to this in a moment. Before the mountains were born or you gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Verse 4, a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night. Look at verse 11, who understands the power of your anger and your fury according to the fear that is due you? You know God is a God to be feared. Even we who belong to Him need to have that proper fear. As I talked about with my father, I loved him, I was the object of his love, but I feared his anger when I did wrong. We ought to understand, we think God is this great soft grandfather in the sky. I like being a grandfather, I like enjoying my grandchildren and I like not being responsible for their discipline. I like doing things I didn't do for my kids because I was responsible. But I'm not responsible, I've reverted to being a kid and doing ............ I remember telling my Dad, Dad don't do that with the kids, I have to correct them. He'd just shake his head and smile. I'd say, Dad, you would never let me get away with that. He'd just smile. Now I understand.

But you know we like to project that, that God is just this big, soft cuddly God, and we never do anything that displeases Him. We need to read verses like, who understands the power of your anger and your fury according to the fear that is due you. He is always God. I never will be God, I must always fear Him, honor Him, reverence Him, respect Him. Fear displeasing or disobeying Him. Fear and honor our heavenly Father. The unsaved person lives under the wrath of God, who has offered them His love in the death of His Son. But until they respond in faith to that demonstration of love, they are the objects of His wrath.

Come back to Romans 1:18, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, their sinfulness, their rejection of God, their rejection of the character of God. That which flows through the rest of Romans 1, they reject God, they reject everything about God, His character, His righteousness. We say, here it's revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, it's their conduct. But it's the men who are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness that are the objects of His wrath and condemnation. Why did Christ have to die on the cross? To provide salvation for sinners, make it possible for sinners to be cleansed, to provide eternal life for sinners.

I think it's a disaster, we try to separate sin from people as though sin were just something out here floating in the air. Where did sin come from? Jesus said in Mark 7 it comes out of the heart of the human being. We'll see more of that as we move through Romans. Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. This shows that man is not neutral, man is not indifferent, man is one who possesses the truth but suppresses it, holds it down. Is unwilling to acknowledge what he knows is true.

That's why they will become without excuse, at the end of verse 20. He's going to explain how this is beginning with verse 19 with because. Why do we say they suppress the truth. We think unbelievers are ignorant, unbelievers don't know God. They don't know the truth. That's why we think we have to come and demonstrate to them there is a God, we have to prove to them. We use the five arguments of Aquinas, or something like that, use apologetics to prove there is a God, and so on. No, they already know that. You're not talking to people who don't know there is a God, you're not talking to people who don't know something about the God that is. You're talking about people who are suppressing that truth that they have, that they know and are unwilling to acknowledge it.

Because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. That which is known about God, God has made knowledge of Himself, He has made Himself known. So we'll be able to say to people, know God. Down in verse 21 we'll see they knew God. That which is known about God is evident within them, to them, among them. We're going to see, all this won't come to fruition until we get into chapter 2 as well, that man is made in the image of God and even though sin has marred that image, it is still present. We'll see the dimension of that in chapter 2.

Now we're going to see that God has made Himself known in the creation and it is evident among all men, everyone has this knowledge of God. God made it evident, manifest to them. So it's evident to them because God made it evident, it has been manifest, it has been shown to them.

How so? For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse. This is the creation of the world. We start with Genesis 1:1, from then on the invisible attributes of the invisible God, if you will, His eternal power, His divine nature, have been seen, its hazy, its not quite in focus. But you know what he says? Have been clearly seen through what has been made. So what we have is the creation. God created the world and in that creation you see something of the awesome power of God, His wisdom, His greatness as God, His goodness even. He provides the sun to warm the earth, the rain to water the earth. So you see something of the character of God, His very nature and being in the creation. There is no such thing as a true atheist in the world. I know there are people writing books, claiming they are atheists, and there is organization of atheists. But the Bible says they are just people who are suppressing the truth and refusing to acknowledge what they know to be true. They are lying. They may tell you they don't believe in God, that's true, but they are lying if they tell you they don't believe that God exists. They know God exists, they know He is a great God, a powerful God, and so on. They suppress that knowledge, they refuse to acknowledge it's true.

It's like a politician. He's been recorded, he's been videotaped, they have the records of his wrongdoing. But he stands at the camera and says I didn't do it. But he knows he did it. He's trying to suppress what he knows and deny its reality. That's the way people are, they know there is a God. We think we have to start out by offering the evidence and proof there is a God. Forget it, they already know that. They are actively suppressing that knowledge, refusing to admit to what they know to be true. How do I know that? Well the creation of the world has revealed the invisible God and His attributes, His characteristics to them. That's clearly seen. Somebody says I don't believe there is a God. You're not telling the truth, you know there is a God but you don't want to acknowledge Him. Because what happens if I acknowledge He is God? I have to bow before Him, acknowledge His authority over me, acknowledge my responsibility to submit to Him, obey Him and believe in Him. I don't want to acknowledge Him, I suppress that truth.
These things are clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. In other words the creation evidences the reality of God and you learn much about God. Now we're not talking here about details. A scientist in the laboratory sorts out and finds out through the intricacies of the genetic code and so on. We're talking about what we call general revelation. That's the revelation made known to everyone everywhere.

Turn back to Psalm 8. Look how the psalm begins, oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, who have displayed your splendor above the heavens. Look at verse 3, when I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained. What is man that you take thought of him or the Son of Man that you care for him? You see you put it into context, the psalmist says, you are a majestic God, an awesome God. You are a God of splendor. I look at the creation, the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars, they are the work of your fingers, you've brought it all to power. What am I that you should even consider me? A God of such greatness, such majesty, such power and puny me. But you take notice of me. You see the perspective, the humility it brings, because if I acknowledge that He is the sovereign God, the creator of all this, I must bow before Him.

Turn over to Psalm 19. We have two kinds of revelation. General revelation which is the revelation of creation. It's available to everyone everywhere. There is no one who does not have this knowledge of God. In the darkest, most unreached, uneducated, pagan part of the world, those people have the knowledge of God because creation is all around them. There is special revelation which is the revelation that God has given in His word. Those two distinctions are important, we'll say more about that in a moment. Look at Psalm 19. The heavens are telling of the glory of God, their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. So you see the heavens, creation, it's declaring God. It's like it is speaking out. Day to day pours forth speech, night to night reveals knowledge. This goes on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, telling you about God, revealing the knowledge of God. There is no speech nor are there words, their voice is not heard, it's not audible, and yet it is clear. Their line has gone throughout all the earth, their utterances to the end of the world. You see there is no place where it's not reached. The most pagan savage goes out and looks at the sun, looks at the heavens, looks at the stars at night. In them he has placed a tent for the sun which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. It rejoices as a strong man to run his course, its rising is from one end of the heaven's circuit to the other end of them. There is nothing hidden from its heat. That's general revelation, it is everywhere.

Then you go on in verse 7 ff and it's what we call special revelation, the revelation of God's Word, what He reveals in the law given to Moses, Mt. Sinai and so on. We're talking in Romans 1 about general revelation, it's available everywhere, all people everywhere have it.

Come back to Romans 1. God's power, God's wisdom, God's goodness, they are all evident in the creation. The result is, the end of verse 20, they are without excuse. They suppress that knowledge, they deny what is undeniable. So where do we go from here?

Verses 21-23 elaborate, clarify this fact, that men suppress the truth in unrighteousness so they are without excuse. For, verse 21, even though they knew God. There we are. God has made Himself known to them. They knew God. How did they act in light of that knowledge? They did not honor Him as God or give thanks. They refused, they suppressed that truth, they won't acknowledge what is undeniable. They didn't give thanks to Him for what He has done. What did they do? They became futile, that's the result of it. They became futile, empty, worthless in their speculations. Their foolish heart was darkened. They became futile in their speculation, in their reasoning, their thought processes. They have lost touch with reality.

Turn over to I Corinthians 3:19, let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks he is wise in this age he must become foolish so that he may become wise. Because remember I Corinthians 1 says that people think the plan of God for salvation is foolishness. But what man thinks is foolish is really God's wisdom to bring about salvation. So verse 19, the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, he is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness. And again, the Lord knows the reasoning of the wise that they are useless, worthless, futile. They have no value. Now this again clarifies things for us who by God's grace have been brought to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Back in Romans 1, they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened, the heart referring to the inner person, the mind. It is out of the heart that proceeds sinful activities. They were darkened in the inner person. We live in a realm of spiritual darkness, moral darkness. We live in the realm of mindless reasonings. This is why you cannot start and show .......... I've shared with you before one time I had lunch with a university professor, and I forget who set up the appointment or how we got in contact. But he wanted to talk to me about the Bible and the fact that creation couldn't be true. How are we going to talk about that? I mean, you only have worthless reasonings, you dwell in darkness. So I said to him, that's an interesting subject but it's not the main problem. Your issue is not with creation, your issue is with God. You are lost in sin and in rebellion against Him and God has provided His Son to be the Savior by His death and resurrection. And until you believe in Him you will never make sense of any of this. How are we going to start out trying to reason and argue and prove to a person who is worthless and empty in their ability to think and dwells in the realm of darkness and can't see what's clear, convince him of spiritual truth. The whole Christian apologetic movement is built on sand. If we give evidences they'll believe, they need more proof, we need people who are smart and intelligent and well trained so we can meet them on their own ground. What? Become worthless in our thinking process and live in moral darkness and spiritual darkness? That's where they are.

You see what he's explaining why verse 16, it's the gospel that's the power of God for salvation. That's the only way to come. We come to people who have become empty and worthless in their thought processes because they are suppressing the knowledge of God. That's the beginning point. He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. But it doesn't happen with fallen man, it won't. Suppressing the knowledge of God. Why in the world do humanly intelligent people who have gone to school and gotten degrees and teach in universities, why would they ever come up with the idea that this creation just happened as a result of an explosion or a big crash at some point in time? They call it the big bang. I mean, did you ever set off fireworks? Did you ever look at a firecracker? Set it off, that really created something, didn't it. And then somewhere out of this watery ooze something began to shrivel up on the sand and lo and behold billions of years later here we are. I mean, really, they have a place for people like that. It shouldn't be the university. That's called wisdom in the world, isn't it? Because you explained it without God. And that's what you have to do be respected in the world. You can't bring God into this discussion, so let's suppress what you know is true. Now come up with an alternative. Is it any wonder you're left to futility? I mean, I want you to search through this building and find my Bible but you are not allowed to look on this lectern. It's going to be a futile exercise, right? Well you have to come up with an answer. Well, look at the creation, look at the splendor of the heavens, look at the wonder of the stars, look at the sun that comes up and doesn't cook the earth in spite of global warming. Look at it all. Yes, isn't it amazing how that happened one time? That's foolishness, they are darkened.

You think, if I could prove to him the creation account. I can't prove to him, he already knows there is a God, he already that God created everything. You say, I don't think so. I know he knows it because God who knows his heart and mind tells me he knows it. I mean, it couldn't be any clearer. Verse 19, that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it evident. He manifested it to them, He has shown it to them. So don't think they don't know it. When God makes something clear to someone, verse 20, His eternal power, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen. Verse 21, even though they knew God. This is where they are. Any wonder they are under the wrath of God? They are not poor, innocent people who don't know any better, they are not poor wandering souls who are searching for God and desire to know Him and submit to Him. They are people in active rebellion who know Him, who know He is the creator, who know He is of awesome power and majesty, wisdom, goodness and so on. But they are unwilling to acknowledge it is true. They are suppressing that knowledge, holding it down. They are without excuse. So they become empty in their reasonings, their thought processes. They become darkened in their minds and hearts. Now everything acts out of this rebellion against God.

What do they do? Professing to be wise, they became fools. Man doesn't recognize his miserable condition. He professes to be wise, I'm intelligent, I have the answer. We have scientists who claim to be Christians who are theistic evolutionists. If that's not an oxymoron. I mean, I know they try to make sense of it and they think scientifically. I believe God. You cannot suppress the knowledge of God. I mean, you can suppress it but it's still there. You can choose to believe the lie but you understand it's still a lie and you know it. If you tell a lie often enough people begin to believe it's true. That may be so. Lie to yourself all the time, tell yourself you are not so bad, you're not a sinner, you're not .......... You tell yourself that over and over again, pretty soon I think I'm not so bad. They profess to be wise. They became fools. That's what they are. I remember and I've shared with you before, A. Wilder Smith, years and years ago when I was in seminary, he was a scientist with three earned doctorate degrees from three different countries. And he couldn't get a job in Europe because he believed in the creation account. They suppress that knowledge. We don't want to talk about God, we're not even open to hear it. They know it's true but we're going to do all we can to suppress that truth. And I'm suppressing it in my own heart and mind. But they are without excuse, God is not fooled. He made it clearly known to them.

It would be like trying to get by with your father and telling him, I didn't know. No, I made it clear to you, you knew. Well it wasn't real clear. It was very clear. All along I know. That's the way it is with God. I don't know God, I don't believe there is a God, I don't think there is evidence for God. You know there is a God, you know as you look around there is a great and awesome and powerful God who has brought this all into existence. But if you acknowledge that, you would have to bow before Him, you would have to give Him thanks, you would have to honor Him as God. You won't do that.

So verse 23. Remember we are created in the image of God and even though that image is marred we'll see when we get into chapter 2, it's still there. And they want to worship but they don't want to worship the true and living God. So they exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man, of birds, four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Do you know what they did? They created a god for themselves. But what it is? When I create the god, who is god? Me. I created him, he is like I want him to be, he's the god that does what I want him to do, he's the god who is satisfied when I do things that I say will satisfy him. And he's the god of my creation. Now you understand every religion, every belief system of man except biblical Christianity is covered in verse 23. It's not just the pagan making a wooden idol. People make their own gods.

Come back to Jeremiah 10 as we wrap up. There is much that could be said, Isaiah has some wonderful things on God as the creator and the refusal to acknowledge Him as the creator. But come to Jeremiah 10. This is on the peoples of the world creating their own worship systems. Jeremiah 10 opens up, hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, oh house of Israel. Thus says the Lord, do not learn the way of the nations and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens, although the nations are terrified of them. Forget your horoscope, forget the zodiac, the signs of the zodiac, forget all that stuff. The peoples of the world, it's just a system that man created for his own worship. The custom of the people are delusion. There we are again. They are worthless, vanity. Because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They decorate it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and hammers so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they. They cannot speak, they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, they can do no harm nor can they do any good. It's a piece of wood and you cut down that piece of wood and carve it into an image of a god and decorate it with precious things like silver and gold, then nail it down so it doesn't fall over. And if you want to move it you carry it. Don't worry about it, folks, it's still a piece of wood. That's what he tells the people. Don't be terrified by the ways of the nations. They create their gods as an alternative. This is their god, they made it.

I was impressed by this, being in other countries, South America, the paganness there. You go to the cathedrals and they have these statues and images and people are kissing them and you walk down the street and they are carrying the image. I can't help but think of Jeremiah 10. Are these old, poor, deluded people who don't know any better? No, they are people who are suppressing the knowledge of God and they desire to have a God of their creation that they are comfortable with, that they worship and they know accept them as they are because they made him. So they create the boundaries.

There is none like you, oh Lord, you are great and great is your name in might. Who would not fear you, oh king of the nations. Indeed, it is your due. There is none like you, verse 7, they are all together stupid and foolish in their discipline of delusion. Their idol is wood. He goes through again what all they went to make this god valuable. But verse 10, the Lord is the true God, He is the living God, the everlasting king. At His wrath the earth quakes, the nations cannot endure His indignations. You shall say to them, the gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens. It is He who made the earth by his power, who established the world by His wisdom. By His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. You see His invisible attributes? By His power, by His wisdom, by His understanding the creation came into existence. They all know that, they are under His wrath, refusing to acknowledge that. And he goes on to talk about the greatness of God and so on.

Come back to Romans 1. You'll note the parallel in verse 17, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed. In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. Then where do we go in verse 18? For the wrath of God is revealed. We need the gospel, we have to have the gospel, it reveals the righteousness of God and how man can have the righteousness of God credited to him through faith in Christ. And that is so essential, because God has revealed from heaven that men are living under the wrath of God because they have suppressed the knowledge of God that He has made evident to them. They know it is true.

Now there is enough revelation in creation to condemn a man, there is not enough revelation in creation to save a man. For salvation you need the revelation we call special revelation. You look at the stars, the sun, the sky, the wonders of creation, you don't see that the Son of God left glory and died on a cross to bear our sins in His body on that tree so that we by faith in Him might die to sin and live to righteousness. That takes special revelation. But there is enough revelation in creation to show a person justly condemned because they have rejected the revelation God has given of Himself. Well it's not fair God doesn't give them enough revelation to be saved. Why? They're already rejected the amount He gave them, they are suppressing what He has given. You say, what would happen if somewhere somebody looked out and beheld the creation and acknowledged God, bowed down and gave Him thanks, said I see in the creation your invisible attributes, your power. Has never happened in the past, does not happen today, will never happen in the future. Well what if it did? There is no answer because it can't happen because God says it doesn't happen. So it's a question that would be like, what if God sinned. I mean, it's a ridiculous question, there is no answer because it is not a possibility. We like to sit and think we're being intellectually and theologically profound when we think about all these questions that have no answer because they can't be. The God that we worship has told us what happens. They reject and suppress the revelation He has given. We'll talk more about the manifestation of that. All men everywhere are guilty. So when we bring the gospel to someone I don't have to be profound. Any of us could leave and go to the university and talk to the wisest people. What would I talk to them about? Talk to them about the gospel because it's the power of God for salvation. I want to meet them on their level, their level is empty reasoning and spiritual darkness. I want to tell them, here is what the God of heaven has done. The God who created everything has provided a Savior to rescue you from your lost, sinful condition, to take you from darkness to light, to rescue you from condemnation and judgment. He died to pay the penalty for your sin. You are without hope apart from this Savior. You must believe in Him. That's the answer. We're not here to prove the existence of God, everyone knows He exists. We're not here to prove He's a God of power and might, everyone knows it. But everyone is in a state of sinful rebellion and denial and the power of God is the gospel. And it's the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your truth. Lord, our minds are impressed again of how serious the condition of man is, lost and without hope in the world, living under your wrath, willfully and defiantly suppressing the truth concerning Yourself that you have made evident to them. Lord, we praise you for the gospel in your grace that brought salvation to us. Thank you for the privilege of believing in your Son. Lord, may we be bold and clear as we bring this gospel message to family, friends, co-workers and strangers. We want to tell you about a Savior who can bring you forgiveness and cleansing, who can enable you to be declared righteous by a holy and righteous God because He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. If you believe in Him you'll have life. Thank you for the gift of salvation found in your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.