Paul's Epistles Part 7 – Romans - You Are Without Excuse

Paul's Epistles

Part 7 – Romans - You Are Without Excuse

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION

We are going to look at the Epistles of Paul in this series of sermons. We have already looked at who Paul was, our faith being reported around the world, not being ashamed of the Gospel, being Guilty of sin, Apostasy.

Last week we discussed The Results of Apostasy.

Today we will take a look at Romans 2:1-16. You are Without Excuse.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Romans 2:1-16

 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ² Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³ So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

⁵ But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”^[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸ But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. ⁹ There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; ¹⁰ but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹¹ For God does not show favoritism.

¹² All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) ¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

I.                   THEREFORE, YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE

a.      You who pass judgment on someone else.

                                                             i.      Whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself

                                                          ii.      because you do the same things your judging

                                                       iii.      In other words, God judges one who judges another in the same manner in which he himself has judged, hence, "condemning himself".

1.      Matthew 7:1-2

                                                         iv.      Have you judged someone because they have lied? stolen? sinned?

1.      Have you never lied?

2.      Have you never taken something that was not yours?

3.      Are you sinless?

b.     God's judgment is against those things is based on TRUTH

                                                             i.      When you, a mere human, pass judgment on them, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?

1.      God's judgment, unlike ours, is perfect because it comes from Truth...the entire and whole Truth. What is known; can be known and also what is hidden within the heart, revealed only to God.

2.      Making Him the only perfect Judge!

3.      Do not think, because you follow Christ, you are now exempt from judgment. Do not think you are above His instructions. Do not show contempt for His kindness.

c.      Or do you show contempt?

                                                             i.      For God's richness of kindness

                                                          ii.      restraint and patience

                                                       iii.      Not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

1.      Trying to lead you.

II.               BECAUSE OF YOUR STUBBORNNESS & UNREPENTANT HEART

a.      You are storing up wrath against yourself

                                                             i.      For the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.

                                                          ii.      Because of a hardness toward God and refusal to repent.

b.     God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”

                                                             i.      We reap what we sew!

1.      Do you sow chaos?

2.      Do you sow discord?

3.      Do you sow hatred?

4.      Do you sow bitterness?

5.      Do you sow anger?

6.      Do you sow violence?

7.      Or do you sow peace, love, kindness...fruits of the Spirit!

                                                          ii.      To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

                                                       iii.      But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

c.      There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil

                                                             i.      first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;

                                                          ii.      but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good:

1.      First for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹¹ For God does not show favoritism.

III.            SIN APART FROM THE LAW & WITHIN THE LAW

a.       All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law

                                                             i.      And all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

                                                          ii.       For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 

b.     Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.

                                                             i.      They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.

c.      This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

CONCLUSION

Why are we without excuse?

Because the Truth has been made plain to us through all creation, that God is the Creator, and we, His Creation. Therefore, He has the authority to judge His creation.

Showing us He is the Righteous Judge!

Those who knew of God, yet do not glorify Him, neither are they thankful for the blessings, they do not praise Him, their land is wounded by sin, yet they refuse to cry out and repent.

Their vain imaginations create for themselves a new god, and a new way to salvation apart from God, which leads to Apostasy.

Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools, and exchange the glory of an immortal God, for images made to look like mortal things.

God's wrath is stored up for judgment day, for those who refuse to repent, and make Jesus their Lord and Savior.

Isaiah 13:9

See, the day of the Lord is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.

Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?    CLICK HERE!     

Paul's Epistles Part 6 – Romans - The Results of Apostasy

Paul's Epistles

Part 6 – Romans - The Results of Apostasy

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION

We are going to look at the Epistles of Paul in this series of sermons.

The Epistles written by Paul are Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and Hebrews.

We have already looked at who Paul was, our faith being reported around the world, not being ashamed of the Gospel, being Guilty of sin.

Last week we discussed Apostasy.

Today we will take a look at Romans 1:24-28. The Results of Apostasy.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Romans 1:24-28

 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.

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

I.                   THEREFORE (This is the Result of Apostasy)

a.      Guilt of Sin

                                                             i.      Two weeks ago we talked about the Guilt of Sin

                                                          ii.      How God's Wrath is His emotional response to sin

                                                       iii.      Revealed from Heaven upon unrighteousness and ungodliness

                                                         iv.      The truth being plain in the fact that God is the Creator and nothing was created that He did not create.

1.      Second Law of Thermodynamics

2.      Yet, matter is here!

3.      Proof that there was a "Creator"

                                                            v.      Therefore, anyone who tries to disprove the Creation in Genesis, is simply trying to prove there is no God.

                                                         vi.      Also, any who sin are without excuse, because the Truth of God's existence is plain to see, therefore, all who sin are guilty of that sin.

b.     Apostasy

                                                             i.      Last week we talked about how this sin leads to Apostasy

                                                          ii.      They know there is a God, but do not glorify Him

                                                       iii.      Neither were they thankful to Him for blessings and provisions

                                                         iv.      therefore, they create for themselves gods of created things, that they can control

                                                            v.      Professing themselves to be wise, they created gods from birds, animals, reptiles, even humans, sometimes themselves!

c.      The Results of Apostasy

                                                             i.      Their vain imaginations because of their sin

                                                          ii.      The wrath (or emotional response) from God...

                                                       iii.      What is this response?

II.               GOD TURNED THEM OVER

a.      Not merely permission, rather God judicially delivered them over.

                                                             i.      This is a judgment they brought on to themselves.

b.     To the shameful desires of their hearts

                                                             i.      Sexual Impurities

                                                          ii.      Degrading their bodies with one another

c.      Exchanging the Truth about God for a Lie

                                                             i.      referring back to verse 23, speaking of spiritual and sexual uncleanness

d.     They Worshipped and Served created things rather than the Creator

III.            BECAUSE OF THIS (God Turning them Over)

a.      God turned them over to their shameful lusts

                                                             i.      God removed His restraints , giving them unimpeded access to their desires

                                                          ii.      Women exchanged the natural for unnatural

1.      Stating the fact that nature does not promote these desires, even preventing those who behave in this manner from reproducing.

2.      Therefore, it is, by definition, un-natural, nature does not permit it.

                                                       iii.      Men abandoned the natural for unnatural

1.      Not able to reproduce, they recruit

                                                         iv.      Men committed shameful acts with men

1.      and received in themselves the due penalty for their error

2.      What is it they receive within themselves?

a.      Total perversion

b.     The evil desires of their hearts no longer restrained by God

b.     They (the Apostates) did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God

                                                             i.      Removing the Word from schools

                                                          ii.      Removing the Word from Government Buildings

                                                       iii.      President Obama proclaiming America is not a Christian Nation

1.      Which unfortunately is a True Statement

                                                         iv.      Now they are trying to remove God from the Constitution

                                                            v.      Surly we have become a godless nation.

                                                         vi.      We are putting God to the test by not thinking it worthwhile to retain His knowledge.

                                                      vii.      Light rejected, is light withdrawn

1.      James 4:9 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." 

2.      Matthew 15:8 "This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

c.      Apostates have become filled with this total perversion...

                                                             i.      Wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

d.     Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

                                                             i.      This is referring to God's Divine Judgment

                                                          ii.      None who go to hell are undeserving

CONCLUSION

The wrath of God

Romans 1:18-19  ~ "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."

Are Apostates the only sinners? No.

Romans 3:10 “There is no one righteous, not even one;

The forgiveness of God

Romans 3:21-24 "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in^[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Salvation is a Call Away

Romans 10:13 "for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

So it is, and so it was;

Joel 2:32 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;"

Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?    CLICK HERE!