Good News to Hear - Roams 1:18 - 3:26

As a youngster, living in the country ten miles from the closest town, Des Arc, we had no phone, radio, TV, and our only paper was the GRITT, hand delivered only occasionally, and it never contained any local news, and seldom any Arkansas news. As the communication industry grew, it was always controlled by the party in power and what I did not realize at that time was that the news we received was not always the truth, and has never been the whole truth because the writers are not inspired to perfection.

I know now that the only ‘good news’ is the ‘truth’ and the only publication that has been consistently truthful through all ages is the Holy Bible. It seems to be a paradox; but often good news is not pleasant to hear, however, only the good news will set man free. Very few [if any] realize how fortunate we are to have the ‘truthful Word of God’ authored by inspired authors like Paul. Paul wrote the total news regarding the action of men which were both spiritual and carnal in nature. Those that were spiritual in their actions accepted Paul’s writings, and those who were indulging in sinful actions did not want their history revealed. Times haven’t changed, and this is the cause of the failure of our media sources today.

When you study the bible you can be assured that you are studying both the bad and good sides of human nature. In our lesson today, Paul made sure that his people [the Romans], whom he had never met, understood that they were sinners by nature and that neither the Law nor Works would save them. Then he proceeded to assure them that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to assure them a plan of salvation by which they could be saved; and that it applied to all people, the Jew and the Greek, whether weak or strong, rich or poor, emperor or peasant. This truth is the reason why The Plan of Salvation is called the GOOD NEWS TO HEAR.

I was with a party of lost duck hunters one night in The Raft Creek Bottoms, cut off from high land by the rising back-waters. It was after midnight, cold and raining, black dark and our flash light batteries died. We heard a car horn in the distance…fired our guns to signal our location and soon saw a dim light moving our way. Two men in two boats rescued us and all was well. We knew we were lost. Men cared and came to help. We only had to receive their help and get in the boat. Sinful people who have never studied God’s word do not know they are lost so God sent his Son to rescue them. God also sent Paul to tell them their condition and to tell them that they only had to believe in Christ and his ability to rescue them.

The bible tells us about the sinful conditions in the city of Rome during this period in time [probably the worst around AD 50 to early 60s—Nero died in 64.] History books paint horrid pictures of Emperor Nero and his horrible treatment of Christians in that city. They were thrown to the wild animals in the public arena for the masses to enjoy the carnage. They were burned at stake. Nero personally instructed his soldiers to burn Rome, and then blamed the Christians for the atrocity, turning the public against all Christians. History tells us that Nero sat on his balcony and played his fiddle as he watched the Capitol City of the Roman Empire burn.

The church in Rome was surrounded by a paradox. The empire had conquered the world of that day, and Rome was the capitol. It was the most sophisticated culture the world had ever known. However, it was one of, if not the most, depraved cultures the world has ever known. The people and their leaders portrayed rank humanism at its very worst. No appetite was left unfulfilled, no carnal desire was left un-fulfilled—and the people indulged in every sinful desire of their heart. Paul had heard what was transpiring there and he proceeded to enumerate some of their most hideous sins. He, like Christ, told them of all their sinful ways. His report sounds as though it should have been addressed to Hollywood, California, US of A. with instructions to be opened September 11, 2011.

It is absolutely necessary for you to read chapter 1, verses 18 through 32. Go there now!!!! My concern is that Paul could have written the same scriptures regarding the depraved element of the American society today. Oh God, I pray that Christian people in America will awaken and through their vote for right, stop this very present humanistic element from gaining more power by infiltrating the Federal Government any more than they already have.

True Christians must emulate Paul and his reasons for fighting the humanistic doctoring. We must always remember that Christ loved people, but hated their sins. Christians that are willing to stand against the immoral sins of a depraved society have always, and will always be accused of being anti-minded. We can not afford to succumb to that level. We must agape the sinner but reveal his sin and help him to acknowledge his wrong and be willing to repent. And there is no way that we can please God by joining in or condoning the very sins that Paul has enumerated in this passage.

Many people who want everyone to know that they believe in God will boast of his loving nature and refuse to admit that his wrath against sin is equally as powerful and sure as his love for man. Verse 18 tells us that “The wrath of God [is being revealed] from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” {Is being revealed} is in the present perfect tense and states that His wrath—has been revealed—is being revealed now—and will always be revealed. Our God is a “sinless” Super King of Kings who can not even look at sin, therefore certainly can not condone it; He never has and never will.

Verse 21 says that these same people that claim to know God do not glorify him or praise and thank Him. Their thinking is futile and their hearts are foolish and darkened; they claim to be wise but they have become fools. The sinful desire of their hearts includes sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. {I did not make this up…read verse 24} Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. It happened in Sodom and Gomorrah; it was happening in Rome; and it continues to happen throughout the world today. Paul condemns homosexuality and illicit sexual acts specifically in verses 26-27.

Please, as Christians we must be fair minded and we must realize and admit that ‘the pot can not call the skillet black’ and we must go ahead and read verses 28-32…which includes every one of us, saved and unsaved. Just look at this list of sinful acts that are considered the products of depraved minds. Included is “every kind of wickedness” including envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. The list also includes gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful, and disobeying your parents. Not only is it wrong to commit these specific sins personally, but it is wrong for Christians to approve of any others that practice them.

Christian friend…you can not sit on the fence. You must declare your position. If you are not against sin…then you are for it. Please remember that God created man in his own image; and that means that man was perfect. You were not born with a God given tendency to do wrong. You were born with a God given right to make a personal choice, and you choose to sin or not to sin. When Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit, sinful influence was allowed to enter into the lives of people, and made it necessary to choose between right and wrong. Each individual must do so daily, constantly, and without the aid of the Power of God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to please God.

Our lesson today is ‘Good News to Hear” first, because it tells those who do not already know that they are lost; second, for those who have accepted the humanistic lifestyle it warns them of their error, and calls for repentance. However the third reason this is “Good news to Hear” is the greatest news of all times; God loves us so much that he gave His Son, Jesus Christ, who freely died on the Cross to save depraved man from his sins. Repent, trust and believe in Him, commit your life to His keeping, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, obey His commandment to the best of your ability…and you are and will be forever saved.