Summary: The God of the Bible is holy, righteous, good, and not silent. He has spoken to us through the special revelation of the Scriptures, and Jesus Christ. He has also spoken to us through the general revelation of creation around us and a conscience within us. Despite all of this revelation, people choose to suppress the truth because they love sin more than God. This is especially true of sexual sin, which people tend to love the most. This causes people to worship created things (like the human body and pleasures of sex), rather the Creator God. God’s response to this rebellion is wrath. The wrath of God is His fully just and right response to sin and evil which is at war against His holiness and goodness. The wrath of God is not something that has ever been popular for people to hear. However, the Scripture is very clear that the wrath of God is dealt with in only one of two ways. One, Jesus Christ paid the price of God’s wrath in our place for our sins on the cross. Two, we pay the price of God’s wrath in our place for our sins in hell. John 3:36 succinctly says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Don’t forget to ask these 4 questions when reading the text:
Who is God?
What has He done?
Who are we?
What are we to do?
The following questions are intended to help individuals and groups learn Romans.
Please use these questions as tools and not rules. As the Holy Spirit guides your time in Scripture, and as you have discussion with others, the goal is not finishing all of the questions but rather meeting with God through learning the Bible. Consider this time more as a compass pointing you in a direction than a map that directs your every step
MC DISCUSSION QUESTIONS—ROMANS 1:18-25
1. In Romans 1:18-21, Paul says that in addition to the Scriptures, God has also revealed Himself and His character to us in creation He made around us, and the conscience He made in us. What are some things that you have learned about God through creation externally and conscience internally?
2. Paul talks about well-educated people who are intelligent but not wise. What is the difference between being smart and having intelligence versus being wise and knowing how to live in obedience to God?
3. In what ways throughout your life have you put creation (someone or something) in the place of God your Creator? Why is this something we all often need to be reminded of?
4. In Romans 1:22-23, Paul says that everyone worships, and that the only difference is that some people worship the Creator, while everyone else worships someone or something in creation (e.g. spouse, child, food, alcohol, status, power, comfort, reputation, success, etc.). How have you seen this truth in your life, that if you are not passionately following God then your passions veer you off course to pursue someone or something else in His place?
5. What is the difference between someone who struggles against sinful temptation that they know is wrong and want to defeat, versus someone who gives in to it, indulges it, becomes proud of it, and encourages others to do it?
6. Is there someone you love, without gossiping, that we can pray for as they have chosen to self-destruct through feeding sinful desires of the flesh?