This has been a very rewarding study. I feel like it has
definitely helped me understand the Lord and His heart in ways I’ve never seen
before. It also helps me to put some important truths together in ways I’ve not
seen before.
I’m still amazed at the very basic questions which are answered
here in Romans 1 and yet the world (and even the church as a whole) is still
asking. In particular, I’m thinking of the doctrine of Creation. Romans 1 lays
it out very clearly for us: “The invisible things of Him, from the creation of
the world, are clearly seen, being understood from the things that are made, even
His eternal power and Godhead …” No wonder the world so vigorously hates the doctrine
of Creation. “…being understood from the things that are made.” No wonder here we are in the Last Days and,
just as He warned us, they scoff and ask, “Where is the sign of His Coming? All
things continue as they have from the beginning (evolution).” The very created world
around us is shouting that God is present.
Then there is the question (which isn’t even asked anymore)
of “Where did the natives come from?” The whole world is so completely steeped
in the lie of evolution, it is now universally understood that “primitive”
peoples are remnants of the cavemen we all used to be and of course our “religions”
are the collective beliefs we’ve come to accept because we think they somehow
make our world work better. Instead, Romans 1 says, “Knowing God, they did not
glorify Him as God, neither were thankful, therefore their foolish hearts were
darkened…” and so began the horrible devolution of the human race.
Of course, Genesis 1-3 clearly teaches us that our race
started with two intelligent, capable people who did in fact know the one and
only true God and especially the church should have been answering this
question resolutely all along, but, just in case we missed it, Romans 1 tells
us (and has been telling us for over 2,000 years!) exactly where the natives
come from. They are the us we will become when we push God out of our hearts,
out of our homes, our schools, our nation.
What then utterly amazes me is to see God’s judgment on all
this sin. Romans 1 tells us that’s God’s “judgment” is nothing less than
letting people have what they want. His judgment is to “give them up.” In His
utterly unfathomable love for us, even today, He is kindly restraining our bent
for evil, our passion for every possible form of self-destruction. Eight billion
people are determined to kill themselves and wreck their lives, but, while they
spit in His face, He very graciously restrains them and actually gives them
some measures of joy and peace in this world. And it is only when they utterly
refuse His kindness and deliberately push Him out of their hearts that He
finally (and lovingly) grants them the dignity to choose for themselves to make
their world a living hell.
But that then brings us full circle. Therein is the real problem
– pushing God out. Romans 1 would have us know that people’s problem is not
their sins. The answer is not that they need to “stop sinning” (although they
do). The answer is they need to be restored in a living relationship with God. “Although
they knew God, they glorified Him not as God…” To “fix” the human race, we need
go no further back than that.
Which brings us to the Gospel. Jesus is the Way and in this
case we could say He is the Way Back. As Paul says so succinctly in v. 16, the
Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation (deliverance)…” It will take Paul
two more chapters to fully illustrate man’s utter inability to fix himself, but
here, in a nutshell he’s already begun laying it out clearly for us.
Finally, I want to note how, even within this first chapter,
we’ve already seen the power of the Gospel. From verse 18 on, we trace man’s
devolution down to the horrible catalog of hate and evil listed in vv. 29-32.
It truly is horrible to see just how evil people can be. There really was a
Holocaust. Every day, people all over the world live in shocking cruelty and moral
squalor. Yet, in the first 17 verses, we observed the Apostle Paul himself and
found there a man who genuinely cared about other people, who lovingly
communicated with them, and sincerely wished for them grace and peace.
That is what the Gospel should do – restore humans to the
image of God Himself – make them like Christ – make them people of love. And so
it does.
Romans 1 isn’t about condemning the world. It’s about saving
them. It isn’t about an angry God furiously throwing lightning bolts at
pathetic sinners. It’s about a God who loves people, who only wishes them well,
and who offers to us a very simple remedy. Unfortunately, Romans 1 also tells
us the vast majority of the human race always has and always will reject God’s
simple remedy and so, in fact, will bring down God’s judgment on themselves.
But it isn’t because the Lord is unwilling.
The answer is finally and completely to embrace the love He
offers.
That is my “big take-away.”
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