Romans Chapter One Lesson 18
Review:
Now step #2:
Illumination of the light, the truth in view. 1:19b-20a
- How
can things that are invisible be clearly seen??
[oxymoron]
Unseen Creation Clearly Seen
Who God is What God created What Creation reveals about attributes
attributes
- So what we have is illumination; or enlightenment; "for God
made it evident to them"; the truth/light in creation;
- There is a constancy of this illumination,
the evidence remains constant, from the day of creation.
"His invisible attributes" lit. the invisible things of Him
- This speaks of a sense of perception; God's attributes are not comprehended
by the senses but they are clearly seen by the mind.
In
the next phrase Paul spells out exactly what is in view with this testimony of
creation; "His eternal power
and divine nature"
- The message of creation is that He is powerful and that He
has the attributes that only God could possess.
*** Examples of what can be learned about God from observing
creation:
1. God's orderliness; He is a God of order, all the unchangeable laws of nature; gravity; water/temp; don't vary from day to
day;
2. God's greatness, the vastness of the universe, millions
of suns in our galaxy alone; can't even count the number of galaxies out there its so vast; yet all of it is the work of His hands; [Psa 19:1;
8:3-4]
3. His creativity, artistry; beautiful sunset, multicolored
birds; tropical
fish; every snowflake is a different patterned 6 sided crystal;
4. God's power is seen in His control of the weather;
thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes,
5. God's intelligence;
seen in the design of man; creation of man; if you consider just one
part, human brain; far more complex and far more complicated than any super
computer man has been able to design; cannot even approach the ability of human
brain;
6. God's wisdom; He
created it all in the best, most optimum manner; placement of the sun, moon etc
are precise; that planet earth has all
the resources, water, oxygen, minerals whatever needed to completely fulfill
His plan; no matter what man can do, he cannot upset God's plan. Jer 31:35f.
7. God's complete care of His creation:
8. God's faithfulness; seen in the constancy of day/night
cycle; the seasonal cycle; Gen 8:22; Jer 33:20
** "For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and deity, have been clearly seen;"
*** Where does Satan fit into the equation, or does he?
Would
it not be almost a masterful stroke if he somehow could get God removed from
any link to creation?
The
clarity of the message is noted next; "being understood through what
has been made,"
The
reality of God's existence and His basic character are known to men because
they are able to perceive Him, to understand through the things He has made.
Thus
through the light of the created universe, unsaved man no matter where they may
live, recognizes the fact that there is a supreme Being who created it, who has
eternal power and is deity, in fact, a Being to whom worship and obedience are
due.
God
created man and He sets the parameters for man's life, not man!
Step #3. 1:20b Obligation:
"so that they are without excuse"
Because
they constantly suppress that light, they stand condemned.
Observation by Barclay:
In
the world we can see God.
It is
Paul's argument, and it is completely valid, that if we look at the world we
see that suffering follows sin.
Break
the laws of agriculture, and your harvest fails.
Break
the laws of architecture, your building collapses.
Break
the laws of health, your body suffers.
Paul
was saying "Look at the world! See how
it is constructed!
From
a world like that you know what God is like.
The
sinner is left without excuse.
Step #4. 1:21a Man responded to this knowledge of God
with rejection:
For although they knew God, they did
not honor him as God or give thanks to him,
- What Paul is doing here is pointing out that the Biblical
position is the opposite of constant upward progress; the human vpt position on
man's history.
1:21b
- have a dual failure on the part of those in view;
"they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks"
To
honor God is to recognize Him for all that He is!
- This is put first here as man's greatest sin, failure, I
believe, because it is first in man's
responsibility and man's duty to ascribe to Him the glory that is actually
His, what is His due!
Application:
-
Isn't this failure to truly honor God innate in all of us also at times?
2nd
failure: "did not give thanks"
The
idea of to give thanks, is that thanksgiving is rooted in the recognition that
God is the source of all that we are and possess.
- These failures, to honor and thank God are coupled with
some consequences! -
result of divine action.
- The consequences in view all have impact on man's
mentality, his thought process, the operation and integration of the brain
computer and the real you, your soul while under the old sin nature.
#5. 1:21c From that rejection man sinks into human speculations;