Truth 2
1.
Authors use different
techniques to write books.
2.
Some start out
gradually and let the reader’s interest build.
3.
Others seem to start off with a bang and keep moving
forward.
4.
Bible books can be
classified in this same manner.
5.
Some begin with a
general introduction and an extended greeting.
6.
Others seem to begin
with a gunshot and just keep moving forward.
1.
In the book of Romans we have a short greeting and then a
flood of information is unleashed.
2.
Paul said the gospel
he preached had been promised by the prophets (Rom. 1:2).
3.
In verses 3-4 he
declared both the divinity and humanity of Jesus.
4.
Then he said (verse 5)
that people must be obedient to the faith.
1.
By the time we get to verse 18 in the first chapter, Paul
is writing about the wrath of God.
IF YOU WERE PRESENT LAST WEEK YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE CREATED A FOUNDATION TO STUDY THE SUBJECT OF “TRUTH.”
a)
Today we put a few
bricks on the foundation from last week by using Rom. 1.
b)
In this chapter we read of people (Gentiles) who tried to
hinder (suppress) the truth.
c)
As Paul described this
attempt to stifle the truth he used the present tense.
d)
Paul was aware of people who had made a concerted and
continuous attempt to smother truth.
2)
When we think of
religious truth, we probably think about the truth that applies to us.
3)
That is, our minds may
turn to what is commonly called the New Testament.
4)
In Romans 1 we are not
dealing with New Testament; here the focus is on long ago.
5)
We are dealing with a
time related to Moses and even before.
6)
This time period and the Gentiles had “general truth” from
God (i.e. basic moral principles).
7)
This basic truth was hated so much there was an active and
on-going effort to make it disappear.
8)
It was as if the
people described in Rom. 1 pushed away the truth away from them.
9)
A good beginning point
is verse 21 – READ.
a)
From this single text
we see an important point that is still practical.
b)
A rejection of the truth involves a rejection of God or
maybe we should say rejecting the true God.
c)
Those who are open
and accepting to the truth are open to accepting God.
d)
Loving God and loving
the truth go hand in hand.
10)
If we abandon God or push Him aside, the truth will become
elusive and people will become confused.
a)
Rejecting God will result in conflicting decisions, ideas,
and even legal judgments.
b)
In the chapter we have
selected for this study, these points are carefully explained.
c)
God was pushed aside
and “reasoning” became “vain” (verse 21).
d)
People lost common
sense; they could not think and reason in the right way.
e)
Does this or does this
not sound a little familiar as we look at our nation?
11)
Verse 22 says these
people become “fools.”
12)
Instead of “fools” we
could use the word “stupid.”
13)
Men turned from the truth about God and began to serve what
had been created (verse 23).
14)
When truth is rejected,
false religion and philosophies will abound.
a)
Sin will also be
plentiful in places where truth is absent; move down to verse 24.
b)
It is here that we
find the word “lust.”
c)
The word “lust” is
used elsewhere in the New Testament.
d)
It is used in Mk. 4:19
to say the truth is choked out by lust.
e)
Jesus used it in Mt.
5:28 to say it causes sin.
15)
What we find in verse 24 reveals that men will be ruled and
guided by one thing or another:
16)
Either they are guided by the truth revealed by God, or
they will be ruled by sinful desires.
17)
Many in our day and time think they may disregard the truth
and live without any negative consequences.
18)
God said this is
untrue; verse 26 – READ.
a)
Last week it was noted
how Jesus is associated with the truth.
b)
In Jn. 14:6 the Lord
said He is “the truth.”
c)
We could make a
similar statement about any member of the Godhead.
d)
When we look at the
Father, He is all about truth.
e)
The Holy Spirit, Jn.
16, is the “Spirit of truth.”
f)
When people reject the
truth, they reject God.
g)
Rejecting the truth and rejecting God has a kind of
boomerang effect; God rejects people.
19)
God will forsake (give
up) those who abandon the truth.
20)
He has no other choice because He is light; embracing
something besides the truth is darkness.
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON WAYS TRUTH IS REJECTED IS THROUGH THE ACCEPTANCE OF SIN; THIS IS WHAT PAUL WROTE IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ROMANS.
a)
For the balance of our time we want to look at the specific
sins mentioned at the end of Rom. 1.
b)
Let’s see what sins
has caused God to turn His back on people.
c)
Rejecting the truth
(verse 26) led the world into “vile passions.”
d)
A good working
definition for vile passions is “perverse eroticism.”
e)
Our society may not use the word “depraved” too often, but
it is the sense of Paul’s word.
f)
Saying “no” to the
truth will result in perversion and depravity.
2)
At the end of verse 26
we have these words – READ.
a)
Our world has a lot to
say about same sex relationships.
b)
A battle is being fought over whether these “alternative
lifestyles” are right or wrong.
c)
God says the approval
of this way of life is contrary to the truth.
d)
Anyone who chooses
this way of life has rejected the truth.
3)
We can draw no other
conclusion because of what we also see in verse 28 – READ.
4)
Rejection of the truth will affect nearly aspect of a
person’s life as well as their nation’s existence.
5)
Abandoning God’s plan for relationships and family is
“refusing to have God in one’s knowledge.”
6)
The type of mind that
approves this way of life is “reprobate.”
7)
Such a way of life is
“not fitting.”
a)
Moving quickly to verses 29-32 we find 23 different kinds
of evils.
b)
We want to briefly
examine each of these sins.
c)
As Paul begins this
section he refers to being “filled with unrighteousness.”
d)
Once the truth is cast from a person’s mind, there is
plenty of room for wrong and error.
e)
One possible meaning
for “filled” is “stuffed.”
f)
If people are not “stuffed with the truth,” they will have
room for a lot of error in their heads.
g)
As truth is lessened and lessened, the problems mount and
mount quickly like verse 29f describes.
h)
Let’s look at the specific words to see how people quickly
fill up their lives with sin after rejecting the truth.
i)
Verse 29 – READ.
8)
“Unrighteousness” is a general word for sinful thoughts, words and deeds.
9)
Unrighteousness essentially says the core of a person is evil.
10)
Without the truth to
guide and help, rottenness will be in the hearts of people.
11)
Fornication is listed in some manuscripts and translations.
12)
Sexual sin of all
kinds will abound.
13)
If God’s word (the
truth) is not followed, a lot of people will act like animals.
14)
Without truth to guide, there is wickedness (a
desire/willingness to injure and hurt others).
15)
People may try to blow
one another up, shoot others, or commit another violent act.
16)
If we need an
illustration of this, just turn on the news and look at New Orleans.
a)
When the truth is not
followed, there is covetousness.
b)
Again, it is hard to
find a better example that what is now on the news.
c)
People stayed behind
in New Orleans to steal stuff and they were trapped.
d)
People were so greedy
some of them lost their lives because they were thieves.
e)
If the truth is rejected, we should not expect to find
honesty in the area with the material things of life.
f)
Maliciousness is being destitute of nearly every quality a person
needs to be good.
g)
When the truth is
rejected, people will be evil. God’s
word says so right here.
h)
Our society has
de-emphasized God and evil has abounded.
i)
It is spreading like a
plague.
j)
If the truth is not being used to guide and mold someone’s
life, society will also be “envious.”
k)
They will see what others have and be saddened by it,
angered by it, or want what others possess.
17)
The truth turns people
into decent people; if followed, it helps prevent “murder.”
18)
Again, all we have to
do is turn on the t.v. and see recent events about murder.
a)
In Mississippi a man
shot his sister in the head over a bag of ice.
b)
Without truth, life is
like the jungle—survival of the fittest.
c)
Governors and other
officials wring their hands asking what is wrong.
d)
Why are people so
brutal at times, especially during times of disaster?
e)
They have tried to strip our world of truth. People have been told to do and think as
they want.
f)
There are no rules or absolutes; there is no God; life is
all about our own standards.
g)
Our nation, this very
day, is reaping what it has sown.
19)
Truth says life is valuable. Anger is to be controlled.
We do not go out and start taking lives.
20)
When the truth is rejected, and this is being done at the
present time, there will be “strife.”
21)
Look at non-Christians
in the world who do not follow the truth.
22)
We find people who
seem to love hostility and are hateful in their speech.
23)
Many are just looking
for their next good fight.
24)
It’s redundant, but
look again at what we see in the southern states: strife of all types.
25)
Malignity means a person puts the worst construction on
everything.
26)
There is no regard for
truth—just jumping to conclusions that are always the worst.
27)
A similar thing is
true of “whisperers.” Instead of
truth, many want to hear gossip.
28)
They don’t care of it
is true or not; all some want is juicy information.
29)
Becoming involved with
or in gossip is actually a means of turning from the truth.
30)
Truth means being
decent to other people; those who reject it are often “backbiters.”
31)
A backbiter
makes open accusations against others and tells all kinds of tales.
32)
Next on the list of
sins is something that should not surprise us:
hateful to God.
a)
If God is the originator of the truth and the truth is
offensive, God will be offensive.
b)
God cannot and will not be loved by those who reject the
truths in the Scriptures.
c)
There are those who reject the truth God has given (or part
of it) and still claim to love the Lord.
d)
We cannot be part of God and His kingdom if we do not have
and follow the truth.
e)
Jesus knows this and
thus said in Lk. 6:46 – QUOTE.
33)
An “insolent person”
is so filled with pride God is defied.
34)
We might describe it as someone who says “no” to God’s
truth and then creates their own.
35)
Not abiding by the truth can make a person “haughty.” People like this enjoy making others feel
small.
36)
A lack of truth turns
people into one of the worst creatures on the face of this planet.
37)
Not everyone who
rejects the truth will become a monster, but many do.
a)
It may seem strange,
but those who reject the truth are often “boastful.”
b)
People are literally building their lives on a foundation
of sand, but they brag about it.
c)
“Look at me and my way
of life.” One day the unsteady
foundation will fail.
38)
When the truth is
forsaken, individual will “invent evil things.”
39)
People who have no interest in the truth are always looking
for new ways to enjoy sin.
40)
Setting aside the
truth means children will be tempted to disobey their parents.
41)
Here is a sin which
means children refuse to submit to parental authority.
42)
Hand in hand with this
wrong is lacking “understanding.”
43)
When people turn their backs on the truth, they will be
ignorant; they will have no understanding.
44)
Not following the
truth makes people a “covenant breaker.”
45)
If the truth is not
followed, accountable people are not in a covenant with God.
46)
Leaving the truth also
means having problems with “proper affection.”
47)
People cannot
understand and have right relationships without the truth.
48)
Implacable means a person cannot be persuaded to enter into an
agreement.
49)
When a rejection of the truth occurs, many harden their
hearts to the point of never being reachable.
50)
Right at the end of
the list we see a lack of mercy.
51)
Truth and mercy go
together; reject one and the other soon falls by the wayside.
52)
Rejecting the truth
(verse 27) leads to judgment and this requires punishment.
53)
Truth, and especially
spiritual truth, is a key part of society.
We must have it.
54)
We cannot get by
without it.
55)
Have we decided in our
life to have truth and nothing but the truth so help us God?