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Romans 1:18 - 3:20 – Condemnation – The Dilemma of Humanity. There is a process by which people come to understand truth. Often times it is a long process of trial and error... two things that we don't like to do. None of us like the idea of facing trials, having to work through the issues of life. None of us like making errors. The reality of life though is that those things are going to happen. And the reality is that our spiritual lives follow the same pattern of our human lives. In 1:18-3:20 of Romans we see clearly the dilemma of Humanity; our lives are filled with error, filled with sin. The book of Romans is an incredible work of theology, a study of God that helps us understand what it means to be truly human. And Paul doesn’t try to gloss over our need (and his need) for the Good News of Christ. The basic outline of the book of Romans is:
1. Condemnation – Humanity’s Need of Righteousness (1:18-3:20) a. Overview: In this section, Paul proves that all people are guilty before God and unable to save themselves. Neither human effort nor membership in the covenant people Israel can do it. b. But now Paul speaks of the wrath of God. This is the first negative note that has been sounded in this letter, yet it is a very necessary note because it introduces this passage that tells us why we need the gospel of God. We need it because men everywhere are suffering from the wrath of God. c. What do you think of when you hear that phrase, "the wrath of God"? Most people think of the wrath of God as something that is yet to come, something that follows death -- the judgment of God. It is true that hell and all that may follow are an expression of the wrath of God. But that is not what it means at this point. Most people think of the wrath of God as thunder and lightning and judgment, fire and brimstone and the sudden destruction and catastrophes that come upon obviously guilty sinners. And these are all manifestations of the wrath of God. i. But actually, the wrath of God is not something to come, it is present now. As the text says, it is "being revealed from heaven" -- that is, it is going on right now. ii. We see that God “gave them over…” to their sins. As a sinner I know that being caught up in sin isn’t a comfortable place to be, in fact its right then that I sense how much I need God… God is not happy, I am not happy. The wrath of God revealed… 2. The Condemnation of the Gentile (1:18-32) a. The Reason Humanity is condemned: They have rejected God, 1:18-23. i. God has revealed himself in creation, vv. 19, 20 ii. “What about those that have never heard?” Well they have seen. 1. Though they knew about God, people suppressed the truth. v. 18 2. Therefore, human beings are without excuse and stand condemned v. 20. b. The Result of Humanity’s Rejection: God “gave them over” to their sin (vv. 24-32). i. We can argue about whose fault it is when we sin. 1. We can say that this is how God made me. 2. We can say that the situations of my life have forced this upon me. ii. It’s easy to come up with arguments and excuses for sin, we can even blame God. 1. That doesn’t deal with the problem, we are still sinners… 2. And we seem to know it. The people who don’t seem to know it are scary people to be around aren’t they? But let’s be careful lest we fall into the sin of judgment, the sin of playing God. 3. The Condemnation of the Moralist (2:1-16) a. Question: "But I don't sin like that! I'm a very moral person. In fact, I condemn immoral persons." i. Here is the self righteous response to sin. But this response is sin. ii. God does not need us to condemn immoral people! b. In fact, those that love to throw condemnation around are just as guilty. Even they sin in their thought life and when no one is looking. i. So we had better be careful, 11 For God does not show favoritism. ii. God is not going to save you because you call yourself a Christian, a basically good person, or any of the other political, social or religious groups we can align ourselves with… 4. The Condemnation of the Jew (2:17-3:8) a. Question: "But wait, I am a Jew; one of God's chosen people. Surely we are righteous!" b. Response: It is true that the Jew has privileges, but they too are condemned because they fail to keep the law. c. All of us try to use this type of excuse at some time, linking ourselves up to a group that sets us apart from the rest; i. The problem is that when it comes to sin nothing sets us apart from anyone except the Gospel of Christ. ii. The reality that God is the only one who can pay the price for our sins. 5. Conclusion: The Condemnation of all Humanity (3:9-20) a. (Verse 9) We are all under the power of sin. b. And what follows are a collection of Old Testament sayings that prove this point… (10-18) c. This is not a very uplifting conclusion. We are all condemned. i. I was listening to my brother talk about sailing and how you chart a course yesterday. There are two major tools that are used today: GPS, global position system, and a compass. And my brother said something very wise: he said, “I use the GPS to tell me where I am, I use the compass to tell me where to go. 1. It is important to know where you are if you plan on getting somewhere! 2. And it is important to have a compass to tell you which direction you need to go to get there. 3. In this world there are way too many people who seem to have lost both of those. ii. In these first two sections of the Letter to the Romans we have been offered HPS, our Human Position System. And if you are like me, you don’t like where you are right now. 1. You might even want to throw the information overboard. a. But that is a very bad idea. There is a storm out there, a shoal, a reef… and without a basic understanding of where you are you will never know when you are about to run into it. b. And sure, you might say you have your compass, your moral compass, but in reality a compass by itself will only get you to the North Pole, a very cold, and at this time of the year, a very dark place. iii. So stop for a moment, consider your position now. Consider what is going on in your life, the very dilemma of humanity, we are lost without Christ. iv. Then consider what God is offering you. 1. A new place to start from… the place you are sitting right now… 2. And when you accept the reality of that position and the reality of the Good News God is offering through Jesus Christ, you get the compass, you get Jesus Christ in you! In John 17:20-26 we hear Christ’s prayer for all believers: 20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
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