No Excuse: God Revealed Through Creation

Romans 1:19-20 NLT

¹⁹ They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Message

I. No Excuse of ‘Not Knowing God’ Accepted

Some could say they didn’t know God existed. But v19^a declares they know the truth about God. God has made it obvious to them (19^b). They have no excuse for not knowing God (20^b). v20^a explains the reason. They can know God through His creation! His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – are clearly seen through everything God made.

The first book of the Holy Bible, Genesis, does not begin by explaining the existence of God, but by declaring His creation. See Genesis 1:1.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

According to the Holy Bible, only fools say in their heart, “There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1, 53:1).

II. Action versus Knowing, Saying, and Hearing

The true status of our belief is determined by ‘action’ rather than by our ‘knowing’, ‘saying’ or ‘hearing’.

Let’s say they know the truth (Romans 1:21-22, Titus 1:16), say the truth (Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:8-9) or listen to the truth (James 1:22). However, if they fail to ‘act according to the truth’, they will get the bad consequences (reap what they sow) (Galatians 6:7).

Matthew 7:21 NLT and James 2:21-24 NLT teach similar principles.

Matthew 7:21 NLT ²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

James 2:21-14 NLT ²¹ Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. ²³ And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. ²⁴ So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

Next week, let’s continue to study Romans 1:21 NLT “Yes, they knew God, but…”