Paul's Epistle to the Romans — page 4

Mercy is not receiving what we deserve. We certainly deserve to be judged for our sins, but God graciously exercises His mercy over those who believe and delivers them from judgment, because He has a ransom (a full payment) in the finished work of Christ on the cross (Job 33:24; Matt. 20:28, 1 Tim. 2:6). Grace, on the other hand, is receiving what we do not deserve. The believer receives salvation and the many spiritual blessings that he certainly does not deserve, but such is the giving heart of God (Eph. 1:3).

Therefore, the proclamations of warnings about the coming judgment are made known in the gospel. People are told that the cross has not changed God's mind about sin; it must be judged. In this way, the gospel reveals the solemn fact of God's wrath against sin.

Thus, in these introductory verses (1-17), Paul presented a chain of important facts about the gospel that we all need to understand. He mentioned:

• The source of the gospel – It is "of God" (v. 1).

• The subject of the gospel – It concerns "His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord" (v. 3 – KJV).

• The reach of the gospel – It is for all people of "all nations" (v. 5 – TB).

• The content of the gospel – It announces "the power of God", which has to do with what God can do for sinners who believe; "the righteousness of God", which has to do with how God is able to save sinners without compromising His holiness; and "the wrath of God", which explains why sinners need to believe the gospel – divine righteousness requires that sin be judged (vs. 16-18).

Man's Responsibility and God's Sovereignty

For someone to believe the gospel and be blessed by God, there must be a work of God in such a person. A man must be "born again" (John 3:3-8; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23) or "made alive" (Eph. 2:1-5; Col. 2:12-13). Both have to do with God communicating divine life to a soul, by which a person's spiritual faculties begin to function, and this results in his seeking after God. But the side of things that has to do with God's sovereign action in souls is not taught in chapters 1 to 8 of Romans, because what is in view in those chapters is man's responsibility. That is why we do not read about the new birth or about being made alive in this part of the epistle. God's sovereignty will come up in chapters 9-11, where the new birth is mentioned in chapters 9:16 and 10:17.

MAN'S UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

Chapters 1:18–3:20

Chapters 1:18-3:20 form the first subdivision of the epistle. The purpose of the teaching in this section is to prove that all men are hopelessly lost and need a Savior. Thus, it occupies itself with revealing man's unrighteousness in the most convincing way. The apostle carefully explains in detail why men need the good news presented in the gospel – which will be revealed in chapters 3:21-5:11. This subdivision is important because, if men do not see their true condition and the danger in which they find themselves, they will not see the need to receive God's remedy in Christ, the Savior.

Rome was where Caesar's throne was and where the supreme court of the empire was located. It was considered the right of every Roman citizen that, if he were under any accusation, he could appeal to Caesar, and thus have his case judged before the highest court of the empire (Acts 25:11-12). Since the people in Rome were familiar with all this procedure, Paul uses it as a background for the presentation of the gospel he preached. In the following chapters, he shows that all men are under an accusation of having sinned and that they have been summoned to God's court regarding how they lived in this world. In a masterful way, Paul brings the whole world before God's tribunal and shows that all are guilty and are under the sentence of divine judgment because "all have sinned and fall short [and are short – JND] of the glory of God" (chap. 3:23).

As mentioned, the apostle does not begin with the good news of the gospel, which declares what God can do for man's blessing, but begins by emphasizing man's need of the good news. In these chapters, Paul shows that man has no righteousness in himself. He has not only ruined himself through sin, but also there is nothing he can do to save himself from his ruined condition. Therefore, if anyone is to be saved, it must be by what God does for man – not by what man can do for himself or for God. This part of the epistle, therefore, lays the foundation for a person's reception of the good news of the gospel.

Since God's way is always to produce a sense of need in souls before meeting it in grace, Paul goes on to give us the bad news about the human race before coming with the good news of the gospel. Thus, chapters 1:18-3:20 reveal man's unrighteousness and then chapters 3:21–5:11 declare the righteousness of God.

THE THREE GREAT SPHERES OF THE HUMAN RACE ARE UNDER THE SENTENCE OF DIVINE JUDGMENT

Chapter 1:18 stands as a heading for this subdivision regarding man's unrighteousness. It mentions three aspects of man's depravity, which correlate with the three spheres of the whole human race into which Paul is about to divide humanity. It shows that God's wrath is against:

• "All ungodliness" – This is a reference to the morally degraded pagans – that is, the pagan world. This will be taken up in chapter 1:19-32.

• "The unrighteousness of men" – This is a reference to the civilized Greek

• that is, the educated and cultured world. This will be taken up in chapter 2:1-16.

• Those "who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" – This is a reference to the enlightened Jew. This will be taken up in chapters 2:17-3:8.

Thus, Paul divides the human race into main categories that correspond to the degree of light each one has received from God. In doing so, he indirectly answers the frequent question: "And those who have never heard – will they perish in a lost eternity?" The answer is that there is no such class of people in the world who have never heard. All have had some light (testimony) from God, regardless of when or where they lived on Earth. Therefore, all men must know that there is a God and that they are accountable to Him. Therefore, all are "without excuse". It is true that not all have had the privilege of hearing"the gospel of the grace of God" that presents Christ, the Savior and His atoning work on the cross (Acts 20:24), but all have had some testimony of God, and this makes them accountable before Him (chap. 14:12).

As mentioned, people in these three great spheres of the human race have varying degrees of light and, therefore, varying degrees of responsibility. He shows that:

• The"pagans" have the testimony ofcreation (chap. 1:20).

• The"Greek" has the testimony ofcreation and the testimony of anenlightened conscience (chap. 2:15).

• The"Jew" has the testimony ofcreation, the testimony ofconscience, and the testimony of theoracles of God – the Scriptures of the Old Testament (chap. 3:2).

(We do not mean that degraded pagans are without conscience, but because they live in such moral and spiritual darkness, their consciences do not function to a significant degree. The function of a man's conscience is similar to the function of his eyes – both need light. A person may have 100% vision, but if they enter a place where there is no light, their eyes will not function. Likewise, since degraded pagans live in moral and spiritual darkness, their consciences do not function correctly.)

In the following chapters, Paul stacks proof upon proof, evidence upon evidence, and Scripture upon Scripture to demonstrate the solemn fact that both by nature and by practice the entire human race is totally ruined and depraved and, consequently, under the sentence of God's righteous judgment. If men do not respond to the various testimonies that God has given of Himself – whether in creation or in the full light of the gospel of Christ – they will be judged according to the degree of light they had. Even within each of these three great spheres, men have had different degrees of light. For example, someone who has read much of the Word of God (the Holy Scriptures) but rejected it is more responsible than someone who has read only a limited amount of the Word but also rejected it. Likewise, someone in Christian profession who has heard the gospel many times but rejected it is certainly more responsible than someone who has heard and rejected it only a few times (Luke 12:47-48). This principle is found throughout Scripture and shows that God is just.

UNCIVILIZED GENTILES

Chapter 1:19-32 The Pagans Are Under the Sentence of Divine Judgment

Since God does not judge unjustly, Paul proceeds to give the reason why the pagans (the pagan world) are under the sentence of divine judgment. Simply put,they ignored the revelation of God in creation.

Chap. 1:19-20 – The pagan world is under judgment"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". The context here shows that Paul is referring to those who are not reached by the gospel of Christ and, therefore, know nothing about Christ's finished work on the cross. God would be unjust to hold these people responsible for not believing the gospel of His grace when they have never heard it! They are under judgment for a different reason

• they ignored the revelation that God gave them of Himself in creation. Paul's use of the word"world" in verse 20 is "cosmos"

in Greek. It literally means "Order". This indicates that creation has an ordered design (which we see everywhere) and, therefore, attests to the existence of an ordered Designer. Since creation proves the existence of a Creator, God has revealed Himself clearly to men. Psalm 19:1 declares:"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork; Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge". This shows that creation has a voice; it is speaking to us of the glory of God. By looking at creation (not only the heavens but also the Earth), every honest man and woman will know that God exists. It is a limited revelation of God; however, it is enough to make men accountable to Him"with Whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13). There are three main things that creation teaches us about God:

He isalmighty (Rom. 1:20 –"His eternal power and

Godhead"). Looking at the universe, every sober person will conclude

that only Someone with enormous power could bring into existence

something so vast.

• Heis infinitely wise and intelligent (Ps. 147:4-5 –"His understanding is infinite"). Looking at the universe, every wise person will conclude that only someone with astonishing knowledge could design something so intricate and make it work so perfectly.

• He is good (Acts 14:17 – “Yet He did not leave Himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness”). Looking at the care God has for His creatures, we can correctly conclude that He is a good God. (Occasionally He allows natural catastrophes, famines, diseases, etc., to occur in specific places for specific reasons, but in the overall picture, such is not God's normal activity toward His creatures).

Creation, however, does not tell us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16), which is known only through the gospel of God's grace. But there is in creation enough revelation of God to cause men to fear Him and turn away from their injustices. Peter affirms this fact in Acts 10:35. Speaking of unevangelized Gentiles, he said: “But that which is pleasing to Him [acceptable – TB] is the one who, in any nation, fears Him and works righteousness”. Thus, men can and will be delivered from the eternal judgment of their sins if in faith they simply fear God and practice righteousness. All these will be safe among the redeemed in heaven, even if they have not heard of Christ's finished work on the cross. This does not mean that people can reach heaven by doing good works, but that if a person has true faith, their faith will be evidenced in works. These believers would not be part of the Church of God, which is a special company of blessed people who believed the gospel and were sealed with the Holy Spirit and therefore are part of the body and bride of Christ. But all who believe through the simple testimony of creation are part of the vast “family” of God (Eph. 3:15). They have a place as friends of the Bridegroom (John 3:29 – JND).

The Godhead refers to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The limited revelation of God in creation does not reveal the three Persons in the Godhead; such would require the coming of the Son of God into the world to make this truth known (John 1:18).

Paul's argument here, however, is that the pagans did not respond in faith to this revelation of God, and are therefore under the sentence of judgment. They are “without excuse” because they had the testimony of creation.

The Consequences of Ignoring the Revelation of God in Creation Paul goes on to show that there are serious moral and spiritual consequences that result when men intentionally ignore the revelation that God gave of Himself in creation. He mentions three devastating things that arise among men who have turned their backs on God. These things explain how the pagans entered into their depraved condition.

1. MAN TURNS TO IDOLATRY (chap. 1:21-23)

Since the human heart cannot exist in a state of vacuum (it must have an object), Paul shows that, historically, when men turned their backs on the revelation of God in creation, they turned to idols (false gods) to fill the void. Paul says: “Because, having known God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became vain in their reasonings, and their foolish heart [without understanding] was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things”.

Man began with a certain degree of knowledge of God and a certain degree of nearness to God, but turned his back on it and a decline began that distanced him from God, morally and spiritually. “Known” (v. 21) is translated from “ginosko” in Greek; it refers to

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outward and objective knowledge. (It is not “oida” – the other word used in the New Testament translated as “know” – which is an inward conscious knowledge acquired by having personal experience with the thing in question). Therefore, the knowledge these pagans had of God was only a superficial thing. And, because it was not mixed with faith, they gave up what they knew of God, and the decline in relation to Him began.

Men like to think that the human race evolved from lower forms of life, but Paul shows here that man did not evolve, but rather regressed – at least morally and spiritually. Man did not begin in a depraved state; this was the result of a process. The pagans entered their current condition, far from God, because their wills prevailed. They did not want to see the truth (about God) and consequently lost the ability to see it. This teaches us that we cannot turn our backs on God and the light He has given us without serious consequences – the mind becomes darkened and decline begins toward the ignorance that results in idolatry.

The apostle traces the progression of the decline that the pagans entered when they abandoned God.

They refused to honor God as God – “they did not glorify Him

as God” (v. 21).

• They were ungrateful for God's goodness – “nor were thankful” (v. 21).

• They began to speculate about God – “but became vain in their reasonings” (v. 21).

• They lost the little knowledge they had of God – “their foolish heart [without understanding] was darkened” (v. 21).

• They exalted themselves in pride – “professing themselves to be wise” (v. 22).

• They became foolish – “they became fools” (v. 22).

• They turned to idols – “changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image...” (v. 23).

Even after the pagan world turned to idols, the decline continued. In its confused state, its thoughts about God continually diminished. First, they worshiped Him as a “man”, then as “birds”, then as “four-footed animals” and, finally, as “reptiles.” Psalm 115:4-8 says that a person who worships mute idols becomes as senseless as his idols; he loses his moral and spiritual sensitivity. This is exactly what happened to the pagan world. Thus, they became “separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart” (Eph 4:18). The seriousness of the sin of idolatry is that, in reality, it consists in worshiping demons (Lev 17:7; Ps 106:37; 1 Cor 10:20).

There is no record in Scripture of idolatry being practiced before the flood. The first mention of it is recorded in Job 31:26-27, where he says that he would not worship the Sun or the Moon, as other men were doing. Joshua 24:2 refers approximately to this same time. It mentions that Terah worshiped other gods in the days before Abraham's call. The first mention of actual idols in Scripture is when Rachel stole her father's images (Gen 31:30-35).

1. MAN TURNS TO IMMORALITY (chap. 1:24-27)

In an act of governmental judgment, as a direct consequence of turning away from the knowledge of God in creation, “God also gave them up to the lusts of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonor their bodies among themselves...For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is contrary to nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men, committing what is shameful...”. This refers to the sin of homosexuality. Letting man go to such degradation was God's response to man's voluntary abandonment of the knowledge of God. He let their fallen sinful natures have control over them, and they degraded themselves. This shows that if people try to turn the truth of God into a lie, and worship and serve “the creature rather than the Creator” (that is, idolatry), the whole order of nature is violated, and it results in moral decline. It teaches us that, apart from the fear of God, there is nothing that can restrain the evil desires of the human heart. In general, when men turn their backs on the light they have received from God, their morals degenerate. This is what happened to the pagan world, and it explains how they entered into their despicable state.

In these verses, Paul mentions that God “gave them up” in three ways:

• In their “bodies” (v. 24, 27; 1 Cor 6:18).

• In their “passions” – their souls (v. 26).

• In their “mind” (v. 28 – KJV).