Okay, now we're going to take
a look at Roman chapter 1 and I'm going to try to finish this
chapter Verse 25 down to verse 32 But it says in verse 24, wherefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness, those who are changing the glory
of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to a corruptible
man. Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts. The
heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.
to dishonor their own bodies between themselves." Now verse
25, "...who change the truth of God into a lie." Now that
is something to think about. Change the truth of God into
a lie. Therefore, the fruit of that
is worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator who is
the blessed God forevermore. Those who were taken up and consumed
with creature worship, creature rites, creature will worship,
and free willism, will have nothing but sin to reign in them and
over them. Those who will not have Christ
to reign over them in grace will have sin reign in them and over
them in destruction. Now, turn to Romans chapter 5. Thank God by His grace that grace
does reign in His people. But notice in Romans chapter
5 verse 20, Moreover the law entered that the offense might
abound, but where sin abounded, grace does much more abound.
Now look at verse 21 carefully. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, Someone said of this verse, there were two sovereigns in
this verse. Two sovereigns. Sin reigns unto
death. Even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace does reign through Christ
who is our righteousness. Now look carefully again at verse
25. These who will not honor God desire to dethrone, dethrone
God, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped
and served, worshiped and served past tense the creature rather
than the Creator. Now, on the back of the bulletin,
don't turn and read it now, but I tried to write an article,
and I would encourage you to look at it closely later today
on this very verse. And let me just read it to you.
Mark it down in bold letters for all to read. Anytime sinful
men change, alter, or modify the truth of the gospel to satisfy
the carnal delight and wisdom of men, it is only because they
desire to worship the creature rather than the almighty God
and the creator of all things. The Scriptures declare, and we're
going to see this in Romans 3, let God be true and every man
a liar. And then I wrote in that article,
I'll give you three, let me give you three prime examples when
the truth of God is turned into a lie and how it shows contempt
for God and phony, contempt for God and phony comfort for the
creature. Three things. Men say today that
God loves everybody. That's what we've heard for years,
hasn't it? God loves everybody. That's changing the truth of
God into a lie. God is love, that's true and
clear from the Scriptures. However, the love of God is revealed
and made known only to those in Christ. Nothing can separate
us from the love of God which is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
To say that God loves everybody without exception is changing
the truth of God's love into a lie, isn't it? And only honoring
the creature rather than the Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. The second thing we see going
on in religious circles, and this has been going on for several
hundred years, men say today that Christ died for everyone,
without exception, and he tried to put away the sin of every
single person. Well, that's changing the truth
of God into a lie. It is true that Christ died according
to the scriptures. But it is a lie to say that Christ
died for all of the sins of all men. That's not so. The truth
of the scriptures clearly and boldly declare Christ died for
his sheep, died for his church, died for his bride, died for
his people, died for his jewels. You see what happens when we
change the truth of God into a lie, and that is only for the
puny creature. Thirdly, men say today that God
the Holy Spirit is trying to call, quicken, and save everyone. I mean, that's what is said in
religious circles. That's changing the truth of
God into a lie. God does not try to do anything,
does he? He accomplishes all of his purpose
without consulting the will or wisdom of the creature. He works
all things after the counsel of his own will. The unalterable,
undeniable truth is God will have mercy on whom he will have
mercy. The Lord powerfully quickens, affectionately calls, and saves
only His elect. Only His elect. All that the
Father giveth to me, they will come to me. Let God be true. and every man a liar. God help us as believers to never
modify or attempt to alter God's truth to satisfy puny, sinful
creatures. And that's the reason it's done.
But rather, let us declare the truth of the gospel that Christ
will be honored, Christ will be glorified, rather than the
creature. So be it. Notice how verse 25
ends in Romans 1. Amen. Amen. Let God be true, and God help
us to never alter God's Word, God's truth to satisfy the whim
and wishes of the creature. How terrible would that be? Now, look at verse 26 and verse
27. And this follows right with the
same theme. For this cause God gave them
up to vile affections, vile affections. For even their women did change
the natural use into that which is against nature, and likewise
also men leaving the natural use of the burned in their lusts
one to another, men with men, working that which is unseemly,
ungodly, and receiving in themselves that recompense or the just wrath
of God for their error, for their sin, which was fit. When sinners
deny and rebel against the truth, and hate the God of truth, and
hate the truth of the gospel, and rebel against God, there
is no level too low for them to sink unto." And the problem
is found in verse 30 of this text. Haters of God. Now that's
the bottom line. Haters of God. God, it says here,
gave them up or gave them over. to their wicked heart, left them
to the uncleanness of their vile affections." Now, there's no
doubt what this is talking about. This is talking about sexual
perversion among men and among women. It is called today homosexuality,
and it's everywhere. It's everywhere. It's everywhere
in our day. And in the public arena, politically
or any otherwise, you cannot speak out against it without
being branded as a lunatic, without being branded as an extremist,
without being branded as a bigot. I mean, if any of the politicians
in Washington will stand up and say that this is wrong and immoral,
it is very strange Just a few years ago, when Congress passed
what they called the Defensive Marriage Act to say that marriage
was between a man and a woman, and then when the liberals came
to power and started changing things, I could just see it melting
away and melting away, and finally Congress abolished that law. And then when somebody petitioned
the Supreme Court and went on and on and on, and they finally
changed the definition of marriage. People in our day have tried
and have succeeded to change what God intended to be the benefit
of mankind to populate his world. Men with men produce how many
babies? None. Women with women produce
how many babies? None! None! God made a man and
a woman to populate this earth. You see, they changed the truth
of God into a lie and to a falsehood to serve their own wicked interests. The courts of men may change
the definition of marriage to be contrary to the word of God,
to promote their own wicked agenda, to satisfy their own creature
delights, saying, and here's what they keep pounding and pounding
and pounding. They say it's acceptable. They
say it's just an alternative lifestyle. They try to promote
it and produce it on TV, in the newspaper, in the news, and to
say it's normal and acceptable. But my friend, let's just be
honest, it's evil in the sight of God, and God will deal with
it justly. While it may be the law of the
land that a woman can marry a woman and a man can marry a man, it's
still against the law of God. Let's just be upfront, plain,
and honest. You see, God's Word always trumps
anything that men may come up with. Any law of man that is
contrary to the law of God has to be discarded. Now see, we've come a long way
in our day, haven't we? My father's generation, back
the World War II generation. Those old timers, if you would
have told them in that day what's going on in this day, they would
have said, there's just no way that's going to happen. that
the Supreme Court would change the definition of what God says
that marriage is and say, well, okay, it's acceptable. Well,
it may be acceptable in some circles, but it's not acceptable
with God nor his people. They speak out against these
things. Look at verse 28. Even as they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge, they would not acknowledge God
as God. His word is true. They're going
to change the truth of God into a lie. Why do they do that? To
satisfy their own wicked interest and their own wicked evil imagination. And it says here, God gave them
over to a reprobate mind. And notice the marginal reference,
a mind void of judgment to do those things which are not convenient,
not proper, not fit, not godly. They did not and will not acknowledge
God or His Word. God gave them over to a mind
that is void of judgment, a reprobate mind, that is a vain, empty mind,
worthless, good for nothing, devoid of all true knowledge
and judgment, incapable of approving what is truly good, disapproving
of that which is evil, and mind their evil mind, and lost all
consciousness of things disapproved of God, and by all decency according
to the Word of God." Now look at verse 29. It goes on here, "...being filled."
Being filled. Now what does that mean? That
means they're full of. They're full of. "...being filled
with all righteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness,
full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers.
Now this is a gruesome list. This is a gruesome list. And
yet this is God's description of what every one of us are by
nature. This is all the flesh can produce. We're going to see in Romans
chapter 3 where God said that Jew and Gentile, as it is written,
there is none righteous, no, not one. We being filled with
unrighteousness. Even our so-called righteousness
or morality, God says it's what? Filthy rags in His sight. Now, it may look more unclean
than our sight, but in God's sight, it's filthy rags. Evidence
of what we are by nature that's given to us here. Man at his
best state is altogether vanity. This is all the flesh can produce,
nothing but evil, evil. Now, here's the key in the sight
of God. in the sight of God. While some
of these things may be acceptable to some men, it's not acceptable
to God. Now, I've counted here 24 different
offenses, iniquities, and transgressions against God of which we are all
guilty of. You say, well, not me. No, no,
wait a minute. Wait a minute. You're part of
this fallen race, right? There's none righteous, no not
one. Does that exclude you? To offend in one point of God's
law is to be guilty of all God's law. Right? 24 different offenses
and iniquities which are against God. And that's the evil part
of sin. Sin is a transgression against
God's law. Being filled. Deceit, malignancy,
whispers. Verse 30, backbiters, haters
of God. I believe that's the key right
there. haters of God. The carnal mind, we're going
to see in Romans chapter 7, the carnal mind is enmity against
God. The carnal mind receiveth not
the things of the judgment of God. Haters of God. Haters of God. We are all guilty. Guilty before God. Look at Romans
3, 19. Romans 3, 19. Now we know that
whatsoever things the law saith, It said to them that are under
the law, what does the law say? You're guilty. You're guilty. Well, I've never murdered anyone.
Yes, you have. Yes, you have. The Lord said
you did. Let every mouth be stopped and
all the world may become, or subject to, the judgment of God. Guilty, guilty, guilty. You say, well, I've never committed
that one. Guilty. You just lied. You just
lied. You're guilty. You're guilty.
Backbiters. Haters of God. Despiteful. Proud. Remember what the Lord
hates in the book of Proverbs? A proud heart. Boasters. Pride. Envy. Inventors of evil
things. Inventors of evil things. They just invent things to satisfy
the wickedness. Now, I'm not talking down to
people. I'm talking to myself. This is what all of us are by
nature, disobedient to parents. Boy, every child is guilty of
that, aren't they? No, mom, I won't do that. Well,
you see, the problem with that, and you think, well, that's just,
that's just, Why does the Lord mention that in this gruesome
list? Because it's rebellion against
the authority of God. The parent or the principal,
the parent in the home or the principal in the school or the
boss on the job, they are the authority of God and to rebel
against them is to rebel against God. Without understanding, understanding
being darkened by the ignorance that is in them, Ephesians chapter
4. Covenant breakers. Covenant breakers. Boy, our government
sure is guilty of that. Covenant breakers. And I think,
when I think about covenant breakers, I think about how this country
invaded the Europeans, the white Europeans, and I'm one of them.
My mother immigrated to this country in 1948. I'm a white
European and most of us are descendants from, but when they flooded this
country and they just pushed the American Indians further
and further and further and said, oh, we're going to make a covenant
with you. You just stay right over here
on this land. Andrew Jackson, you remember
what he said? Take all the American Indians and just push them west
of the Mississippi and we'll be happy. Well, that didn't last
long, did it? And we just pushed them further
and further and further. And finally, just almost pushed
them into extinction. Covenant breakers. The white
man speak with forked tongue. Boy, they're right. Why'd they
do that? Because by nature we're so full
of greed and envy and pride. Covenant breakers. Now, I'm real
familiar with that because I grew up out west. I grew up with the
Indians. And I know that how our government, how they have
broken their promises and broken the covenants. Implacable, that
is untrue to their word. Unmerciful. Unmerciful. Men are unmerciful, aren't they? Be ye therefore merciful, even
as your Father in heaven is merciful. See, that's the fruit of grace.
See, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, meekness, temperance. But if you go back in Genesis
or Galatians chapter 5 and read that verse before Galatians 5.22
about what the flesh produces, same thing is recorded right
here. Who, verse 32, Knowing the judgment of God. Knowing the judgment of God. Now, what is the judgment of
God? Look at verse 18, Romans 1. The wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness, all unrighteousness of men who
hold the truth in unrighteousness, who, knowing the judgment of
God, but disregard the Word of God and the truth of God and
change it to suit their fancy, who, knowing the judgment of
God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death. So we're
going to see in Romans 6, verse 23, that the wages of sin is
death. That's what all of us have earned,
and that's what all of us deserve, nothing but judgment, condemnation,
and eternal death. That's what we deserve. But I
like the rest of that verse too, don't you? But the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Knowing that
they that do such things are worthy of death, not only do
the same, but they have pleasure. There is pleasure in sin for
a season." Hebrews 11 verse 25. Knowing the judgment and wrath
of God, sin and rebellion against God deserves nothing but condemnation. Nothing but condemnation. Look at Romans 2 verse 8 and
9. We're going to see that the Lord
spells this out real clearly in the next chapter. But to them
which are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish
upon every soul of man that doeth evil, whether he be a pagan Gentile
or whether he be a religious Jew, Jew or Gentile, Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Before God. Now, when the Lord
teaches us the gospel, and when he gives us a repentant, believing
heart, you know what we say of ourselves? Guilty. Guilty. We agree with God against
ourselves. When he says guilty, that's me. Guilty. Men at their worst, or
men at their best. the religious Jew or the pagan
Gentile, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Now, is there any hope for a sinner like me? Is there any hope for
a sinner like me? Thank God for His saving grace. You see, the book of Romans is
all about, turn over to Romans chapter 4, The book of Romans
is all about how God justifies the ungodly. How God justifies
the guilty. Verse 4, Romans 4, Now to him
that worketh is reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to
him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. Now who justifies the ungodly? He does. His faith is counted
for righteousness. The book of Romans tells us and
teaches us that in Christ there is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're going
to see next week where he says in Romans 2 verse 1, he says,
we all are inexcusable and guilty before God and subject to His
judgment.