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Good morning dear friends,
If the forecast holds true, those of us in Florida have already had two days of some effects of Dorian, and finally today the eye is due in Florida. Now, I’m writing this on Friday, so by the time Tuesday arrives, many things may have changed.
We are very grateful for modern weather analysis and forecasting. But while analysis of the current situation may be fairly accurate, forecasting is only the best guess of the professionals, right? It’s true in weather, health care, business, relationships and almost every aspect of our lives. But that’s not how it is with God.
With God, both His analysis of the current situation, and His forecast of the future, are always fully accurate, based on TRUTH. This is one of the main points of Romans chapter 2, which we are reading today. But who defines truth? Where is that truth found? In fact, what is truth?
Many in our American society today reject most of Romans 1 as untrue, unfair, intolerant, homophobic, bigoted, hate filled rhetoric. Yet look closely at Romans 2:2 “Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.” So it’s time for a vital question: Where do you go for truth? Truth about your health, your finances, your future? Truth about science or politics or world events? How do you discern the truth about the relationships you have with people, even your family, or even the truth about your church?
Increasingly our American society is telling us truth is relative, truth is what you feel, truth is fluid, truth is whatever you want it to be. Of course without verifiable, unchanging truth, everything crumbles. Just think about what would happen if. . .
> Science books, scientists, engineers, architects, were not truthful?
> Your bank, or financial investment funds, or financial adviser were not truthful?
> Your doctor, or where you get your blood work, or your attorney were not truthful?
> Your family, or friends, or pastor, or church leaders were not truthful?
> The police, or military, or politicians, or Supreme court, or even the president were not truthful?
So where do we find reliable truth? Who determines what is true and what isn’t? Let’s listen to what God says . . .
Is. 45:18,19 “This is what the LORD says – He who created the heavens…He who fashioned and made the earth…He says I am God, I am the LORD and there is no other... I speak the TRUTH; I declare what is RIGHT.” Do you hear it? The One who creates… has the right to determine the truth, by which the creation will function. Now think about that very carefully.
It’s logical, it’s fair, and it’s true. If you create something from nothing, then you have the right to determine all the truths related to it. So, for everything God created, He ALONE has the right to determine ALL TRUTH related to it ALL.
So God created the Universe, and therefore God ALONE determines the TRUTHs by which the UNIVERSE functions. Things like gravity, star formation, planet orbits etc. All we as humans can do is discover what God has created and the truths He has designed by which His creation functions. We can’t change those truths. We can discover them, debate them, deny them… but we can’t change those God designed truths about His creation.
Here’s another. God created life… plant life, animal life, human life, and HE ALONE determines ALL TRUTH which pertains to ALL life. Right? Humans can discover God’s truth about life, but we can’t change it. We may disagree with it, we may not like it, but we can’t change the truths, which God has designed into life. The functions of heart, lungs, liver, eyeballs, ears, are all fixed truths by their Creator. Gender is another, We may even go to the extreme of surgical alteration of an organ or even gender, but we cannot change God’s truth. There are male and female, distinctively different by God’s truthful design.
Did you also notice, my friends, the last few words of that Isaiah 45:19 “…I (God) declare what is RIGHT.” That is a moral statement isn’t it? Just as the word “truth” means there is a great deal that is NOT true. So the word “right” means there is a great deal that is “not right”. So we have truth vs. lie or untruth, and we have right vs. wrong. And thus we have good vs. bad, holy vs. evil. Up vs. down, light vs. darkness, on vs. off.
OK, so the Creator has the right to determine BOTH the TRUTH regarding that which they create and also all moral RIGHT about their creation. That is foundational to all existence.
But someone might ask… can I trust God to be Truthful and morally Right?
Listen to Deut. 32:3,4 “I will proclaim…the greatness of our God! His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, holy and just is He.”
Jesus said “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life, no one comes to God the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6)
John wrote a great deal about truth and Jesus. Listen… “The Word became flesh and made dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and TRUTH.” (John 1:14) That is why Jesus so often said “I tell you the truth…”
You may recall when Jesus stood before Pilate, in his interrogation, Jesus said at one point, “Everyone on the side of TRUTH listens to Me.” To which Pilate responded “What is truth?” (John 19:37,38)
There are so many Scriptures which speak of TRUTH and RIGHT. Just look at the concordance in the back of your Bible, and you will be amazed.
So now what have we found the Bible says about truth?
> Yes, there is foundational, unchanging, verifiable TRUTH. It is defined by the Creator. The only Creator is God. Now be careful here. . . mankind fabricates, develops, makes, but no person has ever created something from nothing. Genesis 1 tells us God created our universe from nothing. He breathed or spoke it into existence! God alone is creator and definer of truth.
> God’s truth is unchanging truth. (Mal. 3:6)
> God also defines morality. God defines what is morally right and not right.
Now, guess what’s next in this logical formula? Accountability!
The Creator also defines the consequences for dis-regarding the Creator’s TRUTH or RIGHT.
That’s what Paul is explaining in Romans 1 & 2. In Romans 1 Paul makes a clear case that some humans disregard God’s TRUTH and God’s moral code of right and wrong, and invite God’s judgment. In Romans 2, Paul explains God is the final judge and all people will be held accountable to His justice!
“Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done… for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil…'” (Rom. 2:5-9)
That’s clear isn’t it my friends? And as we work through Romans, Paul is going to explain this in great detail.
May I point out one more verse in this chapter, about God’s truthful accountability? “This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” (Rom. 2:16)
Do you remember a few days ago, we saw in 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due them for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.”
And finally this verse, which I’ve given you before… Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him before whom we must give account.”
May I close today with this my friends. . . much of the book of Jeremiah, in the Old Testament seems as though it was written today, for America, even though it was written 2500 years ago for rebellious, unrepentant Israel. If you have time, read chapter 7 in particular. It’s amazing how it fits with Romans 1 and America today. May I just give you this little bit, since we recently read the book of Exodus together… “This is what the LORD Almighty says…’when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I gave them this command: Obey Me and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention, instead they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts… therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips… so the LORD has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under His wrath.” (Jeremiah 7:22-29) Oh my dear friends… it’s so important we hear what God says in His Word to us… about TRUTH, RIGHT and ACCOUNTABILITY, because His truth, His right and His accountability stand. . . unchanging.
And aren’t you grateful for God’s Mercy and His Grace. . . and of course that’s what we’ll be introduced to in Chapter 3, tomorrow!
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“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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