All posts by Simon Twist

Current Series, Romans

Romans 1:18-32 – The ignorance of sin

Paul spends three chapters in the book of Romans to convince his readers that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). To get to this conclusion, he begins at Romans 1:18 to speak of the way humans suppress the truth about God.

There is a great deal to discuss in these verses but note a few of these.

1) Paul describes the human race as spiralling further and further away from God rather than being a morally maturing breed. Note verse 22, the description of replacing worship of an immortal God for images: first images that look like mortal humans (who at least were made in the image of God), then of birds and of animals and then of reptiles – is it a coincidence that this verse begins with the image of God and ends with the image of the deceiver of Genesis 3? People are not getting better and better. No achievement or progression of mankind can get us closer to God or being more godlike. When we get to Romans 3, we will discuss the doctrine of ‘total depravity.’ Humanity is not ‘basically good with traces of evil’ – rather, humanity is blind to the truth about God and is blissfully unaware of its utter rebelliousness. NB Ephesians 2:1-3!

2) Note that God is not active in producing sin in us. Rather, he ‘gave [us] over in [our] sinful desires of [our] heart. ‘God gave them over’ is repeated in verses 24, 26, and 28 – our desires, our passions and our minds are all warped in a direction away from the truth.

3) There is a dark description of the condition of mankind in these verses. A description that needs to be taken seriously. But note the broad spectrum of sin covered in this passage: wrong worship of God, wrong use of our bodies, wrong approach to sex, and wrong approach to human relationships. I particularly take note at ‘they disobey their parents.’ It may sound humerous among so many ‘worse’ activities or thoughts, but this is to illustrate how profoundly horrible and basic our sin is. Remember the 5th commandment? Paul is not describing ‘those people out there’ but our own hearts – for all who are yet to be introduced to the Saviour!

I’ll leave you with a quote from a blog that I think is really helpful in relation to this weeks passage and a link to the much longer blog…

THE REALITY OF SIN AND DARKENING OF THE HUMAN MIND
Psalm 14 puts it succinctly:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (Ps 14:1)

The one who removes God from consideration, who is unresponsive to God, is a fool. In the words of John Woodhouse:

People who do not take God seriously find it very difficult to see the seriousness of not taking God seriously. To refuse to take God seriously is the ultimate stupidity but once you have committed it, the inevitable effect is to blind you to its idiocy. It does not seem at all stupid not to take God seriously, if you don’t… Our sinfulness gets in the way of seeing our sinfulness.

A similar point is made in Romans 1, where the downward spiral of sin begins with a suppression of the truth (perhaps the suppression of the truth by the first man and woman in the Garden) but descends very quickly into the foolishness David was speaking about in Psalm 14:

For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise they became fools… 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. (Rom 1:21–22, 28)

Ultimately it is sin itself which is the root cause of the contemporary abandonment of sin.

Read more of this blog here, particularly the points made toward the end of it…

Uncategorized

Romans 1:16-17 – sold on the good news

The Bible Text

Romans 1:16-17
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+1%3A16-17&version=NIVUK
Context
Paul introduced himself to the church at Rome as one who was called by God for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel (v1, 9) to the Gentiles (v5, 13) – ie, non-Jews. He described the gospel as pertaining to the person of Jesus Christ (v3) – the promised Messiah – and the power of God displayed in the resurrection (v4). The gospel is also about an obedience that comes from faith (v5) and of belonging to Jesus Christ (v6).
The faith of the Roman church is widely known (v8) and Paul longs to visit them so that they can both encourage one another by their faith (v12). Paul is committed (or tied/bound) to preaching the gospel to Greek and non-Greeks, ie to Greeks and beyond! (v14
Structure
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel
​because it is the power of God
​​​that brings salvation
​​​​​to everyone who believes:
​​​​​​​first the Jew,
​​​​​​​then to the Gentile [lit. Greek].

17 ​For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed
​​​​ – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,
​​just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’

NB the focus of these verses is the statement (I am not ashamed of the Gospel) and the comprehensive reason why: the gospel explains the righteousness of God. The text above is given a new line for each clause that expands on the previous. So, ‘the power of God’ ‘brings salvation’. This salvation is ‘to everyone who believes’. When he says everyone, he means ‘Jew’ and the rest of the world! (Greek culture was dominant throughout the middle east and Europe and Paul had stated in verse 14 that he wanted the gospel to go even beyond the known world!)

Notes on the Text
V16.
‘For’ tells us that Paul is giving this statement to explain why he is so passionate about visiting the Romans to share his faith (v12) and for preaching the gospel into all the world (v14-15). Why is he committing all his time and energy and life into this gospel? Verses 16-17 are his answer – and the rest of the book expand on the teaching here!
‘I am not ashamed’ – in the positive, this statement might read: I am proud or boastful of the gospel! I will shout it from the rooftops – like a one-eyed football supporter on grand final night. Paul is not shy or bashful to speak of this gospel. There is no place on the earth where he would choose to keep his mouth shut about it.
‘the gospel’ – what is the gospel? Paul describes that It brings salvation and that it is the power of God. Earlier, he described it’s content (see context above).
‘It is the power of God’ – it is the work, power, ability and strength of God. See 2 Tim 1:8; 1Co 1:18; Rom 1:4; 1Co 1:24; 1Cor 4:20; Phil 3:10; 2 Tim 3:5. The gospel is not merely a philosophy or hopeful thinking – it is God’s works done on the cross and his resurrection and his continued transformation of sinners from death to life that is being proclaimed!
‘brings salvation’ – notice that salvation has been brought to us and not bought! This is a tiny difference in language that makes an immense difference in practice. Paul will spend the first three chapters of Romans describing how sinful the human race is. There is no contribution that we do or can make to obtain or earn or barter for salvation. It is the grace of God. A gift. The message that describes the gospel delivers to the ears of believers the power of God to transform them from guilty to not guilty.
‘to everyone who believes’ – although it is a free gift, it is one that needs to be communicated and believed. God has not done a deal to cure sin behind closed doors, like grown-ups paying for school fees t the ignorance of their children. Salvation has been one on the human stage, at the cross, so that the good news could be described and the story retold and so people could choose to believe.
‘first the Jew and then the gentile’ – one school of thought teaches that all Jews will be saved and that salvation is a priority to them. It seems easiest, in the context of Paul’s own words, to think that God gave the Jews the first privilege of hearing the gospel through the OT scriptures and then through the personal testimony of The Lord Jesus Christ. Paul has made it his priority to take the god news to the Gentiles. He is not waiting around Jerusalem for all the Jews to respond.

V17
‘For’ – why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel? Because it reveals the righteousness of God.
‘righteousness of God’ – this describes the truth that all things done by God are right. He is the father of light and in him there is no darkness. He is holy. All his ways are just. Righteousness is almost synonymous with justified. God is justified when he speaks and acts. The question is, how can sinners who are guilty be set free without punishment? How can a just God allow that? The answer is the Gospel. The righteousness of God is the grace of God and the grace of God is the righteousness of God! When the gospel is understood, it is seen that God is justified and righteous.
This righteousness is for us and it is obtained by faith (eph 2:8-9). Faith is all about trust that is handed over to the Father. I am saved because I trust God and pursue a life of trusting him deeper and deeper. My salvation begins by surrendering my life to God and continues that way. Salvation is not the beginning of a life of trying to stay saved by works. The only works I do is the pursuit of continued trust in Him who saved me. That is why Paul ends with ‘the righteous shall live by faith’. The Christian life ought to be defined by faith. Not bible knowledge or outward appearances but by a trust in God.

Theme
The passion of and for the gospel appears as a strong theme here. The content of the gospel message must be gleaned from many parts of scripture to get a complete picture – indeed Paul does an outstanding job for us in all of Romans! – but this passage focuses on the reason for Paul devoting all his life, prayers and duties to proclaiming it.
The gospel as the power of God. That is, the good news is no mere philosophy or Sunday religion. It is God at work in the world! Many will look for signs and miracles and prosperity through religion but the gospel is a revealed knowledge of how God is truly and faithfully and consistently at work in the world. You want to see the power of a God? Look at all who have been transformed by the great news that salvation has come to sinners. Preach the gospel and watch what happens.
Application

  • know the gospel. Is it something that has grabbed your heart?
  • is your Christian faith something that you keep hidden?
  • the world needs to hear the good news and we are able to pray for gospel workers and support them or go ourselves.
  • mission work needn’t be far away. We have plenty of opportunies in our lives to take the gospel to others. What is your plan for doing that?

Prayer
Dear Father in heaven, we praise you for the passion you have displayed for this world. We thank you for the gift of salvation that we can receive by faith. Change us, we pray, to be people who are passionate about the gospel. May we not be ashamed to take the message that describes your power and share it in our world. Amen.

Questions
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Are you able to share your Christian story in around 2 minutes?
What does it mean to live by faith?

Current Series, Luke, Prayer, Topical

Does God really listen?

INTRODUCTION

In Luke 18:1-8, we are told that Jesus gave an illustration of a woman bothering a grumpy and selfish judge until the judge finally gave her what she needed. He told this story so that we would learn to pray to God and keep on praying!

Does this mean that we are meant to be ‘God botherers’?

Is God actually bothered by our requests? Are we right in bringing our problems to him? Or does he want to be left alone and work out our own problems?

The question about whether God really listens can be rather, should we bother with prayer?

CONTEXT

Before continuing to answer this question, it is worth looking at the context of Luke 18:1-8. The previous chapter began with a story of ten lepors who all came to Jesus with a request (a prayer if you like) to be healed. All ten were healed but only one returned giving praise to God. Jesus recognised this one man out of ten as having faith.

Then chapter seventeen continues with Jesus describing what it will be like when the Son of Man comes. He compares that day with the day of Sodom and Gomorra’s destruction and with the day that Noah boarded the ark! It will be a day of judgement.

It is in the context of this subject that the story of the persistant widow is given. Note in verse 8 that Jesus asks whether faith will be found when the Son of Man comes. The two previous accounts are feeding two strong subjects into this widow’s story 1) Faith and 2) the day of judgement.

The next story starting at verse 9 is just as important. It compares two type of prayers. One from a Pharisee who believes he is God’s gift to the world. The second is a tax collector who comes to God in humility and repentance. Jesus declares that the latter will return justified before God.

This allows us to see that the story of the widow is not simply a message to pray because Jesus says to. We notice that the widow has come in desperation to the local judge – only because he is the only person who can help her. She needs what only he can give. The widow’s story teaches us that, in light of the coming judgement, we need to see our need and the only One who can supply it. We need to come to the judge for help. Like the faith of the tenth lepor, Jesus wonders whether he will find us praying when he returns (verse 8).

THREE THINGS FROM THE PASSAGE (more or less)

1) Prayer is expected – verse 1

Nowhere in the bible are we told to begin praying. It is expected right from the opening story of the scriptures. Man and God were in communication with each other right at creation. Before the woman was created, man spoke with God. But God’s image bearer hid from God’s sight after the Fall. Sin removed the natural position of prayer.

Prayer was not stopped, it only became harder.

But we are told time and time again that God heard the cries of his people (Gen 21:17; 25:21; 30:17; Ex 2:24;16:12; 23:13; Deut 23:5; 26:7-9; Jdg 13:8-9; 2 Sam 22 esp v7; Psalm 18; 2 Chr 30:27; 33:10-13; Psalm 54:2; 55:1; 61:1; 66:17-20; 78:56-61; 84:8; Isa 38:4-8; Jer 31:18-20; Dan 9:19; 10:12; Acts 4:30-31; 2 Cor 6:2) and he even hears his ridicule too (2 Kings 19; Isa37:4).

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, the weren’t asking what prayer was or whether it was necessary, but how to do it! They were impressed by Jesus persistence and dedication to it.

In Luke 18:1, Jesus tells us to pray and not to stop praying. Two reasons can be given for this which together, are the most wonderful things ever known. Firstly that God is able to do anything he chooses. He is the sovereign Lord of all. Later in chapter 18, the disciples will ask Jesus how on earth anybody can possibly enter God’s kingdom. Jesus tells them that it is impossible for man, but nothing is impossible for God! Isaiah 46 is a beautiful chapter on exactly how powerful and in control God is. “I am God and there is no other, and I will do all that I please.”

This on it’s own is important news but it is not wonderful unless combined with the next truth: God cares about his people! He has demonstrated that care for us in sending his one and only son in the world to die in our place! Does God care? Of course he does. This is the greatest chasm between the judge in the story and our ultimate judge. The latter cares! And he cares about true justice and righteousness. God can do anything and he cares for you! How wonderful is that news!!!

Prayer is expected. A relationship with our creator was always a priority to him and sin has not stopped God relating with us. He has done away with that obstacle so that we can talk to him.

But what shall we talk to him about in prayer?

2) Prayer is at the heart of salvation – vv2-7

We can bring anything to our God in prayer, but before we do, there is one request we must bring to him and must never be far from our minds: to be saved!

The woman in the story was not bothering the judge for a tablespoon of sugar! She was desperate to get his attention to seek justice. The woman needed to get an answer from the judge and she persisted in this prayer with him.

What is our greatest need? There are some very big issues that plague us. Some of us are burdened with sickness or some misery or hardship. Some have unrelenting addictions. Chronic pain. Relentless depression. All of these are real and can be brought to God in prayer.

But our greatest need is forgiveness. It is easy to forget that. Remember the paralytic man that was brought to Jesus, and when Jesus saw him he told him that his sins are forgiven? And then he healed him of his useless legs only to prove that he CAN forgive sins! Our sins need dealing with first and foremost. This is part of our life of faith: knowing by faith that our greatest need is to be made right with God and then knowing that Jesus can make that happen.

At the heart of prayer, there is a need to be saved. To be rescued from our greatest enemy – sin and death.

When Jesus returns or he calls us home, all of our pain and sorrow will be stripped away. If we have not come to God in repentance – truly sorry and crying out for help – then we treat God more like a wish-bone or a dandelion that the sovereign God and judge.

God can do anything and he cares. But our greatest need is forgiveness. God is not bothered by our requests for that. He has worked hard and long and patiently and deliberately so that he can tell you that it is done. What is impossible for man has been done for us by the Son of God.

God expects that when we pray, when we pray, our desire will be first and foremost to be part of his kingdom. Once that has occured to us, then everything else we talk to God about will be effected by his kingdom.

3) Prayer is faith speaking – verse 8

Jesus was pleased to see that tenth lepor giving praises to God for the healing that he had received. The other nine were shallow and quickly forgot all the heartache they had been through – that they were clean was all that they cared about. The tenth remembered who had brought this salvation to his life. Jesus was pleased to see faith demonstrated in this man. While he didn’t see God, he praised him. While the healing came from a man of Nazareth, he knew that God had made that happen.

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Will he find people bringing their desperate need of salvation to him in prayer and hearing the songs of praise as faith sings out the victory song? God will deliver all those who cry out to him in faith.

But what should we do with our smaller requests? Is God only interested in our salvation and not in our daily anxieties?

God cares and we are told in 1 Peter 5:8 to throw all of our anxieties on him because he does care. This too is an act of faith. Handing our stresses and nervousness over to an unseen God.

Paul, who wrote half of the NT, brought a concern to God in prayer. He described his problem as a thorn in his flesh. He asked God three times to take it away. He persisted to some degree. Did God hear his prayer? Did God really listen?

The thorn was not taken away. God did not change the circumstances that Paul was in. Although Paul was left in the same physical state as before he prayed, God did change something: he changed Paul. God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you…” (2 Cor 12:9). Paul saw even clearer, through this hardship, that God knew what he was doing. And that the gift of the kingdom was sufficient for Paul.

Some good Christians will say that God always answers prayer: he says either yes, no or not yet. This is a true statement. I don’t find it at all comforting though. I’d rather hear the answer that God always listens to a person who needs him. It’s not that our prayers need to be sincere enough. It’s that when we speak with Him – the one who gave us life – seek first the kingdom of heaven, and his righteousness, and you will know what it means that his grace is sufficient for you.