Long Island Abundant Life Church 長島豐盛生命教會
  • Home
  • About Us 關於教會
    • Mission Statement - 使命宣言
    • Statement of Faith - 信仰立場
    • Biblical Marriage - 合乎聖經的婚姻
    • Church Leadership - 教會同工
    • Directions - 路線圖
    • Documents - 表格與文件下載
    • Contact Us - 聯絡我們
    • Ministry openings
  • Chinese Ministry 華語事工
    • 崇拜
    • 講道集 >
      • 主日信息
      • 特會 / 講座
    • 主日學
    • 門訓小組 >
      • 門訓小組介紹
    • 團契
    • 讀經
  • English Ministry 英文事工
  • Youth 少年事工
    • Worship
    • Sunday School
    • Youth Fellowship
    • Events
    • Our Vision
    • Connect with Us
    • Parent Resources
    • Youth Prayer Requests
  • Children's Ministry 兒童事工
    • Children's Worship - 兒童崇拜 >
      • Children's Songs - 歌曲
      • Junior Worship, Archive - 學習內容
      • Junior Worship, Current - 學習內容
      • Preschool Worship, Archive - 幼兒崇拜
    • Sunday School - 主日學 >
      • Preschool - 低年級
      • Middlers, Current - 高年級
      • Elementary, Archive - 高年級
    • VBS-特别暑期聖經班 >
      • EVENTS- 特別活動
    • Nursery - 幼兒照顧
    • Resources - 資源
  • Missions/Evangelism 宣教/佈道
    • Global Mission 全球宣教
    • Missions Ministry 宣教事工
  • Chinese School 中文學校
  • Church Activities / News / Calendar 教會活動 / 消息 / 行事曆
    • Special/urgent 特別/緊急
    • Calendar 教會行事曆
    • Bulletin 週報
    • Archive 檔案 >
      • Pray for Hindus 2018 為印度人禱告
      • Seek God 2019 尋求神
      • Misc. 其他
  • Chinese Student Ministry 学生事工
    • Campus Ministry 校园事工
    • CSF 衣
    • CSF 食
    • CSF 住
    • CSF 行
  • Links 资源鏈接
  Long Island Abundant Life Church 長島豐盛生命教會

Romans 1:16–32

8/9/2012

 
Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

There Are No Atheists
Yesterday's reading included some basic introductory comments from Paul before he began his letter in earnest.  The first two verses of today's reading function as a kind of formal theological introduction to the letter. Doug Moo writes:

"The train of thought is: 'I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome because I am not ashamed of the gospel.…'" [1]

Which bring us to the rest of today's reading.  Before Paul goes deeply into the content of the Gospel (which will last for several chapters of Romans), he sets up our need for the Gospel.  We are broken people.  He writes in 1:18-21:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
(emphasis mine)

There is A LOT that we could spend days on in just these few verses, but I want to highlight a few important things:

1. Man's need:  What is the need?  Salvation - God's wrath is poured out upon man.
2.  The reason for wrath: In today's reading, he points out two major reasons:
    a. The rejection of God as King.  This leads to the worship of idols.
    b. The rejection of God's plan.  These leads to all kinds of depraved behavior.  He kindly provides a list of some of these behaviors.

Man is in dire straights.  We have rejected God and His plan for us, and His wrath is rightly upon us.  This is the main idea that is being conveyed in our reading for today.

One more thought on a very important implication from today's passage.  I know that if there happen to be any atheists reading this blog, they're not going to like what I have to say next.  I know I probably wouldn't have like it when I was in that place either, but here it is:  according to this passage, we as Christians must believe that there is no such thing as a true atheist.  Why?  Because "what can be known about God is plan to them, because God has shown it to them....So they are without excuse."  If it is true that we are made "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (from the Westminster Catechism), then it follows that we as humans know that He exists.  This passage backs that up.  WE ARE MADE TO KNOW GOD.  So what about those that "don't believe in that stuff"?  According to this passage, they "suppress the truth".  The truth can be suppressed in a number of ways, and this passage lists a lot of them - it can be intellectually, morally - you name it.  They may (and probably will) reach a point where the truth is so supressed that they feel that there truly is not a God, but that doesn't change the truth.  God does not run from unbelief.  He is not afraid of it.  And how can He let it slide, when we are made to know Him.  There are no atheists, only those that have suppressed the truth.  One day it will no longer be suppressed, for "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)

[1] Douglas J. Moo, Romans, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 50.
Andrei
8/9/2012 05:42:13 pm

Definitely feel convicted of my sin in reading this passage... especially verse 32: 'Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die...' Just got me thinking that we often conceptually understand that the price for sin is death... but then when we actually do it, we don't expect death at all.

"We are made to know God... suppression of truth..." Lot to reflect on there as well. We can look around and see the unmistakeable glory of God in so many things... or this thought could never cross our minds.

Josiah
8/10/2012 02:28:06 am

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them." I'm trying to picture this, but I might be missing something here. This means God shows everyone himself, but they don't accept it because of x?

greg
8/10/2012 03:28:28 am

It means that because of creation, people can know that there is a God and also certain things about Him. As for the second part - it could maybe go either way. You could say that they reject it because of x, or you could say that they do x because they've rejected God. This passage seems to lean more in the direction of the second one: that because they have rejected God, their minds are darkened and they do x.


Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.