Rev. David Holwick H
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
February 19, 1989
Romans 1:18-20
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I. Does God exist?
A. Two groups of people:
1) Those who believe in God
2) Those who do not.
A controversial Boy Scout "board of review."
Eagle Scout candidate said he did not believe in God.
Would they still accept him? (Some troops would not.)
They did.
A few months later he became a Christian, and eighteen
years later he would be the Baptist minister in
West Lafayette, Ohio.
I am speaking, of course, of me.
B. Problems with belief:
1) Disasters and innocent suffering in world.
2) Conflict with observed world (science).
3) Conflict with multitude of religions
a) Since all of them can't be right, all must be wrong.
C. Some have tried to wipe out belief in God.
1) Russia in Revolution.
a) Destroy churches.
b) Change calendar, days of week.
c) Teach atheism. (academies)
d) Persecute believers.
2) Program has utterly failed.
a) Gorbachev - believers will always be with us.
II. The Bible assumes God's existence, it does not try to prove it.
A. Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart, There is no God."
1) Anthropologists find religion in all tribes.
B. Atheism is not natural.
1) It must be learned.
C. Atheism requires faith.
1) C.S. Lewis -
"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust.
But how had I got this idea of just and unjust?
A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight
line.
I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality - namely my
idea of justice - was full of sinse.
Atheism turns out to be too simple.
If the whole universe has no meaning, we would never find out that it has
no meaning.
Just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures
with eyes, we would never know it was dark.
The whole concept of "Dark" would be meaningless.
#675
III. God not only exists, he makes himself known.
"For God hath shewed [revealed] it unto them." 1:19
A. God takes the initiative, not us.
B. God has revealed himself:
1) Revealed Sufficiently.
a) Not completely.
1> We could not grasp complete revelation.
2> Complete understanding waits for glorification.
1 Cor 13:12
b) But complete enough for natural man to know about God.
2) Revealed Progressively.
a) The revelation is more and more complete.
b) However, it is still the same God from Genesis to
Revelation.
3) Revealed Clearly.
"That which may be known of God is manifest [obvious]."
IV. Where is it clear? Creation. 1:20
A. The Universe exhibits wonderful order.
1) It cries out for a plan.
B. A plan calls for a Creator.
1) Big Bang theory. (not necessarily true)
Original ball of matter had to be uniquely consistent.
So consistent, some think it is impossible.
But the world actually exists. [also, human body ex.)
V. Is God obvious in nature?
A. Nature does not "prove" God to a skeptic.
B. But those who want to know He is there only needs to meditate
on the world around them, and on their own heart.
C. What is revealed in nature:
(invisible things that are visible)
1) God's eternal power.
2) God's divine nature [Godhead]. (what he is like)
D. God is Spirit and can only be "seen" in what he has made.
VI. Implications.
A. God is fair. He gives everyone a chance.
B. We are accountable - "without excuse". 1:20
1) We can know enough to be held responsible before God.
C. Heathen in Africa?
1) They will be judged on what has been revealed to them.
2) They are not condemned for rejecting Christ if they have
not heard of him.
3) Can they be saved?
a) This passage deals with judgment, not salvation.
VII. Why the focus on judgment?
A. People suppress what they know of God. 1:19
1) It is not suppressed by logical arguments.
2) It is suppressed by "unrighteousness."
B. The problem of unbelief.
1) Scientists study Creation, but have a hard time with
the Creator.
2) Robert Jastrow, noted astronomer:
The Big Bang theory in astronomy tells us the universe has a beginning.
Theologians are delighted with the proof that the Universe had a
beginning, but astronomers are curiously upset.
It turns out that the scientist behaves the way the rest of us do when
our beliefs are in conflict with the evidence.
We become irritated, we pretend the conflict does not exist,
or we paper it over with meaningless phrases.
#677
VIII. The issue is never with what we know - or don't know.
A. The issue is what we will do with our knowledge.
B. The choice between belief and unbelief is first of all a
decision of the will.
C. Our tendency is to rejection.
1) God has revealed himself.
2) We want to hide.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#675 "Atheism Is Be Too Simple," C. S. Lewis, MERE CHRISTIANITY, 1943,
p. 45.
#677 "The Problem of Unbelief," Brooks Alexander, SCP Newsletter,
December 1988, p. 12.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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From "Themes From Romans", chapter 1, by Robert H. Mounce.
I. The Bible assumes God's existence, it does not prove it.
A. Anthropologists find religion in all tribes.
B. Atheism is not natural.
1) It must be learned.
2) Creation exhibits a design and demands a Creator.
a) Atheism requires faith.
II. Romans 1:19-20 - God makes his truth known to people.
A. Paul does not argue for the existence of God.
B. He argues for a certain kind of God.
1) He exercises wrath.
2) He is fair and just.
a) Mankind is without excuse.
III. What is the common ground of belief?
A. A common knowledge of God.
B. People are morally responsible.
1) Rom 1:21-32 describe downward spiral as man rejects morality.
2) All are responsible.
IV. God's wrath is being revealed from heaven.
A. The relationship of righteousness and wrath.
B. The nature of wrath.
1) How is it revealed?
a) Wrath revealed when men are given over to depravity?
b) Better, the gospel itself reveals wrath.
1> This maintains parallelism between v.17 and 18.
2> 2 Cor 2:12 mentions savor of death as well as life.
2) Is it compatible with love? Or exclusive?
a) Genuine love requires rejection of what is opposite.
b) A holy God must hate sin.
1> The gospel reveals God's wrath against sin.
2> The good news smells like death, as well as life.
A> Those who reject the gospel will discover the wrath.
C. Sin suppresses truth.
1) It is not suppressed by logical arguments.
2) It is suppressed by "wickedness."
a) God's glory exchanged for images. 1:23
b) God's truth exchanged for a lie. 1:25
c) God's ideal on sex exchanged for lust. 1:27
D. The reason for wrath? 1:19
1) Some - because man has turned his back on God's self-revelation.
2) Better - verse says man has enough knowledge of the truth to be
accountable. We know we are suppressing it.
V. God has revealed himself to mankind.
A. Questions:
1) What is the basis on which people are morally responsible before God.
2) Is God fair?
3) Is man an ignorant victim?
B. What may be known about God is clear. 1:19
1) God has revealed himself.
a) Not completely.
1> We could not grasp complete revelation.
2> Complete understanding waits for glorification. 1 Cor 13:12
b) But complete enough for natural man to know about God.
2) God has revealed himself progressively.
a) The revelation is more and more complete.
b) However, it is still the same God from Genesis to Revelation.
3) God has revealed himself clearly. 1:19
a) Involves more than observation of God's creative acts.
1> "Knowing" involves interpretation and inner compulsion to accept the
implications.
2> Clear "in them" may mean the image of God within each person.
b) God took the initiative.
1> He does not hold us accountable for what we do not know.
2> People must respond according to their knowledge.
A> Rom 2:12 - those apart from Law perish apart from Law.
3> Automatic salvation is not in view.
A> God's expectations conform to degree of his revelation to us.
B> In Rom 2:12, those outside Law are perishing, not be saved.
1: Judgment in view, not salvation.
c) God's revelation is clear in Creation. 1:20
1> Crux of matter.
A> Creation does not provide its own key.
B> It shows God is a certain kind of God.
2> What is revealed:
A> God's eternal power.
B> God's divine nature.
VI. Mankind is without excuse.
A. Reason:
1) We are made in image of God.
2) We can correctly interpret the significance of Creation.
3) We are therefore morally responsible.
4) We reject it.
5) God is justified in exercising his wrath.
B. Significance of 1:20.
1) Knowledge of God has been available from the very first.
2) God is Spirit and can only be "observed" in what he has made and done.
3) God's invisible qualities are his power and nature.
VII. Implications and Questions
A. Tension between God of love, and God of wrath.
1) How do they coexist?
B. True understanding of love, and wrath.
1) Analysis of "anger" in biblical thought.
2) God's "anger" compared with human anger.
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