ROMANS 1:21-32 WHEN GOD HANDS PEOPLE OVER

 

Paul’s letter to the Romans explains to us how the righteousness of God, a righteousness that we lack (because we are constituted sinners), can be received once again   by the mercy and grace of God when we  look by faith to Jesus. When we look to Jesus, our unrighteousness (our sin) is  exchanged for His righteousness (His sinlessness). This is the gospel  which  deals  with the greatest need of humanity - how we  may escape the wrath of God  (1:18)  and have  peace with God  (5:1)

Last time, in 1:18-20 we saw that God holds mankind accountable  by  the things that are revealed  in in His Creation. This general revelation (1:20) makes God‘s existence and His truth sufficiently plain.  If people reject this revelation then they will incur the wrath of God.  This means that the man in outer Mongolia, in Asia, Australia or Africa, who has never heard of Christ (God’s special revelation) is still accountable  to God. They will of course be judged by the amount of light that they have received. Later in 2:15 we shall see that God has written His law on the hearts of all people. By this law (which begins with God[1]) the people who refuse to own the fact that this universe, and all that is in it, is the work of a personal Creator God, they will incur His wrath. 

They will go to that place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Their sin will be that of idolatry – worshipping created things rather than the Creator. 

Again, what is idolatry? It is the exchange of the greater for the lesser. It is the exchange of God for the things that God has made. What does God do when man exchanges the glory of the immortal God  for images resembling mortal man  and birds and animals and creeping things (1:23)?  He reveals His wrath (1:18). Please note  that  God’s wrath is being poured out  not simply  against those that have rejected Jesus – for  in that case  the man in outer  Mongolia, who has never heard of Jesus  may have a case. But no! The man in outer Mongolia will discover that he had superstitiously served his carved or created idols or the sun, moon and stars – whatever! He had chosen to worship created things rather than the Great Being who has made all that is visible. That rejection of God alone constitutes sufficient reason for God judging him to be unrighteous.

And now the big question: How does God respond to this ungodliness, unrighteousness, truth suppressing and all forms of idolatry?  The short answer is this: He gives people up (Gk. paradidomi – to give up, to hand over). Paul uses this word three times cf. 1:24,26,28 – not three stages, but  a repetition  of the same handing over. 

We must now consider how and in what way God hands ungodly, unrighteous, truth suppressing, idolatrous people over. 

1.      1:24 “He gave them up in the lusts (desires) of their hearts to impurity to the dishonouring (Gr. atimias – lit without honour) of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen.”  When God hands people over (who worship creation rather than Him – that is the great lie!) He  says to them in effect “do as you please”.  When God gives people up He removes any restraints upon what people will do with their bodies which were made originally to reflect His glory. When people are handed over to their own desires, they don’t get better. They get worse. They become like street children. Children that are abandoned to the streets do not become better. They get worse and they are hard to rehabilitate.   This is the loss of God in the life of man.

2.      1:26,27 “For this reason God  gave them up to dishonourable passions…”.  We see that the primary way in which that handing over materializes is through deviant sexual behaviour.  When people are handed over their sexuality (which is designed by God)    becomes ‘unnatural‘ (para phusin- lit. ‘besides nature’) and therefore  contrary to  God’s design. This is precisely what we see with the modern so called LGBTQ+ movement. You will note that this movement is almost exclusively focussed on sexuality- but deviant sexuality. Here Paul raises the matter of the unnatural sexuality of homosexuality.  “Women and men exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature”.  Paul calls these ‘shameless’ acts. The Bible teaches here that homosexuality is a supreme example of the degrading of the body. As such then we may  conclude that  a society that  endorses  homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle  is a sign  of a culture / society being handed  over / given up by God.  One of the causes  given for the fall of the Roman empire  was  this prevalent decline in  sexual morality in many forms, and especially homosexuality

3.      1:28 “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.”  When God gives up a person or a society, the manifestation is a debased mind.  A debased mind  does not only  refuse to acknowledge God, but  at its worst it inverts the truth.  When people begin to call ‘good’ evil and ‘evil’  good, then you must know that God  has handed that society over. The debased mind fundamentally comes from a refusal to acknowledge God. It comes from a refusal to study theology - the doctrines God has set before us so that we might truly live a life that is pleasing to Him. Paul is saying that when God hands the minds of men over, then their lives are filled with an unrighteousness that touches every part of life – and especially sexuality.  

The big point is this:  The whole world is held accountable to God for either accepting or refusing His general Revelation. If that happens He hands societies over and hence the provocative statement of Romans 1:28.  One of the traits of that decay is the inability to see what is happening. The social conscience  becomes so defective that it no longer has  the  ability  to recognize evil for what it really is.

4.      And then in 1:29 – 32 we see what happens in the minds and behaviour of a people handed over. Paul gives us a 21 point catalogue of unrighteousness – 21 ways of  expressing a debased mind. Where do these evils in 1:29-31 come from? It all begins with a mind that suppresses the truth (1:18) exchanging the truth about God for a lie (1:25).  

·       A debased mind  complicates everything about the plain facts of creation and hides  the magnificence of creation  under the so called  respectable banner  of science  and  particular  its  horrible  stepmother, the theory of evolution.

·       A debased mind substitutes the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals … (1:23,24). It worships the created rather than the Creator.

·       A debased mind endorses perversions of sex (1:27). In  1:29 - 31 we see it  all heaped up, and  again   we find that   God hands  people over to the logic of  their  desires. “So you want to suppress my truth?  You want to move me out of the centre of your life?  Alright! See what happens!” And then it is like getting into a slow sinking swamp. Sin usually does not overtake us quickly, but slowly and gradually.  A little bit of indulgence in evil, a little coveting, a little strife, a little deceit, a little lying here and there… When God gradually withdraws His common  grace  on society  and gives it over to all sorts of evil and perversion,  then that society is already under the judgment of God.  Note –  that society  is  not on the way to judgement – this is the judgement!  Let's read it again – 1:28b-31. With that in mind we must look at what is happening in our society in general!  The more a people suppress the truth of God, the more God gives a people up to their own unrestrained thinking and the more that society will  find the manifestations of  this catalogue  of sins.

 

So what's the point of listing all these sins?  Paul gives this list as checklist to measure the true health of a  society. 

·       And so if South Africa has one of the highest murder rates, it has to do with God.

·       If our business men are greedy, if our politicians are deceitful, it has to do with the God who hands us over. 

·       If gossip, envy, deceit, maliciousness, slander and boastfulness rule in a church, it has to do with God who has handed the church over to such a mind-set. If such a church does not repent, God will remove her lampstand.   

·       If our radio and TV stations   and our newspapers ooze with arrogance and insolence it has to do with God.

·       If our children are disobedient to parents, it has to do with God who has handed our homes over. If we are untrustworthy and don't keep our marriage vows it has to do with God.

·       If we are blind to obvious wrongs and if we are  unloving and unmerciful, it has to do with God. That's the point of this list. Whenever we see a  society  in the grip of these things, remember that  this is as a result of its suppression of the truth. God has handed that society over.  

 WHAT THEN SHALL WE DO?

1.      We need to recognize these symptoms as judgements from God.

2.      We need to repent and return to God.

a.      we need  the reversal of God's wrath against our unrighteousness.

b.      we need the reversal of God's handing us over to a depraved mind.

c.       we need the reversal of our mind's moral decay so that it can be renewed for right and proper use in God's service.

3.      The good news is that God in Christ has provided every one of those reversals. You do not have to sink any further into this dark hole if you will now embrace God and his provision.  The key verse for each of these reversals of God's wrath is found in Romans 1:17: In the gospel of Christ, "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'  If we live by faith in God’s provision in Christ, God gives us over to truth and righteousness as much as he once gave us over to sin. And then let us not forget Romans 12:2. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect". When God has given us his righteousness by faith in Jesus, and when we embrace His truth, then little by little we are transformed in the renewing of our minds and the long list of sins in Romans 1:29-31 gradually dissolves as we grow in the image of God.

This is the gospel.

This is the message that we must take out to our streets, towns, nation and world.

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[1] The very first two first commandments say, “You shall have no other gods before me” and secondly, “you shall not make for yourself a carved image…” (Ex. 20:3,4).

ROMANS 1:18-20 IS GOD ANGRY WITH THIS WORLD?

 

If you had to conduct a survey on our streets asking this question, “Do you think that God is angry with this world?”, you might get some interesting responses. I guarantee you however that most people would say, “I don’t think that God is angry. How can a God of love be angry?”

What those people are saying is that God cannot be angry and loving at the same time.  Is that true? Before we answer this question let us do a quick revision to see where we have come from.

In 1:1-7, Paul, the author of this letter to the Romans, identifies himself as an apostle tasked with preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

In 1:8-15, he expresses his gratitude to God for the church in Rome. He conveys his intention to preach the gospel to them and, indeed, to all people. 

In 1:16-17, Paul articulates his purpose for writing to the Romans, which is to proclaim the gospel to them. He emphasizes the transformative power of the gospel. He asserts that the gospel has the ability to save everyone who believes, regardless of whether they are Jew or Greek. This salvation occurs when individuals place their faith in God's Word and His Messiah.

An important question then arises: What must we be saved from? What is at stake? 

Paul addresses this question in 1:18-3:20. There he discusses the universal problem of sin. He examines the sin and guilt of the gentiles before God (1:18-32), followed by the Jews' own sin and guilt (2:1-3:8), concluding that all of mankind is guilty before God (3:9-20). 

This highlights the severity of the situation—the bad news. And this section begins with these words...” For the wrath (or the anger) of God is revealed from heaven...” . God is angry! But I don’t want to leave you hanging there and provide you with more context. After having told us that He is angry with the whole world, Paul in 3:21-5:21 explains how God deals with that anger towards us. This is the Gospel. He explains how the Good News is applied to those who receive it with faith, circling back to 1:16-17. There, he notes that it is the instrumentality of faith that leads us to the gospel- hence away from the wrath of God. 

The definition of faith is best captured in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Faith encompasses believing, being convinced of His existence and diligently seeking Him. Faith requires not only belief but also persuasion and active pursuit of God.

Paul builds his letter on the foundational truth that "The righteous shall live by faith" (1:17). Hence, the  next verse  - 1:18 must be viewed in this context.

Here’s the BIG QUESTION: What about the unrighteous- those that have no faith in God and in  His provision- those who ignore the gospel?  The Bible says that  God is angry with them.

1:18 “… For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”  

This summarizes 1:18 - 3:20 about the dilemma of the unrighteous.  The whole world is in trouble with God. This is concisely stated in Romans 3:9 – 20. ALL have sinned. No-one is righteous. Paul’s argument is rooted in the  Old Testament Scriptures [Rom. 3:10 -12 - Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccl 7:20;  Rom. 3:13a - Ps 5:9;  Rom. 3:13b - Ps.140:3;  Rom. 3:14 - Ps 10:7; Rom. 3:15 – 17- Isa. 59:7,8;  Rom. 3:18 - Ps 36:1].

He shows us that 

(i) the gentiles are under God's wrath (1:18 - 32) 

(ii) The Jews (who claim to be God's people) likewise are under God's wrath, if  they have not obtained personal righteousness and prove this by living a life of faith (2:1 - 3:8).  

[NOTE: Jews and Gentiles  are synonymous for 'the whole world' and so he arrives at the conclusion in Rom 3:9 - 20: "All have sinned…."]

Can you see why Paul considers himself so privileged to be the bearer of the Gospel (the Good News) to a world that is sunken in sin, and subject to God’s wrath, God’s anger and God's righteous judgement. Here is an incredible message. Blessed are they that hear and receive this good news by faith in God’s Word. Please note, that the effective reception of the good news must begin with the acceptance of the bad news.

1: 18 How Is The Bad News Manifested? 

“The wrath (Gr.orge) of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men”.  

God’s judgement is not limited to the future.  It will be so on that final day at Christ’s appearing when we ALL shall all be gathered before the Great White Judgement throne. But let’s be clear on this. In this very present moment, as is true of the  past, God’s wrath – His righteous anger is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. He was not pleased with his people in the Exodus when they grumbled, and when His wrath was revealed in that context. In our own day God is not pleased when He see the ungodliness and wickedness of our own generation.  We shall see this as we continue  to exposit this passage next time,  as  we find that God “hands them over“.

But what is it about the unrighteousness and ungodliness of men that makes God angry?

It is the suppression of the truth. The Greek word used here (katakein)  means  to press down with force.   Paul is saying here that people deliberately   push the truth down.   They are like children who are hearing something true said about them, and they close their ears with both their hands, whilst yelling at the top of their voice, “I can’t hear you… I can’t hear you… I don’t want to hear you.”

1:19 & 20

The truth of the matter is that everybody knows that there is a God -  “For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them …”.  Paul is here referring to the general revelation of God. Theologians distinguish this kind of revelation from ‘special revelation’, which is found only in the Bible, and of which the supreme revelation is the Lord Jesus and His saving work on the cross- the gospel!

Paul asserts that this general revelation which comes from God makes God‘s truth plain. I experienced this as a 16 year old in the Namib desert. Lying in our sleeping bags looking up at the clear desert sky, with the Milky Way in our face, I asked my father, “Is there a God?”  I saw God in His creation. This is the power of the testimony of Creation.  It does not tell us about the work of Christ. That is true. For that information you need the special revelation – the Bible. But Paul asserts in 1:20 that in this general revelation,  God’s invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature have been perceived ever since the creation of this world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse …”

Paul is  thus claiming that God’s general revelation  in what is revealed in Creation is sufficient to hold man accountable. Just as we can look at a painting and know that there is a painter, so we may look at the Universe and know that there is a Creator.

The greatest suppression of the truth in this regard has been the evolutionary theory propounded by Charles Darwin. Evolution has persistently attacked the view that the world is created by God – and instead has, in the name of science replaced creation with the man-made doctrine of random evolution or chance happenings.  Frankly speaking, it takes more faith to believe in random evolution than God’s creation.

It is true that the revelation of God in nature does not provide us with saving knowledge, but it does give us a real awareness that there is a God.  This awareness ought to move us to seek Him   and ask the question, Where can I find Him?  How can I know Him? This quest for truth if we pursue it with all our heart will lead us to God’s special revelation.

“So, they are without excuse…”.

The Bible asserts that there is enough evidence for the existence of God, simply by looking at Creation.  To say that there is insufficient evidence for the existence of God is to call God a liar. It amounts to suppressing the truth.

We are now ready to see how God’s wrath manifests itself against such insolence.  But we are going to have to wait for that until next time.

All I can tell you now is that if anyone deliberately suppresses of the truth about God, this will cause God to abandon such people to their own futile thinking. He will hand such over to their own passions and delusions – and who knows where that will take them?

Not without reason the Bible repeatedly says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of  knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction…”  (Prov. 1:7). 

The God who loves you, warns you. 

Do not fall into the hands of an angry God.

ROMANS 1:8-15 THE PASTOR’S NATURE: THANKFUL, PRAYERFUL, USEFUL, FRUITFUL

 

I have  begun my series in the book of Romans  with  a deliberate look at the nature of the pastoral ministry, looking as it were with Paul’s eyes  at  the work  which God is calling  me to do among you. 

At the beginning of this letter we find quite a bit of autobiographical matter.  In the opening verse we find that Paul sees himself  as a  servant (bondslave), a messenger boy, set apart for the gospel of God- the  gospel (good news) about Jesus Christ.  Paul says  that  Jesus has two natures  in His person: 

(i) He is  man of very man, and as such He is  descended from the  line of David (Judah) 

(ii) He is God of very God –  sent from the eternal throne of God (as the beloved Son of God)  to take on the nature of  a man. He does this in accordance  with the eternal plan of God. He does that which could not be done  by sinful men – to be reconciled  to a holy God  whom we have all (Rom. 3)  offended. As perfect man and as the Son of God  He  is the perfect mediator between God and man. As such He offered up Himself as the Passover sacrifice by which He atones for our sin through His death on the cross. But He does not remain in the grave. Paul says that He was resurrected. He came alive triumphing over man’s greatest enemy – death. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Those who belong to Him (including representatives from every nation) are saved from eternal  death and they are called saints- literally 'set apart ones'.  It is these alone that enjoy the grace and peace from God.  This is the Good news – the great message that Paul has for the Romans is also offered to us  here in  Robertson. 

We are currently  focusing  on the work of the gospel minister  with the help of Romans 1:1 -15.  We shall now  consider a few more  autobiographical  aspects by which Paul makes known to us  his pastoral nature, which  reflects the  heart of Christ – and by way of application every  pastor’s  heart.

In  1:8-15   we find  four  important character  traits  of  a man called to the ministry  

(i) 1:8 A thankful man  

(ii) 1:9,10 A  prayerful man  

(iii)  1:11-12 A useful man 

(iv) 1:13-15 A  fruitful man. 

[NOTE – these four aspects are not peculiar to pastors, but pastors must possess them, and in doing must  pass on and generate a culture of thankfulness, prayerfulness,  usefulness and fruitfulness. The Holy Spirit honours such work]

1.      A THANKFUL MAN (1:8)

What makes Paul thankful?  Surely the fact that there  is a biblical church in Rome. A biblical church is made up of “born again believers“. They are called saints  (1:7).   When Paul hears of  them he gives thanks to God for the faith of this little group of Roman Christians. Please note that he is not congratulating them on their achievement of establishing a church in this spiritual wilderness among the pagans. It is God to whom Paul gives thanks…”I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you”. God alone, through Christ alone has done this.  In this regard  I also remind you  that  He alone has kept Robertson Reformed Community Church. You have not done this. God has done this! And so Paul   praises God for the faith of the Roman believers, for this faith that they have received is a gift from God.  A number of them may have received this gift of faith when they were in Jerusalem at Pentecost (where visitors from Rome are mentioned in Acts 2:10),  when the Holy Spirit descended on them,  and when  3000 were converted in one day.  The amazing thing was that this living out of their faith had begun to acquire a reputation in the then known world. The gospel (as we shall see) makes a real difference and people will soon talk about the difference.  It is inevitable. 

Have you been converted dear friend? 

Is your life a changed life? 

Whenever we hear of testimonies of conversion and when churches make great strides in their faith, we hear them being talked about. Is our church a church where the gospel makes a difference to anybody? Do people see it and is it being talked about?  I love to hear about conversions and new churches forming. It is so encouraging.  How thrilled I was to  visit a small Reformed Baptist Church in Wetzlar, Germany  in 2010, and  again in 2024, and to see this  church  growing, making disciples and making such a difference today in that community.  I have been there to encourage them, and tell them about likeminded churches in Namibia and Southern Africa whilst at the same time have them encourage me - see 1:12. 

I want to be a pastor who is a thankful man as I see God’s Word taking root and shape  among  us.

2.     1:9,10 A  PRAYERFUL MAN 

Not only was Paul thankful. He was prayerful. He had never been to Rome, but he heard of them, and when he heard of their testimony of faithfulness, he included them regularly in his prayers. One of his prayers was  that he may be able to see them in person. He is interested in God’s work there and he wants to come and encourage them. We find a pattern in Paul’s pastoral ministry. Paul prays for the church everywhere. I encourage you to do the same All his plans and desires for these churches are put  before God in prayer. This is a typical pattern in all Paul’s epistles.  I want to show you this by way of a brief review.  

•          Romans 1:8-15

•          1 Cor. 1:4-9

•          Eph. 1:15-23;  3:14-21

•          Phil. 1:3-11

•          Col. 1:3-14

•          1 Thess. 1:2-3; 2 Thess. 1:3-12

•          Phil. 4-6

We do well to imitate Paul in his prayers for the church. Jesus in the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) taught us that we must pray continuously that God’s kingdom will come on earth.  The kingdom of God  advances through men and women being converted, being baptised into Christ, and by being added to the church of our Lord Jesus Christ wherever they live. To that end we must always pray- may your kingdom come! 

I want to be a pastor who is obedient in praying always for God's work, and I want you to join me in this work.

3.      1:11-12 A USEFUL MAN

Paul is not only a thankful and  a prayerful man. He wants to put feet to His prayer. Paul prays  for an open door  to come  to them for  the purpose  of strengthening them  with his  spiritual gift! He uses strong  language that  sounds like an oath … “God is my witness ….that without ceasing I mention you in my prayers asking that somehow  by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you…” (1:9,10). Why does he do this?  Paul strongly  believes that he has a contribution (a spiritual gift) to bring to their work in Rome. He has a spiritual gift  (charismata) to  give  to the church at  Rome  (1:11). What is he talking about?  Paul knew that  God  had endowed him  with an ability that could propel the church in Rome to  new a  height. He was conscious of God’s indwelling power and he was aware of the authority with  which God had endowed him with.  

Spiritual gifts bring spiritual advancement. At  my former church  we  once  had a  problem with our administrative  side of things. Being a growing church with a growing budget and growing responsibilities we were just not doing well. God in His great mercy provided us with a  young, spiritually minded couple, and  He used their  spiritual  administrative gift  to  help us in  a short time  to  put the church on to  a new organisational  level. It was so helpful, and it made an imediate difference and we all rejoiced. That is what spiritual gifts do. They build spiritual capacity in the church, and the church is better off because of them. Paul was very aware of that.  

Paul’s apostolic gift,  had many  facets  to it – in some ways  he was   able to do everything – teach, preach, administer, heal, encourage etc., but  Paul’s usefulness was rooted,  not in his own strength, but in God’s  strength. He always boasted in what God would do through him. It was ultimately God that made him useful, and in that sense we can only really be useful if we work  according to His gifts  and by His power.  Jesus reminded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had been endued with that power from the Holy Spirit (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:8). We cannot work for God, we cannot  build the church without  that power and authority from Christ. After they had received that power we read that the apostles  “with great  power testified to the resurrection (Acts 4:33). So when they spoke they spoke with great effect. Their words came with the power.  It crushed men. It convinced men. It made them fall to the ground and cry out, “Men and brothers what must we do to be saved?“  We can have a well- organized church, but it will be useless without this power- this authority. If you and I want to be useful we must do it by the authority and by the power that God gives. 

Please note  too  that  Paul did not propose to come to impart spiritual gifts as  the modern charismatic movement  and their so called apostles claim to do. No! That belongs  to the sovereign ministry of the Holy Spirit! (1 Cor. 12). He is the only Giver of spiritual  gifts. He gives them (or withholds them) sovereignly to each as He wills! The spiritual gif, given to Paul by the Holy Spirit  is used to strengthen the church. It  is  linked to his own apostolic ministry and gifting.  And it always leaves the church in a better shape.  That was Paul's supreme  concern. 

Paul's apostolic gift wasso profound and so pervasive that it has outlasted his own generation. The whole letter to the Romans is actually the best illustration for what I am saying here.  The teaching he provided  here to the Romans  is so strengthening and so profound  that beyond this church  at Rome it proves to  have strengthened the whole church in all ages. That is the power of the  apostolic  gift.

Therefore  I can be most useful to you if I  remind you  of that which is written in the Bible- God's eternal, infallible Word  to remind you of  God's unchanging truth  and to ground  you in that truth. Jesus prayed for this, “Sanctify them by your truth – your word is truth“ (Jn 17:17). It is by the truth that we are changed. 

I want to be useful to that end.

And finally… 

4.      1:13-15 A  FRUITFUL MAN

Paul’s prayerful desire is to “strengthen” (1:11b) the Roman  church, by the use of his spiritual gift. But that is not all. No hardworking farmer works in a field without desiring a result.  And so Paul says “ …that I may  reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the gentiles…” (1:13). A farmer plants to reap fruit ! My prayer is that  this time that God has given us together, for as long as He deems,   may be a time  when God would be pleased  to let the ministry of the Word not fall on  barren soil, but on rich fruitful soil  (Parable of the sower and the seed – Mk 4).

To that end will you pray with me that I would be such a man to you?  Thankful, prayerful, useful and fruitful!

And God shall receive all the glory,  and we shall  receive  all the satisfaction. Amen

ROMANS 1:2-6 THE GOSPEL - THE HEART OF THE PASTOR’S MESSAGE

 

ROMANS 1:2-6

THE HEART OF THE PASTOR’S MESSAGE

If you ask, “what is our pastor’s chief calling and message?”, then we must reply, “The chief calling of the pastor is this faithful, consistent proclamation of the Gospel of God”.  

If you then say, “well is this all?”, then the answer is clearly “no!” for from the heart proceed the issues of life (Prov. 4:23 KJV). Even as the human heart is a vital organ – perhaps the most important one - and yet not without reference to the other organs, so the gospel is the heart of our life, but it connected to all sorts of other important applications. The gospel produces a healthy spiritual heart and therefore a true gospel spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Gal. 5:22,23). The gospel produces a life of good works. We shall see what the application of the gospel produces in Romans 12 and following.  The gospel not only makes us glad. It not only makes us worshippers. The gospel also drives us to consider  the world in which we live. So the gospel produces so much more than we would bargain for. In one sense this is what the whole letter to the Romans is all about – the Gospel of God - in all its fullness. 

To that end we will find the key text in 1:16,17. This is followed by a lengthy explanation from 1:18-3:20 as to why the gospel is necessary. Sin makes the gospel necessary. Paul shows us the pervasive problem of sin (all have sinned- that means – me, you and the whole world) and he shows us the consequence of sin (the wrath of God).  The gospel is then introduced in 3:21  by means of the great “But now”  and an explanation of how sinners are justified  by grace alone through faith alone, through Christ alone.

And therefore we can say that this is what the work of your pastor is all about. He is the one man  who must keep these things constantly before your eyes – constantly, because we forget these things  so very quickly. That is also why we regularly have the Lord’s supper – to remind us of the gospel.

We are a gospel church in Robertson.  “We exist for the gospel of God”.  

Now I remind you that the word Gospel means good news (euaggelion) and good news is only meaningful if we understand why it is good. The Good news is meaningful against the background of bad news. The  God who loves this world  has placed  the church into  this community called Robertson, South Africa, Africa and the world  to be explainers  and examples of the Good news in  a world ravaged by sin and degradation. This clarifies our vision as a church. It helps us to understand why we exist. It gives reason and meaning to our gathering. 1. The gospel makes us glad. Therefore we worship the God who has saved us by His gospel  2. The gospel compels us to share this good news with those that still live under sin’s curse, and who are not yet reconciled with God, and who continue to live under the wrath of a holy God. The gospel gives us reason to pray for our world, and evangelise and engage in missionary activity.   3. Once the gospel is received it gives us power to say “no!” to ungodliness (Titus 2:12ff NIV). This means that  men become better husbands  and fathers, women better wives and mothers , children more obedient to parents  etc… 

 1:2-6 THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

And now let us consider this message  or content of the gospel in itself

4 Things

1. It is promised beforehand through the prophets in the holy Scriptures...The gospel is not Paul’s invention. It is not a new thing. It is based on a promise consistently contained in all the OT Scriptures.  In Acts 17:2 we read that Paul “reasoned with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead and saying, “This Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.” 

The Lord Jesus Christ explained Himself to 2 discouraged disciples on the Emmaus road by means of the OT Scriptures, beginning with Moses and the prophets (Lk 24:27)  

At RRCC we need to make sure that we spend enough time in the OT to understand how the gospel is rooted there.

2. It is concerning His Son (Jesus) – descended from David according to the flesh. 

This promise is concerning a Messiah (an anointed One) who would in due time be sent from God to redeem His people Israel from the weight of their slavery – and especially from the burden of the slavery of sin. The gospel is not an abstract philosophical concept. It is a person and He makes a massive difference in the lives of those that embrace Him. The first thing about the gospel is that it is not something new. It has ancient roots.  Paul tells us that the OT prophets had spoken about this gospel.  The gospel is found in the OT.  Concerning him we learn two things (i)  that He would arrive in a form of a human being, via the line of David. This is what Paul consistently draws attention to in his preaching everywhere (e.g. Acts 13:23).  The gospel is rooted in God’s ancient revelation 2 Sam. 7:12ff (Davidic covenant)  tells us that a greater Son of David will sit on the throne, occupying an eternal kingdom.  Through the Genealogies in Matthew (1:1-16)  and Luke (3:23-38) we know that both Mary and Joseph were descended  from the line of David, so that when Jesus was born, one could truly say,  “as to his human ancestry” that he was a son of David!  He was often called “Son of David”. Sadly Jesus came to His own but His own did not receive him (Jn 1:10,11. Yet there were a few  that saw  Him for who He was. 

• The Magi saw him for who was  (Matt. 2:1-12
• Simeon and the prophetess Anna  saw Him for who he was (Luke 2:22-38). But that was not all ...

3. He was  also declared  to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead:  The Holy Spirit confirmed Christ’s  identity as Son of God :   

•     At his baptism  (Matt. 3:17)
•     At the transfiguration (Matt 17:1-13)
• BUT the gospel   was made supremely  visible by the Holy Spirit  at  Christ’s resurrection  (1:4) 

Although Jesus was the Son of David as a physical descendant, He was more than the physical Son of David. He also is the eternal Son of God - God the Son. At this point Paul asserts something very important.  Jesus is both fully man  (and as such He identifies with us – minus sin) AND  fully God. These two aspects of Christ’s nature were much debated  in church history. People have always found it difficult to hold to the two natures of Christ, because our human experience finds no counterpart in Christ. But early church councils  e.g. the Nicene creed and Chalcedonian creed,  made it very clear that  the Bible reveals that our Lord Jesus Christ had two natures, which were undivided. And here, in the opening sentence of the letter to the Romans we have  a powerful statement of the fact that Jesus is descended both from a human ancestry (through the line of David) AND  from a  divine  ancestry  through Holy Spirit’s work at  the resurrection. He represents both realms.

And so  Paul  names him, “Jesus Christ our Lord “ (1:4). He is ….

•          Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins

•          Christ  (Greek- Christos);  Messiah (Hebrew) – God’s anointed One,

•          Our Lord ( Greek- kurios) – literally  our Master, Owner.  He is the One,  says Paul,  who has called me into service to bear testimony to the Gentiles.

Having said that, the gospel is rooted in the Old Testament redemptive purposes, revealing   the Messiah as the   Son of David  and  as the eternal Son of God, Paul now he goes on to say that…

 4.      The gospel is for all nations:  “…through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for  the sake of His Name among all the nations ...

Paul is announcing something radical here. He is a Jew. The knowledge of salvation came from the OT scriptures to the Jews. But  this does not exclude the  nations – the gentiles. The gospel for which Paul has been set apart now becomes a message for the whole world – for Jew and gentile.  The gospel is for all nations. The gospel  brings a divided  world   together  again.

The Implications Of The Gospel

In  1:5-7  we  see just how radical are the implications of the gospel  are – particularly in terms  of how we view ourselves. You and I need to understand what the gospel does for us.

The gospel is not a little addition to life e.g. going through the rites and motions (baptism, church membership   etc).  The gospel transforms you. It changes who you are, because of who He is. And He  redefines us  and helps us to see  what we are meant  to be.  Paul says 4 things  concerning this: 

1.  1: 5,6  Paul makes it clear that we are part of a united body  which includes both Jew and Gentile -  i.e. those  that are saved  out of  the whole world, uniting us  in gospel bonds, uniting  Jew and Greek, Israel and the nations into one church, transcending cultural  boundaries that separate us “in the obedience of  faith for the sake of His Name”. The gospel redefines the way in which we look at people and culture. The gospel makes us one people through Christ. The gospel changes the way we look at one another. It changes the way we look at the world.

2. 1:6. He goes on to mention specifically that we are called by Jesus Christ Himself. Think of yourself that way. Jesus has called YOU! A personal, particular call.

3. 1:7 Those saved by the gospel are loved by God the Father. Think how important that would have been for those early Roman Christians.  They were hated by the world. They were thought to be part of an evil  sect and accused of all sorts of things, including cannibalism. But the apostle Paul says that they are the loved ones of God.  If you have the  hate  and wrath of the world against you but the love of God for you, then you have what really matters.

4. 1:7 “called  to be saints".  Christians are holy, set apart  for the pursuit of holiness. Our fallen nature is progressively  recreated  by God.

We must preach the gospel. It is the  gospel alone that changes everything because it re-introduces  us to the One who made us – the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone has the power to change us. 

This gospel is for all the nations- for all people. 

This  gospel not only  transforms us individually but it places  us into one body – the body of Christ.

Now this is my message. This is my calling. This is my work. This is  what I am called to remind you of.  Amen