Idolatry: The Revealed Wrath of God
Romans 1:21-25
August 26, 2007
In verse 18, Paul began a new theme in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
Paul taught us that God’s wrath is both real, and it is revealed.
His wrath is revealed against “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men”
He is angry because they “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”
Sunday night we learned what he meant by they suppress the truth
AS WE SAW THE DIFFICULTY OF DISBELIEF.
Failure to trust in God is not the logical choice.
In fact, if you desire to disbelieve God, you will have to work to do so.
Romans 1:19-20 “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 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 that they are without excuse.”
Every person had two basic testimonies.
THE TESTIMONY OF CONSCIENCE
“that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”
THE TESTIMONY OF CREATION
“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 that they are without excuse.”
CONSCIENCE is NOT ENOUGH to lead you to salvation,
But it is enough to lead you to seek God.
CREATION is NOT ENOUGH to lead you to salvation,
But it is enough to lead you to seek God.
Men need the gospel to be saved.
“it is the power of God for salvation” (That’s our part remember)
The testimony of conscience and the testimony of creation
ARE TO MOTIVATE MEN TO SEEK GOD.
And this is what Paul said.
Acts 17:26-27 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;”
The problem is that men still didn’t seek God,
But instead they suppressed that truth, they held it down,
And refused to pay attention to it.
For this reason, “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven”.
Paul gives us in this first chapter
Three examples of how God’s wrath is revealed.
God may not be raining down fire from heaven…
God may not be sending locust invasions…
God may not be delivering men into the hand of their enemies…
BUT GOD’S WRATH IS REVEALED NONE THE LESS
THIS MORNING WE SEE PAUL’S FIRST EXAMPLE
IDOLATRY
As the Romans read this letter from Paul,
All they had to do was open their eyes to see idolatry in their world.
Rome itself had Emperor Worship
But idolatry was spread throughout the Roman Empire
When Paul went to Lystra, he healed a lame man
Acts 14:11-13 “When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.”
Later when Paul went to Athens:
Acts 17:16 “Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.”
It was in Ephesus that Demetrius the silversmith stirred up the crowd to defend “Artemis of the Ephesians” because Paul’s preaching was killing her ministry.
Corinth was at one time the home to at least 12 heathen temples, in which idol worship and prostitution ran rampant.
All the Romans had to do was open their eyes
To see that idolatry was everywhere.
It had saturated their society.
(probably why Paul chose idolatry as one of the three he mentions)
SO HERE PAUL TAKES THE PRESENCE OF IDOLATRY TO SHOW THE ROMANS HOW GOD’S WRATH IS REVEALED TODAY.
2 main things I want you to see about idolatry.
#1 THE DESCRIPTION OF IDOLATRY
Romans 1:21-23
As Paul reveals that idolatry is the wrath of God,
He does an incredible job of describing idolatry.
And we can describe idolatry in two ways.
1) FUTILE THINKING (21)
People don’t worship idols because they don’t know about God. People worship idols because they wish to rebel against God.
Everyone knows about the true God. (Conscience & Creation)
THE QUESTION IS NOT KNOWLEDGE, BUT SUBMISSION.
“they knew God, they did not honor Him as God”
These people where throwing it right back in God’s face.
“You may be God, but you won’t catch me worshiping You.”
“You may be God, but I’m not gonna do what You say.”
“nor give thanks”
The rain comes from heaven…
Their heart continues to beat…
Their crops continue to grow…
BUT THEY ARE NOT GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR IT.
Instead they present themselves to the god of their choice.
They reject the true God in order to worship false gods.
Paul explains this course of action.
“but they became futile in their speculations,
and their foolish heart was darkened.”
In other words, they had the truth,
They had what made sense, they had what was logical.
“Worship the true and living God and submit yourself to Him,
for He can both reward and punish you.”
BUT THEY REJECTED SUCH LOGIC.
“they became futile in their speculations”
Paul said they had new ideas.
They had new “speculations”
They imagined something different.
Now what they imagined was “futile”.
It was pointless, it didn’t make sense.
They would actually create a god
And then credit that god with creating them.
WHAT COULD THEY POSSIBLY HOPE TO GAIN FROM THIS?
It reeks of a person who hasn’t thought it all the way through.
It is a stupid thought to say the least.
Which is of course what the prophets have been saying for years.
Isaiah 44:18-20 “They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
In Isaiah 41, God challenges the false gods to be of some benefit.
Isaiah 41:21-24 “Present your case,” the LORD says.”Bring forward your strong arguments,” The King of Jacob says. Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.”
We are all familiar with the “show down” at Mt. Carmel
Time and time again God has pointed out the ignorance
Of first creating a god and then serving that god.
THE VERY NOTION OF IT IS FUTILE, YET MEN DID IT ANYWAY.
AND PAUL SAYS THIS FUTILE THINKING RESULTED IN TRAGEDY.
“and their foolish heart was darkened.”
THEY SO PERSISTED IN THEIR WORSHIP,
THAT BEFORE LONG
THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVED THE LIE THEY HAD INVENTED.
They told themselves over and over
That the god they created really was god,
Until one day they woke up and they actually believed it.
“and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Ephesians 4:17-19 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”
Idolatry is described by FUTILE THINKING
2) FOOLISH DECISIONS (22-23)
“Professing to be wise, they became fools,”
They were dead wrong, but they thought they were right.
They boldly claimed that their god was the true god.
(We see this today don’t we)
Acts 19:23-27 “About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. “Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
Can you hear the foolishness?
Yet he is convinced of his wisdom.
“Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.”
I mean that statement alone should have opened his eyes.
But it gets even better than that.
He was worried, “that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
He really had a lot of confidence in his god didn’t he?
The point is he thought he was so wise,
And yet look how foolish he was.
Those who refuse to honor God become fools.
PAUL THEN DESCRIBES THEIR FOOLISHNESS
[They] “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God
for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds
and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”
IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT FOOLISHNESS, THERE IT IS.
They had the “glory of the incorruptible God”
But they traded it for “an image in the form of corruptible man”
ILLUSTRATION
I live with Carrie and get the benefits of the relationship.
Suppose I traded Carrie for a picture of Carrie?
Suppose the picture wasn’t even of Carrie?
HOW FOOLISH WOULD I BE TO MAKE THAT TRADE?
They exchange the full benefit of a relationship with God
For an image that isn’t even an image of God.
It’s a man, or a bird, or a beast, or a snake
YET A PERSON IN IDOLATRY MAKES THE TRADE.
And we see this foolishness throughout the Scripture.
Jeremiah 2:11-13 “Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory For that which does not profit. “Be appalled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the LORD. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”
PERHAPS THE MOST SHOCKING IS IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS.
Exodus 32:1-4 “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
HOW FOOLISH WERE THESE PEOPLE?
Exodus 19 – God came down on Sinai in fire and smoke AND THE PEOPLE HEARD.
Exodus 19 – God gave the Ten Commandments in their hearing.
You want to top that, look at this:
Exodus 24:9-11 “Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.”
All the people heard God and saw the fire…
All the leaders saw God…
Then in chapter 32 they make this dinky golden calf and Aaron says,
“This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
TALK ABOUT FOOLISH
Yet that is what idolatry is.
And the Romans could see it going on everywhere.
AND THAT IS WHEN PAUL DRAWS IT HOME.
HE REVEALS THAT THIS IS THE WRATH OF GOD.
First – the description of idolatry
#2 THE DANGER OF IDOLATRY
Romans 1:24-25
THE EXISTANCE OF IDOLATRY IS EVIDENCE OF THE WRATH OF GOD
God doesn’t have to allow people to worship false gods…
God doesn’t have to allow people to bow down to graven images…
He could stop it any time He pleases
But He allows it.
“There God gave them over”
“gave them over” translates PARADIDOMI (par-ad-id-o-mee)
“yield up, give up, bring forth”
It is the word used of Jesus giving Himself up to the cross.
Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,”
But here it carries a negative connotation
As God gives idolaters into the hands of the gods they serve.
“Fine, you can worship that god, you can trust that god,
And then come death, we’ll see how well that god delivers you.”
Hosea 4:17 “Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.”
Judges 10:13 “Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you.”
CAN YOU NOT SEE THE TRAGEDY IN THIS?
Imagine the rude awakening by those men who flew the airplanes into the world trade center towers on September 11.
THEY EXPECTED GLORY, VIRGINS, & PARADISE.
They found their god was a fake and their prophet
Was already in the same torment they were now receiving.
THIS IS THE HORROR OF IDOLATRY.
Jeremiah 2:26-28 “As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their princes And their priests and their prophets, Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to Me, And not their face; But in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us.’ “But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you In the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.”
Judges 10:14 “Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.”
WHY WOULD GOD DO SUCH A THING?
“God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity”
God allowed it because they wanted it so bad.
That is what their heart craved.
That is what their heart desired.
That is what they strived for.
“impurity” translates AKATHARSIA (ak-ath-ar-see-ah)
“impurity, uncleanness, filth”
Many times it refers to sexual impurity.
Most idol worship in Paul’s day involved sexual impurity.
But even if sexual impurity is not what Paul had in mind.
Certainly it is the spiritual impurity
That is seen throughout the Old Testament.
When Israel worshiped false gods, God called them harlots.
Jeremiah 2:31-32 “O generation, heed the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of thick darkness? Why do My people say, ‘ We are free to roam; We will no longer come to You’? “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me Days without number.”
People so desperately wanted to worship someone else,
That God eventually allowed them to do it.
Jeremiah 2:23-25 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel entangling her ways, A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her. “Keep your feet from being unshod And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘ It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’”
And here is the judgment part.
“so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.”
Seems to suggest Paul did have sexual impurity in view here.
For through their idol worship,
They were using their bodies in a way that dishonored them.
THE PURPOSE OF THE BODY IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
But men, in order to follow their lusts,
Used their body in a way that dishonored it.
They thought it didn’t matter
What they ate, where they bowed, or who they slept with,
For the body was simply for their pleasure.
Paul said NO.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
It is a dishonor to your body to engage in sexual impurity,
Or to offer your body up to the worship of a false god.
But God allows men to dishonor their bodies.WHY?
“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO IDOL WORSHIP
ALL IDOL WORSHIP IS SELF-WORSHIP IN DISGUISE.
That is why men make idols.
They form a god that they desire to worship;
A god who rewards their lusts and who gratifies their sinful desires.
THIS IS WHY FALSE GODS SEEM TO ENDURE.
Allah doesn’t endure because he is real he gratifies the sinful nature of those who want to elevate their own works, and gain earthly power.
Buddha doesn’t endure because he is real he gratifies the sinful nature of those who want the fame of self-sacrifice and the glory of religious work.
THE REAL ISSUE IN THESE VERSES IS THIS:
Men did not want God to rule over them,
So man invented a god to serve,
That they could gratify his own sinful lusts.
The wrath of God is revealed in that God allows them to do it.
They worship a corruptible, temporal, man-made myth over the “Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME?
God has placed a testimony of Himself for all to see,
Both in the conscience of man and in His creation.
(Even more is you have heard the gospel)
If your life is contrary to that,
Don’t assume you are square with God,
Just because He isn’t beating you over the head.
Romans 2:4-6 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:”
God’s wrath is revealed today.
It is evident by the fact that He is allowing men
To worship gods that cannot save.
TODAY IT SEEMS REWARDING
BUT IT WON’T BE REWARDING SOME DAY.
Jeremiah 5:31 “The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?”
And that is the question.
WHAT WILL YOU DO AT THE END OF IT?
My prayer is that men will be saved from the wrath of God.
Romans 5:8-9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
