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Main Point: God is righteous to hold every human being responsible for failing to know Him!
WHY SHOULD I EVEN LISTEN?
1. Someone you know and love is lost—and will ask/challenge you in what we talk about today.
2.
You may feel a temptation to disbelieve the Bible and depart from Christ because the arguments of science/philosophy appear overwhelming.
3. Through the knowledge of God, our love for God increases.
Read
The Logical Argument of
Premise: THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IS AN EASILY RECOGNIZABLE FACT: “For what can be known about God is plain to them,”
Support #1: REVELATION: “because God has shown it to them.”
Support #2: CLARITY: “For his invisible attributes… have been clearly perceived,”
Support #2a: God’s power is seen through creation: “namely, his eternal power”
Support #2b: God’s nature is seen through creation: “and divine nature,”
Support #3: CONTINUAL “ever since the creation of the world,”
Support #4: REALITY “in the things that have been made.”
Conclusion: THERE IS NO BASIS FOR REJECTING GOD: “So they are without excuse.”
What Paul is addressing here is known General Revelation in contrast to Special Revelation.
1.
General Revelation:
a.
The Origin of General Revelation: The natural working, composition, and nature of the universe.
b.
The Nature of General Revelation Reveals:
i.
The existence of God
ii.
The attributes of God connected with creation
1. Eternal Power = what was required to enact the plan of creation
2. Divine Nature = what was required to plan creation
However, Special Revelation further reveals God to us, and does so in such a way that we are able to specifically, know, respond, and relate to God.
2. Special Revelation:
a. Origin: The Spirit of God inspired prophets, apostles, and perfectly embodied Jesus Christ to reveal God to humanity
b.
The Nature of Special Revelation Reveals:
i. God’s relational nature
ii.
The purpose of God’s work
iii.
All things pertaining to salvation
iv.
Our purpose
v. God’s desired will for how we are to live
vi.
Our destination
c.
SPECIAL REVELATION CLARIFIES AND DEFINES OUR WORLDVIEW THROUGH REVEALING GOD TO US.
Therefore, there are three IMPLICATIONS for rejecting the GENERAL revelation of God:
1.
To reject the General Revelation of God is to reject what is plainly evident
2. To reject the General Revelation of God is to reject the further Special Revelation from God
3. To reject the General Revelation of God is to justly earn the full judgment of God
From this, we get three Premises (principles) we get and two Challenges unbelievers make:
1.
Three Premises from Paul’s argument:
a. Premise #1 (stated) The universe proves—beyond a reasonable doubt—that there is a God and that there is only one God.
b.
Premise #2 (stated) Those who reject God have no excuse for doing so.
c.
Premise #3 (implied) The manner in which God reveals Himself to humanity is absolutely perfect.
Read again
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
So they are without excuse.
2. Two Challenges from unbelievers to Paul’s argument:
a. Challenge #1 Why doesn’t God just appear to every person and prove His existence—isn’t this cruel?
b.
Challenge #2 Why does God condemn people to Hell that have never heard about Him—isn’t this cruel?
Response to Challenge #1
The Challenge:
“Why doesn’t God Simply Reveal Himself to Everyone?”
The Response:
Should God FULLY reveal Himself to us, we would face several insurmountable obstacles that would result in either our damnation, the end of our life, or the inability to enjoy the Lord!
The four insurmountable problems connected to God FULLY revealing Himself in the manner we demand or desire:
1.
We would lose our lives!
a. God’s perfection and righteousness demand that sin be punished.
b.
Should God come in FULLNESS (thus proving Himself), He would have to judge our sin—this will not result in a favorable outcome for us.
c.
The fact that Jesus emptied Himself of His divine rights when He incarnated Himself into humanity allowed Him to walk with us and NOT judge, condemn, and execute us!
2. Should we keep our lives, our freewill/freedom would be lost in entirity!
a. Sovereignty ABSOLUTELY includes the ability, right, and authority to act.
b.
God—if He disclosed Himself fully—would immediately strip humanity of the freedom to live in accord to their desires.
c.
The fullness of God’s manifest presence forces us to comply to His authority (whether we want to do so or not)
3. Should we keep our lives and freewill, we would lose our ability to love God!
a. Love involves choice (freewill)
b.
Love involves pursuit (absent if God is present)
c.
Love involves sacrifice (absent if God is present)
d.
Love involves trust (absent if God is present)
4. Ultimately, we would lose our experience and the reality of God’s tender care and love!
a.
Because the full presence of God demands that He judge sin, we would be immediately condemned to hell.
Why?
b.
Without Jesus revealing God to us as a mediator, we would know God as a judge.
c.
Without Jesus satisfying the wrath of God and gifting us salvation, we would still be sinners.
d.
As sinners, God in His righteousness absolutely CANNOT allow us to go to heaven.
Two HUGE reasons why God is ABSOLUTELY just in revealing Himself in the manner that he does:
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