ROMANS 1:20

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

There have been a few times in my life when I have been without excuse. One was the time I told my wife to “shut up.” There is never an excuse for that, and I apologized profusely. Another time was forgetting to send a group of children to a children’s camp. No excuse, just forgot the date. I could go on, but I am sure you have your own “without excuse” moments. But there is one moment in your life you do not want to be without excuse. Let’s look at today’s verse.

Paul says in verse 20 that no one, not even the person who has never heard the Gospel, has an excuse to not believe in God. He says God’s “eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived.” As I have mentioned in a recent blog, God isn’t trying to hide Himself. He wants to be seen by us. He wants us to hear His voice. Even in the deepest, darkest jungles God is revealing Himself.

APPLICATION

HELPS Word studies defines the Greek word translated as “without excuse” this way. “(anapológētos) comes from ‘alpha privative’ (a/‘not’) and apologeomai (‘to defend, excuse’). It ‘occurs in documents from the second century before Christ. Frequently it describes the hopelessness of trying to defend a case in court, while lacking an adequate defense.” The word is only used here and later in Romans 2:1 (which we will see later).

In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, he writes, “Our Creator’s invisible power and Godhead are so clearly shown in the works he has made, that even idolaters and wicked Gentiles are left without excuse. They foolishly followed idolatry; and rational creatures changed the worship of the glorious Creator, for that of brutes, reptiles, and senseless images. They wandered from God, till all traces of true religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospel prevented it.”

Therefore, we have no excuse for not sharing the Gospel with these lost and eternally dying individuals. That’s why we send missionaries to the remotest parts of the world. I heard recently that approximately 4.5 billion people are lost. Of that 2.25 billion have never heard the Gospel. To put that in perspective, if you lined up that group five people across and three feet apart, they would circle the globe five times. All of them are marching to hell. We are “without excuse.” We must share to as many as quickly as we can.

Lord, give me opportunities today to share the Gospel with someone who needs to hear about salvation through Your Son, Jesus.  

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