Romans
1:18 NIV The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against
all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth
by their wickedness.
B1
Suppress
C1 The Greek word
is κατέχω katéchō. It means to prevent free movement. This
movement is bound and held down. It also means to repress (Wuest).
C2 The truth is deliberately being held down, repressed, and
prevented from being acknowledged and revealed.
C3 In our passage, it is the truth about God. It can be applied to
all truth, for example, a person’s sins, fraudulent science,
false prophets, false teachers, false pastors (who don’t want to be
exposed), etc.
C4 An example of telling the
truth and suppressing it. John 8:45-46 NRSV But
because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which of you
convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
B2
Where do lies come
from?
C1 From
the devil. The first
liar evidently is the devil. John 8:44 NRSV You
are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's
desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in
the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks
according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
C2 From
the human heart. The
heart is the soul, the
immaterial part of every human.
D1 Luke 6:45 NIV A
good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart,
and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his
heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
D2 Matthew 15:18-20 NKJV But
those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and
they defile a man. 19 "For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies. 20 "These are [the things] which defile a man, but
to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
B3
Why do they do this?
C1 Why
Do People Lie?
C2 Love
evil. Psalm 52:3 NLT You
love evil more than good and lies more than truth.
C3
Love darkness, that is,
repression, suppression, covering up truth. John 3:19 NLT And
the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the
world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their
actions were evil.
C4
Hate light, that is, truth being exposed. John 3:20 NLT All
who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their
sins will be exposed.
Vincent’s Word
Studies notes on John
3:20-21: There
the plural is used: doeth evil things; evil being represented by a
number of bad works. Here the singular, the truth, or truth; truth
being regarded as one, and “including in a supreme unity all right
deeds.” There is also to be noted the different words for doing in
these two verses: doeth evil (πράσσων); doeth truth
(ποιῶν). The latter verb contemplates the object and end of
action; the former the means, with the idea of continuity and
repetition. Πράσσων is the practice, while ποιῶν may
be the doing once for all.
C5
Have a
sin nature that all humans are born with. Psalms 58:3 NLT These
wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and
gone their own way.
B4
What is the danger of
suppressing the truth?
C1 More apt to believe lies.
C2 Searing the conscious. It
will be easier to lie and not feel guilty.
C3 Justifying evil actions.
C4 Substitute subjective
opinions as the standard of truth.
C5 All the
above increases sin.
Note the downhill motion of sin in Romans 1.
D1 Realization
of truth. The Holy Spirit opens all
hearts
and minds
to understand some facts about God. Compare 1
Corinthians 2:18-20 and John 16:8-11.
E1
Romans 1:19 NLT They
know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
E2 Acts
16:14 NIV One of
those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a
dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened
her heart to respond to Paul's message.
E3
2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT For
God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made
this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that
is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
D2 Taught
truth. God teaches them
truth.
(Romans 1:19-20). This
includes
E1 God’s
existence
E2 God’s
eternal power which
includes
F1
Omnipotence
F2 Power in ability
F3 Aseity (no beginning or end
of existence. He is existent of Himself)
F4
Eternity (always existing)
E3 Power
as the source of life
E4 Power
in wisdom (omnisapience)
E5 Power in knowledge
(omniscience)
E6
Power and authority as creator, king, judge, etc.
E7 Jesus’s ministry which
showed authority over demons, weather, sickness, death, trick
questions, temptations, etc.
E8 Power and authority to
forgive sins and recreate a person’s heart (soul) when they
believe. Compare Luke 18:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:17.
E9
Godhead which refers to what we call the Trinity. Compare John
1:1 and John 1:14, etc.
D3
Suppress truth (Romans
1:18)
D4 Refuse
to give God credit for what He has done (creation and providence for
example). (Romans 1:21)
E1 Also,
not giving thanks for all He has done, is doing, and will do.
E2
Compare Acts 14:17 NLT but
he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For
instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and
joyful hearts.
D5
Empty imaginations to
dream up things
which bring about
all goodness and creation, yet
excludes Jesus as being
that creator. (Romans
1:21)
D6 Foolishness
leads the heart to be darkened. It is a punishment and result of
rejection. (Romans
1:21). This was the reason for parables (Mark 4:12)
D7 Self
arrogance when dealing
with possible
solutions to problems
and questions. They do not accept Bible truth but do accept other
suggestions (Romans
1:22). Compare Isaiah
44:9-20.
D8
Choose and make gods
(Romans 1:23). This
would include gods of
science, philosophy, etc. Compare
Acts 17:29 and Galatians
4:8.
D9 God
gives
them up, delivers, and
takes truth away from
them (Romans 1:24).
These rejecters start worshiping fleshly desires. Compare:
Romans 1:24 GW For
this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result,
they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other.
D10 Romans
1:25 has the following effects from suppressing truth—to believe
falsehood
and to
worship and serve the creature (pantheism). This
is a type of spiritual blindness.
D11
Believe and practice
all types of sex (Romans 1:26-27). God
gives them up these
sins. Giving them over to these sins
is punishment resulting
in even greater
deceptions. Psalms 81:12 NLT So
I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to
their own ideas.
D12 The
idea of God
is still in their mind
but thinking
about God causes
mental and emotional distress (Romans 1:28). Isaiah 30:11 GNB Get
out of our way and stop blocking our path. We don't want to hear
about your holy God of Israel.
D13
Next down the ladder of
sin is that their lives
become nothing but selfish (egotism),
resulting
in
a long list of evil, hurtful attitudes, and evil
actions. Compare the
NLT: Romans 1:29-31 NLT Their
lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate,
envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and
boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their
parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are
heartless, and have no mercy.
D14 Finally, they realize
God’s disapproval, yet give God the finger and do what they want,
encourage others to join them, and have no concern for the future
(Romans 1:32).
Compare
E1 2 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT
Then they will be
condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.
E2 Isaiah 57:20-21 GW But
the wicked are like the churning sea. It isn't quiet, and its water
throws up mud and slime. 21 There is no peace for the wicked,"
says my God.
E3 Revelation 22:12-15
Phillips “See, I
come quickly! I carry my reward with me, and repay every man
according to his deeds. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,
the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who wash their robes, for
they have the right to the tree of life and the freedom of the gates
of the city. Shut out from the city shall be the depraved, the
sorcerers, the impure, the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone
who loves and practises a lie!
B5
What is the solution?
C1 Recognize
truth. Thoughts,
desires, words, and deeds are either truth or lie. A part lie is a
lie. Saying true words to deceive is a lie. A
standard is needed to help us. That
standard is God, the Creator.
D1 1
John 2:21 NRSV I
write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you
know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth.
D2
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT All
Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us
when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it
to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
C2 Expose lies.
Ephesians 5:11 NRSV Take
no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
C3 Tell the truth and practice
the truth. The more we tell
the truth, the more we
will tell the truth.
Zechariah 8:16 NLT But
this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render
verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace.
C4 Note the comparison. We are
to recognize lies,
avoid lies, speak the
truth, and do truth in
the spirit of love. Ephesians 4:14-15 GNB Then
we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about
by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead
others into error by the tricks they invent. 15 Instead, by speaking
the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to
Christ, who is the head.
C5 Realize that all
lies sometime and somewhere will be exposed. Proverbs
12:19 NLT
Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.
C6
We are to guide and help each other back to truth. James 5:19-20 NLT
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from
the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings
the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and
bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
C6 Seek for pastors and
teachers that tell and teach truth. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT For
a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and
wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look
for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to
hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
John 14:6 NRSV Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.