“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 the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20
This is one of the most straight forward and plain texts of the whole Bible. It shouldn’t cause anyone trouble at all as far as interpretation goes. The thing is, despite its obviousness and clarity, our sinful minds, bent on rebellion, and always in the habit of suppressing the truth, gloss right over it. Much harm has been done in evangelism because Christians don’t take this verse seriously. We repeat: much harm has been done because we don’t take Scripture seriously.
To be clear, the Word of the Lord is absolutely authoritative in every area upon which it speaks. Let’s take, for example, a small business – a restaurant. There’s nothing in the Word of the Lord that teaches recipes or demands certain seating arrangements. There’s no chapter 51 in Genesis that says anything at all about restaurants. Does this mean that such an enterprise is outside the will and Word of the Lord? Of course not.
Should the restaurant have a hostess? What does the Bible say? It doesn’t mention that at all, so the owner/manager can make that decision based upon the logic of their situation. God’s moral law doesn’t speak to the specifics of the business, over what type of foods it should serve, or anything like that. It does, however, cover the overarching principles of business and service. To serve the Lord with the gifts we’ve been given and to love our neighbor as ourselves are the keys. The chefs should do their best; they seek excellence. The wait-staff…the valet if they have one…everyone should do their best in the name of the Lord. You see, in this way we have amazing freedom and this liberty allows us wonderful creativity that we see all around because people will serve God according to the gifts they’ve been given. The way of the Lord is the way of free markets, service of the Lord and neighbor through our vocation (calling), and ever increasing expertise in our endeavors.
So, no, the Bible doesn’t tell a cook how to make a meal, but it provides the principles of personal, social and political liberty in which the restaurant functions. It’s in this way that the principles of Scripture must be understood and applied to life’s particulars. It’s in this light that we take a good look at our verse today.
Let’s remember, that the law/word of the Lord is authoritative. God is not up for a vote. The Kingdom of God isn’t a democracy. The angels of heaven aren’t lobbyists or lawyers. When we understand and apply this simple fact to our lives, our paths become straight. But when we apply the principle of Satan, which is to wonder “if God really did say”, then we throw open the life’s doors to the wilds, to confusion and evil. Whatever violates a principle of Scripture is sin, evil, and the cause of suffering in our world. This is what we mean by our statement that not believing this quite clear proclamation has seriously hurt the church and its evangelism. Not only that, it has severely hurt her discipleship.
The Great Commission, to go and make disciples of all nations upon the authority of Christ (Matthew 28:18-19) is strained by our refusal to heed His word here in Romans. Whatever the Lord says is authoritative, right? All authority has been given to Him and He cannot lie (John 14:6 and 1 John 2:21-22). Oh, if we only believed this!
You see, this passage of Romans obliterates the pretense of all unbelief and unmasks men and women as liars. It’s the foundation of understanding all unbelief! The rejection of this truth has severely weakened Christian evangelism, preaching, and teaching . She, the Bride of Christ, by playing down the powerful truth presented in this verse, acts like a harlot. This is strong language, we know, but the medicine must be given since the illness is so severe. Will we call God a liar (1 John 1:10)?
More than just its perspicuity, this verse of Romans has incredibly far reaching impact. Let’s consider it.
First, no professing unbeliever has an excuse for unbelief. Zero. God has unambiguously revealed enough of Himself through nature to hold us accountable to Him. There. That’s settled. Seriously.
Why do you think that today’s pagan America is replete with unabashed earth worship? Indeed, this worship comes in different forms. Some outdoor enthusiasts don’t merely enjoy nature, they all but idolize it, speaking often of its “spiritual” qualities. What is meant to give them knowledge of God’s divine nature they turn into worship of the creation rather than the Creator. Others, more bold, speak of “Mother Earth” and are so given over to the so-called “green movement” that they are literally trying to abolish modern life.
Psalm 19 begins, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” This is a declaration, not a hint or whisper. All people, as already evidenced, are moved by nature’s beauty and power because in it God is constantly revealing Himself to us. We’re supposed to love nature (and not abuse it!) precisely because it’s God’s missionary to all of us. Eternity is written upon our very hearts and no where does this writing make itself more manifest than in the beauty, power and majesty of nature.
Second, the power of this testimony must be stressed to those who resist God. They aren’t neutral. Unbelievers are presented by God as those who are suppressing the obvious truth. They aren’t ignorant, but immoral (Ephesians 4:18). Sinful man doesn’t have an intellectual problem, he has an authority problem. He knows God but refuses to acknowledge Him.
Third, the declaration of God’s divine nature and eternal power are so self-evident to everyone, made so by God, that no one will escape judgment. This is a critical issue obscured by modern theological passivity. Like cowards and theological wimps, we meet the world on its own terms. They say, we don’t have enough evidence and we take them at their word but not God at His! We acquiesce to the smug self-delusion of sinners so that we don’t offend them and bury deep in our consciousness the fact that we’re being unfaithful to God. Oh, the richness and depth of His patience with us!
Fourth, in our lie and suppression of the truth of this passage, we’re actually unloving to our neighbor by allowing them to carry on with their lie. How are they to be saved unless they hear the unvarnished truth of the matter? Is there anything more unloving than to not tell someone the truth of the gospel? We’ve convinced ourselves that being “nice” means sacrificing Scripture and pretending along with unbelievers that they have an excuse for their unbelief.
This is spiritual adultery.
God unquestionably and emphatically declares that no person has an excuse for unbelief because of His self-revelation through nature. We must not and cannot assist unbelievers in the charade that they have an excuse. It’s literally this lie that unbelievers will perish to hell with. The logic is clear: if God has to be “proven” to neutral observers in a world full of divergent facts and opinions, then there is no moral grounds upon which anyone can be cast into hell. If this verse isn’t exactly what it says it is, that means that unbelievers actually do have an excuse. According to the premise of neutrality, therefore, the unbeliever is right about hell, judgment and wrath!
And we wonder why the church has lost its power. And we wonder why discipleship limps along, wearied, battered. Ah, we must understand that the root of our languid and sluggish faith is because we don’t believe God. We don’t hear this verse and mine the depths of it. We skim the Scripture and skip over those passages, like this one, where God’s radical sovereignty and our utter sinfulness would otherwise smack us upside the head. Oh, that we would awaken and take His word to heart! All men know God through creation and are without excuse for their unbelief.
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