← Back to sermon library

They turn in your Bibles to Romans 
chapter one. Take a couple of weeks from the 
gospel of Matthew. We will return to our study in 
Matthew in April. Wanted to read from chapter one, 
verse 16 to verse 32. Romans chapter one, beginning 
in verse sixteen, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 
for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes 
for the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in it the righteousness 
of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written. The just shall live by faith 
for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. against all ungodliness 
and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 
because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for 
God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the 
world, his visible attributes are clearly seen, being understood 
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, 
so that they are without excuse. Because although they knew God, 
they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became 
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 
Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of 
the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man 
and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore, 
God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, 
to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the 
truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature 
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For 
this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their 
women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, 
also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their 
lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful 
and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error, which 
was due. And even as they did not like 
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased 
mind to do those things which are not fitting, being filled 
with all unrighteousness. sexual immorality, wickedness, 
covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, 
deceit, evil-mindedness. They are whisperers, backbiters, 
haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, 
disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, 
unmerciful. who, knowing the righteous judgment 
of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of 
death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who 
practice them. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we pray, guide us now by your Holy Spirit as we study this 
section of Scripture. We pray that you would give us 
understanding, God, and that you would give us again a fresh 
appreciation for what the Lord Jesus has saved us from. Cause 
us to reflect, cause us to rejoice, cause us to respond with heartfelt 
thanksgiving for the glorious gospel of free and sovereign 
grace, which Paul says here is the power of God unto salvation. We pray that others would know 
that gospel today. We pray that others would come 
by the power of your spirit to taste and see that the Lord is 
good. And we ask in Jesus' holy name. Amen. You ever look at 
the news and ask yourself why? You read John 18 and ask yourself 
why? You ever look at your own conduct, 
your own life, your own heart and ask yourself why? Why do 
I have these bents? Why do I have this inclination? Why is the world in the state 
in which it is? Why is it that the holiest man 
who ever lived in this world, the Lord Jesus Christ, was delivered 
up and wicked sinners asked for Barabbas rather than Christ? With reference to Christ, they 
say, away with him, away with him, crucify him. Well, our answer 
is in Romans chapter 1. It describes for us in vivid 
detail the depravity of man, the wickedness of man, the sinfulness 
of man. And what we're going to look 
at this morning specifically are verses 18 to 32, and we're 
going to make four observations. But before we get to those four 
observations, we need to set chapter 1, verses 18 to 32, in 
its larger, broader context. The book starts officially after 
his greetings in verse 16. The apostle says, I am not ashamed 
of the gospel of Christ. This is the conviction of the 
apostle declared. I am not ashamed of the gospel 
of Christ. He then highlights that it is, 
in fact, the power of God to salvation. When we study chapter 
one, verses 18 to 32, when we move through chapter two, all 
the way up to chapter three, verse 20, we're going to realize 
that we need power to save us from our sins. We need the power 
of God to call us out of darkness into marvelous light. We need 
that great power of God to liberate us and to free us and to bring 
forgiveness and to bring righteousness. So Paul says the gospel is, in 
fact, the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for 
the Jew first and also for the Greek. He then gives this glimpse 
into what he's going to open up in the chapters to follow. 
For in it, for in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed 
from faith to faith, that just as it is written, the just shall 
live by faith. Remember what Paul is speaking 
of here in terms of the righteousness of God is not necessarily the 
rightness of God, his moral attribute of righteousness. But in the 
book of Romans and in Philippians chapter three, We find that this 
righteousness is the righteousness that God demands and that God 
provides. It is the righteousness of God 
that he demands and that he provides for his people on the basis of 
the saving work of the Lord Jesus. So, verses 16 and 17 in Romans 
1 is the thesis statement. It is the direction that the 
apostle is going to take the remainder of the epistle. So 
when he says in verse 17, For in it the righteousness of God 
is revealed from faith to faith. He will return to that theme 
in Romans chapter 3, 21. But to show why we need the righteousness 
of God revealed, to show why we need this power of God to 
say, to show why it is that it necessitated the very death of 
Jesus Christ to bring us into a place of acceptance with God, 
Paul sets first before us the bad news of sin. He sets first 
before us the universal problem of sin and depravity. He does 
that all the way from chapter 1, verse 18, to chapter 3, verse 
20. He deals with several categories 
of persons. In chapter 1, 18 to 32, he deals 
with man as man, man specifically here as the Gentiles, those not 
privy to special revelation. But it is a vivid description 
of all men everywhere at all times. And then he deals with 
the more morally sort of an upright person and shows that they, too, 
fall short. And then he hones in specifically 
on the Jews. And then that brings him to his 
conclusion in chapter three at verse 19. Now, we know that whatever 
the law says, it says to those who are under the law that every 
mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before 
God. That's his point. That's his 
purpose. He's setting the stage of bad 
news, and it's on the heels of that that chapter 3, verse 21 
comes. But now the righteousness of 
God is revealed, apart from the law being witnessed by the law 
and the prophets. So that's an overview of the 
section. As I said, we're going to confine 
ourselves to four observations concerning the guilt of mankind 
in chapter 1, verses 18 to 32. So I often say when we have a 
sermon on abortion, this isn't going to be a happy sermon. You 
might have thought on a beautiful sunshiny day like this, we would 
have spoken on creation and the joys of being in God's created 
earth. It's important for us as believers 
to not forget the rock from whence we were hewn. It's important 
for us as well to realize the state of man apart from the Christian 
gospel. It's important for us to hopefully 
inculcate more thankfulness. You know that threefold pattern 
in the Heidelberg Catechism. We have guilt, grace, and gratitude. We need to express gratitude 
to our God for the fact that Jesus came into this world to 
save his people from their sins. Well, let's look at these four 
observations concerning the guilt of mankind. The first is the 
revelation of God's wrath. The revelation of God's wrath 
in verse 18. This comes right after verse 
17. In the gospel, the righteousness 
of God is revealed. Chapter 321, but now the righteousness 
of God is revealed. As I said, in between that, we 
need to deal with the problem that necessitated the very death 
of Jesus Christ. And that's where Paul turns his 
attention to the sinfulness of man. It was Marvin Olasky who 
said, he didn't say the first part, the psalmist did, the heavens 
declare the righteousness and the glory of God. Olasky says 
the streets declare the sinfulness of man. And I think he's spot 
on with that particular observation, and we'll see that as we move 
along. But notice the revelation of God's wrath, verses 18 to 
21. Paul starts for the wrath of 
God is revealed from heaven. Now, that's what we're dealing 
with in terms of salvation, in terms of Christianity, in terms 
of true religion. It is only in Christ. It is only 
by grace, through faith in the Redeemer King that we avoid the 
wrath of God. So what does this tell us? That 
men who are outside of Christ are currently, right now, under 
the very wrath and fury of God. If you are here this morning 
and you are not a Christian, If you are here this morning 
and you're holding Jesus at arm's length, if you're here this morning, 
perhaps you're a child being raised in a Christian home or 
a teenager, a young person, and you haven't believed the gospel 
for yourself. Notice what Paul says is true 
of you right now. The wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven in John 3. We read that he that believeth 
on the Son hath everlasting life. He who does not believe the Son 
shall not see life, but, and it's all in the present tense, 
the wrath of God abides on him. That's an interesting statement 
and an interesting concept. I mean, when you walk down the 
street today, especially on a sunny day like this, you see smiles, 
you see happiness, you see joy. You might drive home past the 
park and you see people out there playing tennis. Or you see people 
out there playing frisbee or throwing the frisbee or with 
their dogs or with their little babies. And it looks like they're 
so joyful and they're so happy. And yet what Paul says is absolutely 
true. What God testifies in 336 is 
absolutely true. At one of the same moment, enjoying 
temporal blessing and benefit, God's eternal wrath and fury 
hangs over their heads. See, this is what's at stake 
in the gospel. The gospel isn't just something 
that makes me feel better and helps me cope with reality. The 
gospel isn't a pill that I take to make me forget all my woes 
and difficulties and trials. The gospel is that refuge. The gospel is that protection. 
The gospel is that haven of rest that shields me and protects 
me from the very wrath and fury of God. Why? Because the mediator 
took the wrath and fury of God for his people. Paul starts his 
presentation, Paul starts his declaration with this vivid reality 
that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 
and unrighteousness of men. If every time you go to church, 
you only ever hear happiness, joyfulness, happiness and whateverness, 
you're not getting the truth. It's the wrath that we need to 
deal with. It's the wrath that makes clear everything else that 
we find. Why would God send His Son? Why does it say the Lord was 
pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief? Why would we read 
in Romans chapter 3 that the Father set Christ forth as a 
propitiation through His blood? Because God is angry with the 
wicked. God isn't like us. God doesn't 
watch some depraved thing on the news and then go sip tea 
and forget all about it. God actually cares and he sees 
what's going on in the nations of the earth. And his wrath is 
poured out or his wrath is revealed from heaven. John Murray describes 
wrath this way. He says wrath is the holy revulsion 
of God. You know what revulsion is. You 
may not use that word a lot. But you're revolted by certain 
things. Might be a food item, might be 
a rodent, it might be some difficult situation that just causes you 
to react with anger and with vehemence. This is what Murray 
says, that wrath is the holy revulsion of God's being against 
that which is the contradiction of his holiness. You see, God 
is conscious about what goes on in the earth. God doesn't 
take a holiday. God doesn't forget. God doesn't 
look the other way. He sees this earth for what it 
is, a bastion filled with wicked and perverse sinners that raise 
their fist at him. And as we'll learn later on, 
they don't even like to retain God in their knowledge, let alone 
do what he commands. Should it surprise us? that God's 
wrath is revealed from heaven. The surprising thing in our Bibles, 
I submit to you, is not God's wrath. That should never surprise 
anyone. When you kids do something wrong 
and your mom or dad get angry, are you surprised? Of course 
not. You expect it, right? When you 
do something foul or polluted or wicked or rebellious and your 
parents respond in anger, You realize that's coming. You understand 
that that's the ebb and flow in this world. Should the wrath 
of God revealed from heaven surprise us in light of the fact that 
we've sinned against God, in light of the fact that what the 
apostle is going to describe? That's not the surprising facet 
in this presentation. What is surprising is that now 
the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. You see, 
we get surprised over all the wrong things. Wrath revealed 
from heaven is not a surprise in a moral universe governed 
by a thrice holy God. Notice the specific order that 
is indicated here, and I believe the chapter follows suit. This 
wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
of men. What does that tell us? It tells 
us that a commitment to idolatry A commitment to the rejection 
of God, excluding him from our thoughts, leads to myriad applications 
of sinfulness in our lives. all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
of men. Paul follows that particular 
order. He highlights their idolatry. 
He highlights the rejection from the Lord God Almighty. He highlights 
their embrace of the idol. And it's based on that commitment 
to whom one will serve in terms of an overarching principle that 
our lives follow suit. Again, I think as Christians, 
we sometimes miss this. We see societies that look like 
chapter 1, 18 to 32, and we start groups to deal with particular 
sins. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't deal with particular sins, though 
I think the Puritan Owen was onto something. We try to convince 
men of particular sins when they're nothing but sin. You want to address the sin problem 
in a society? Preach the gospel. You see, we 
live in a society full of idolaters, and idolaters do the sorts of 
things that are indicated in this chapter. Look at Israel's 
history when they went after Baal, when they went after Asherah, 
when they went after Molech. Did their society look good? Did they get a Baal worship on 
Sabbath or did they worship Moloch during the week and then go love 
their neighbor as themselves? No. Their commitment to Baal, 
their commitment to Moloch, their commitment to idols issued forth 
in abominable activity. That's the apostles specific 
and conspicuous order. God's wrath is revealed from 
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. And 
then notice the particular offense who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. God has made himself known, but 
sinners do all they can to reject that knowledge. OK. Everybody 
with me, everybody trafficking, you may be in Christ. You may 
have been forgiven of all these sins today. Well, then I hope 
that you'll be stirred up to thank him that much more. And 
you'll be stirred up to sing with the hymn writer, pity the 
nations, oh, our God, and constrain the earth to come. If God targets 
idolatry first, ungodliness, what ought we to think of Islam, 
Romanism, Hinduism, Buddhism? What ought we as believers to 
think? Well, you know, in the final 
analysis, all roads lead to heaven. That is simply not true. We may 
live in a pluralistic society, but theologically we are not 
to be pluralists. We are to maintain with our Savior. I am the way, the truth, and 
the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. We're 
not to create categories of the noble heathen. We're not to create 
categories that general revelation can bring us into acceptance 
with God. We are to repudiate that. We 
are to come to Romans 1 to impress upon us the great need for evangelism 
and for missions. Psalm 10, verse four, the wicked 
in his proud countenance does not see God. God is in none of 
his thoughts. Psalm 14, verse one, the fool 
has said in his heart, there is no God. That's his precommitment. That's his operating principle. 
That's how he's governing his life. It shouldn't surprise us 
what follows in Psalm 14. They are corrupt. They have done 
abominable works. There is none who does good. 
When you take Romans 1 and you look at society and say, that's 
precisely what we have going on today, what is the answer? It's chapter 3, verse 21 and 
all the way. But now the righteousness of 
God is revealed. Apart from the law being witnessed 
by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God 
through faith in Christ Jesus. Notice. We've seen his wrath, 
the specific order and view of the particular offense and then 
the reason. Notice in verse 19 or 18, they 
suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of 
God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For 
since the creation of the world is invisible, attributes are 
clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, 
even his eternal power and Godhead. So that they are without excuse, 
because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God 
nor were thankful, but became futile in their heart or in their 
thoughts and their and their foolish hearts were darkened. 
You see what the apostle is saying. When you drove here this morning. 
As Chilliwackians, you enjoyed the sun, right? A couple of people 
came back from holiday. Well, what have you been missing 
here? It hasn't been like that for the last two weeks. I remember when I first moved 
here from Southern California. Oh, the rain's nice. Fifteen 
years later, God gave the rain and I praise him for it, but 
the sun is nice. See, you're driving here and 
you're appreciating that sunshine. You're appreciating the mountains. 
This is a beautiful place. You see what Paul is saying? 
The created order reveals certain truths about God. And because 
God has made man in his own image, God is inescapable. He can't 
get away from it. He tries. He busies himself. He suppresses truth in unrighteousness. He writes books like Michael 
Martin's philosophical defense of atheism. He starts forums 
and chat rooms to try and argue that there is no God. I mean, 
he does busy himself trying to suppress the truth and unrighteousness, 
but he can't escape it. He can't avoid it. I had a buddy, 
an evolutionist, would ask him, well, where's your proof of the 
creation? Where's your proof that God created? He'd just go 
like this. See, if you didn't have a pre-commitment, 
if you weren't holding down or suppressing the truth and unrighteousness, 
if you weren't an Adam, you'd understand these things properly. 
So you see, they suppress the truth and unrighteousness. They 
know certain things concerning God. They know His eternal power. Verse 20. They know his deity. This is what's called general 
revelation. God reveals himself generally 
through the created order to image bearers that understand 
these truths. And yet they suppress them in 
unrighteousness. Notice how conspicuous verse 
19 reads, because what may be known of God is manifest in them 
for God has shown it to them. I say on the authority of the 
Pauline epistle to the Romans, there is no such thing as a true 
atheist. There's not! He may argue for 
atheism. He may try and convince you otherwise. But God has told us through his 
inspired apostle Paul that he himself has made it evident to 
his image bearers through the created order. The problem isn't 
a lack of evidence. The problem isn't logical consistency. The problem isn't whatever they 
fancy it is. The problem is that sinners suppress 
the truth in unrighteousness. They are depraved. They are in 
Adam. Their eyes are twisted. They reinterpret things according 
to their own assumptions that are governed by their sinful 
nature. But they not only know his eternal 
power and his Godhead, they know something of his ethical standards 
as well. Look at what verse 32 says, who 
knowing the righteous judgment of God. Sinners know that it's right. 
when they do something wrong to be punished. Now, they don't like to embrace 
that reality. They don't like to revel in that 
reality. They want to try and escape that 
reality, but they cannot. They know the righteous judgment 
of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death. 
Cain understood this, didn't he? Cain understood that people 
would want his blood, want his life. for his act against Abel. Sinners know this. It's hardwired 
in us. We have to fight the temptation 
to succumb to some namby-pamby approach to civil ethics. God 
has put it in us to want to see justice and judgment and righteously 
implement it. The sinner knows this. Notice 
his response. He knows God. He does not glorify 
him as God. Verse 21. This is the cross. 
This is the hub. This is where that ungodliness 
comes to comes to obvious fruition, because although they knew God, 
they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became 
futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. 
Just back up for a moment. As I said, I want to preach this 
sermon this morning because some of us, at times, don't always 
think about missions and evangelism. I'm not blaming anybody. I'm 
not saying you terrible people. Notice I said some of us. We 
need to keep these things fresh in perspective. Notice what general 
revelation does for a man. General revelation, God revealing 
himself generally through the created order to his image bearers, 
reveals God. reveals his eternal power, reveals 
his deity, reveals his righteousness in the judgment of sinners, but 
it does not save man. In fact, what we know of God 
through general revelation leaves us without a defense. It leaves 
us without an apologetic. It leaves us on the day of judgment 
without the place to say, but I just didn't. No. Oh, yes, you 
did know, because God made it evident to you. You suppress 
the truth and unrighteousness. You are left inexcusable. You 
are left without an apologetic. You have no defense before a 
thrice holy God. But this general revelation doesn't 
save men. This is where sometimes people, 
oh wait, that doesn't seem fair. It is fair. We need special revelation. See, 
when you were driving this morning, you looked at Mount Sham and 
you looked at that sunshine and you look at the created order, 
you don't see blood atonement. You don't see the principle of 
Hebrews 922, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. 
You don't see the reality of John 1, 29, behold, the Lamb 
of God who takes away the sin of the world. You see why gospel 
preaching is necessary. You see why missionaries and 
evangelists are necessary. You see why we write checks and 
why we send money overseas? Do you see the necessity? We've 
got a world populated with six billion sinners that have enough 
knowledge of God to land them into the lake of fire. But not 
the knowledge of God that is redemptive and salvific in nature. 
Of course, we pray, pity the nations, oh our God. Of course, 
we respond to Matthew 28, 18 to 20. Of course, we think in 
terms of gospel missions and evangelism. Of course, we pray 
for preachers on Sunday morning. Of course, we pray for the Spirit 
of God to be at work in the midst of our assembling together. Because 
there are sinners there under the wrath of God who know enough 
about Him, but suppress that truth and unrighteousness to 
be in excusable and without a defense on the day of judgment. You see, 
Romans one ought to feed your prayer life. It ought to affect 
us. It ought to move us. It ought 
to cause us to pray to God, Lord, in heaven, we ask and pray that 
you will raise men up, not to be great comedians or great entertainers. Not to be shysters that work 
the crowd. Raise men up with a burden for 
the glory of God and with a genuine desire to see sinners saved, 
to preach the truth of Romans 1-3. God send forth laborers 
into your harvest. What's Jesus say? The harvest 
truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray the Lord of the 
harvest to send men forth. See, Romans 1 ought to be affecting 
us. Murray says to glorify God here 
as God is not to augment God's glory or to add to it, it means 
simply to ascribe to God the glory that belongs to him in 
virtue of the perfections which the visible creation itself makes 
known. It's an amazing thing. God has 
shown himself. We are to respond by glorifying 
him. But what Paul says is true, because 
although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor 
were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish 
hearts were darkened. Now, let's look at the second 
broad observation, the descent into idolatry. See, we are religious beings, 
you can't escape it. We're going to worship something. Right? God made us to worship. That's why much of what happens 
in terms of sin has the feel of religion to it. And you see 
a man committed with his time and his money to a particular 
vice. That's religion. It's his God, 
it's his idol, it's the one he serves. Jesus in Matthew 6, as 
we'll see next time we're there, you cannot serve God in mammon. Mammon in and of itself, riches, 
money, resources, isn't necessarily sin. It's our approach to that 
mammon. It's our approach to that object. 
It's how we view it. You see, man was created to worship 
and in defecting from the triune God, he seeks alternate means. He seeks alternate idols, not 
that God's an idol. He seeks alternate places to 
vent his worship. And that's what Paul tells us 
here. Professing to be wise, they became fools. We don't need 
that religion, we don't need that God, that stuff for the 
Sunday school, that's good for kids, that's good for the masses, 
it's their opiate, it makes them cope, it makes them comfortable, 
it helps them. Look, you know, we've arrived, 
we've evolved, we've gotten to the place and the point and the 
time, but we just don't need that God stuff anymore. What 
is that? They profess to be wise. If you don't think this is going 
on today, you don't get out much. What happens? They profess to 
be wise, but they become fools. They're sophomores. I don't want 
to hurt any of the younger people that are sophomores in school, 
but you know what sophomore means, right? It means wise fool. Sophos 
and moros. Put together, you're wise fools. 
You're not a freshman anymore, they're just fools. You're not 
a senior, they're just wise. Qualified wisdom there. You're 
in between, you're a wise fool, you see? At one and the same 
time, you have some wisdom and foolishness. Paul says that man 
apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ is a sophomore. He fancies 
himself to be wise. He fancies himself to have arrived. 
He thinks that the story of Noah's Ark was just a children's story. 
Which, by the way, just by way of an aside, we decorate children's 
Sunday school places with pictures of the Ark and all these little 
animals on it. What was the flood? It was God's execution of wrath 
and fury and judgment upon the then world. And yet we put all 
these little animals in there and make it look cute. The sophomores 
come along and say, who would believe that stuff? Who would 
believe all those animals just hanging out with Noah, singing 
songs in the sunlight while the rest of society is outside? Well, we believe it because the 
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 
and unrighteousness of men. And at the time of Noah, the 
earth was exceedingly corrupt and filled with violence. So 
God sent that wrath upon earth to deal with sinners and their 
rebellion. That looks a little bit differently 
hanging up in the Sunday school room, doesn't it? You see, there's sophomores out 
there. They profess to be wise. How could you believe that? How 
could you believe that? Don't you know the Bible's filled 
with contradiction? Don't you know the Bible's written 
by men? Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know? They're 
professing to be wise, but in reality, they're fools. Their hearts are darker. The 
idolatry of verse 23, they change the glory of the incorruptible 
God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed 
animals and creeping things. Paul is a master theologian. Paul understands the scripture. 
Paul is working with creation in his mind. He's working through 
the Psalms. He is bringing this argument 
to bear upon these people and upon us with all of the weight 
of God's holy word behind him. This is reflective of the creation 
account. Man, birds, four-footed animals 
and creeping things. We change the glory of the incorruptible 
God. Instead of bowing in worship, 
instead of praising Him, we worship other people. We worship other 
things. We worship animals. You see this 
in Israel's history. Exodus chapter 32. What is smack 
dab in the middle of this construction program for the tabernacle? It's 
gut wrenching. It's heart wrenching. They're 
putting together the tabernacle where God is going to dwell with 
them. What do they do? They make a 
calf. They exalt the calf and they 
bow down to the calf and they ascribe the power of the exodus 
to the calf. You say, well, we would never 
do that outside of Jesus Christ. We most certainly would. And 
never forget the admonition of 1 John 5, 21, after discoursing 
on love, on righteousness, on obedience. How does John sign 
off in 1 John? Little children, keep yourselves 
from idols. We're prone to wander, prone 
to leave the God we love. We may not bow down to a totem 
pole, we may not bow down to a calf, but we'll bow down to 
our own lusts, we'll bow down to our own mammon, we'll bow 
down to our own family pursuits, we'll bow down to anything and 
everything other than Jesus. It's terrible. It's horrible. So the guilt of mankind. The 
descent into idolatry, they change the glory of the incorruptible 
God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four footed 
animals and creeping things. And so one of six verses 19 to 
21, they made a calf in Horeb and worship the molded image. 
Thus, they exchanged their glory into the image of an ox that 
eats grass. They forgot God, their Savior, 
who had done great things in Egypt. The prophet Jeremiah chapter 
2 verse 11 has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods. 
But my people have changed their glory for what does not profit. 
You see, there's a great exchange going on. We have the incorruptible 
God. We know by virtue of being created 
in his image and the general revelation that everywhere screams 
of his eternal power and his God and in his righteousness. 
And yet we suppress that truth and unrighteousness. We exchange 
the glory of the incorruptible. for the for the for the wickedness 
of the corruptible. It's terrible. Douglas Moose 
says this tragic process of human God making continues apace in 
our own day, and Paul's words have as much relevance for people 
who have made money or sex or fame their gods, as for those 
who carved idols out of wood and stone. Thus is verses 24 
to 31 show the whole dreadful panoply or the range of sins 
that plague humanity has its roots in the soil of this idolatry. See, that's the issue confronting 
us in the 21st century. Yes, there's homosexuals. Yes, 
there's fornicators. Yes, there's crack cocaine addicts. 
Yes, there's alcoholics. Yes, there's wife beaters. Yes, 
there's child abusers. Yes, there's all these dastardly 
things. The root, the core, the sum, 
the substance is idolatry. When men exchange the glory of 
the incorruptible God for an image of man or for a beast or 
for a creeping thing, then all manner of wickedness proceeds. And that brings us, thirdly, 
to the unrighteous practices of idolaters, verses 24 to 32. You see the progression, brethren. 
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 
and unrighteousness of men. Why? Because they suppress the 
truth and unrighteousness. What may be known of God is manifest 
in them because God has made it manifest to them. And yet 
what they have done is they have thrown that out. They've given 
their religious worship and homage to another, and as a result of 
worshiping that thing, you become like it. G.K. Beale has a wonderful book, 
if you're so inclined, to a biblical study of idolatry. It's called 
We Become What We Worship. And he shows that when a man 
bows down to an idol, he resembles that which he worships. It's 
a fascinating study. Israel is called stiff-necked 
at times, right? Isn't that a mark of calves? 
Mark of cattle? They're stiff-necked. They're 
recalcitrant. You have to put a yoke on them 
and break them and bring them over to you. They become like 
that which they've worshipped. We read it in Psalm 115 verse 
8. What happens when a man commits idolatry? He becomes like the 
idol. This is why Israel is indicted 
for having ears but not hearing, eyes but not seeing. They're 
like their idols, right? You read that in Psalm 115. The 
language, at least in terms of the translation, seems a little 
bit funny almost. Noses they have, but they do 
not smell. You see, when that was read in 
worship in the temple, The people of God were realizing there's 
a stark contrast here. Our God is in the heavens. He 
does whatever He pleases. He sees everything. He hears 
everything. He knows everything. The idols 
of the nations, the idols of the heathens, are futile. They're 
useless. They have eyes they don't see. 
They have ears they don't hear. They have noses they don't smell. 
Well, what happens when Israel goes a-whoring and follows them? 
They take on those particular characteristics. The prophet 
Isaiah indicts the people in his day, in chapter 6, because 
seeing they don't see, hearing they don't hear. What Beal's 
thesis statement is simply this. What you revere, you resemble, 
either for ruin or redemption. What you revere, what you give 
religious worship and homage to, you resemble, either for 
ruin or redemption. What are Christians supposed 
to be doing? Conform to the image of Christ. We are to be godly, 
right? Because we worship, we revere 
the God of heaven and earth. We must resemble him. We must 
be like him. We must take on his characteristics. I mean, you think about some 
of the idols of men. They leave an imprint upon the 
worshipper. Prolonged drug use starts to 
affect the body. You can usually tell a meth user. 
You can usually tell who has a habit in that way because the 
idol is affecting them physically. It's terrible. What we revere, 
we resemble either for ruin or redemption. The unrighteous practices 
of the idolaters. We're not going to go through 
every jot and tittle here. Sexual immorality, verses 24 
to 27. Sexual immorality. We look at that today or we hear 
it said, boy, this is a sign of a liberated society. This 
is the sign of freedom. This is the sign of revolution. 
Yes, a revolution against the living and true God. When sexuality 
is vaunted the way that it is in the world, and unfortunately 
in the church today, it's not a sign that God is pleased with 
us. It's a sign that God has handed 
us over. Romans 1 ought to scare you, 
too. Nice sunny day. You come in here and you get 
scared. This is what it's about, brethren. God gave them a Rejection 
of God, I already alluded to this in verse 28. This is terrible. And even as they did not like 
to retain God in their knowledge, as if we have the choice. Would you like the soup today? 
I don't think so. We treat God that way. Yeah, 
I don't think I want to keep him on my knowledge. He doesn't 
serve me. He doesn't help me. He doesn't 
do anything for me. So I'm just not going to think 
about God. We heard this a lot. Where was 
God on September 11th? Where He was on September 10th? 
Where He was on September 12th? Where He has been from everlasting 
to everlasting? The problem isn't, where was 
God? The problem is always, where are we? We don't like to retain 
the knowledge of God. There's a section in the prophet 
Jeremiah where God, through the prophet, says, they turn to me 
the back. They don't want to retain God 
in our knowledge. He doesn't do anything for me? 
Forget it. Various vices. Some of you young 
people or some of you children, you might be saying, well, I'm 
not a homosexual. This passage tells us homosexuality is horrible. 
I'm not that atheistic kind of a person that just throws God 
out of my mind. I mean, I'm in church after all. 
Look at this vice list. Is there anyone he doesn't cover? 
Seriously, brethren, just think to yourself. Let's just read 
through this category of vices and answer the question. Are 
you found out? I'm not going to say every head 
bowed and every eye closed, raise your hand when you hear your 
sin. I'm not going to do that. You just look at the exhaustive 
and comprehensive character of this vice list. being filled 
with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, 
maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil 
mindedness, they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, 
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things. Notice this one, 
disobedient to parents. You're a viceless there with 
the homosexual. You're a viceless there with 
the murderer. You're a viceless there with the wicked and the 
sexually immoral. What's Paul doing? Paul is showing 
and Paul is proving his point that all men everywhere are liable 
under sin. Undiscerning, untrustworthy, 
unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful. And then if that isn't enough, 
notice verse 32. He says that men in sin have 
a solidarity. They're in union with one another. 
It's intriguing. In Psalm 2, the rulers, the kings 
of the earth, take their stand against the Lord and against 
his anointing. Can you get two kings or two 
rulers from competing nations in the same room together? Not 
usually. But when they oppose God, the 
Lord, and his Christ, there's an interesting account of that 
in the Gospels. Pilate and Herod weren't buddies. In fact, it 
specifies they don't like each other. But when it came to opposing 
Jesus, they were like this. Aggression against God makes 
some interesting bedfellows, doesn't it? Rejection of Christ 
makes some interesting bedfellows. Notice what he says in verse 
32. Calvin calls this the summit of evil. who, knowing the righteous 
judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving 
of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who 
practice them. The approval here means hearty 
consent. It's not just I approve that 
they're heartily consenting, and interestingly enough, the 
very word that Luke uses when he describes Saul of Tarsus looking 
on as Stephen is stoned to death. What's it say of Paul? He gave 
consent. He gave approval. He was right there with them. 
He may not have been throwing the stones, but his heart was 
certainly joined with theirs. I don't think it's any accident 
it's the same word. John Murray says it this way, 
to put it bluntly, we are not only bent on damning ourselves, 
but we congratulate others in the doing of those things that 
we know have their issue in damnation. We not only damn ourselves, but 
we congratulate those who do those things which have their 
issue in damnation. You've seen the revelation of 
his wrath, the descent into idolatry, the unrighteous practices of 
idolaters. Fourthly and quickly, the judgment 
of God upon idolaters. The people exchange the truth 
for idols. God gives them up. Remember, 
we read in Psalm 106 verses 19 to 21, they exchanged their glory 
into the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, 
their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt. That same psalm 
goes on to say, therefore, the wrath of the Lord was kindled 
against his people so that he abhorred his own inheritance. 
And he gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who 
hated them ruled over them. You see the connection? When 
we reject God, when we cast off God, God then hands us over. God then gives us up. In this 
particular instance, they exchange the truth of God for idols, for 
the image of corruptible man, for four-footed animals, for 
creeping things. And as a result, God gives them 
up. It goes on to say again, they 
exchange the truth of God for the lie. What does God do? Well, you know, it's a pluralistic 
society. Believe whatever you want. He gave them up. Those vices take over. The wickedness 
multiplies. The sinfulness just gravitates. And what does God do in response? 
He gives them up. You see, when you look at a society 
like ours, you don't say, wow, aren't we doing great? Aren't we evolved? You look at a society like ours, 
you should say, God have mercy. You should pray with the prophet 
in your wrath, remember mercy. I'm not a prophet, I'm not the 
son of a prophet. You can YouTube any guy that's 
going to say, this is the end, this is the time, this is this, 
this is that. Based on Romans chapter 1, we 
can't avoid at least the thought that society today bears the 
marks of having been given over by God Most High. Well that's exposition. I just 
want to close. Actually we'll close tonight. I don't want to sort of snip 
this off. Say Amen. But I want to close 
on a positive note. Can't forget Romans 1.17 and 
you can't forget Romans 3.21. This is the problem. You look at your own heart and 
you say, why? Romans 1. When you see some man who sexually 
abuses little girls, Romans 1. When you see political orders 
built on lies rather than truth, Romans 1. See, the Christian 
in this world has the answers. We really do. And as far as the 
depravity of man is concerned, it's all right here in vivid 
detail, 1.18 to 32. But you mustn't forget what brackets 
Romans 1.18 to 3.19 or 3.20. But now the righteousness of 
God is revealed. You are here this morning and 
you find yourself in this particular list, this vice list, where you 
find yourself as an idolater, where you find yourself as a 
whatever kind of sin is in this particular chapter. I'm not talking 
about remaining corruption. I'm sure that even as we read 
through that list and every eye is closed, every head is bowed, 
we can raise our hands at something there that we struggle with in 
terms of remaining corruption. We're talking about remaining 
corruption, we're talking about reigning sin, the orientation 
of your life, the disposition of your heart, the commitment 
of your soul. If it's to an idol, if it's to 
these vices, if it's to those things that are ungodly and unrighteous, 
you need to listen to Romans chapter 3 and verse 21. The wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who 
suppress the truth and unrighteousness. That means you We're not talking 
about the Armenians right now, the Pelagians. We're not talking 
about the Muslims. We're not talking about the Buddhists 
or the atheists or whoever's out there. We're talking about 
right now. If you have not come to Christ, 
you are in Romans chapter one. The good news is, is there's 
a Romans chapter three, twenty one and following. There is a 
but now. There is an answer. There is 
the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, to 
the Jew first and also to the Greek. Because in the Gospel, 
the righteousness that God demands is supplied, not by your works, 
not by your doing, not by your moral reform, not by your trying 
harder, but because God set forth His Son Jesus as a propitiation 
by His blood. to demonstrate his own righteousness, 
to show us that God is both just and the justifier of the one 
who has faith in Jesus Christ. You see, this bad news makes 
the good news that much more precious. So I've always thought 
if you just tell people, hey, Jesus will make you a little 
happier. OK. All right. But when you say Jesus reaches 
down into the cesspool of sin and misery and wickedness and 
evil and idolatry and vile practices that we find here in chapter 
one, and he brings you out of it, cleanses you with his blood 
and puts on a garment that avails with God. Praise be to God. That's why when Paul finishes 
his exposition of the gospel, he says this, for of him and 
through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. You see, a fresh appreciation 
of sin and of the Savior should cause us to be worshipers. should cause us to stand amazed 
at the cross of Jesus Christ. And if you are not saved this 
morning, believe on him. That's the instrument. That's 
what God's grace uses. It is in the right in it. The 
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith by grace. You've been saved through faith 
and that not of yourselves believe and you will be saved. Well, 
let us pray. Father, we thank you and we rejoice 
that there is good news. We thank you and we rejoice that 
there is the power of God unto salvation for sinners in such 
a position. God, we thank you that you have 
dealt mercifully and kindly and graciously with us. And we pray 
that even today, God, as this gospel is proclaimed throughout 
the earth, more and more and more people would come to know 
Christ as Lord and Savior. Do this, God, for your glory. 
Do this for your praise and for your honor. Do this, God, in 
our own midst with those who do not know you. We pray that 
they would not reject and not suppress. And as they hear the 
gospel, they would believe by the grace of God to the saving 
of their never dying souls. We pray that today would be the 
day of salvation, the day to come out from under the very 
wrath of God and to enjoy that blessed righteousness that you 
give in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do this, Lord God, we pray in 
Christ's holy name. Amen.