Daily Bread 2011 - Romans 1
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.
What Does This Mean?
Today we start our journey through the epistle, or letter to the Church at Rome. At the end of Acts 28, we see that Paul had spent two years under protection here and allowed people to come into his home where he proclaimed the kingdom and taught about the way of Jesus. We see at the end of verse 6 Paul says, “And you are also among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus.”
The book of Romans is regarded by many as the finest exposition of Christian doctrine in the bible. Paul systematically lays out the tenets of the faith in chapters 1-12, and the closes with some applications for life for all the theology he has laid out starting with the famous verse in Romans 12:1-2.
As Paul lays out a clear explanation of the Gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) to whom he has been called, he starts in chapter 1 with explaining our human depravity. Like all good systematic theology it starts with the “Fall” of humankind. Importantly read in this first chapter how Paul argues that all that can be known about God is clear in His creation, where He reveals His divine power and eternal nature so that that “all men are without excuse”.
This is important because it would say to us that there is a general revelation about who God is to every human being who is born into this world. Every human being is on equal footing in that all that can be known about God is clear in His creation. Specifically as humans we are created with a basic understanding of right and wrong, and also an inherent internal questioning of where we came from and where we are going.
But Romans 1 argues that although all these truths about God were self-evident, humans chose to ignore the one true God and construct other gods (little “g”) according to their fancies and whims. Importantly it says that although they “knew” God, that they neither acknowledged Him or gave thanks to Him. And since this was the desire of their hearts God gave them over to their foolish thinking and gave them what their hearts desired (demanded).
Although the first chapter is bleak it sets the stage for the Good News of the Gospel in the chapters to come. Stay tuned.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Often you will hear people ask the question, what about the people who have never heard about Jesus Christ, how will they be judged? Well Romans 1 gives us a clear answer. Every person clearly has been shown who God is by His very nature and Creation, so that all are without excuse. Every person has an innate sense of God and that he/she are made in God’s image. They can choose to reject who they are and pursue a lie (false gods), or embrace the one true God who eventually more specifically revealed Himself thorough His Son, Jesus in the power of the Spirit.
This gives us hope that everyone we talk to, whether they are Christian or not, has an inkling to know about God and where they came from and where they will go when they die. Some, of course, have quenched this innate desire, and may not be open to conversation about the most intrinsic question every human being should be concerned about, but as Paul did we should go on and seek those who are open to God’s call and hearing the Good news of the Gospel.
Jesus, guide us to be like Paul in our passion to share the Good news with those who are lost and have not yet connected their innate desire to know You. Thank you for coming and revealing to us the true nature of God the Father and His love for all mankind through all your life and teachings. Amen.
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.
What Does This Mean?
Today we start our journey through the epistle, or letter to the Church at Rome. At the end of Acts 28, we see that Paul had spent two years under protection here and allowed people to come into his home where he proclaimed the kingdom and taught about the way of Jesus. We see at the end of verse 6 Paul says, “And you are also among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus.”
The book of Romans is regarded by many as the finest exposition of Christian doctrine in the bible. Paul systematically lays out the tenets of the faith in chapters 1-12, and the closes with some applications for life for all the theology he has laid out starting with the famous verse in Romans 12:1-2.
As Paul lays out a clear explanation of the Gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) to whom he has been called, he starts in chapter 1 with explaining our human depravity. Like all good systematic theology it starts with the “Fall” of humankind. Importantly read in this first chapter how Paul argues that all that can be known about God is clear in His creation, where He reveals His divine power and eternal nature so that that “all men are without excuse”.
This is important because it would say to us that there is a general revelation about who God is to every human being who is born into this world. Every human being is on equal footing in that all that can be known about God is clear in His creation. Specifically as humans we are created with a basic understanding of right and wrong, and also an inherent internal questioning of where we came from and where we are going.
But Romans 1 argues that although all these truths about God were self-evident, humans chose to ignore the one true God and construct other gods (little “g”) according to their fancies and whims. Importantly it says that although they “knew” God, that they neither acknowledged Him or gave thanks to Him. And since this was the desire of their hearts God gave them over to their foolish thinking and gave them what their hearts desired (demanded).
Although the first chapter is bleak it sets the stage for the Good News of the Gospel in the chapters to come. Stay tuned.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Often you will hear people ask the question, what about the people who have never heard about Jesus Christ, how will they be judged? Well Romans 1 gives us a clear answer. Every person clearly has been shown who God is by His very nature and Creation, so that all are without excuse. Every person has an innate sense of God and that he/she are made in God’s image. They can choose to reject who they are and pursue a lie (false gods), or embrace the one true God who eventually more specifically revealed Himself thorough His Son, Jesus in the power of the Spirit.
This gives us hope that everyone we talk to, whether they are Christian or not, has an inkling to know about God and where they came from and where they will go when they die. Some, of course, have quenched this innate desire, and may not be open to conversation about the most intrinsic question every human being should be concerned about, but as Paul did we should go on and seek those who are open to God’s call and hearing the Good news of the Gospel.
Jesus, guide us to be like Paul in our passion to share the Good news with those who are lost and have not yet connected their innate desire to know You. Thank you for coming and revealing to us the true nature of God the Father and His love for all mankind through all your life and teachings. Amen.
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