No one has an excuse to reject God. Why? “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:19). Despite man’s protests to the contrary, he knows— deep down—that there is a God. Yet, “although they [know] God, they [do] not glorify Him as God, nor [are] thankful, but [become] futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts [are] darkened” (Rom. 1:20). This latter point should give us compassion for those who’ve rejected God. Knowing that they’re hearts are darkened, it should drive us to point them to the truth of Him that they’ve buried. 

Scripture References: Romans 1: 19-23

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/64992a3e0f22d7bbf463631f

Romans 1, 19-23 tells us something about the people around us in the world. They see all the things that we see in nature for the glory of God, but they are without excuse. And what the apostle is saying is that God has shown himself in what has been made. He says, what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. So you have this internal witness and you have this external witness.

He says, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, and this is the terrifying part, so that they are without excuse. The apostle is saying that no one has an excuse. And the tragedy is, he says, they did not glorify God. Even though they knew God, they didn't glorify Him as God. You learn that people actually know that there is God.

They might say that they don't believe in God. It's not true. They have an internal witness and an external witness. And they may shroud it with all kinds of excuses and arguments, but the truth is they know there's a God. So you have people who are without excuse, they are under delusions and We see the delusions everywhere.

You know, in the LGBTQIA++ movement, you have people who don't know what a woman is. They talk about birthing persons. They talk about chest feeding trans men. They talk about people trapped in the wrong body, people living their own truth, mutilating their bodies, public school teachers teaching children, little children, how to have sex. And the truth is they, their foolish hearts are darkened and their lives don't work.

That's what the apostle is saying. And tragically they are without excuse. And so when you walk around in this world there are two things that you need to know. First of all, Even the most corrupt person knows there's a God. You have a advantage because you know that they know.

And the second thing is that you know what's happened to them, that their foolish hearts were darkened. And that should give compassion for those that have really rejected God. But the truth is they are without excuse and so The job of a Christian is to help that person who is without an excuse to realize that they don't have an excuse because what has been revealed within them and what is seen without them in nature is all they need to know that there's a God. The grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever. Scripture Applied is a production of Church and family life.

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