Romans 1:18
18 For [gar] the wrath [orge] of God [theos] is revealed [apokalupto] from [apo] heaven [ouranos] against [epi] all [pas] ungodliness [asebeia] and [kai] unrighteousness [adikia] of
men [anthropos], who hold [katecho] the truth [aletheia] in [en] unrighteousness [adikia]; KJV-Interlinear
18 For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
suppress the truth in unrighteousness, NASB
Paul now begins to make the point of this chapter
and of the next two chapters, in that there are only two possible plans for salvation,
Gods plan of grace and mans plan of works under the Law.
Paul will show that mans plan was the path chosen
by both Jew and Gentile, and that plan failed.
That leaves but one plan, which is Gods plan of
grace, or Jesus Christ’s work on the Cross, which we receive benefit of,
through faith.
The gospel and salvation are revealed from
heaven. It is not invented by man,
imagined by man, discovered by man.
It is God who authored the divine plan, and
revealed it to man.
Look back through any culture, any race, on any
continent, and you will find no shortage of examples of religious sacrifices of
one sort or another. The very first
sacrifice was taught to Adam and Eve, by Jesus Christ Himself when He provided them
with clothes of animal skins. Where did
those skins come from?
God taught Adam and Eve, as well as Cain and Abel,
and beyond, the difference between His sacrifice and promise of a savior, as
opposed to any other sacrifice like the one which Cain tried to introduce.
Gods plan alone is just and correct, never mans.
But as history continued races spread out across
the planet and sacrifices, both human and animal, were continued even as they
were falsified and corrupted into evil purposes.
But the original teaching was from God, to Adam and
passed down from there to the generations.
Adam and Even knew the purpose of the
sacrifices. That man was evil and that
man had no answer for his own evil except through Gods work.
Man cannot live the perfect life. Only God can.
Man cannot achieve the perfect life.
That comes only from God, through faith, and the substance of faith,
which is Bible doctrine.
And through doctrine, and the gospel, which
addresses the need for salvation, is Gods wrath revealed as well.
What happens when a person refuses to believe in
Christ? They go to the Lake of Fire. This is the teaching of Gods justice.
Justice demands perfection and perfection comes
only from God.
Imperfect man cannot make himself perfect.
And since truth comes only from heaven, then all
evil comes from this world, or outside of heaven. And in evil is truth suppressed.
Evil tries to prevent truth, tries to corrupt
truth, tries to compromise truth, tries to water truth down, tries to make
truth reduced to mans level for a lower standard.
All people know truth from the lie. Both Jew and Gentile.
And despite their phenomenal privilege, even the
Jews failed in that privilege. They still tried to keep the Law even though
they had the scriptures that spelled out that the Law was not the way.
The Gentiles, from Adam to Noah, to Job, to
Abraham, and beyond even up until our present day, likewise knew of and know
the truth from the lie, but invention after invention has produces hundreds and
hundreds of religions and philosophies that prove the failure of the gentiles
as well.
Man cannot achieve the level of God or even of
creation, from the source of his own energy.
Religions are not noble. Dedication to religion is not noble. That is the stupidity of fools. And worse than that, it is their destruction,
eternal destruction. Where is the
nobility in destroying oneself forever?
So, God alone reveals truth. The Bible reveals truth. But, that revealing is made clear only when
one is in a state of perfection, that is, in fellowship. Then God alone makes truth clear and
understandable, otherwise it is nothing more than foolishness to those who are
not in fellowship.
All unbelievers are perpetually out of fellowship,
and disobedient believers are out of fellowship.
Man invents lies and suppresses truth. This is clear throughout history in
philosophy, politics, religion, and so forth.
