They are Without Excuse

They Suppress the Truth

Romans 1:18-20 ESV

 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

 

Notice with me what this says here, for it is critical that we get this. This does not say that the wrath of God is revealed against all who do not profess faith in Jesus Christ. It is against ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness of humans, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

 

And who are the unrighteous? Again, they are not just those who do not profess faith in Jesus Christ. They are those who practice wickedness. And who are the righteous? They are those who practice righteousness and who do not make a practice of sin (1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

So, the way in which people suppress the truth of God is by their unrighteous deeds, by how they live for themselves and for the flesh instead of living for God and for his righteousness, in his power and strength. So, the unrighteous can be some people who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

 

The reason they are without excuse is because God has revealed himself to all of humanity through his created works. His eternal power and his divine nature have been clearly perceived in the things that he has made. The only way we can’t see God in his creation is if we block him out.

 

Although They Knew God

Romans 1:21-23 ESV

 

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

 

When it says here that they “knew” God, it is not speaking of the intimate relationship that followers of Jesus Christ have with God. The Scriptures make that quite clear. It just means that they had the knowledge of who God is. They could see him through what he created.

 

But even though they had the knowledge of God, and of who he is, they did not honor him as God. And you know what? The false gospel which is permeating much of today’s church is teaching people that they can believe in Jesus, and go to heaven when they die, but that they don’t have to honor God with their lives.

 

They are teaching them that they don’t have to repent (turn from their sins) or obey the Lord or submit to his Lordship over their lives. For, they are teaching that mere words can gain them entry into heaven, even if they deny the Lord by how they live their lives on this earth.

 

So, we have an epidemic of people professing faith in Jesus Christ, convinced that they are going to heaven, but who are dishonoring the Lord by how they live their lives, and so their foolish hearts have been darkened, for they exchanged the glory of God for the things of this world.

 

He Gave Them Up

Romans 1:24-27 ESV

 

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

 

“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

 

Professing Christian, if you do not submit your life to Christ as Lord, and if you decide that you can continue living in your sin while claiming salvation from sin and eternal life with God, please be aware that the Scriptures teach that you will NOT inherit eternal life with God.

 

If you rebel against the Lord, and you decide that you know better than God, and that you have the freedom to keep on in your sinful practices, God will hand you over to your sins, and he will let you reap the results of your rebellion, which is death, not life eternal with God.

 

It will not go well for you. You will live a miserable life filled up with the flesh, engaging yourselves in all sorts of wickedness, hurting others who love you, ruining your own life, destroying marriages and family units, damaging your children, never satisfied, and never at true peace.

 

And all this because you decided to exchange the truth of God for a lie, which is what many professing Christians are doing today when they accept a gospel message which tells them that faith in Jesus Christ does not demand their repentance, obedience, and submission to Jesus as Lord.

 

Since You Did not See Fit

Romans 1:28-32 ESV

 

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.

 

“They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

 

Wow! What a list!! This should be only a description of those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ, although some of them live more moral lives than do those who profess the name of Jesus. Some of the non-Christians of this world are much kinder and loving than some Christians.

 

So, if this is how you are living, if you are making these sins your practice (habit, addiction), possibly because you have believed the lie which tells you that you can, and that heaven is still guaranteed you, please know the truth which says that those who practice sin will die in their sins.

 

And, included in this are the sins of the mind, for Jesus said that whoever looks at a woman (or a man) lustfully commits adultery in his/her own heart. And included in this is self-gratification, too, and romantic affairs, and the intentional viewing of seductive and sexually explicit material.

 

And it isn’t just the actual participation in these sins that is the problem, either, but it is the giving of approval to those who practice them, which can be through being entertained by the sins of others or by knowingly giving others permission to sin, or even encouraging them to sin.

 

So, please understand that our God is righteous and holy, and to believe in Jesus means to live holy and godly lives. For, Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. God’s commands are for our good, so we should love them, and we should obey them.

 

Psalm 19

 

Song lyrics taken from Psalm 19 KJV

 

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

 

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

 

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

 

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

 

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever:

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

 

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

 

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