Romans 1:18-32 The Sinfulness of the Gentiles

Why humans cannot be saved by works

 

I.                 Four unveilings, revelations, or exposures are mentioned in Chapter 1

A.     The revelation of God’s nature to man vs. 20

B.     The revelation of each human’s sinful heart to the entire world vs. 22

C.     The revelation of God’s wrath against sin and sinners vs. 18

D.     The revelation of the righteousness of God in the Gospel vs. 17

E.      The linchpin verse of the chapter is vs. 17

1.      Introduction to the letter and to the gospel of grace vs. 1-17

2.      The evidence for the sinfulness of the Gentiles vs. 18-32

II.               The Gentiles are sinful and without personal righteousness vs. 18-32

A.     Why God’s wrath, His holy indignation & judgment is continually being revealed

1.      Man, historically rejected God through two sets of genealogies, Adam and Noah and his three sons and their wives vs. 20

2.      Every person alive today had an ancestor who knew the God of the Bible who was followed by a child who was not taught the truth or who deliberately rejected God and the message of his parents vs. 20

3.      Every person alive today has a personal and internal knowledge of God that they nurture or suppress with evolution, relativism, belief in a chance universe, luck, fate, pagan philosophy, or immorality vs. 19

B.     The God of the Bible is revealed through natural, general revelation vs. 20

1.      His general attributes and designs are displayed in the created universe

2.      Therefore, every human is responsible, accountable, and without excuse for his/her rejection of God and His moral law

3.      People intentionally suppress this knowledge; they choose atheism or agnosticism for very practical reasons: their lifestyle

4.      God’s creative supernatural power, design, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and holiness are seen in the created order

C.     General and personal revelation are both clear. However, humans are blind and spiritually dead, so they are defective receptors of the truth. But because of the clarity of the revelation, they are responsible, accountable, and without excuse

D.     We all had an ancestor who personally knew the Creator God of the Bible

1.      People used to know God: Adam, Eve, Shem, Ham, Japheth vs. 21

2.      The knowledge of God was rejected and held down

3.      This resulted in a loss of the wisdom of God’s revelation vs. 21b-22

4.      The knowledge of God was substituted for idols and false religion vs. 23

E.      Suppression, rejection, and substitution of the truth brought on God’s wrath

1.      God gave them over to sin’s rule in their life vs. 24, 26, 28

2.      The judgment is God removing the restraints and allowing them to follow their desires, loves, and hearts into the worst kind of bondage

3.      These people know they are wrong in what they choose to believe and do, but they willingly go deeper into sin to their own destruction vs. 21

F.      The pagans follow a pattern that is a downward spiral of depravity and degradation that follows three stages vs. 24

1.       Sexual immorality – lusts – ferocious appetites – desires out of control

2.      Sexual abnormality – the principle of diminishing returns vs. 26-27 passions out of control like a raging forest fire (see Gen 19:4-9; Lev 18:22, 20:13; Deut 23:17-18; Judg 19:22-24; 1 Kgs 14:24, 15:12, 22:46; 2 Kgs 23:7; Isa 3:9; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Eph 4:19; 1 Tim 1:10; Heb 13:4; 2 Peter 2:6; and Jude 7; Rev 21:8, 27, 22:15)

3.      Sinful reprobate mind – free moral agency is damaged by constant surrender to the bondage of sin and Satan vs. 28-32

G.     What you worship reveals your moral framework vs. 25

1.      Sinful humans cannot diminish God’s glory

2.      Men’s character reflects what they truly worship

H.     Sample sins of pagans

1.      General heart motivations and specific desires vs. 29 (unrighteousness, evil, greed, wickedness—full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, malice)

2.      Daily conduct of Gentile sinners gossips to unmerciful vs. 29e-30 (gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, inhumane, unforgiving, unmerciful)

I.       The stages of sin and the lists are sins worthy of capital punishment

J.       Man’s inhumanity to man is proof of the doctrine of total depravity

III.            The evidence is clear that humans without special revelation and regeneration will live purposeless, cruel, and wicked lives

A.     The Gentiles do not possess personal righteousness

B.     The Gentiles cannot be delivered from judgment by works

C.     The Gentiles need to get righteousness from somewhere else so they can escape the wrath of the Holy God of the Bible

D.     Jesus is the only way of salvation, deliverance from wrath for pagan Gentile sinners

 

 

  

Psalm 106: Yahweh’s love and Israel’s disobedience

He is strong, I am weak

The author of this psalm is unknown. This psalm is classified as a hymn that celebrates Israel’s history of deliverance in spite of their continual rebellion (also called a narrative or story telling psalm). This psalm’s storyline begins with the nation in exile in Egypt with a focus on their repeated failures and God’s amazing patience and covenantal love. Grace that was greater than all of Israel’s sin. This is the last song in book 4 of the psalms.

I. A call to worship (vs. 1–2)

    A. Sing praises to Yahweh

    B. Yahweh alone is good

    C. Yahweh’s covenant love is everlasting

    D. Yahweh’s mighty acts of deliverance should be the subject of our praise

II. A prayer for God’s deliverance (vs. 3–5)

    A.  Yahweh standard: perfection brings blessing

    B. We are to always be just in our dealings righteous in our actions

    C. Only the Messiah can meet this standard, we are not good enough

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 NKJV)

    D. Thus the sinner prays for grace, forgiveness, and deliverance from sin

    E. The righteous are concerned about the real believers, chosen one, God’s people

III. A confession of sin and declaration of Yahweh’s deliverance (vs. 6–12)

      A. We live in community and bear individual and corporate guilt

      B. Miracles do not produce faith, but trials do

      C. The people respond to the ten plaques with complaining and unbelief 

      D. Man’s natural direction is towards unfaithfulness, discontent, rebellion

 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Gen 6:1 NASB)

       E. God saves sinners in spite of themselves for His own glory and according to His own                     faithfulness to His promises

       F. The contrast between Yahweh and humans could not be greater

      G. Amazing faithful love (hesed) in spite of the failures of sinners

      H. The salvation (yeshua) news goes beyond Israel to result in the salvation of Rahab

       I. The Red Sea: God is able to deliver His people and judge His enemies at the same time

       J. Finally, a little mental assent and half-hearted singing occurred at God’s deliverance

IV. A history of Israel’s unbelief and Yahweh’s judgments (vs. 13–43) 

      A. Israel forgot the truth, complained, lived selfishly and brought God’s judgment

      B. Impatience, lack of trust, dependance, love, and gratitude resulted in diseases

      C. Jealousy and rebellion against God’s appointed leaders resulted in splitting of the ground             and fire (Korah, Dathan, Abiram went into the earth, 250 were consumed by fire, Num 16)

      D. Their idolatry brought them near to total destruction

           1. Man’s heart is an idol factory, and the natural man is quick to forget God’s works

           2. Miracles strengthen the faith of believers, giving evidence to the truth

           3. The deliverance from Egypt was a redemptive saving event 

 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Pet 2:1 ESV)

           4. Idolatry always denies the nature of the God revelation and salvation

           5. Moses stood in prayer for God’s people and caused their judgment to be postponed

           6. Moses was learning to be servant in this trying times

      E. Then the people refused to believe the promise and obey the Word of God = DEATH

           1. The downward spiral of sin, idolatry to unbelief and then to rebellion

           2. At Kadesh Barnea the people rebelled instead of living by faith

           3. Only two spies had faith, the rest of that generation passed away in the next 38 years

           4. Even in this oath God warns them of the coming exile for these same sins

     F. Immorality, fornication, adultery with the idol worshipers lead to further idolatry   

          1. Spiritually mixed marriages resulted in judgment

          2. The priest Phinehas stopped the plaque by dealing with the compromisers (Num 25)

     G. Further rebellion against God’s Word and further idolatry= EXILE

          1. They murdered babies

          2. They worshiped false gods

          3. They became just like all the cultures around them

          4. The innocent blood defiled the land and brought God’s chastisement on them

You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. (Lev 26:33 NASB)

            5. The covenant curse of exile comes when all the other judgments fail to bring repentance 

          6. The wicked could bring themselves to judgment, but they could force their                                        descendants to remain under it

          7. Once a nation sins enough to bring God’s judgment it will fall

V. A declaration of Yahweh’s covenant love and postponed judgment (vs. 44–46)

      A. God preserved the Jews during the captivity

      B. He postponed (nacham) His severe wrath so they would remain as a people

VI. A prayer for Yahweh’s deliverance (vs. 47)

      A. Save us O Yahweh our God and return us from captivity

      B. Let us again bring glory to your name by our worship and faithfulness

VII. A benediction of worship (vs. 48)

        A. The author ends as he began, a command to praise Yahweh

        B. This conclusion is fitting benediction, Praise Yahweh, His covenant love is everlasting

        C. We are un-loyal and unfaithful, He is faithful, and loyal

Lessons to live by:

• God’s patient covenant love (hesed) is beyond our imagination

• Sin continues to control us and spiral us down deeper and deeper in its grip

• Spiritually mixed dating is the first step toward spiritually mixed marriage

• God always reserves the right to postpone pronounced judgment for repentance (vs. 45 nacham)

Psalm 79: How Long will Your Chastisement Continue, Oh Lord?

This psalm is a national lament after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 A.D. It does not appear to have been written personally by Asaph, but for his choir that continued in the temple long after his death. New generations of Levites were recruited and trained to provide music in the temple. It appears that this author was one that was allowed to stay in the land and was not deported with the leaders and merchants.

  I. Lamentation over Jerusalem’s destruction (vs. 1–4)

     A. Pagans have destroyed the city and the temple

     B. Pagans have annihilated the covenant people of God

     C. Even though the people’s idolatry caused God to send the Babylonians in His sovereignty,             they are still fully responsible for their cruelty, desecration, and theft

     D. When the people are faithful to Yahveh and their covenant commitment to Him, He blesses           them beyond measure (Lev 26:1–13)

     E. When the people rebel, are disloyal and unbelieving and give their hearts to false gods,                 Yahveh sends chastisements so they will repent (Lev 26:14–39)

     F. One of the covenantal curses is to not be buried after death, a final humiliation to be                        unloved and insignificant (like a deer carcass along a highway)

NKJV Deuteronomy 28:26 Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away.

ESV Jeremiah 16:4 They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.

(See also Jer 34:20; Lam 4:14–20)

    G. The siege and the exile kept their relatives from being able to treat them as image bearer’s               of God with dignity and value

    H. Some of the righteous died, but blood flowed like water at the cruelty of the pagans

    I. Those remaining are starving and being ridiculed by foreign peoples

    J. The curses of the covenant are not pleasant (Deut. 28:15–68; 1 Kings 9:6–9)

 II. Question: How long will the discipline last? (vs. 5)

      A. The author acknowledges that God kept His promise to send chastisement

      B. They know why God’s judgment fell on the wicked, He is holy and hates sin

      C. They know they got exactly what they asked for by their national rebellion

      D. The question is, how much longer will we be in exile and Jerusalem in ruins?

NAU Zechariah 8:2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'"

ESV Jeremiah 25:11–12 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.

III. Prayer for vindication and forgiveness (vs. 6–9)

      A. Bring justice to the pagans that have denied Yahveh’s existence and power

      B. They have used the exile to dishonor God

      C. Why would God judge His own people and delay the judgment of Babylon?

NIV Amos 3:2 You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your sins.

     D. The pagans have destroyed God’s land, temple, and people and appear to be getting away                with it to others. God’s glory is at stake

     E. The remnant in exile prays for themselves for forgiveness

     F. Yahveh has spared them for a reason, so they call on Him for deliverance, salvation                     (See Dan. 9:1–19)

     G. Even in chastisement, hope remains for God will never abandon His plan of redemption

IV. Question: How long will the pagans be able to deny God exists? (vs. 10a)

    A. The pagans have asked, “Where is the God of the Jews? Why is He not powerful enough to             protect them?

    B. The remnant calls on God to glorify His name by judging the pagans for their war crimes

    C. They want God to step in soon rather than later

ESV Joel 2:17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

 V. Prayer for vindication and restoration (vs. 10b–13)

      A. A needy a suffering slave in a foreign land full of idols calls on God to judge justly

      B. Their hope is that those who saw the blood shed will also see justice rendered

      C. Like the Jews in Egypt their prayers are coming before God for salvation

      D. The sevenfold fold restitution is requesting God’s full justice

      E. Leviticus 26 show the Jews had reached the fifth level of God’s seven-fold punishment

      F. The judgment needs to be equal to the blasphemy of God’s name

     G. The prayer looks in hope to restoration and worship 

      H. Yahveh is still the remnant, the real believer’s shepherd, they are his sheep

       I. The national lament ends in hope because it is a prayer to the Creator God who sustains                  the universe, is sovereign, powerful, loving, and answers His people's prayer

Lessons to live by:

• It always pays to obey God, once we have a relationship with Him. We don’t have the power to obey in ourselves, so we must be born from above first.

• Sin is not worth it for the believer. It costs too much.

• God’s spanking when we sin is not proof that we have lost our salvation, it is proof we were saved to start with, and God is bringing us to repentance (Heb 12:3–14)

• What is it about human nature to never be satisfied with God’s timing? Confess this as sin and wait on the LORD

• God hears our prays when we are suffering. He is still our Shepherd when He allows us to suffer

• Hope in God! Have faith in God. Believe Him, trust Him, love Him, repent and obey Him

Psalm 31: Yahweh: The God of Promise and Deliverance

This well-known Psalm was used by Jonah, Jeremiah, and Jesus. Therefore, we find verse 6 quoted in Jonah 2:8; verse 13 in Jeremiah (6:25, 20:3, 10, 46:5, 49:29) and in Lamentations  2:22; and verse 5 was spoken by Jesus and recorded in Luke 23:46. The author of Ps 71:1–3 seems to also have these words in mind (Ps 31:1–5) while writing that Psalm.

  I. David’s Prayer for Deliverance/Salvation 31:1–5

     A. Yahweh is his refuge

     B. Yahweh can give him righteousness

     C. Yahweh is like a rock (Deut 32:4)

     D. Yahweh is like a stronghold, fortress, a Masada

     E. The covenant God honor is at stake when His people are hurt

     F. Yahweh delivers/saves for His own glory

     G. Yahweh is concerned with justice

     H. Yahweh sees and knows

     I. Yahweh ransoms, rescues sinners

     J. Surrendering to God’s will is always best (1 Pet 4:19)

     K. Yahweh is the God of truth and faithfulness

 II. David’s Prayer of Faith 31:6–8

      A. Those who worship worthless puffs of wind, fog, mist (idols) are rejected.

           A textual variant is here. Some versions say, “You have hated,” others “I have hated”

           (God’ rejection of sinners Ps 5:4–6, 11:5, 34:16, 45:7, Prov 6:16–19, Mal 1:3, Rom 9:13)

           (Sinners hatred of God Ps 68:1, 81:15, 83:2, John 3:19–21, 15:18, 22–25)

      B. Yahweh is faithful and David has trusted him in the past with good results

      C. Yahweh has covenant love (hesed) for His people

      D. Yahweh is aware of all of His peoples’ difficulties and pain  

      E. Yahweh is able to protect His people from their enemies

      F. Is David justified in having such deep confidence in the God of the Bible?

III. David’s Prayer for Mercy 31:9–13

     A. David needs Yahweh’s merciful deliverance

     B. David is in danger and in pain, and cries out with tears

     C. David is exhausted and distressed, in deep despair

     D. David is mistreated and forsaken; consequently his confidence has slipped

     E. David is ignored, forgotten, and useless

     F. David is being slandered, depressed and disgraced

     G. David is being stalked

     H. David is in danger, “terror on every side” (Jer 6:25)

IV. David’s Prayer of Trust 31:14–18

      A. Yahweh has a close covenant relationship with David.

            David has a secure and personal relationship with the God of the Bible

      B. Yahweh is sovereign over time and events. His providence is evident.

            David is dependent on Yahweh’s rule and power (Your hand)

      C. Yahweh’s gracious favor is to be sought in prayer

      D. Yahweh is the great shepherd that saves and guides His sheep

      E. Yahweh will deal with David’s enemies

 V. David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving 31:19–24

      A. Yahweh is good 

      B. Yahweh righteously works in events for those who fear Him

      C. Yahweh is a refuge

      D. Yahweh blinds the enemy and delivers His people

      E. Yahweh should be praised for His salvation and deliverance

      F. Yahweh is the one to flee to when we are afraid and discouraged

     G. Yahweh is to be loved by His covenant people, beloved ones who love Him

     H. Yahweh preserves the humble faithful person, but resists the proud

      I. Yahweh shall strengthen your heart in trails, if you love and fear Him

          “Be strong and take heart” or “He shall strengthen your heart”

     J. Yahweh is the God of hope

         We hope in His promises and deliverance with a know-so-hope

         We should hold on in faith, regardless of our circumstances or how we feel

         Faith is not a onetime commitment; it is a lifetime commitment

         Wait on God, hope in His promised redemption, fear, love, and trust Him