ROMANS UNWRAPPED 21

"WHO HOLD THE TRUTH IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS"     Romans 1 v 18


This is a general opening statement, describing the content of Romans 1 v 18-32.   They knew the truth, but they suppressed it: the word for "hold" can be translated retain or hold down and as always the context determines the meaning.   They suppressed the truth, preferring to live in sin.
"UNGODLINESS" is just un-God-likeness, and men, created to be like God, "made in His image", chose to abandon Him------bad choice.  The whole point of the scripture here is that they are without excuse. In chapter 2 we shall see that religious man is without excuse, here pagan man is without excuse, i.e there is no reason for their position. Here is how they suppressed the truth of God with all the disastrous consequences.

1) They DISHONOURED God.  Romans 1 v 21 -23

It was not lack of knowledge; what may be known of God, they knew because" God showed it to them". This knowledge was twofold and unmistakeable:
a) Internally    "what may be known of God is MANIFEST IN THEM." There is an in- built knowledge of God in all of us.   This fact is made clear in other scriptures, and is expanded in Romans 2 v 12-15: enough, here, to state it. God is our Creator and has left His creation stamp within us.  
b) Externally  not only the creation stamp of God within us but it is all around us in the creation that every eye can see "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." Romans 1 v 20.
Instead of man searching, as he still is today for an answer, other than God, as to how we came to be, we should just accept the stated revelation of scripture Genesis 1; Psalm 19 and a host of other scriptures.

Both within us, in our consciences, and all around us in creation is the unmistakable evidence of God.
v 21 "they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful".   The awesome glories of creation are there for all to see, the inner consciousness of God is with us from babyhood but we dishonour Him, when we don't give Him the glory that is due to His name, and we become parasites by breathing His air and eating His food without giving Him thanks.   The consequences of this are obvious, but we won't linger, only to state them; futility of mind "vain in their reasonings", darkening of the heart "their foolish heart was darkened" ; delusional "professing themselves to be wise, they became fools"; ridiculous in their behaviour "they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, and to four footed beasts and to creeping things."   Man created as the highest order of creation bowing down to fellow men worshipping birds, beasts and creeping things.   They dishonoured God, God dishonoured them (Verse 24).

2)  They DISOBEYED God    Romans 1 v 25 - 27

"Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever Amen"
Dishonouring God always ends in disobedience to God, and they turned the truth of things on its head claiming that the existence of such a God is a lie,  and created a god of their own making, and this is why we have ended up where we are today, that we are being told that man is God and in the words of the humanist "we are all alone".
The fact is that everything apart from the God of the Bible is a lie.   Men have perverted the truth of God and the consequences are that God gave them over to self perversion, indulging in that which is unnatural.

3)   They DISAPPROVED of God   Romans 1 v 28

"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."

The arrogance of the human mind, from those who had no choice in their own birth to arrive at a position where we disapprove of God, is almost beyond words, yet that is the position of the present world, as it was in Paul's day.   As far back as 1960's the Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev, at the commencement of the space race said "we are going into space, and if we find God up there, we will topple Him from His throne."   Most of those who are reading this today, have probably never heard of Khrushchev, and you can be sure the God of heaven is still on His throne!   God is not dependent on the approval or disapproval of men.   Nothing of man's rejection will concern Him "He is blessed for ever Amen." Romans 1 v 25

4)   They DEFIED God  Romans 1 v 32

"Who knowing the judgement 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."

They dishonoured Him, they disobeyed Him, they disapproved of Him and now they defy Him.   All reason is thrown overboard.   "Knowing the judgement of God", knowing that God exists, knowing that He will judge their sins, that one day they will stand before Him, they nevertheless continue to defy Him.   There is no worse inebriation than this.   In a situation like this the flood gates of evil will open and there is no point in us asking why the world is the way it is.   Rejection of God by man has led to rejection of man by God and opened him to all kinds of evil.   The only way back is to honour Him.

Tomorrow d.v. we consider the unrighteousness of man, which is a direct consequence of our ungodliness.