Consequences of Unbelief

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:18-25

Apostle Paul wrote these words in his letter to the church in Rome.

These words are words of warning about the consequences of unbelief, or because of their lack of believing the Word, and in one in particular, the danger of knowing God but failing to honor Him as God.

The world we live in today is  very much the same as was in the time when Paul wrote this letter.

Our world today is filled with all kinds of distractions and ideologies that are contrary to the written and revealed Word of God.

Some of these distractions and ideologies seem – on the surface – to  be legitimate and even valuable as we work to guide our lives and to maneuver through our daily lives.

So, with these distractions and ideologies filling our minds with misinformation, it is crucial that we understand the importance of honoring God in our lives.

In the words Paul has written to the church in Rome --- and to us today --- we can see in this part of his message to the church of Jesus Christ – that there are three (3) truths that highlight the consequences of unbelief.

 These consequences include:

• Opposition                   

• Blood                  

• Hardship

Now, neither of those three (3) elements of is very appealing to us as we are trying to – or continuing to seek our Savior, and to learn how to walk in His way.

First, let’s look at OPPOSITION.

Opposition will come to us in various forms and from a variety of persons.

As we grow in our Christian lives, we will come up against people who live by standards that are opposite of those God requires of us.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit Paul encourages us to be careful to not fall into a state of weariness, losing heart – to not think more highly of ourselves – leading us to find that we think we are above everyone else.

There is: THE REVELATION OF GOD – Romans 1:18-20

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

God has made Himself known through His Creation of the earth - Vs. 20

Paul states here that God’s wrath is being revealed against all ungodliness and wickedness of people who do suppress the truth.

To suppress the truth means to “keep a truth from public knowledge.”

To suppress the truth also means : to fail to share our knowledge about who Jesus is, and what He came to earth to accomplish.

We can see the beauty and the complexity of the universe – and that must point to a Creator rather than an explosive unexplainable event.

So, the first consequence of unbelief is a failure to recognize and honor God as the Creator of the Universe, and all that is in it.

Second, there is: THE EXCHANGE OF TRUTH FOR LIES 

Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.  Romans 1:22-23

Paul explains that although people knew God, they neither glorified Him nor gave thanks to Him.

Instead, they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped created things rather than the Creator.

What that line of lies does is that it puts God and His Son Jesus on the same level as unsaved people.

This lie is convenient when a person does not want to conform to the life lived for Christ – but he wants to just live on the edge – “I am good enough to be called a Christian, but I still want to hold on to the life I choose, rather that obeying a list of rules.”

This leads to a distorted understanding of what is real about God. 

When we fail to honor God, we are open to the possibility of being deceived.

The Prophet Jeremiah (17:9)  referred to that condition in his prophecy: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”

So, the danger there is that a distorted understanding of who God is can lead us to placing our trust in anything or anyone rather than placing our trust in God alone.

Thirdly, there is THE RESULTING CONSEQUENCE –

Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” Romans 1:24-25

Here, Paul is outlining the dreadful consequences that result from practicing unbelief.

When we refuse to honor God, we invite all manner of moral decay into our lives.

These are not just spiritual actions, but they infiltrate our actions and our relationships – with one another – and especially our relationship with God.

Paul tells us in Galatians 6:7 that “a man reaps what he sows.”

The third consequence of unbelief is that we live a life marked by sin and separation from God.

So, what can we learn from Paul’s message to us through his message to the church in Rome - and to the church in Princeton Indiana?

Here is the message Paul intends for the church to know and understand:

1.   Knowing about God is not enough.

2.   We must honor Him- Jesus - as God.

3.   The consequences of unbelief are severe.

4.   We face moral decay when we fail to recognize Him as our Creator.

5.   When we honor God in our lives, we will experience His presence and His blessings.