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!