Romans 1:19-21 - 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 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. 21 For 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.
Message: The Primal Sin of Humanity - not giving thanks to the God that made creation and man.
Time: Written sometime in AD 57-58, probably from Corinth, at the end of Paul's third missionary journey.
What the Lord is Saying:
The words here are a continuation of verse 18 which mentioned how the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against ungodliness, unrighteousness and those who suppress the truth of God in their life. And verse 19, as is Paul's custom in writing, further clarifies what he has said previously. The subject is people who suppress the truth of God in their life. Paul makes it clear they are suppressing something that God has made clear within man.
These words are so key because as I talk to people about the truth of God, it isn't a foreign subject matter. I am simply awakening subjects that are already in them. On the contrary, I often think that I must try hard to show people Christ and yet these verses speak to the fact that God is self-evident in our world.
The entire reason that I think the Way of the Master witnessing technique is so true and correct is it appeals to the conscience of man. It confirms verse 19 in that people have a conscience and they have a knowledge of right and wrong. But, the problem is often that though they know right and wrong they have suppressed God's real power and so they don't think their sin is that serious. Yes God forgives sin, but if a person just holds onto the act of forgiveness, and doesn't examine the sin in their life continually then the request for forgiveness is just a mantra in the person's life with no real meaning. [Also, over time people often think life is just a continual progression of improvement. And because we see improvement in our lives and the way we live them, we start to think that self-improvement equals God's acceptance and so our good deeds or works brings about God's acceptance.]
I've always loved verse 20 because when I am outside and looking at the mountains and the tree's and hiking and seeing animals and how they are made, I am reminded of God and the clarity of His creation.
This explains the integrity of my God. He has integrity in that He clearly has made Himself known to all people. A beautiful sunset, the birth of a child, a banana or piece of fruit, a beautiful sunrise, the green green grass, the mountain -- if anyone looks at these things and then says, "there is no God" then they are denying God for these things testify of God being there.
In verse 21, people knew God. He is evident through the creation. But, they didn't honor Him as God or give thanks for what He had provided, but instead they sought ways to show that it couldn't be God that authored all of creation and in so doing, there foolish heart was darkened. The notion of training comes up here. People train themselves over time to ignore God and figure out answers that are not God. And so their heart becomes darkened.
Per Wayne Barber, the word futile means empty or unable in their speculations, in their reasoning. They are unable to think straight. Verse 21 is so clear that it didn't have to be this way, but they became futile. The atheists message right now is that it, God and His Gospel, simply couldn't be right. God, and who He is, over time, is being pushed out. The name of God is more and more not revered, but instead is just a way to express amazement or bewilderment in a person (i.e. OMG). God has been pushed out of our schools to the point that the mere mention of Him is deemed improper. God has been pushed out of people's lives for years. In my lifetime I can see how this has occurred, but it has been occurring for a long time.
John 8:44 states that the devil is a liar and the father of lies. It is the devil's goal to preach lies. Even those who claim faith have distorted God. Outside, there is a rise in changing God with the Jehovah Witnesses and Latter Day Saints. Within the church, there is a proclamation of easy belief.
At the most rudimentary level, sin is being recast. It is being redefined. The church is rightfully seeing the promulgation of homosexuality, but before that, the marriage union was being defiled as divorce was more and more prominent and adultery justified. The church often works so hard to tell the world they are corrupt, while ignoring those within the church that are walking in the doors. People are showing up in church needing the truth of God and yet are simply seeing an "us" against "them" mentality. It is sports of a different kind. We need to protect the Body of Christ from the lies of the devil. We are so lofty in our explanations of scripture that we are missing the most basic tenets of it.
Promise: The knowledge of God and His creation is born into man. Man this pushes God out through life, but God will always reign.
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