So today is a continuation of last weeks class since we didn't get all the way through the lesson. Again, for those reading online, I'm sorry that today is just a repeat of the second half of last weeks lesson. Hopefully I will get the length right next week.
Question of the Day: What is the best news you have ever heard?
This class is about the good news and today we look at "God's wrath against sinful humanity." That doesn't sound too much like good news.
But there is good news so hang in there!
READ: Romans 1: 18-32
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
There is no question this is a tough section. Let's start at the beginning. The beginning and the end are so important!
Verse 18: Who is God angry at? Why?
How does our wickedness suppress the truth?
I'm sure there is an endless list to answer this question. Let's continue on because there is something quite simple that answers it.
Verse 21: At the root of it all, "they didn't glorify him or give him thanks".
Is it possible that even those of us that don't think we are in this list... fail at giving him glory or giving Him thanks?
This is a huge and extremely important concept. We must must must always give glory and thanks to God for what he has done for us and is doing and will do!
What other verses support the importance of giving God thanks?
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
This is just a few. How do we change this? How do we have a culture of thankfulness? How do we glorify God?
Is it possible that the great offense here is not glorifying God and not being thankful for the truth? Is that worse than the list? After all, there is an order, a reason for the list right?
It is interesting that Paul also reminds us that from the beginning the works of God are clearly seen.
This passage gives us a clear cause and effect. If we don't thank him, if we don't glorify him our hearts will be darkened and then the list.
So how do we stay out of being on this list?
1. Look for, seek God in your life and surroundings.
2. Listen to Him.
3. Give God the glory for what is happening in your life!
4. Write out your "I'm thankful list!"
5. Start every prayer, every day, with thanksgiving.
6. Read and reread passages that tell of His greatness.
7. Dwell on the His glory.
Now at the end of the list if you are like me, or if you are in anyway human, you probably at least once saw someone else, thought of our nation, or were putting names with each of the offenses. Right? That is why I decided that the chapter break that was put here was put in the wrong place. Paul knew that is what we would all be doing and so he addresses that. However with the chapter break we often don't combine the two but we must.
Let's reread chapter 2 verses 1-4.
These lists are simply to show us the degradation that happens because of our unwillingness to give God the glory, and to know that God's kindness is to lead us to repentance. If it is to lead us... ME to repentance, then I should not be putting names, or cultures, or an one else beside the list other than myself.
It is also important to note that we are called to glorify God, to give Him thanks and that dwelling on His goodness will lead us to repentance.
This whole passage is about that!
Give thanks, glorify God for His goodness and repent!
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