Passage: Romans 1:18-32
Summary
Here’s the question Paul is answering: Why can only the gospel fix us? Why can’t just a little religion do the trick? I mean, maybe we just need a good talking to? Why doesn’t God just renew Israel’s commission to deliver God’s law to everybody? How is it fair for God to hold people accountable for something they never even had a chance to hear? So why does Paul believe the gospel is the only hope for every person, including those who have never heard of it?
Sermon Questions
- What would you say to someone who is an atheist or an agnostic to demonstrate to them the truth of the gospel? Be specific.
- According to Paul in Romans 1, why is it that he says the gospel is the only thing that can truly “fix” humanity and the human heart?
- What may be known about God is evident to us and in us... but, we suppressed that truth: We KNOW, BUT we didn’t know, because we didn’t want to know. What does that mean to you?
- We have suppressed our knowledge of God by becoming atheists or agnostics. On one hand, I’m not saying there are not people genuinely convinced that they are atheists. I’m saying that according to Romans 1 that atheism is driven by a subconscious desire not to know. We know but we don’t know because we don’t want to know. How do you respond to that statement?
- Paul says that in the gospel God reveals his righteousness. And what we see in the gospel is that his righteousness is not a standard he judges us by but a gift that God gives to us. How does it make you feel to know that God is continually pursuing you to have a relationship with him? Please explain.