Banff National Park, up there in the province of Alberta, is one of my favorite places. In driving from Post Falls, to Calgary, the southern route through the Crowsnest Pass, is a little shorter, but I prefer the road that passes north through Banff. Not only are the mountains and rivers spectacular, but so are the animals. In the nearly 70 years that I have been driving through there and visiting there, I’ve seen moose, elk, wolves and coyotes, and even deer that let you pet them. I’ve seen multitudes of bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and eagles. I’ve seen grizzly and black bears, and even watched my dad join other men to chase one away from camp. Banff is simply a wonderful place, and I am jealous that the Kjeldgaards get to go there later this year.
The abundance of Banff’s apparently friendly, wild animals can be a bit misleading and dangerous Years ago my dad stopped, joining a number of other cars across the road from a couple of bears. Then a man drove up right next to those bears rolled down his window. As he leaned over to pick up some food to hand to the closest animal to him – Something which is illegal and can land a person in jail, if not in the mortuary – As this man this man took his eyes off the bears and reached for some bread or food, one of those bears almost came right through the passenger’s window into the car. All those animals I just mentioned may be cute and apparently friendly, but everyone of them are wild. There are many people who are hurt by them each year – even by the deer, sheep and ground hogs. And anyone with just a little common sense should know that bears are bears and therefore dangerous. In the case of that man I described he would have been “without excuse” if he had bee mauled.
“Without excuse” is a phrase which Paul uses here in our scripture. After saying, “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven (against) men who hold the truth in unrighteous” he adds, “they are without excuse,” because they have rejected “that which may be known of God.” So many people have the truth in front of them, but “they hold that truth in unrighteousness.” The word Paul used was not “they have the truth in their hands,” but rather, “they hold DOWN the truth.” They suppress the truth. Bears, whether in Banff National Park, Glacier National Park or along I-90 somewhere in Montana, have been known to mug and maul people in their effort to steal people food. To try to pet a bear requires the suppression of the truth – that which is known of bears.
And that is what Paul is saying about many peoples’ knowledge about God – and about sin against God. Not only does common sense tell us that sin is deadly, but God has been declaring that danger since before the first sin was ever committed. “Adam, in the day that thou sinnest against me, thou shalt surely die.” Yet, since time immemorial sinners been pleading ignorance – not only about God, but about sin. Furthermore even after they have been given 2nd degree burns by those sins, they still make their denials. Parents who sip beer and wine now and then are shocked when their kids are sent home from school – high. The guy with AIDs sobs into his beer, that he didn’t think that it could happen to him. And the father with a broken heart says that he didn’t know that the gun was loaded.
But “I didn’t know” will be no consolation at the Great White Throne, where the Lord Jesus will sit in judgment. That is the great theme of this chapter in Romans. Paul tells us: “I didn’t know” is actually a slight prevarication, and it is certainly no excuse. The Bible says that sinners instinctively know a great many things about God, and they know the basic results in disregarding that knowledge. But this is one of those truths which ungodly and unrighteous men have been holding down, stifling, suppressing and imprisoning from the time of the first sin – “The woman you gave me, she is the cause.” Come on Adam, man up. You are without excuse.
This morning, let’s use the natural divisions of the last verse of this chapter to analyze the whole section.
The average sinner knows the judgment of God, but it is a TRUTH DENIED.
God’s Word tells us that people can know about the judgment of God, and then again not really know it. Just as they instinctively know that God exists, they don’t really know much about Him. I can’t tell you the number of people who have tried to quiet my effort at evangelism by telling me that they wouldn’t mind going to Hell. They say that all of their friends will be there. And to their warped minds, they think that Hell will be the place where all the fun is. They acknowledge that they should be sent there because they are not saints, yet that is what they want. Many people smilingly admit to being sinners, but they don’t really know what they are saying. And people vaguely acknowledge that there is punishment for sin, but somehow the impact of that fact misses them entirely.
But even then, there is a lack of peacefulness about it. Man has a conscience whether he likes the idea or not. And it seems that, like Truth itself, people have to work very hard to keep that conscience at bay. As a result, even religious people have a morbid fear of death. If life ends at a dead-end grave, or life always opens into the white-lights of Heaven, then someone needs to explain to me why there is such a dread of death angel. Why did the nurse of dying Voltaire declare: “For all the wealth of Europe, I will never stay in the room of another dying infidel.” Why was atheist Voltaire in such terror when the time came for him to leave this world? Because all men, instinctively know there is a God, and they fear His judgment. “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.”
This can be seen in the judgment of world in the days of Noah. It can be seen in the multiplied millions of blood sacrifices through the centuries and around the world. It can be seen in the death of Ananias, and Achan, and Korah, and Herod, who was eaten up by worms. And it is hinted at in constant barrage of news-casts. It is seen in Gaza today; in attempted murders of political candidates. Just at the turn of the last century, the small, but wretched, mining town of Frank, Alberta, on the southern route to Calgary, was buried by a landslide. In nature we can quickly see hints – small hints – of the judgment of God. Furthermore, humanity has instinctively reflected the justice of God by creating bundles of laws that often parallel the laws of God.
The sinner knows of the existence of God and of the judgment of God, although seldom does he understand that judgment’s extent and degree. Hell is one of the most misunderstood doctrines in the Bible. But it is a wilfully misunderstood doctrine – a truth “held in unrighteousness.” People are taught that punishment means nothing more than a slap on the wrist and bed without supper. Few picture the Lake of Fire and eternal torment in unquenchable flames and pain. Few care to acknowledge the clear statements of the Word of God. Yet there it is, in all of its horrific detail. “Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” It is eternal torment, where one drop of water might cool a tongue.
The average sinner also knows dead down in his heart that SINNERS are WORTHY of that DEATH.
In this case, too, he doesn’t understand the significance of “death” – another of the truths of God which man likes to imprison and keep from the light of day. For example, why is mankind so opposed to the death penalty? The most recent federal execution in the United States was on January 16, 2021, when Dustin Higgs was executed by lethal injection for aggravated murder. It was carried out amidst extreme protest. And six months later a moratorium was put into place. There have been no executions in three years. I understand the emotional arguments against capital punishment. It is said to be “barbaric,” “sick,” and “sinister” – “a cruel violation of human rights.” Those emotionalists ignore the fact that Dustin Higgs gave no thought for the human rights of his victim. I also understand some of the more tangible arguments, such as the high cost of an execution.
Nevertheless, the Bible demands execution for the punishment of certain sins. God practices capital punishment and He expects us to practice it as well. The Lord commands us to carry and defend His holiness. “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man.” That is not the law of Moses, but the law of God given a thousand years before Moses. Capital punishment was instituted to remind man of the ultimate death penalty – the eternal death penalty. “The wages of sin is death” – “the soul that sinneth it shall die,” speaking of death beyond the physical. Man was created in the image of God, but this is one of those truths that man wants to incarcerate. I think that society’s hatred of the death penalty is due in part to the fact that he knows it is just. Hatred of the death penalty is simply another form of rebellion against God. It is a suppression of the obvious fact that death is everywhere, from grass, to trees, to pets and to people. It is part of the will of God. But people have “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”
Digressing just a bit, what does the average God-suppresser prefer to WORSHIP? Usually the man who denies the obvious necessity of a Creator, ends up worshiping the creation itself. Evolution is now the most pervasive religion in the world. Denying the God of the Bible, the truth-suppresser often worships himself. And then in many cultures, along with volcanos, and other dangerous natural phenomena, there are dozens of some of the most dangerous animal creatures. Easter notwithstanding, humans don’t usually worship bunnies, deer, canaries and doves. Jehovah rejecters prefer to worship crocodiles, cobras, scorpions and other predators. To many people, these false gods need to be placated and pacified. Even our choice of fallen god’s points to the reality of the true God and the punishment for sin.
So deep in our hearts, we all know that we are sinners. And what is more, we fear death, intuitively knowing that it is the result of sin. James 1:15 – “Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death.” Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold all souls are mine, so as the soul of the Father, so also the soul of the son, the soul that sinneth it shall die.” Obviously, physical death is not the end of death, but this, too, is a buried truth.
But the average man, knowing these things, CONTINUES to DENY the LORD and SIN anyway.
How much proof is there of the dangers of narcotics? Even the legal ones? Overwhelming! But does that proof stop its use abuse? And what are the statistics on drinking drivers? So why doesn’t the truth curtail alcohol? What are the dangers of base-jumping off tall urban buildings? Plenty. But, like sailing over Niagra in a barrel, every once in a while some fool will try it.
What is the likelihood that someone can slip through the cracks and escape the judgment of God? None. Nothing, not even cryogenics, provides an escape from death. “It is appointed unto men once to die, and (guaranteed) after this (comes) the judgment” – Hebrews 9:27. As I was typing that verse I created one of my many typos. Before I caught it I had typed, “It is appointed unto ME once to die, and after this the judgment.” What is the likelihood that you and I will not die? Zero. Nevertheless, man has a lust for the dangerous – look at the foolish things we do. But only a fool gambles against a sure thing. And that word – “fool” – is exactly what the Bible calls a person who denies God.
Hundreds of people living in our valley believe the Bible in part, but they still want to test its accuracy. Certainly, it is good to prove the promises of God, when we know that to do so will mean His blessing. For example, God has promised to supply our needs. Go ahead the put Him to the test. But, thank you very much, there are some promises I have no desire to test. The fact that God hates sin and promises to pay its wages is already well established. When the earth opened up and swallow rebellious Korah – we should believe it could happen to us. When the face of the high priest turned leprously white – we should take note. When before the glare of the Apostles, a man and his wife fell dead – we should beware of lying to God. For us to attempt the same sins and expect different results is utter foolishness. Water plus heat raised to the correct temperature makes steam. Likewise, sin exposed to the righteousness of God produces divine wrath, and Jehovah has His hand on the dial ready to turn up the flame. Death and judgment are natural laws never to be broken – laws of spiritual physics.
So even though most sinners say that they know little about God, they DO know the results of sin. Not only is the Bible explicit, but life is explicit as well. Look at Adam in the garden, and the results of his sin. Look at David and Bathsheba. Study Peter and his denial of Christ. These are not fairy tales; they are not the fables of Aesop. Sinner beware: “be sure your sin will find you out.”
But the average sinner goes one step farther than simply to sin against God.
The average sinner ENJOYS OTHERS who SIN as he does.
“Birds of a feather flock together.” Why does the true saint of God love the services of his church? Why does his heart ache when he’s unable to attend? It is because where his treasure is, there his heart is also. And why are people at the tavern so different from one another and yet so similar? They may have a dozen different backgrounds and two dozen different problems. But they are united in their rebellion against the Lord. We can learn a lot about ourselves by watching the people with whom we fellowship.
A sinner is a person who wants to be with other sinners. This explains the popularity of the theory of evolution, despite all the evidence against it. There is a strength in numbers, and often there is pleasure in those numbers, too. It is almost impossible, for an immoral person to be immoral alone. Seldom do you see a drunk person by himself, unless it is pure addiction. A thief is eventually compelled by his own wicked heart to bray like a donkey about his crime. But it’s almost always to his own kind – other thieves. Sinners delight in their own breed. “Woe unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
The tragedy is – those who willfully deny the truth about God shall be granted their request for all eternity. They will spend eternity without God or any of even His smallest blessings. It is most upsetting to hear someone say that they want to bo to Hell. How pitiable; how foolish, how stupid. There will be no joy or happiness in hell; there will be no enjoyment with wicked friends. The suppressed truth describes Hell as utter darkness, with only the ear-piercing screams of the sinner’s former acquaintances.
Everyone of us are pictured in these verses to some degree and at some period in our lives. All mankind is running from God and the knowledge of God. Yet still – the gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” Praise the Lord that He is pursuing some of those sinners with the solution to their sins. Have you ever slowed down enough for God to catch you, convict you and convert you into a believer? Has there ever been a day when you were made alive – made to be a new creature in Christ? The Bible tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” from the penalty of your sins. Please, please, believe that promise and put your faith on Christ Jesus and His death on the cross.