Rabbi Schneider - The Biggest Lie
We're picking up today in the book of Romans chapter number 1, verse number 18. I'm not going to review today. The entire series is available on our web site or through the 800 number at the end of the broadcast. Hear the Word of God, beloved. Verse 18, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. And in just a moment, he's going to tell us what it is that men are suppressing and why he can accuse mankind of suppressing the truth. The reason, beloved, is because everybody in their heart deep down inside knows there's a God.
Let's continue on. Paul's making a point here that men are walking under the wrath of God because even though deep inside they know there's a God, they will not honor him as God or live their life to glorify him. Let's start at verse number 18 again, and then we'll continue on. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. And he's going to tell us why it is that men know there's a God. And what he's going to do, he's going to tell us that men know there's a God because they can see in creation evidence of divine intelligence, divine beauty, and they also know there's a God because they have a conscience and their conscience dictates to them right or wrong. But before we go into those two specifics of how it is that all mankind knows there's a God, I want to speak of a particular word in verse number 18.
Look there with me, if you would, please, once again. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and, here we go, unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth. I'm looking at that word there in the New American Standard version suppress. What does it mean to suppress? When you suppress something, you are literally pushing it down. You can't suppress something that you don't know. Paul is saying that men know, and yet they're not allowing what they know to be true to come to the surface and be evident. But instead, he said, they are pushing it down. And so Paul says one of the reasons that God's wrath is upon mankind that will not repent is because they will not allow truth to shine, but instead they pervert it and push it down, and in its place they hold up something that is unrighteous that is not God and is ungodly.
Let's continue on with his explanation of this in verse number 19. Because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. What does this mean? It means that mankind is born, I want you to hear this now. Every man is born with the knowledge that there is a God. The Bible tells us in the gospel of John chapter 1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In him was life, now get this next statement. And that life, here we go, is the light of men. Nothing that's been made has been made without him. All things that came into being came into being by him. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to extinguish it.
But notice that Paul said it's through the Word of God that the heavens and earth were created, L'Chaim, and that the life that created them, God himself through the Word, through Yeshua, is the light that is in man. Every man comes into this world in the image of God with the light in them. And this light, beloved, is in their conscience. Mankind knows, he has intuitive sense of, number one, that there is a God, and number two, he has an intuitive sense of right and wrong.
Now of course, we live in a culture today where this is denied. This is why Paul said that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the unrighteousness of men who what now? Listen. Who push down, who suppress the truth. How are they suppressing the truth? Number one, suppressing the truth by saying, listen, that there is no God. And so we know now that the stream in much of the educational system is denial of God, denial of the fact that the worlds were created by God, denial of the fact that man was created by God in the image of God. They're suppressing that, and instead they're holding up an unrighteous, ungodly concept that we came from a big bang that happened in outer space without God being behind it and that we evolved from some type of single-celled protozoa or whatever it is somewhere.
This is an example of what Paul is saying when he says that God's wrath is revealed against men that are suppressing the truth. Man first of all knows we're born in this world. Whether we're born in a religious home or not, deep down inside as a young child we know there's a God. Now, because people get hurt and because people get angry and because people see things that they don't think are fair, they oftentimes will get mad at God for what they see, they'll get mad at God for experiences they've been through, and to try to hurt God, they'll deny that he exists. But deep down inside, they know that he exists, but many people that are denying there is a God, they're doing it because they're hurt and they're mad, and they're trying to hurt God back by denying that he exists.
I believe it is possible for somebody to deny that there's a God for so long that their conscience gets seared, and eventually they've convinced themselves that they really believe that there is no God. But beloved, the point that I'm wanting to make to you is that man knows there's a God. So that the next time that you begin to talk to somebody that claims to be an atheist, I want you to know, beloved, that they're lying to you. Deep inside, the atheist knows there's a God. That's what the Word of God tells us, that it's evident within them.
Now, once again, it's possible that over time, the atheist has so seared his conscience that he's really convinced himself that he believes there's no God, but deep down inside, beloved, they know. Don't let an atheist or an agnostic get you off balance in your witness. Deep down inside, they know. And you can point your finger in the Lord at them and say you know there's a God and be fully assured that you're correct and that they do. This is according to the Word of God.
Let's continue on. Many of you, remember as a young child, you knew there was a God. I was raised in a home, many of you know of my background. I'm Jewish, Bar Mitzvah'd, et cetera. But my parents weren't particularly religious. And I remember as a young boy, I would hear my dad at times taking God's name in vain, and it would cut to my heart like a knife. Why? Because my heart was tender because there is a God and because he created me and because I knew it. Not because of some religious indoctrination, but because we're born into this world, beloved, with that sensitivity. That's why Yeshua is so protective of the children, and that's why he says that if someone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would have been better for that one if he was thrown into the ocean with a weight on his ankle, because these little ones, beloved, they have a sensitivity to the Spirit of the Father.
So let's continue on once again in Romans. Know, beloved, you can witness. Don't get thrown off base when someone tells you they don't believe in God. They're lying to you, and they're lying to God. They know. Here we go. For the wrath of God, verse 18, is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. Here's the first witness that they have. It's creation itself. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so they are without excuse.
What is the Lord saying here? Simply put, he's saying that when men walk outside and they see the green grass and they see the birds and they see the beauty of creation, they see the flowers in the spring and in the summer, they see the sunset, they see the beautiful ocean, they see the beautiful puppies, they see the beautiful birds, they see intelligence built into creation so that the birds know how to fly south when it gets cold outside, so that the human body will perspire to cool it down when it begins to overheat, so that the human body will create antibodies to keep it from getting an infection, when they see the beauty of creation, when they see the expanse of creation, when man looks in the sky and sees the sky that seemingly goes on forever and ever and ever and ever, when they hear the sound of the thunder, beloved, man deep inside knows there's a Creator.
And so God is saying to mankind, when you deny me, you are denying the truth, because you know I exist. You know I exist because of the world that you're living in. Deep down inside, you recognize that I am the one that made it. There could not be, beloved, an intelligent built into creation, there could not be intelligence built into creation as there is if there was not an intelligent designer behind it. But think today of how men are suppressing the truth, saying it isn't so, that this is all by evolution and some type of cosmic chance. Beloved, this is why the wrath of God is going to be revealed.
Let's continue on. In verse number 21, Even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. What is the Lord saying here? He's describing exactly what's going on today. Even though man knows there's a God, the world at large will not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but instead they'll become futile in their vain speculations. Theories like evolutionism without God behind it.
Let's continue on. Professing to be wise, they became fools, verse 22. Isn't that interesting? These scientists today that think they're wise, think that they're impressing somebody, the intelligentsia community, beloved, the Lord says professing to be wise, they became fools. They neglected the obvious.
Let's continue on. And they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and of four-footed animals and crawling creatures. In other words, they've traded in the glory of God for humanity. They've traded in the glory of God, and they worship, beloved, the material world.
Let's continue on. Therefore God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. This is what happens with evolutionism. We're exchanging the truth of God for a lie. We're suppressing the reality of a Creator, and instead we're lifting up a lie. And as a result of this, God gives men over to darkness, and they end up paying for their sin.
Let's continue on. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen. And materialism, beloved, the materialistic society that we live in today, the worshipping of success, the worshipping of beauty, the worshipping of sports stars, the worshipping of music stars, the thought that politicians have the answer, even exalting America above God, beloved, all these are an example of worshipping and serving the creation rather than the Creator. Now, don't misunderstand. I am very blessed to be living in the United States of America. But you know what? There is even a kingdom beyond America, and that is the kingdom of God. We have to have an eternal perspective of reality. God alone, beloved, and his kingdom is forever and ever and ever and ever.
Let's continue on. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen. For this reason, because men chose to suppress the truth and deny it and instead lifted up a lie in its place, it says in verse 26, for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions, for their women exchanged the natural function of that which is natural, and in the same way the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men, committing indecent acts and in receiving in their own persons the due penalty of this error.
Now, in this politically-correct culture that we're living in today, we realize that it has become unpopular to teach that homosexuality is a sin against the Creator. But beloved, hear my voice. You're not listening to the words of a hate monger. I'm simply reading to you, beloved, the written Word of God. Let's not allow the world to accuse men that are simply teaching the truth, beloved, in the Word of God to be called hate mongers. It's not being a hate monger. It's not being prejudiced. It's not being narrow-minded. It's simply, beloved, holding up the eternal Word of God and God's eternal wisdom. It's obvious as we look at creation that men were not designed to have sex with each other and women were not designed to have sex with each other. God made them perfectly beautiful counterparts to become one with each other through the sacred act of marriage. And yet in our culture today, homosexuality is sweeping the nation.
I've heard of school systems now where it has become almost a common thing for this type of behavior to be taking place, pressure is being put upon young people to experiment with this, and men have lost their way. And the Bible teaches us that not only is this suppressing the truth in ungodliness, but it will bring about the wrath of God. If you think about the Lord's destructive acts upon his creation before, we're reminded of Sodom and Gomorrah. What was the primary characteristic that we know of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexuality had become common place.
Now, if you're trapped in the sin of homosexuality today, I want you to know that God loves you the same way, beloved, he loves me. We are not he loves me. We are not condemning people. We are not condemning any particular sorts of people. We're simply, beloved, pointing out the will of God. God has a way that creation is supposed to function, and Jesus came, beloved, to restore us back to being in harmony with God. If you're a homosexual and you're you're a homosexual and you're watching this broadcast right now, first of all let me say to you that the fact that you're practicing homosexuality does not define you.
In fact, I would say that there's no such thing as a homosexual. There's people instead that are deceived by a lie and trapped in it. God created you a man or God created you a woman. And God wants to restore us, beloved, back to his original intent. back to his original intent. The Lord loves you, beloved, listen now, right where you're at, but he loves you so much that he won't leave you where you're at. See, Jesus didn't come to condemn homosexuals. He didn't come to condemn adulterers. He didn't come to condemn liars or thieves. He came rather, beloved, to save us all. So this is not about condemning anybody. This is about, beloved, bringing the glory of God into manifestation and holding up Jesus and the cross, beloved, as God's way back into fellowship with him and restoration, forgiveness and freedom from sin and the escape of the wrath of God.
Let's continue again as we press through here, beloved. In verse number 26, I'm going to read it once again. Because men chose to suppress the truth, then the Lord allowed them, beloved, to be deceived by a lie. The Bible says that what happens when men choose to reject the truth, then God sends upon them a deluding influence as a judgment for being unwilling to accept his love and his forgiveness. Let's listen again, verse number 26. For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their women exchanged their natural function, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men, committing indecent acts and receiving in their own person the penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper.
I want you to know there's a way back. And sometimes the way back is not easy. If you're trapped in some type of addictive behavior, whether it be homosexuality, whether it be sexual promiscuity, whether it be pornography. There are so many men today that are trapped in Internet pornography. Some people are in bondage to food. All types of sin and bondage and addictions that people on planet earth are trapped in. And the way out of this, beloved, sometimes is excruciatingly difficult. But I want you to know if you will take ahold of God and not let go of him and say to him, God, I believe that Jesus came to set me free, Jesus said who the Son sets free will be free indeed.
If you'll make up your mind, beloved, that by the power of God, whatever it is that you're addicted to, whatever you're in bondage to, whatever you're trapped in, if you'll make up your mind that Jesus is Lord, that he reigns as King, that greater is he that's in those that believe in him than he that's in the world, you can overcome this thing. It may take time. It may be a struggle. It may be painful. But beloved, you will crush Satan under your feet, and you will get free if you'll hang on. Let's make up our minds. Let God be true and every man a liar. Beloved, we must get free, and we must allow Jesus Christ, beloved, to live through us and to reign through us. To God be the glory for Jesus' name and his fame, amen.