Sunday, June 2, 2013

Journey through the Book of Romans


Paul unfold God’s Wrath on Man’s Sin Part 1
Romans 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. NKJV

From my early years as a teenager, I have always been fascinated by little children and their behavior. I always considered them to be sweet, adorable, and innocent. I never believed that the many little babies I knew (from my baby brother, who was 11 years younger than me to the other babies in my family and outside my family) who began to grow up into toddlers were born sinners, rebellious, and wicked (Psalm 58:3) from their Mother’s womb. I confess with all sincerity that I was one of those people who did not believe these little ones were born evil, but I considered the evil perpetrated by men and women in the world was due to environment and upbringing. I grew up in church and yet I believed that the children’s parents determined if that person would be a benefit or trouble to society. I surely did not associate my little baby brother’s heart or the other little one’s heart equal to and identical in nature to that of one of the most horrible men the world has ever known (Adolph Hitler). I did not know or understand that the Word of God said, Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” NKJV
To put it plainly and bluntly there is nothing on this planet earth that is more disgusting, cruel, vile, or filthy than the human heart. We often read the news or watch the news reports and are horrified or shocked at the latest act of terror or evil unleashed somewhere in our country America or elsewhere around the world. However, the Holy Spirit speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah long before any of us were born or even thought of in our family tree diagnosed the condition of every human heart ever born and there is not one in a better condition than another. God cannot commune or fellowship with mankind in this dreadful condition. He must judge man’s sin. Therefore, the Apostle Paul begins to unfold God’s wrath against the unrighteousness that so freely flows from the hearts of human beings. Paul uses the English word wrath and it is translated from the Greek word orge which means indignation, abhorrence, anger, vengeance, or violent passion; it is a desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind). The ungodliness and unrighteous sin of humanity rouses or stirs excitement or passion in God to come against it or judge it or remove it from before Him because of His Holiness and abhorrence to sin in the manner which He displayed in Genesis 6:5-7.

The men and women who lived during this time in human history (Noah being one of them) did not have the written Law of God the Ten Commandments to reveal or show them their sin and sinfulness (Romans 3:20). What they did have is what Paul is writing about here in this first Chapter of Romans. The people during Noah’s day and those today take God’s visible truth of what is right (good) and what is wrong (evil) and suppress it or hold it down or put it on the back burner of their mind so that they could then in Noah’s day and today take pleasure in sin or to run full steam ahead after the sinful desires of the deceitful heart (Isaiah 5:20 & John 3:20 & 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). The Apostle Paul unfolds the reality that God has made Himself known to every human heart those who were without the Ten Commandments and those of us who were born under the Law (Ecclesiastes 3:11 & John 1:9). Despite Adams fall from God’s grace and communion God left a permanent calling card so to speak by placing within him and every person that came from Adam and Eve a conscience (it has no power to change the sinful heart, but it is an alarm to reveal right and wrong).
Humanity has been surrounded by the invisible things that come from God from the very beginning. Let us take the wind for the best example, because of the latest tragedies in the State of Oklahoma (the Tornadoes and I pray for them to receive God’s comfort) we see the results of the wind and have never been able to control it see it or know where it comes from or goes to when it leaves a certain location. God’s power in the natural world is clearly visible for all to see and acknowledge Him by it, but the people during Noah’s time and todays intellectuals what to figure out mathematically the natural world minus an All Mighty All Knowing Creator and this is why we so commonly hear those in science and even the media refer to “mother nature” as if such a thing actually exist (Psalms 90:2). There is no such thing as mother nature, but there are natural laws created by the One True God Jesus Christ that are held together solely by Him and His Power (Jeremiah 10:10-13).

The most intelligent of men and women have never and will never create anything from nothing. Our God the Only God spoke and Universes sprang forth from nothing and function all by His Eternal Power and Godhead (Genesis 1:1-31 & Colossians 2:9-10). Man is the product of that Eternal Power and exists solely by and because of our God. With the reality of God’s existence and His Rule over His Creation and the things in it the men and women during Noah’s day and the men and women today refused to give God the Glory or thank Him for the things that solely come from His providential hands like sunshine and rain that allow crops to grow to feed families (Acts 14:16-17), but instead those in Noah’s day and ours today allowed the moral wickedness of their hearts to rule and dominate and the internal considerations and thoughts became blurred and darkened (Acts 26:18) to all that was true, good, and lovely that comes from a good and loving God.  
“If there be a man before me who says that the wrath of God is too heavy a punishment for his little sin, I ask him, if the sin be little, why does he not give it up?” Charles Spurgeon

“The cliché, God hates the sin but loves the sinner, is false on the face of it and should be abandoned. Fourteen times in the first fifty Psalms alone, we are told that God hates the sinner; His wrath is on the liar, and so forth. In the Bible, the wrath of God rests both on the sin (Romans 1:18) and on the sinner (John 3:36). D. A. Carson
“Farewell unhappy, hopeless, blasphemous Rome! The Wrath of God has come upon you, as you deserve. We cared for Babylon, and she is not healed; let us then leave her, that she may become the habitation of dragons, spectres, and witches.” Martin Luther

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

 
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…                                    

 

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