Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends on this Thursday,
I begin today with an important question: as you look around your part of the world do you see people, or leaders, or organizations, or institutions suppressing the truth? Is it possible you actually see that happening with some people or organizations who have a responsibility to PROTECT and ADVANCE the TRUTH? Guess what… that’s not a new problem!
In fact let’s look at what Paul was writing in his letter to the Christians in Rome during the winter of 57ad. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them…” (Rom. 1:18,19)
We know that God hates all sin because sin is rejection of and rebellion against God and God’s holy perfection. But do you see this statement has an even more intense focus? What focus? Those people who intentionally SUPPRESS the TRUTH by their wickedness!
Do you also see Paul prioritizing a specific type of truth that is being distorted or suppressed: “what may be known about God.” Pause. While all truth is important to God, and the protection and elevation of all truth to a place of priority in our world is important to God and should be important to humanity… one truth seems to be supreme in significance to God.
Do you see that in Paul’s statement? What truth? The truth about God! And here Paul declares that God sees intentional efforts by some people to suppress the OBVIOUS TRUTH about God, which is evident to all people in all places!
Now we need to ask an important question: Is this happening in our day anywhere in the world? If so, where, by whom, how and why? So, what do you think about that my friends? May I show you three examples of what I see happening in our day around the world which is exactly what Paul is talking about here in Romans 1:20?
First… God is Creator. But, for a long time some scientists and many schoolteachers, all over the world, have rejected and suppressed the truth that Almighty God is the Creator of the Universe, our planet earth, and all that is alive on our planet, including humanity.
God repeatedly declares the truth that HE is the only being capable of Creating something from nothing! Isaiah 45:12 “It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshalled their starry hosts.” Of course, we understand Genesis 1 & 2 describe in detail how God created our universe and we hold those chapters to be God’s truth.
Not only do many of these people, organizations and institutions discount the fundamental truth about God as Creator, they propose all types of crazy alternative theories for how our universe, our planet and our human race came into existence. They are suppressing the truth by their wickedness, just as Paul wrote 2000 years ago. Do you see that?
Scientists and Bible teachers with the organization “Answers In Genesis” are among the best at disproving the crazy alternative theories and confirming scientifically God’s claims of His Creative Truth: https://answersingenesis.org/ Their Creation Museum and the Ark are very powerful, hands on experiences, for people of all ages, who desire to know and honor the truth about God as Creator, and His truthful description of HOW He accomplished His creation.
Second… God is the author of life. God has designed all life. God creates and sustains all life according to His design.
From the miracle of conception, through gestation, to birth and every day of life after birth, only God can create and sustain life. Is. 46:3,4 “I have upheld you since your birth and have carried you since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am God who will sustain you…”
And Psalm 139 says: “You created my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Ps. 139:13,14)
Yet you and I know the scientific and medical community around the world refuses God’s claim that HE alone creates life in the womb, and HE alone develops each child in the womb.
Millions of people… have rejected God’s authority over life by demanding the right to slaughter living unborn, innocent children while still in their mother’s womb. Many claim the living fetus is not yet a human being. They suppress the truth about God and His authority in creating and sustaining life, by their murderous wickedness and refusal to acknowledge LIFE begins in the womb.
Third… More recently modern science and medicine claim the gender design of each human being is NOT under the authority of God and can be altered with medications and surgeries.
The horrific mutilation of God designed wonderful human beings is celebrated in almost every segment of several societies around the world. Yet despite every human effort, medication, surgery or political declaration… the fundamental chromosome design and structure of a human body remains as God created it, in every human being, male & female. The truth suppressing efforts of a medical world gone mad have no effect on God’s gender design truth, created for His glory.
So, Paul continued his profound, truthful declaration with these words: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20)
That profound truth statement is affirmed by this statement from God in Isaiah 45:18,19 “This is what the LORD says: He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth…He formed it to be inhabited and He says, ‘I am the LORD and there is no other…I, the LORD, speak the truth, I declare what is right.”
The Creator alone has the right to define TRUTH for that which He creates! Also, the Creator alone has the right to define the morality of that which He creates!
The Creator’s supreme ability, evidence in the creative act, earns the Creator those rights. While creation, given a mind and free will by the Creator, can deny or resist or even reject the WILL of the Creator, creation cannot undo that which the Creator has fixed as unchangeable.
Now we need to pause and give this some deep reflection, my friends! The “lessons learned” study notes will be very helpful and the worship song a joy to our hearts. And I’ll be here tomorrow ready for you… to continue!
Today’s Scripture: Romans 1:18-20.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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