Romans 1:16-32

The question is often posed, “Why is there so much evil in the world?” It is true every generation believes their generation is the worst ever. Tonight’s Scripture will help us with that answer. It tells us two things. Why is there so much evil? Who is responsible for it?

There are two things that need to be affirmed at the outset:

• The Good News of the Gospel is for everyone to hear
• The wrath of God falls on the unrepentant

God’s wrath – God is repulsed by that which is contrary to His holiness. God hates sin, while at the same time He loves sinners.

Because the revelation of God has been made of himself to every person, we must make a choice of what we will do with the knowledge.

• The choice of belief
  • Those who live by faith shall live
  • By implication, those who do not live by faith shall not live
    • They shall perish (John 3:16)
• The choice of behavior
  • The wrong choice brings God’s wrath
    • The choices that are contrary to God’s holiness bring wrath
  • The manifestation of God’s wrath
    • Punishment for sin is often delayed (Romans 2:5)
    • Moral evil brings misery
    • Our consciences are affected
  • The explanation of God’s wrath
    • Man’s suppressese the truth about God
    • God has revealed Himself to all
      • Externally
        • Through Creation
      • Internally
        • The witness within
        • The witness from within gets suppressed

Men reject God because they don’t like Him. They don’t like Him because of His authority. R.C. Sproul

• The way man responds to God’s wrath
  • Wrath is not worthy of God
    • It is contrary to His character; therefore we abandon the idea of wrath
  • We don’t deserve His wrath
• The results of the suppression of the truth
  • Man fails to honor God
  • Ultimately, God gives them over to their lusts
• There is no excuse
  • What about the person who has never heard?
    • He is not responsible for what he doesn’t know, but for what he does know
  • The Bible is full of contradictions
    • Science and technology affirm the Scriptures rather than expose error
  • Why all this evil?
    • If not for God’s mercy, we would have even greater evil

In spite of evil that pervades our society, God’s mercy is still available and working.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:10-12

The light of the Gospel is still shining, and it is illuminating the lives of many as they place their trust in Him.