GOD IS LIFE
We have explored the vastness of the universe, witnessed the remarkable order of our solar system, admired the beauty of our planet and its plant life, studied intelligent animals, and marveled at the complexity of the human body. Everywhere we look, we find evidence of design, precision, and purpose. The universe operates with extraordinary fine-tuning. Numerous symbiotic relationships enable species to thrive. We see God’s handiwork as we look in a mirror and beneath the surface within the microscopic workings of our cells. Yet, on this unique planet, suspended within what appears to be an endless universe, humanity wrestles. We wrestle with God. Many recognize our Creator, but many still refuse. We wrestle with ourselves, looking for meaning, purpose, and peace. We wrestle with human relationships. We wrestle with sin, for which no cure can be manufactured by human intellect, innovation, or effort. The remedy can only be given through the mercy and grace of the very Creator whom our society doesn’t want to exist. God gave us free will, a conscience, desires, and the capacity to reason. These gifts make genuine love, faith, and obedience possible, but they also make rebellion and sin possible. The same freedom that allows us to seek and know God also allows us to reject Him, leaving us in need of the redemption that only He can provide.
This wrestle and struggle isn’t new; it’s as old as mankind. I’ve wanted to share this scripture since day one of this series, but I have held off until today. We need to see and know what has happened and be careful not to repeat history (even though it is happening in our country at an alarming rate). But there is good news, and spoiler alert, it’s found in the awe and wonder of Jesus Christ. But first, let us look at the wrestling and struggle that we want to avoid, or that we need to be aware of so we can help others…
Romans 1:18-23 NIV
Background:
Paul goes into a long retelling of Genesis 3-11 (As in the days of Noah, emphasis mine), showing how the Gentile world, all nations, have become trapped in a spiral of sin and selfishness. The human heart and mind are broken. We’ve turned away from God to embrace idolatry, finding ultimate significance in created things and giving allegiance to things that are not God. This results in a distortion of our humanity and destructive behavior. What’s left is a humanity that stands guilty before a just and righteous God.”- https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-romans/
The Jews in the Roman church may think they are off the hook, but Paul addresses them too, especially in Romans 2. Paul “recalls the story of the Torah and the rest of the Old Testament, which showed that Israel was just as sinful, idolatrous, and morally broken as the rest of humanity. In fact, Israel is actually more guilty than the Gentiles because they have the Torah and should know better.” -https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-romans/
V. 18
The wrath of God was shown in the days of Noah with the flood, but so was God’s mercy in choosing a family to build an ark and repopulate. The wrath of God was shown when He dispersed humanity at the Tower of Babel because of their desire for self-glorification and power. The wrath of God was shown in various ways to the Gentiles and His chosen people throughout the OT. No one was off the hook because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The wrath of God was taken by Christ instead of us: For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
But God’s wrath is not over; it is being stored up for the end when God will judge the whole world: Romans 2:4-11 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
“Who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” People had God’s truth but refused to heed it, let it influence and direct their lives. They held it down instead of holding onto or holding it up. We do not have power over the truth, nor can we change the truth, but when humanity denies the truth of God, we influence generations to not even know God.
V. 19-20
The truth was right in front of humanity, and it’s right in front of us, but we have allowed wickedness or immorality, and idolatry and selfishness to suppress the truth.
God made it plain in all of creation, and even more so in the incarnation of God, Jesus Christ. John 5:39-40 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.
Rebellious hearts have eyes but refuse to see; ears but refuse to listen. It was a sin and spiritual condition that needed to be addressed.
We are without excuse…
V. 21-23
What makes things worse is that Paul says we had knowledge, an experience of God, but instead of giving Him glory and thanks, we took God for granted and after enjoying God’s favor and help, we forgot God (this cycle happens often in the Old Testament).
We traded or “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles” (v. 23). This would be giving up the God who supernaturally rescues you from Egypt to a Golden calf that you made by your hands.
When you suppress truth and God, your thinking becomes untethered, foolish, and futile.
“Dr Francis Crick, an atheist and co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, admitted there is almost no possibility whatsoever that the very first life could have spontaneously generated from the inorganic chemicals that may have existed in the Earth’s atmosphere and surface water. As a result of his conclusion that life could never have spontaneously developed on Earth over billions of years, he was forced to develop an alternative theory to account for the existence of tremendously complex organisms found everywhere on Earth. Professor Crick wrote a book entitled Life Itself in which he explained his new theory that suggested that life was actually developed through evolution in some other galaxy and then brought to Earth from outer space by means of alien ships. While such a theory is certainly imaginative, it is totally false. Dr Crick acknowledges that his theory has no evidence whatsoever to support it, but he prefers it to admitting that only a supernatural God could rationally account for the beginning of life, the existence of DNA, and all the millions of species found on earth Today…Crick has taken the impossible theory of evolution and made it more fanciful.” Grant, Jeffries. Creation: Remarkable Evidence of God’s Design, pgs 156-157
In a nutshell, they couldn't shake the knowledge and inescapable truth that God exists, so they opted for the worship of something else, creating their own versions, gods of their own liking to fit what they desired…This resulted in the worship of idols made of wood or gold that resemble mere people, birds, animals, and reptiles. They traded the truth of God for a lie. They didn’t stop worshipping; they just chose to worship created things instead of the Creator who made them and this beautiful world. What an insult to God and what a downgrade.
Progressively they became fools (emōranthēsan, lit., “became stupid”), a reality demonstrated by the worship as gods of idols in the forms of people and animals (cf. Rom. 1:25). The ultimate irony in humanity’s refusal to glorify the true God is the insanity or stupidity of idolatry described in Isaiah 44:9–20. Man’s refusal to acknowledge and glorify God leads to a downward path: first, worthless thinking; next, moral insensitivity; and then, religious stupidity (seen in idol-worship). Witmer, J. A. (1985).Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 443). Victor Books.
Romans 1:24-32 NIV
V. 24-25
“God gave them over…” This is mentioned three times. The word “abandoned” is in view. God let people go. He did not intervene. He didn’t force them to stop. He didn’t wipe them off the earth. He stopped appointing Kings and stopped sending prophets. He let them face the consequences of their own making that come when we don’t obey God: lawlessness, murder, disease, despair.
In a real sense, the results of God’s condemnation on rebellious humanity are nothing more than the natural consequences of suppressing truth, ignoring revelation, and perverting God’s glory. However, God did more than simply let nature take its course. God acted to abandon (the thrice-mentioned “gave them over” [vv. 24, 26, 28] is paredōken, “abandoned”) people to expressions of a corrupt lifestyle that deserved God’s wrath and the sentence of death (v. 32). Witmer, J. A. (1985).Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 443). Victor Books.
You don’t want this. Society doesn’t want this. We want God’s grace, mercy, commands, love, justice, righteousness. You want these things in your heart and in your community; otherwise it can be like a sliver of hell on earth for people.
V. 26-32
Unfortunately, wickedness increased, and Paul gives us multiple examples of wickedness that overcame humanity.
Unnatural relations between women and between men. Homosexuality is being condemned here; there is no question about that.
The list doesn't discriminate; it goes on, and it’s bad (vs 29-31).
The climax of this list is verse 32: “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
This whole pattern of evil becomes the lifestyle of people who continue to do (pres. tense implies continuing or habitual action) these very things in open defiance of God, a defiance aggravated (a) by fully knowing (epignontes; cf. v. 28) that such things deserve death and (b) by encouraging others in the same lifestyle. Such extremity of human rebellion against God fully warrants God’s condemnation. Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 444). Victor Books.
This scripture reveals that we abandoned God first, not the other way around.
When a vacuum is created by dismissing God, you fill it with your own way of thinking and living.
Paul is showing us what happens when we abandon God, and we see it in our world today and even in the church.
Not only have we foolishly ignored the obvious- God is our Creator- but we have taken what is natural for good and twisted it for our own purposes, as if to say that what God made, purposed, and provided wasn’t good enough.
As you can see, God’s wrath is justified.
Application
We can sum up humanity in four groups:
Those who believe in God as the Creator and giver of life and seek to honor, obey, and serve God with their lives. (Theism)
As soon as someone abandons the first one or simply doesn’t know of Jesus (if they are not evangelized), they will typically fall into the next three:
Those who acknowledge God but reject His authority, creating a version of God that conforms to their own desires.
Those who deny God and religion altogether (Atheism and Secularism). But this turns into its own belief system with scientism, naturalism, and materialism.
Those who believe in many gods and many ways to a “heaven” (Polytheists, Pluralists, Pantheists, Universalists). This is against what Jesus teaches.
Be Aware of the Slow Drift
This is the result of wickedness and sin. It is rarely an instant rejection of God; it is usually a slow drift over time. Paul describes a downward progression. First, people suppress the truth. God has made Himself known, but instead of embracing His truth, they push it down because it conflicts with their desires. What is right becomes inconvenient, and what is righteous becomes restrictive.
The next step is often not a complete denial of God, but a reshaping of God. Rather than submitting to the Creator, people begin creating a version of God that approves of what they already want to do. God is no longer worshiped as He has revealed Himself; He is reimagined according to human preferences. Self moves to the center, and God is expected to revolve around us rather than us around Him.
Then comes the attempt to hold onto both God and self. Instead of asking, "What does God say?" the question becomes, "How can I justify what I want?" Scripture is selectively embraced or dismissed. Arguments emerge that seek to soften or redefine God's clear commands. The goal is no longer obedience but accommodation. Rather than being transformed by God's Word, people attempt to transform God's Word to fit their lives.
As this process continues, many arrive at relativism. Truth becomes personal rather than objective. "What's true for you may not be true for me." Right and wrong become matters of preference rather than matters of God's design. Society begins to celebrate what God condemns and condemn what God celebrates. Isaiah's warning becomes reality: "What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter" (Isaiah 5:20).
For some, the final step is the outright denial of God's existence. Having concluded that they cannot reconcile their desires with God's authority, they remove God from the equation altogether. If there is no Creator, there is no accountability. If there is no Judge, there is no judgment. If there is no God, then humanity is free to define morality for itself. Yet this freedom is an illusion. Sin promises liberation but produces slavery.
This is the loving warning of Romans 1. The danger is not merely that people commit sinful acts; the danger is that hearts slowly drift away from the God who is life. Every step away from God darkens our understanding and hardens our hearts. What begins as suppressing the truth eventually becomes captivity to sin.
Suppress truth → refuse to glorify and thank God → futile thinking → idolatry → moral corruption → celebration of sin.
But this warning also comes with an invitation while there is still time. And let this be motivation for us to reach the lost in our lives. God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. No matter how far someone has drifted, the door of grace remains open through Jesus Christ. The answer is not to continue redefining truth; the answer is to return to the One who is Truth. The answer is not to create a god in our own image; it is to surrender to the God in whose image we were created.
The world is full of pleasures that compete for our hearts. If we are not careful, we can take things that are not inherently wrong—hobbies, careers, relationships, possessions, even self-care—and elevate them to a place only God should occupy. Anything that takes God's place in our hearts eventually becomes an idol. The question we must honestly ask ourselves is: Who or what has my awe and wonder? Who or what truly has my heart?
The apostle John said in 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
He also ended that same letter saying: Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. 1 John 5:21
Who or what has your Awe and Wonder? Who or what do you worship? We all worship; we all give ourselves to something or someone, but does God have your heart and your life?
If God isn’t life for you, I have good news…His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance…
The Awe and Wonder of God's Grace
Romans 3:23-25 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
God gave His Son to pay the penalty for your sin. By putting your faith (your life and belief) in Christ as your redemption, as the offering for your sin, you are saved. The future wrath of God passes over you because you are covered by the blood of Christ and you inherit eternal life.
A Prayer for Salvation
Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of Your grace.
Today I confess You as my Lord and put my trust in You alone.
I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose again.
Thank you for forgiving me and making me new.
Lead me as I follow You from this day forward.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Closing
Keep God on the throne of Your Heart
Worship and Thank God Daily
Suppress wickedness, instead of truth
Stay close in fellowship with other worshippers
Share the Gospel with the lost
A prophetic warning: Don’t isolate yourself.
Discussion
When was the last time you were genuinely amazed by something God created?
According to Romans 1:19-20, how has God made Himself known to humanity?
What does it mean to "suppress the truth" and how might people do this today?
Why does Paul say humanity is "without excuse"?
Why do you think people often choose created things over the Creator?
Pastor Ryan described four groups of people, those who follow God, those who acknowledge God but reject His authority, those who deny God altogether, and those who believe there are many paths to God. Which of these views do you encounter most often?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
How can we pray together for you today?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life, we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and, when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways, and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!