No Excuses!

Romans 1:18 – 21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be made known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

God's wrath is revealed against man that is rejected him. Every man is accountable because God has revealed himself to them. God reveals his attributes through creation and through these created things takes away all our excuses for not submitting.

“Paul’s point here is that, even apart from His written revelation, that which is known about God is evident within even pagan Gentiles, for God made it evident to them. The Lord testifies through Paul that His outward, visible manifestation of Himself is universally known by man. It is evident within them as well as without them. All men have evidence of God, and what their physical senses can perceive of Him their inner senses can understand to some extent. The Philistines both saw and acknowledged God’s power, as did the Canaanites, the Egyptians, and every other people who have lived on earth. The rebels who built the tower of Babel both saw and acknowledged God’s greatness, as did the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. All men know something and understand something of the reality and the truth of God. They are responsible for a proper response to that revelation. Any wrong response is “inexcusable.”

Unregenerate man has “no help and [is] without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12), not because he has no knowledge of God but because he naturally rebels against the knowledge of God that he has. As Paul has already attested (Rom. 1:18), sinful mankind naturally suppresses God’s truth with his own unrighteousness.”^[1]

No one can claim that they were ignorant of God.  Everyone is accountable to God to respond to His revelation.

David affirmed in Psalm 19 that God reveals Himself in nature.  Psalm 19:1–3 (NKJV)  ¹The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. ²Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. ³There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.

God’s revelation makes all of us accountable to Him such that when the day of judgment comes we will indeed be without excuse and though we will bow the knee and confess Christ as Lord then (Phil 2:10-11) for many it will be too late.  They will be subject to the wrath of God as it is released.

 May you come to know the God of Creation!

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^[1] John MacArthur, Romans (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 77.

Enter Into HIs Gates With Thanksgiving!

Psalm 100:4 (NKJV) ⁴Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving.”  The term “enter” here is to go in by a direct line.  The challenge was to enter the temple or tabernacle directly with thanksgiving, with a direct confession of thankfulness.  This individual would be speaking words of personal praise.

The courts were the outer area of the temple or tabernacle where there would be public assembly for worship.  The Israelites were being commanded here to be bringing praise.  They were to be speaking positive words of excellence about their God, words that would cause others to wonder.  As men would express these praises extoling the Heavenly Father by making public confession of His attributes and acts of power they would be expressing their thankfulness.

When they blessed God they extoled Him for His greatness and goodness; this was part of the command.

Please notice, these worshipers only had access to the courtyard it was the priest who would get to go directly through the veil into the Holy of Holies.

Today those of us who have repented of our sin trusting in the blood of Christ to cleanse us of our sin have access directly to the Father because Jesus has now given us direct access to the Mercy Seat where the blood of atonement was applied.  That offering that represented the covering of our sins.

Hebrews 10:10–22 (NKJV) ¹⁰By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹²But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. ¹⁴For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. ¹⁵But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ¹⁶“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” ¹⁷then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” ¹⁸Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. ¹⁹Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

²⁰by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹and having a High Priest over the house of God,

²²let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

I trust you will understand the privilege we have because of Jesus Christ and “boldly” enter with thanksgiving. (Heb. 4:16)

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/churchoflittleton  FW # 41

Serve the LORD With Gladness

Our love for and our thanksgiving toward God is revealed in the way in which we serve.  Psalm 100:2 says, “Serve the LORD with gladness”.

A look at the meaning behind the word “serve” reveals that it is very similar to the term in the New Testament translated “bondservant”.  It means to be a slave of the LORD or to be indentured.  According to Swanson, “A servant would give considerable energy and intensity to give aid to another, often in a social arrangement of having lower status than free.“^[1]  So when our service is to the LORD we are placing ourselves below Him submitting to serve in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Baker in the Complete Word Study Dictionary put it this way “When the focus of the labor is the Lord, it is a religious service to worship Him. Moreover, in these cases, the word does not have connotations of toilsome labor but instead of a joyful experience of liberation.”^[2]

So our committed service to the LORD, no matter what it is, is a worship service.  How often does the mother serving her family washing the clothes or dishes remember this?  How about the janitor as he serves by cleaning toilets or mopping floors?

Not only must we remember who we are serving, but we are to serve with gladness that is joy, delight with a feeling or attitude of joyful happiness and cheerfulness!  Baker stated, “It refers to the reality, the experience and manifestation of joy and gladness. It refers to a celebration of something with joyful and cheerful activities.”^[3]  Our service when directed toward God can indeed bring us joy and gladness and put us in a good disposition. 

When we are fulfilling service to God in this manner as we strive to please Him in the things we do reveals our love for Him.  1 John 5:2–3 (NKJV) ²By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. ³For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

We are called to serve out of our love and when it is done out of our love for God it brings joy not a burden.  Paul said the same thing about our giving in I Cor. 9:7, “give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity”.   Our service of love should be the same way not grudgingly as a teenager may pull the trash to the street, but with gladness because we have been given the privilege of serving Him.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/churchoflittleton  FW #39

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^[1] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament), electronic ed. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

^[2] Ibid,  794-95.

^[3] Warren Baker, The Complete Word Study Dictionary : Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 1161.