WHO NEEDS THE GOSPEL? THEY DO!

Background Passage: ROMANS 1:18-32

Lesson Passage:ROMANS 1:18-32

PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE THEY HAVE REJECTED GOD BY SINFUL LIVING.

KEY BIBLE VERSE: ROMANS 1:18

Early on, children bump into some basic principles for living that don't budge. For example, if preschoolers want some water, they learn that they must turn the handle on the faucet at the sink. When they do, water will flow out of the spout. If they hold a cup upright under the spout, they learn that it will capture the water for them. When they accept the principle and apply it to their lives, they can keep themselves refreshed with plenty of water.

Even into adulthood, people continue to bump into truths for living that never change. Some of the timeless truths have to do with living right here and now. The most important truths, however, have to do with eternal life.

The Bible affirms a timeless truth about giving ourselves to the Lord. God wants us to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. If we reject Him, we will embrace a life that's governed by sin. If we allow Him to govern our lives, we will embrace Him and reject a lifestyle of sin.

BACKGROUND PASSAGE OVERVIEW

Although Paul never mentioned the Gentiles by name in this passage, he had them in mind as he wrote about God's righteousness and His wrath in response to sin. The Gentiles had prompted God's anger because of their willingness to let sin rule over them. God had made sure that they would know about Him. All they had to do was to look at the world He created. Instead of turning to Him, however, they ignored the clear indicators of His power and presence and smothered the truth about Him. Consequently, God held them accountable for rejecting Him and embracing a lifestyle of sin.

When the Gentiles rejected God, they gave themselves to thoughts and actions that continued to drive them deeper into spiritual darkness. Instead of worshiping god because He created the world, they began to worship the creation itself. Because they rejected God, He turned them loose to serve the urges that would eventually enslave them. Under the control of their sinful lifestyles, they gave themselves to sexual immorality and other acts of degrading behavior. Their sinful lifestyles infected their minds, too. Warped thinking allowed them to behave in ways God declared morally wrong.

Although God gave them a choice, they knew that He would hold them accountable for what they were doing. He wouldn't allow them to bypass His judgment on their sinful living. They deserved to die because of the way they lived. Although they knew the penalty, they continued to live sinfully. To make the situation worse, they encouraged other people who shared their obsession for life governed by sin.

Paul explained the reason the Gentiles had given themselves to sinful living. He also described how they had placed themselves under God's judgment. God would have the last word about how they lived, and His judgment would affect them in the present as well as in eternity.

STUDY QUESTIONS 1.What attributes of God evident in creation did Paul identify?(Romans 1:20)
2.What did the Gentiles refuse to do once they knew God?(1:21)
3.Why did God give the Gentiles over to a worthless mind?(1:28)
4. How well did the Gentiles know god's sentence for their sinful actions? (1:32)

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLES AND READ ROMANS 1:18-20

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

VERSES 18 ~ Paul began by bringing up God's wrath. More than just a way of saying that God lost His temper because Gentiles did bad things, the expression portrays Gods normal, expected response to sin—which is revealed any time people decide to reject God and embrace a sinful lifestyle.

People have to do something with the truth about God. If they embrace the truth, they will reject the pattern of sinful living. If they ignore the truth, they must suppress it. Somehow they must try to smother the truth if they intend to ignore it.

VERSES 19 ~ In order to suppress the truth, people have to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to what can be known about God. God has given us plenty of evidence that points everyone to Him. In His wisdom, God made sure that people could get to know Him simply by looking around their world.

VERSE 20 ~ Some of the most persuasive evidence is in God's creation. Although God is invisible, the world He created speaks volumes about who He is and what He can do. (See study question 1). People can ignore clear evidence about God, but that choice invites God's wrath. That's why no one has an excuse to reject God. What He has done in creation blasts the truth about Him like a supercharged sound system. The only way people can ignore the truth is to muffle the loudspeakers in an attempt to smother the sound.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLES AND READ (ROMANS 1:21-25)

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

VERSES 21 ~ When people ignore creation's message about God, they do not glorify God with their lives or thank Him for all the things He has done for them. (See study question 2.) The more they talk themselves into walking away from God, the deeper they go into spiritual darkness.

VERSE 22 ~ Godless persons find themselves stumbling in the darkness into which they have wandered. Instead of confessing their foolishness, they claim that they have done something wise. They convince themselves that they are dancing in the moonlight of their wisdom, not stumbling in the darkness of fools.

VERSE 23 ~ Such persons show their foolishness by what they choose to worship and serve. They prefer to worship handmade images of mortal creatures instead of the immortal God. Glory only accompanies the presence of God.

VERSES 24 ~ Paul said that when the Gentiles made a foolish choice, the Lord delivered them over to impure sexual urges. In time, the path they took would take them to the penalty they would pay for their foolishness. When God released them, they continued down the path to do even more degrading things to their bodies. Such unseemly behavior became the sentence God had in mind when He let them go.

VERSE 25 ~ Like the Gentiles of Paul's day, people continue to turn their backs on god and to embrace a lie about what's really important in life. The lie makes them refuse to worship the eternal God who created everything around them. At the same time, it prompts them to devote themselves completely to something that's here today and gone tomorrow.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLES AND READ ROMANS 1:26-31

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

VERSE 26 ~ Paul elaborated on the degrading passions of the Gentiles as they continued to embrace everything sinful. They started the downward spiral by engaging in immoral acts, but that didn't satisfy them. As they kept on venturing farther away from God, their sexual urges for one another became ever more unnatural. Homosexuality became the most glaring expression of a lifestyle governed by unrestrained sin.

VERSE 27 ~ In these verses Paul provided the most direct information about homosexuality in the New Testament. The information points us clearly to the obvious conclusion that God condemns homosexuality. He allows no exceptions. Females should not inflame lust for one another, and males should not commit shameless acts with one another.

Paul brought up the shameless acts associated with homosexual behavior. Although he didn't describe the penalty in detail, he indicated that it was appropriate. He also said that it would be inflicted on the people whose perverted passions prompted them to engage in homosexuality.

VERSSE 28 ~ Notice how the Gentiles filled themselves with distasteful thoughts and attitudes that led to ungodly behavior. Also, notice that “fornication” is included in this verse in the KJV. The word doesn't appear in the Holman CSB only because the two versions follow different Greek manuscripts. Paul clearly condemned fornication (see 1 Cor. 5-70)

VERSES 30-31 ~ Our minds are the seedbeds of our actions. If we nurture our minds with thoughts that honor god, our actions will reflect our devotion to Him. By contrast, if we fill our minds with notions that ignore God, we will behave in ways that demonstrate our godlessness. When the Gentiles refused to turn to the Lord, they gave themselves to sinful living. According to Paul, they paid a price for their decisions. The same sad reality applies to anyone who rejects the Lord.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLES AND READ ROMANS 1:32

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

VERSE 32 ~ Throughout this section of Paul's letter, God has been viewed as the Creator of the world. In His wisdom, He designed everything in His creation to point people to Him. God has also been seen as Judge. He will hold everyone accountable for the way they respond to Him.

As the judge who has the final word, God has the right to pronounce His sentence on our actions. After all, He created us and placed us in the world He created. Furthermore, He has given us the freedom to choose to give Him our lives.

If people choose to ignore Him, they have to face the consequences associated with their choice. Turning away from God, they will give themselves to warped thinking that will lead to sinful living. God has already rendered His verdict for their behavior. They deserve to die. The death sentence He renders includes physical, spiritual, and eternal dimensions.

Paul asserted that people who reject God are aware of His verdict, but they are so enslaved by sinful living that they don't care. (See study question 4). They continue to live as if they will never be accountable. Even worse, they encourage other people to embrace a lifestyle dominated by sin.

Ignoring God's penalty for their sins won't make that penalty go away. Warped thinking won't explain it away, and devotion to sinful living won't elbow it out of their lives. God will hold people accountable for what they do to themselves. And He will render His verdict on them for the way they have influenced countless others to embrace a life governed by sin.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

The truth about giving ourselves to God will never change. If we turn our backs on God, we demonstrate it with our lives. Our thoughts and actions will show a lifestyle devoted to sin. However, if we give ourselves to the Lord, we reject sinful ways of living. Because of this timeless truth, Christians do well to evaluate what our lifestyles are saying about our devotion to the Lord. What can we do to show that we are not governed by a life of sin?

*We can open our minds to truth about God with a willing heart.
*We can give more attention to thanking Him for everything He has done for us.
*We can fill our minds with ideas that strengthen our relationship with God.
*We can pray for God to help us reach out to people who are spiritually dead because of His verdict on their sinful living.

Little children who embrace the principle for getting water enjoy the benefit that accompanies it. They have a constant supply of water that will always refresh them. Likewise, when we embrace the truth about giving ourselves to the Lord, we enjoy His refreshing presence in our lives