Therefore Pt 1

0:01 All right, Book of Romans. Sometimes I come up with these great ideas. Then I realized these ideas are more complicated than I may be ready to handle. But we're going to do our very best. One of the things that's gonna make this I'm not gonna say difficult, but it's gonna make it a little frustrating, is obviously when I came up with this idea, I kind of forgot we no longer have internet connection here, because we're going to be getting. You know, a lot into the Greek, a lot of this, and. It's always much easier when everyone can just do what look up the blue letter Bible app You see the transliteration, you see how it's spelled, you see the outline.

0:43 Of biblical usage. You see it all right, you see it all, and it's great. I can I can hit play, and you can hear how it's supposed to be pronounced, every everything. It just makes it easier, right, makes it a lot easier. Because when you get into the language, unless a pastor has decided to pursue a degree in either Hebrew or Greek, I mean, you all know how a language works. You can learn a language, right, I've taken Greek. I've taken Hebrew, I've taken Latin. But you take it. And unless you do what, unless you speak it, unless you. Speak it, all you may be able to do is to go, oh, that's what that word is? This word, right, that word is this word. You may be able to do that.

1:25 You may know some of the basic rules about how the Greek language works, or the Hebrew language or Latin. You may have some basics down, but unless you're utilizing it all the time, you don't, right, And it's not like I'm reading from a Greek New Testament or anything along those lines, right, So therefore it can be it can be a little difficult. Most of the time you're just referencing the Greek for one thing or two things. You know, you're very very basic. But remember what we're doing. Is this idea all started because what three or four in the morning, I'm listening to something and the person speaking talks about all their force in the Book of Romans, and I was like, oh, that's an interesting concept. I wonder how many there are and we looked it up depending on your translation, somewhere between twenty seven to thirty three.

2:11 I'm like, well, that's awesome, that's a lot of their fors. And we were in the Book of Romans, and then we took that long detour for Long Gospel, over one hundred hours of that. Well, we could ease. Back into the Book of Romans by going through the entire Book of Romans and simply looking at all the their force. So that seemed great. That's a great idea. Doesn't that sound great? This sounds great? And then we discovered, wait a minute, there's at least at a minimum four Greek words that are translated therefore, and so what's the obvious question? Why four different Greek words? And then what we discovered is that each one has its own specific.

2:53 Little nuance and focus, and it can change how we are to interpret each. Therefore, now we spent over an hour looking at the Greek words for each one and the difference of each one. I'm not going to go back and review them. Here's what we're about to do. So this is how this is going to work. We are going to now start working through every their four for each Therefore, guess what I will remind you of what the Greek word is a little bit about its its specific focus, right, and then we'll move to the next one. Now, as I started working through the there furce, I already discovered that one of the there furs is not from one of those four Greek words. There's another Greek word, and I'm I guess I knew it, but I didn't think about it so well, well, I should have done talked about that last week, but or the week before. But we'll talk about it when we get there. Okay, it's it's And what makes this one very frustrating is that I'm a part of the Greek word is pronounced exactly like one of the Greek words we've already looked at. It's pronounced almost identical, but it's it's put together with another Greek word, so it's kind of like a compound word.

4:08 And so we'll we'll put all that together. Right, So we're gonna go through this. Now, how this is going to work, I don't know. Put it this way, we got what between twenty seven to thirty something passages to look at, right, and we're gonna and what we're gonna do for each Therefore, what are we. Going to attempt to do for each there four? We're gonna try to figure out I mean, simply put what is it's there for? Right, So we're gonna try to understand it's significant. Now what does that mean? We're gonna have to try to figure out once we find. The there for, what comes before? What comes after? What is the significance of the there for? So we're gonna have to be looking at large sections. Does that make sense?

4:48 So I and so it may come across as tedious, but what's what's the end result? Hopefully, by the time we're done with all the their furs, you're gonna have once again a what you're gonna have a You're gonna have a very this is the goal. You're gonna have great insight to every transitional section in the Book of Romans. So by the time you're done, you should have a greater understanding of Romans than when we started. And we've already spent years working through Romans verse by verse, and we made it all the way up to chapter ten, so you already should have a good understanding. This is only going to build upon that. But the key is, by the time we're done with this, you should know every transitional hinge, which that a section of Romans turns upon or opens upon.

5:40 Right, and if you do that, then you should be able to put the. Entire Book of Romans together and hopefully have a good, good insight. That's the goal. Now. Goals are great, but what happens? You know? What's the pimas saying and boxing. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Right, You can have a plan, we canna have a goal, we canna have a strategy, and then reality will hit us in the face and it may not go as smoothly as I would like it to go. So we're gonna work through it and hopefully maybe the first two or three will be kind of like I'll figure out, well, probably should do that a little different. But by the time we're done, hopefully it'll just start flowing and it'll be like, oh, we figured out how to handle their force.

6:20 Is everybody okay? With a little struggle through it. At the beginning, It doesn't matter if you care or because that's what's going to happen, all. Right, are you ready? Okay? There's no easy button here right now? I know I can make it easy, right, I can do what most preachers. Hey, here's this. There four blah blah blah blah blah. Read a verse, give you the summary and move on. But you know I don't do it that way, right, you know I don't do it that. That would Oh, I couldn't. I couldn't even go to a church that does that. I would lose my mind, right, because I like you involved in the process, and because the goal is that you will retain more. That's the goal. But we'll see, all right. So as just a quick reminder, the word therefore is in d a pivotal term in the Book of Romans, and it often signals a conclusion or an important theological point.

7:08 And we're going to look at all the instances where therefore is used, along with a brief summary and the significance of each occurrence. That's what we're going to do. And the first one we find ourselves where. Romans one, Romans one twenty four, Romans one twenty four. Let's read the verse. You ready, okay, everybody there, all right, let's read it. Therefore, I'm reading from the New King James. Wherefore, okay, right, it's the same Greek word, all right.

7:54 Wherefore, Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanliness and the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves. Now, first thing, remember we've already covered We've already done verse by versus this entire chapter. So I'm not My job here is not to try to get us back into a verse by verse. We just want to understand the significance of this. Wherefore, are therefore everybody got that? Now? This is everybody ready? First, does everybody remember the Greek word? Let's get that out of the way, dia dia right.

8:35 This word is also translated as therefore, but with a slightly different emphasis. It is often used to draw a more emphatic or summarizing conclusion, sometimes with a sense of inevitability. Does everybody remember that? Yes? Okay, it's emphatic or or summarizing conclusion. So when this therefore, how should we understand it? It's emphatic, right, it's summarizing. It's a conclusion with a sense of inevitability. Everybody got that. It emphasizes causality and inevitability. It draws attention to the necessary outcomes or consequences of the previous discourse. So therefore God gave them up. It seems like what is he saying?

9:26 This is the conclusion? This is emphatic, This is inevitable that God would have to give. Them up to uncleanliness. Does everyone see that? All right? It emphasizes what again, causality? Inevitability draws attention to the necessary outcomes of or consequences of the previous discourse. Everyone got that, all right? So we know what the there for is for? Right? So what I'm gonna I'm gonna just have you tell me what is the therefore therefore it is? What it is demonstrating what an inevitable consequence, a conclusion, causality?

10:09 Do I need to go through all that again? So we have that down? Okay, Yeah, we got to make sure we understand why it's there. So then what do we need to figure out based off that about the Greek language, what do we need to figure out there for? Well, we got to figure out, Okay, if it's drawing a more emphatic summarization or conclusion, what is it summarizing? What is it concluding? If it's giving us a sense of inevitability or consequence? What is leading to this inevitability? Well, we know we can already know this. What is inevitable according to verse twenty four. Now what is inevitable is that God gave them up to uncleanliness, right, He gave them up to uncleanness, lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves.

10:55 Does everybody see that the conclusion of whatever comes before is this inevitable? Something has changed here because of whatever is here, God now gives them up. Has everybody got that? It's a conclusion, it's inevitability, it's causality. All right? Everybody got that? All right? That means this, therefore is what critical. This is a transition, This is a change, all right? Does that sound good? Now what we're gonna do is now, we're gonna do it. That's just kind of giving us started right now here. I'm gonna ask you a question. I'm gonna make you do this in every single one of them. And when I ask this question, there.

11:36 Will be inevitable disagreements. There's never going to be an agreement on this, okay, And that's gonna be fun, all right. So here's what we're gonna do. If this verse, If verse twenty four is the inevitable conclusion, it's the it's the causality, it's the consequence, it's it's certain. Then what we have to determine is what comes before that? This is the transition to So what comes before twenty four? And where does. That section begin? What specific section is the therefore in twenty four? Referencing find the beginning of that section. It's okay if we disagree.

12:21 You can all be wrong, but. This is we have to be able to establish this. Do you think there's always agreement on what the section is before? They're therefore no. But in this case, we'll see. Some of your. Bibles may even break it down into kind of like sections where you can see where they think it begins. Right. I bet you you're using the NIV. I bet you it breaks it down into sections. Okay, I bet you it does. Oh yours does as well? All right, So for those who have Bibles who kind of put it into sections, what section comes before twenty four? Okay? But does it have a section of verses? Okay? What's the section of verses starting in verse eighteen? All the way too, all the way to the end. Okay, you're starting seventeen? Okay, all right, So seventeen all the way to the end of the chapter. They put that in one section? Okay, all right, okay, all one section? Okay, that's interesting.

13:24 Okay, okay, all right, that's fine, okay. All right, So if we look at it, I think we can see verse one to six really doesn't have much to do with that. Therefore, can we agree to one to six doesn't have anything to do with it? Therefore? Yeah, okay, pretty much a very important intro. But yeah, verse seven to all who are in Rome beloved of God called to be sayings, So we can say verses one through seven would have nothing to do with that. Therefore, do we feel confident with that? What does he start? What does he do is starting in verse eight, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith's be spoken of. He starts saying very positive things about them.

14:09 Can you agree where does that section seem to end? Okay? Some may say twelve, right, because starting in verse thirteen. Now, I do not want you to be unaware something changes in verse thirteen. Does that make sense? Right? So we have verses one through twelve has nothing to do with it there for verse thirteen that seems like a transitional term, right, How does all the different translations read in verse thirteen? Now? Okay, well, I do not want you to be unaware clearly something has changed.

14:51 Right, So now what does he start in verse thirteen. I don't want you to be unaware, brethren that often planned to come to you but was hindered until now that I might have some fruit among you. Also, Hey, hey, I'm saying all these positive things about you, but I want you to know something. I've wanted to come to you, but he's not been able. Right, Okay, And he goes, I'm a dad or both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, but to the wise to the unwise. So as much as in me, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. Also, I haven't been able to come to you, but I want to preach. The Gospel to you, all right now Verse sixteen, so verses one through fifteen, I think we can say has nothing to do with it. Therefore are we confident there all right? Verse sixteen. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

15:39 For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the jew first and also the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it has written to joshall live by faith. There's the entire Protestant Reformation, the Josh will live by faith. Okay, we can get to a whole discussion, right, So I would say sixteen and seventeen, does. It seem to have anything to do with it? Therefore? Because we can just we can ask ourselves, right, hey, read verse sixteen and seventeen and then read therefore. God gave them up to uncleanliness that has no connection? Doesn't work, does it? Right? Okay? Sometimes in uh, there have been I don't remember how what the test were for, but it's had something to do with like reading comprehension, and they would.

16:23 Be like, does this go with this? Does this go with this? Right? So that you can determine, well, that doesn't connect there? Right, because they're trying to show you how to to interpret what connects sixteen and seventeen does not connect to twenty four? Can we agree? Verse eighteen? Though, after talking about faith and the gospel four, what happens in verse eighteen for the wrath is how the new king James King James. For the wrath of God is revealed? Now, why is what is what is eighteen signifying? How are we connecting eighteen? Well? Well, sixteen and seventeen is all about the Gospel and faith and righteousness. Now, why do we need all of that verse eighteen because the wrath. Now we see a little bit of a connection between sixteen, seventeen and eighteen.

17:15 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them. For God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, his invisible after mut are clearly seeing being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power in Godhead. So that they are without excuse. All right, So everyone is without excuse, and God's wrath is being revealed, right, everybody see that. Now what happens here? So they're without excuse. And they look at verse twenty one. Because now this really because here in twenty one really connects that back to verse eighteen. The wrath of God is being revealed. Man is without excuse because what.

18:09 Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and foolish hearts were darkened professing to be wise, they became fools and changing the glory of the uncorruptible God into the image and made like corruptible man birds and four footed animals and creeping things. Then the next verse therefore, now that therefore, really, if you really. Want to focus on it, I would argue that therefore really goes back to where. I mean, you could say eighteen, but it really kicks in with where verse twenty one because although they knew not godpen Hey, God's wrath is being revealed. You knew God, right, there's no excuse. God has revealed himself. However, something happens in verse twenty one.

19:13 This is really the real It really kicks in. Now. That's getting us kind of close. Right, we've now kind of put that together. Are you getting a picture of it? Now? We're gonna work through some analysis and summary. All right, now, are you ready? We're gonna break this sound. We're gonna break down different parts of this now if you want to take notes, that's just trying to give us looking at it for ourselves, so you can start kind of formulating. All right. Now, we'll use different resources and we can see if we agree or disagree. All right, here we go first the meaning of their four. The word therefore in Romans one twenty four serves as a transition linking the preceding versus. Guess where this source takes it back to. It takes it back to verse eighteen. So y'all were very good and finding it being verse eighteen, I personally really think it really kicks in in verse twenty one, But I can see how it connects to the whole section.

20:09 All right, everybody got that. Everybody got that? All right, to the consequences described in this verse. It shows that what follows as a result of. The actions or conditions previously mentioned. So let's do this. The therefore serves as a transition between eighteen and twenty three. It shows the consequences described in these verses. So let's lay down the specific things and verses eighteen to twenty three that would lead to the there four and twenty four. What are the specific things? Let's list them. What's the first thing? In eighteen the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. So the first thing is we have the very You may want to write these down, and verse eighteen.

21:04 The first thing we have is God's wrath is being revealed. All right, well, how is it being revealed? Right? Twenty four may give us how is being revealed, but verse eighteen is just giving us what the fact of it's being revealed? Now, who is it being revealed against? Verse the rest of the verse begins to describe who? What does it say against all unguidliness and unrighteousness, A man who suppressed the truth and unrighteousness. So God's wrath is being revealed against what kind of people? Name it name on them? All lists all of their descriptors.

21:47 Yeah, we have ungodliness, unrighteousness, and men who do what suppress the truth and unrighteousness. So God is revealing his wrath against people who are ungodly, who are. Un righteous, who suppressed the truth. So far, so good? Right, Okay, Now he's doing this because what may be known of God is manifest in them. So, in other words, here's why God is revealing wrath against a specific group of people. And he's doing so because what can be known by God is visibly known. But they have done what they are without excuse. They're without excuse. Is that a good way of describing it? They're without excuse.

22:31 Right now, this gets the verse twenty one. So God is revealing wrath against a certain kind of people he and he's doing this because these people are without excuse, because God has revealed everything. But this what, Guess what even though God has revealed anything, this is really kicks. And why He's revealing his wrath because. They, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became frutile, futile, and their thought thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became full and change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, birds for footed animals, and creeping things. So now we can really outline it. The Therefore, there is the inevitable consequence of a God who is revealing his wrath against ungodly men who are without excuse, who even though they have no excuse, they took the information they had and they did what with it? Well, the verse says they do what They became futile in their thinking, and what did they do? They turned to idolatry. Yeah, that became idolaters. So God is upset with them.

23:40 Now that gives us. The the therefore that gives us the therefore right? Does everyone see that? All right? It shows that what follows as a result of the actions or conditions previously mentioned? Did we not just outline the actions and conditions? Yes, we just went through it? Did we not? All right? In the context of Romans one, Paul has been discussing the revelation of God's wrath against human ungodliness. Did I not just say. That all right and unrighteousness, particularly due to human humanity's suppression of truth and their idolatrous practices. Did we not just outline that? Yes? That therefore signals what comes next is a.

24:21 Direct consequence, an inevitable consequence of humanity's wilful rejection of God's truth. Here's humanity. God has revealed himself to humanity, and He's revealed them in such a way that they are what without excuse? And even though they're without excuse? What did they do with this revelation of God? Well, the passage lays it out. They turned from it. And they did what again, starting a verse twenty one, They knew God. They did not glorify him nor gave.

25:02 The thinking became futile or feudal. The foolish heart was dark, and continue on it continues downward. They thought they became prideful and arrogant, thinking they became wise or they were what they exchange glory for images, they turned to idolatry. They turned to idolatry. Right, does everybody see all of that? All? Right? So hits the therefore signals what comes next is a direct consequence of humanity's wil for rejection of God's truth. Now go to verse twenty four. Therefore, now there's the Therefore, this is the inevitable consequence.

25:45 So we've got all the things that lead to this inevitable consequence. We could go back and outline that fifteen different times. I've just covered it now like twice. Right, we've got it laid out perfectly. God is revealing his wrath against a certain kind of people. Because God has revealed himself to them, they are without excuse. But even though they were without. Excuse, they have basically become futile in their way of thinking, arrogant, prideful, rejecting God, rejecting his glory and becoming idolators. Everybody got done. Now, Therefore, so now what's the question. What is the inevitable consequence of this? Well, the first thing we looked at is the meaning of therefore? Have we not covered that? Yes?

26:26 Number two, what's the first thing? What's the first thing after the therefore? God gave them up? That's the next thing we're going to look at. The God gave them up? This phrase is repeated how many times in Romans? Look invert chapter one. I think you'll find most of them in chapter one. The first one shows up in verse twenty four. Now continue, does it show up at after twenty four? Shows up in twenty six? Does a show up after twenty six and twenty eight? Now, depending on your translation, we may have some translation issues. Okay, all right, so we have twenty four, God gave them up? What does it say in twenty six? Gave them up? What does it say twenty eight? Gave them over? Three times? And guess where all of them happened after the therefore? Remember the Greek word here dia? Is this inevitable consequence? Right? And it seems that one of the key.

27:46 Inevitable consequences that has repeated three times after the therefore is what. Gave them up? Thank you? Okay, God, I was getting nervous, gave them up. So we had to understand this phrase, gave them up? Are you ready for at least one interpretation of the gave them up? The phrase is repeated three times in Romans. Have we identified them all right? Yes, highlighting the severity and importance. Of the action. Right. So, in other words, if it's repeated three times, this is significant. Right now, they're therefore really is that? Therefore? Now this is a therefore that there's no question how important this therefore is right, and this therefore seems to be directly linked to he gave them up. It's repeated three times after the therefore, I cannot stress that enough.

28:39 Three times. Now we know what's leading up to it. God is upset. He's revealed his wrath. I guess a certain kind of people whom he revealed everything to. Yet they were without excuse, and what did. They do with all of that knowledge? They turned to idolatry all right, over. And over and over and over. And this is the entire story of what the Bible right, Jew and gentile. The Jews are even more guilty. And this says because God revealed even more to them, But they all turned to idolatry. Everybody got that. Now, let's do a little work here in this phrase, all right, it means, this is how one interprets it. God allowed people to follow their sinful desires and face their natural consequences of those choices. So it's basically what basically God did?

29:38 What? Oh, you reject me? You want idolatry here, you go, have your sinful desires, Go just have them. I'm not gonna do what interfere or restrain. That's pretty serious, is it not. It signifies a form of divine judgment, not by actively punishing, but withdrawing his restraining grace and allowing them to experience the full impact of their sinful choices. There is no He is removing restraining grace. Now this raises serious philological questions, right, I have all kinds of theological questions at this point, right, because if like wait, if God has restraining grace, then God then could restrain all sin.

30:35 All right, now you see where this could go. This can kind of go into a little bit of victim blaming, could it not? Well, the reason God does is not restraining you is because you are the person described in Romans one eighteen to twenty three. Well that, but in reality, eighteen to twenty three describes whom everybody? So then should we expect Okay, well, clearly the Jews, I think. I remember there's always a debate in Romans which section is he talking to the Jews? And which sections is he talking to the Gentiles? I remember there's always a debate about that, right. But clearly the Jews. I mean, if you want to talk about anybody that he revealed himself to, the Jews are far above anybody and everybody, I think. I think that's probably a good argument.

31:20 But in another way, all of us, right, but because no man is without excuse, and yet we've all become idolators, right, Remember everyone's an idolator. So if God is not restraining, that's that's difficult to process. Right, But in some ways this is that not kind of describe our world, kind of describes our world, right describes the church. I mean, we have horrible things that happen in churches, right, So all right, but so this give them up is a very important concept. Then remember this is a form of. Judgment, and he's not doing what He's not punishing, He's simply withdrawing restraining grace and allowing them to experience the full impact of their sinful choices.

32:07 I would say that. God pretty much allows us all to feel the impact of our sinful choices, does he not? I mean he does. I mean if you say, well, his restraining grace is for Christians, well, then that's a hard thing to understand, because Christians commit the same sins the world commits. Right, So that's why so many Christians do. What if you commit certain sins. Then they throw you out of the body of Christ, saying you're not a Christian, which is a problem. Right, So, okay, this is a serious passage. All right? So what comes next after the giving them up? Well? Just I mean it's right there in twenty four. He gave them up to uncleanliness and the lust of their hearts to dishonor the bodies among themselves. How does other translations have verse twenty four?

33:03 All right? Two? All right, it depends on how you read it. This The way they describe it is this way. So number one we have the meaning of Therefore, have we done a pretty good job with that? Yes, God gave them up? Does everybody see why that's significant? It's mentioned how many times, three times after the therefore? All right? What do we understand about? The God gave them up is a form of judgment in which he removes any restraining grace and he lets people enjoy their sinful desires and face the natural consequences of said desire. The third thing they want us to see after the therefore is this, and the lust of their hearts to impurity is how they translate it.

33:43 Right? Does that sound at least similar, somewhat similar? All right? Paul identifies the lust of their hearts as the driving force behind the impurity and moral corruption. Please, now, I want you to look at that really careful. He gave them up to the uncleanliness. Look at that phrase in the lust of their hearts? Do all the translations have something similar sinful desires? Why is that so critical? I don't know if this source is going to say it, but why is it so critical to us? What is the most important. Lesson we can take about that God is removing his restraining grace, And then what's going to be the driving force.

34:31 The lust of their hearts? And where do all of our problems begin? Internally? Christianity has been two thousand years fighting what X no, no Christianity. That's the problem with Christianity for two thousand years. We don't fight ourselves, We fight the external, blaming everything else. He can go. Look, I'll just go to modern times, nineteen fifties. What we're parents and preachers saying, Elvis Presley is destroying the young people in this country. He must be banned, he must be there must be a boycott. Elvis Presley is of the devil.

35:15 Well Cain killed Abel without Elvis Presley. Lots of daughters were getting their father drunk and having physical relations. Without Elvis Presley. There was rape, there was murder, there. Was incest, all before Elvis Presley ever came on the scene. But Christians have been idiots from the beginning, not understanding this basic concept. Now it makes perfect sense. If you're what a Pallagian or a semi Pallagian, because you believe man is not bound by their sinful nature, so therefore you should be arguing against the external. That's why I say Charles f because I've been talking about Charles Finney all week on the on the Charles Finny was a full Bloompleagian. Well, then guess what he kept arguing again argue against all kinds of social injustices. The college that he became famous for, he was very much involved in social causes.

36:15 He was an abolitionist. He wanted to get rid of slavery. His college was the first college to allow African American and women to enroll. What because he was going after the social things? And what happened? They were trying to fix this social thing and this social thing, and after they fixed one, they would move to the next one. Then what was the big. Focus on and that world prohibition getting rid of alcohol? You can get external external, external, external. We got to make the world better well because they did not see the problem being where internal? But what I used the joke every single time to the point that I know it by heart. The call is coming from where inside the house? The murderer is not outside the house. It's literally he's in your basement, is under the bed, it's inside of you.

37:05 They're not God gave them up. To what what's inside of them? This sinful nature? Now that kind of describes our entire world today, does it not? I know, Christians ay just doesn't describe us. It does describe us because if God was restraining us against our sinful nature. Then Christians could be what perfect, but we're not. So listen the lust of their hearts as the driving force behind the impurity and moral corruption that people engage in. The emphasis is internal nature of sin. It originates from within, from. The desires of the heart. Where does it originate? And where does all sin originate within?

37:50 Everyone should know where does all sin originate within? Trying to fight culture war. Is of no value because the culture war begins where inside. It's not you blaming other kids, it's your kids. It's not you blaming the people this person, it's you. The problem is me, The problem is you. It's internal, and the sin is internal before it ever becomes external. We've already committed the sin internally before we ever committed externally. But even the church focuses on what the external. So what happens we become Christians and what do we become masters of external? Really this in disguise. We put on.

38:45 Fig leaves, we put on robes of self righteousness, and then we walk around and go see Christianity has changed to me, I'm transformed, I'm not the same. And that's all Christianity ever talks about, is how we are so transformed. Well, we transform ourselves externally and what drives me crazy? And oh Christian Christians can just tick me off, right, okay, because so when you're a Christian and you're seventeen, right, that's a far different reality than being a Christian when you're married and you're thirty or forty.

39:27 Because now when you're thirty four, I used to do this and you're now forty and go to bed at nine o'clock at night. Don't act like you're so godly. You're just externally godly because now you've got a wife. Now, But what. Were you doing before you got married? How godly were you acting? Now? When sometimes you look back on that and those people now who talk all Christianity there must be a change. Well why was there no change when you were seventeen? Oh you got you got no words to say now, do you No? It changed when you got what married, had a couple of kids and settled down and you go to bed at eight o'clock at night?

40:14 Okay, eight thirty are you're really pushing it? You're living wild? Whatever people do. And then I can't stand that, right because then they put the pressure on, Hey, you seventeen year olds. You need to be acting godly or you're not really saved now you're the only thing that changed in you. Is the inevitable change that comes with what age, not with spirituality. And I can't stand when parents do that. Right, it's oh, you gotta Your kids are just as depraved as what as you are, but they're at. A stage where what's going on.

40:55 All those desires are much more heightened, and they do not have the ability to satisfy some of those desires in. A godly way. Well, it's all great when you can resolve some sinful those desires in a good way, and they can't when we look at them. Well, if you're really a Christian, just shut up, Okay, just stop it. I can't stand that. It's usually the adults who talk a big you know, when you're fifty, talking a big game about I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't listen to record roll because you're old. That's the only difference. Okay, Yeah, what were you doing when you were a Christian? Today?

41:35 Nobody wants to go back and admit that, and they'll try to state the change is because the lordship of Jesus. No it's called the lordship of you got old and married? Right? That drives me crazy. Okay, so much of our change sometimes has nothing to do with God. It's the and it happens to everyone. Nay. Look at how some people act when they're twenty and how they act when they're forty. Usually not, I'm always there's exceptions. Usually what changes everything because now you have a job, you have a career, you have a wife. Does sin still occur? Obviously it does, it's just what changes the nature of the sin changes. The nature of the sin changes. We just Christians are our masters of Well, I.

42:31 Don't commit that suit, I don't commit that's it. Well, congratulations to you. Wow, big deal. What's going on inside? Let's hook you up to a monitor. Wow, that looks like some pretty big trash going on inside of you. But you don't want to be hooked up to a monitor. So you dress yourself up, take your family to church, sit in the pew, and we're so godly and those other people are Antiinomian. And they don't believe in the lordship Jesus. Oh now you're so perfect. Drives me crazy, drives me crazy because well, what were you? Oh what change. I wonder what change?

43:12 The reality is God gives us up to the internal desires, and that's where the problem is. And there's there's an element of this that we have to say kind of applies to whom everybody? Now that Look, you know how many churches right now will lose their minds when they hear me say that, because most Christians don't believe this applies to us. They believe this only applies to whom. Well, inevitably, where does this passage almost lead everyone? This is only for the homosexuals. That's almost inevitably where this passage goes. Oh, coming, you know that homosexuality is just one manifestation. It's just one manifestation of what you could be in air. Again, prideful narcissists, that's still being driven by what your internal sinful desires. Why are we driven by our internal sinful desires?

44:07 Because God has given us up. To our desires? And is that not the inevitable reality of life? Yes? Does that not describe all of us? Impurity here refers to sexual and morality in general, moral corruption, which leads to the dishonoring of their bodies. The phrase suggests that sexual sin is a key manifestation of the deeper spiritual problem of idolatry and rebellion against God. Sexual sin is a manifestation. Why is sexual sin a manifestation of it? Because it can be seen, right, It's what sexual sin is. Typically it can be in the mind, but it almost always ends up where external it can be seen. But it's just one manifestation.

45:04 So let's go back. We're not gonna we're not gonna get very far. But that's okay if we can finish this one up. All right, all right, we're not even gonna come close here, But are you ready? So therefore, now that therefore goes back to all of those things we've already discussed, right, so we know what the therefore is for what is the inevitable consequence of all the stuff that come before God gave them up to uncleanliness and the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves. Basically, He has given us up to our internal desires, and that internal desire is manifested in sexual sin. And it is there, and trust me, it is there, and that sexual sin is manifest where in the church outside the church.

45:52 Now, why is it? Why do I want to emphasize that it's manifest in the church and outside the church. Why do I want to when I want to demonstrate that. Look, I've watched it too many times. Okay. Now, every church that I have been in, other than maybe this one, and every church I've been in, professing Christian teen girl has become pregnant. Now you got two options to do. What say she wasn't saved, which is totally jacked up right, or to just say she was the visible manifestation. But guess what, she wasn't the only one engaged in said activity. Remember first Baptist church.

46:41 My best friend at the time, he couldn't go to church camp that year, so he stayed here. I wouldn't go to church camp because I was against church camp and I believed it was you know, brainwashing, isolate and doctrinate, manipulate, So I wouldn't go. He couldn't go, so we did whatever. We went that summer. His girl friend came back from church camp. Just what she found out about two months later or a month later, I could that wasn't long after she was pregnant. And guess where it occurred church camp. Now everybody is shot the scandal there's no scandal. She's simply a sinner like everyone else. She just happened to be the visible manifestation of what was going on, probably in all kinds of other different way.

47:35 In fact, I knew it. That's one of the biggest issues that I'll never forget. Like I was in a biology class or science class at jim Nad. There was a new kid who comes to school. He was an atheist. Right, We had a substitute teacher. She lost complete control of the class that day. Right, So he comes in and the Christian girls were all. Like, you're going all crazy on him because he's an atheist, and how there you can be an atheist? There is a god, Jesus is Jesus. And I was a new Christian at the time, and I was just kind of letting the whole. Situation play out. And finally I'm like, why are you going so hard after him? You girls have slept with everyone in this school.

48:20 You're acting all godly. Everyone knows how how how you act? I mean, come on, right now. I probably shouldn't have said it that way, but I was just med that they were going after this guy, like condemning him to the eighteenth level of hell. Like if you want to have a discussion about atheism and theism or atheism and Christianity, we get out. But you're just like, you're gonna go the hell, You're gonna burn. You're a sinner, And I'm like, and guess what, all of you are okay, sinners? So the issue isn't his sin. The issue would be. God salvation like like, and my understanding of it was all still a little confused too, because I hadn't been saved that long. So but I mean, that's the inevitable part is what sin you find any youth group, what do you find you find struggling with sins?

49:07 Guess what? And those kids typically live what their. Lives in shame, humiliation, embarrassment, can't talk to anyone, can't tell anyone a fear of gonna burn in hell for the rest of their eternal soul. Like that, that is a lot of hardship for a Christian teen that sometimes we don't think about, especially those of us who've got saved. Well, I got saved as a teenager, but if you got saved after that, it's hard for you to understand, right. But if you're braised in that your whole life is about what do good? Do good? Do good? Do good? Do good? Or and don't go to hell, don't go to hell, don't go to hell, don't go to hell. Well, what's inside of you? A saidful desire? What does Christians tell those kids? Well, if you're a Christian, you won't have those desires, you'd be perfect.

50:09 Well they backtracked, they say it, and then they kind of backtrack, right the problem God gave us? And I'm gonna make an argument, and I know, I know this goes against whatever look you can and I'm a man. The emails are going to be horrible on this, But I just think that this ultimately applies to all of mankind, Christian or non Christian. God God has given us all up to our sinful desires. And guess what it's the Do we not see it? In reality? Does this not explain that your Christian experience more than anything else? Why do I still sin? Because God inevitably has given mankind up over to their sinful desire? What is different for the Christian?

50:51 Now? I acknowledge a change of mind that those desires. Are sinful and that my actions are wrong, and my only hope is the finished work of Christ. That's what changes. The other thing that should change. Is I desire to do what is right, but I tend to do what is wrong. That's Roman seven, that's Paul. The things I want to do I don't. The things I don't want to do I do. Is that not the Christian life? Why? Because God has removed any restraining thing? And I think this describes the entire story of the Bible. Does that not sound like Israel?

51:43 Bobby pointed it out first, Does that not sound like Israel? That God revealed themselves to them? Right? What did they do? They rejected God, became idolators, and God then gave them a it's this is and you could it could actually. You know whether you could actually take this story? Does it not sound like Adam and Eve? Right? Adam and Eve would be the only place where And then guess what they knew God? Did they not know God? And then in the since they didn't decided not to retain God and gave them and they decided to pursue what their own self, their own desire. And then from that point for it, what is everyone born with a sinful nature? And guess what is God? Does God restrain that sinful nature. Now you say, may he may hold it back to some level, but I just know this, whatever you say, God is restraining.

52:38 It's very hard to quantify or qualify it. Just we know this. We our sin doesn't manifest the same in every person, but we all are absolutely living in sin. Okay, now, man, this is oh the controversy this is going to create. Do you know it? You realize nobody would agree with what we've just said. Do you realize this? You do realize this? Right, there's not a church an Abilene that would agree with what we just said. I doubt there's anyone listening to me who when I post this today, who's going to agree. Everyone's gonna disagree with me. I know I'm putting forth a crazy perspective, but to me, I'm not putting forth. I'm reading this, and you know what it sounds like my life. I know you don't want me to.

53:28 Say this, it describes your life. Now, I don't really know what to do because I've got like one, two, three, four, I got, i got four lessons, i got the significance of Romans one twenty four. I got a lot, and there's no way I can finish all of it. But we will stop right there. We have put forth. We have come up with a hypothesis. I'm gonna call it a hypothesis, all right. I'm gonna call it a hypothesis because the reason I do that is because we all know that whatever certainty we have today we know could be wrong. But I'm gonna put forth the argument that starting in Romans one eighteen, God clearly describes that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. What can I know what is true of all men? We're all sinners, right Am I still am I still ungodly and is still unrighteous as a Christian? Yes, because ungodliness or unrighteousness is anything any lack of conformity to the holiness of God.

54:38 Am I perfectly conformed to the image of God. No, So therefore I'm ungodly and I'm unrighteous. This describes all of us, right who suppress the truth and unrighteousness, because that when maybe known of God has manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. Now this really describes all people. Now, this is the one thing that would make a Christian different, the only thing that would make a Christian different is try not to repress that knowledge of God. And we acknowledge there is a God, and there is sin that does make us different. But the end result here of what all of us have done, and I think this goes back to Adam and Eve. They've done what. They perceived themselves a certain way, and they found themselves sinning.

55:20 And then what happened after that? Well, idolatry has ruled and reigned since Adam and Eve. Can we agree with that? All? Right? Then God gave them up to uncleanliness. This is all of us and the lust of our hearts. What has He given us up to to be driven by what our internal nature to dishonor our bodies among themselves? We exchange the truth of God for the lie? And does that not literally sound like Adam and Eve who exchanged the truth of God for the lie? Didn't Satan lie to her? Does that not literally sound like Genesis three?

56:00 And served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed in forever are men? She turned to the tree, She turned to the material instead of God. And this is the inevitable result of what has happened. Now, the next. Part of this, because this is where everybody gets here, we change the glory of God, all right, Hang on. Verse twenty six. For this reason, gave them up to vile passions, for even their women, for even their women exchange the natural use. But no, he gave them up to vile passions. Vile passions is I think, one concept and is one of those vile passions. Then he gives a specific example.

56:43 But vile passions include more than what homosexuality. Homosexuality is just one manifestation of it. Why is it that in a church? If you know, I'll just throw out names. I'll say Tom and Susie. Right, they're engaged in fornication. But then two boys are. Engaged in everyone will make the focus on the two boys and not these two. But both are what vile passions? And which way they're taking that physical intimacy which. God obviously is placed in the heart of everyone.

57:25 It's a biological need, right, physical intimacy, and both are fulfilling it in a way that is beyond God's allowed means. And why are they doing that? Because they are being driven by their desire and not their understanding of God. Because in some ways we all if you think about it. Even as Christians, we do repress the knowledge of God? We do do we not? Do we know God exists? Do we know God demands perfection and holiness? Do we know that God tells us to love our enemy, turn the other? We know? Well? What do we have a tendency to do? We see it even in our families, right, we know how if I'm supposed to be.

58:10 Loving, compassionate, forgiving, long suffering all of the gentle God, and how do we will respond to even people in our own home? Mean cruel? Talk, back, angry, blow up, yell. This happens in Christian families. Sometimes it happens as you see the family pulling up into the parking lot. Okay, right, you see the yelling and fighting going on in the car, and then they come out walking in. Going praase God doing great, Everything's wonderful. And you can tell them the look of the whole family that, oh man, that was a bad drive to church, because I've been there.

58:54 Plenty of times. Okay, I guess see, I've never experienced that. Husbands and wife you can be like ooh, one is sinning in the back, one sitting in front, because because they're so furious at each other, right, because that's the reality of. Who we are. And in a roundabout way, what are we doing at that moment. We're repressing the knowledge of God and what is driving our attitudes and actions at that moment. Our nature. It happens everywhere. Now does it always? Does it show up for everyone into homosexuality? It doesn't. Is homosexuality a sin? Yes? So is fornication. So is a man looking at a woman with lust. That's adultery.

59:38 So is physical adultery, emotional adultery. Are we excusing. Any of them? No. Acknowledging the reality is not excusing it. It's trying to make sure we approach it in a way that is much more than this ridiculous idea that well, basically you. Don't sin anymore. I'm gonna argue you. This describes everyone from from the moment the fall occurred. This is our nature. And I and and what do I always ask? Could I always say God could just take away our sinful nature? This would be the theological answer. Why isn't God getting rid of your sinful nature? He's given us up to it. Nobody wants that answer, but as a Christian, as a Christian he has saved me from my sinful nature. Positionally, he will get rid of my sinful nature.

1:00:43 And eternity. But in the meantime, I'm still driven by that sinful nature, and I still repress the knowledge of God, even though I don't want to. Now, as a Christian we do it. The main thing. The best we can do is what acknowledge? Then, the nature is sinful, Acknowledge the desires that come from it, condemn said desires, and we should try to pursue godliness and sin. We should, I mean, there's no way to deny that. But just no, no matter how much we pursue, we're always going to be what. Never there, never there, never there. It's like I can't remember the person's name in Greek mythology who is doomed to push the rock up the hill, and every time we would get close to the top.

1:01:26 It would roll back. And what's the well, I can't remember the person's name in Greek mythology, but it is Greek mythology, I believe. But he's doomed, he's cursed, and maybe I don't know. I want to say, but I don't want to end up looking foolish. Someone will email me if I get it wrong, so I just won't say it. But yeah, that's us Christianity. As we try to push the rock to the top of the hill and what boom, rose right back down, rose right back down. That's the inevitability of because what is inevitable sin? Why is it inevitable? Sinful nature? Sin is inevitable and we can't get to perfection? Then what does that mean? That means then God has not doing what He's not restraining the sinful nature. And if he is restraining it, I don't know how to even qualify it or quantify it because I'm sinning all.

1:02:14 The time, sisyphis, okay, right, all right, eh, So I don't believe God is restraining it. Yeah, oh, if he's. Restraining it, it's hard to even like even for the ones he's restraining it, they still sin. So even any restraining doesn't get you to perfection. So I think this describes us all. I think this would this and I think in a roundabout way it makes sense. To what Romans is all about. We are all what in the same boat. What is our hope? A salvation that. Does not come from works? Hmmm? Why could they not come from works? Because we have been given up to a sinful nature.

1:02:57 Right that took on a wild to turn but that, and just make sure you know the source I'm referencing. Not agree with what I'm saying, Okay. But I think that they inevitably led us to that conclusion because even they acknowledge being given up to this sinful nature. That describes that to me describes all of us in the church and outside the church. All right, let's pray, Lord God, we come before you. Thank you for. Giving us a place where we can throw out these concepts and ideas. Lord, I know so many will reject this, and there will be so much arguing and debating. I pray that they. Will understand we've put forth a philological hypotheses.

1:03:38 We will continue to challenge it as well. But Lord, I think this gives us a greater understanding of where we actually stand. Lord. We may never understand why you gave people up, but Lord, I think it really helps us understand the reality we find ourselves. And it makes us absolutely humbled. That our only hope, hope is in the imputed righteousness of your son, because there's no hope anyway, el else. And we just thank you for your son and that imputed righteousness. And we ask us all in the precious name of Jesus and God's people, said M.