SIN: What’s wrong with the world
ROMANS: Sin
(ASD 8 and 10am – 6th July Romans – a letter that makes sense of life by Andrew Ollerton - pgs. 31-53)
Two weeks ago, we began a new series looking at the book of Romans. We began by thinking about the backstory – the context and setting. Last week we introduced the theme of the Gospel.
If you missed these opening weeks, I’d recommend taking one of these sheets – it gives you an overview of the journey we’re making through Romans, and gives you links to two short videos which will get you started.
It is also worth reading this book by Andrew Ollerton – Romans: a letter that makes sense of life. We’ll be using his material as we travel, so chapter by chapter this will tie in with our Sunday sermons.
Last week, we looked at Paul’s statement, his opening declaration to the believers living in Rome, Jew and Gentile alike, that he is ‘not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith.’
The word ‘gospel’ means good news, but before we are ready to receive the good news, we need to face up to the bad news about the world and ourselves.
So, let’s begin with prayer:
Father, may my spoken words, be faithful to your written word, and lead us the living word, Jesus Christ our Lord and King. Amen
We only need turn on our screens watch the news or look at social media to see that there is something quite wrong with the world. Violence, abuse, war, aggression, selfishness, brokenness, discrimination, judgment, manipulation, bitterness, arrogance, envy…and so we could continue.
I wonder have you ever thought, ‘who is that rude, arrogant driver cutting down the outside line to jump the queue of traffic? And why am I annoyed that I didn’t think of it myself?’
Or ‘who is responsible for all the dreadful violence we see in Yemen, or Gaza? And why have I still not donated to the appeal that moved me?’
These are two examples from Andrew’s book – highlighting that the problem is out there, the world, with other people, but it also in here, in our hearts, in our lives, and relationships.
We know that the world is flawed, and if we’re honest, we too are flawed.
This week, we heard three short passages taken from Romans 1:18 through to 3:20.
Here there is no hiding, these are hard truths that the world is broken, and how God feels about it all. This focus on sin acts as an honest diagnosis.
Our first passage today, Romans 1: 18-23, remind us that God is a good, holy, true and just Creator – who designed and fashioned this world with great beauty, wonder, intricacy and diversity, with pattern and order, basic moral principles that should not be usurped or manipulated.
Creation, all that we know, and all that we are yet still discovering, speaks of God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature. There is no excuse not to believe in a God, says Paul. Divine fingerprints are all around us and God’s eternal presence can be sensed by the human soul.
And yet, while there is much that is good and beautiful about this world, there is also plenty of brokenness. Paul argues that God’s wrath is being revealed against sin.
Now this isn’t wild or unhinged, illogical anger – but a deep-seated desire, a longing for all that is good and pure – the very best. God’s wrath is an extension of his love, rooted in his nature as the Creator who cares for his world, and is angry at the way we are destroying it – and each other.
This section traces what happens when humans sin by rejecting what they know to be true. Three times Paul uses the word ‘exchange’ to capture it. Sin is not just being naughty, or disrespectful. At the heart of sin is replacing God with false substitutes know as idols.
Ancient Rome was filled with dodgy, evil practices, in the temples, in society, in politics, just everywhere you looked. Paul declares the whole thing to be bankrupt – for it was built around superstition, bribery, and debauchery, orgies, ritual prostitution.
Now we may not worship so called gods in the way Ancient Rome did, but we too replace the true God with substitutes that promise more for less.
We are hard-wired to worship. So, if we reject the living God, we will find alternative shrines, be it chopping centres, offices, salons, gyms. We make huge sacrifices in order to find significance, security, meaning and purpose, in careers, lovers, properties, spots, financial investments, body image, travel, academic achievements, our image on socials, creating memories… all of these are good, but when we upgrade them to God, we cross the threshold of modern-day temples. At the heart of sin are disordered desires that exchange God for other dreams, goals and lovers that promise to free us and fulfil us.
Now we didn’t read through them to today, but in the verses that follow this first section, Paul then lists a whole range of sin, idolatry prevalent amongst those living in Rome, including sexual sin, wickedness, greed, envy, depravity, murderers, malice, deceit and much more. In each case humans choosing to subvert the good and holy order that God created.
So, the end of Romans 1 clearly condemns the unrighteous, prodigal son-types, now Romans 2 turns on the self-righteous pharisee-types, those who think their religious deeds put them in a different category.
Romans 2 is addressed to Jewish believers, those who were tempted to assume that ‘works of the Law’ like circumcision, Sabbath and food laws made them exempt from the wrath of God.
In Romans 2, Paul is calling out pride and hypocrisy. Some of the issues Paul mentions may seem less relevant today, but in truth many people still assume good works, being nice, religious commitments will take them higher up the mountain. A kind of ‘moralism’ that thinks we are good people and yet we judge others, put others down, yet still do wrong ourselves.
With Jew and Gentile equally offended, the atmosphere must have been awkward as phoebe read on into chapter 3. In the concluding section, Paul takes Jew and Gentile and brings them before the ultimate judge. Then, in the role of prosecutor, Paul gives his closing speech:
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those under the law, so that every mouth must be silenced and the whole work held accountable to God.
In a Roman court of law, when the defendant had nothing to say in their defence, they would put their hand over their mouth as a gesture of resignation. And this is the place Romans 3 brings us to.
As we stand in the valley of sin, looking up at the ascent and think, help, I can’t do this, then actually we are in the right place – we can take heart. For God’s salvation is at hand…
So, what can we learn from these chapters today? How do they relate to you and me?
Well, in recent years Western culture has been through a psychological revolution during the 20th century, which has radically revised the way we think about ourselves. Lots of helpful things have come from this, including a growing attentiveness to mental health and emotional well-being.
However, what seems to have been lost in this process is a willingness to admit personal guilt or to consider the darker realities at work in you and me.
We often now talk about obsessive behaviour, or neurotic patterns, deviance, or pathology, or disorder. The language of sin has gradually faded out as a therapeutic culture aims to raise self-esteem.
We tend to think that better education, greater social equality, or therapy, and plenty of positive thinking will solve everything and improve the world!
However, despite what we've been told about ourselves, Romans resonates deeply with what we know about ourselves.
There's something reassuring about owning the fact that we are flawed and guilty. It feels honest.
There's something refreshingly honest and strangely unifying about Romans 3: 22 to 23 which say ‘there is no difference… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’
If each of us owned this reality, there would be a lot less pride, discrimination and hatred. Science, technology and education cannot fix our problems. Romans is a dose of realism.
In ever more sophisticated ways we continue exactly the same pattern, ‘exchanging the truth about God for a lie’ and worshipping ‘created things rather than the Creator’.
I believe these hard truths are good for us, a pleasing pain that cultivates honesty. So much religion is superficial mask wearing, putting on our Sunday best and pretending. Instead, if we embrace the truth that we are by nature broken, then what have we got to hide? We sinners, aren't we?
That's why as we come to worship each Sunday we begin with the time of confession when we say, ‘Almighty God our heavenly father, we have sinned against you in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault.’ In confessing we open up the door to God and build true friendship with others.
So, this section of Romans is a dose of realism that cultivates honesty, but it is also a dose of optimism that cultivates hopefulness.
It's easy to assume the world is getting worse, and that this next generation are more sinful than ever. Romans encourages a more optimistic view. Humans are no worse or better than they were in the 1st century. Despite the influence of mass media and social media, there is nothing fundamentally darker about the times we live in now.
Equally, the gospel is no less powerful than when it was the 1st century. If Paul can say in the face of the wickedness of Rome, ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel’, then so can we!
Andrew Ollerton explains it this way:
Having decided to ask Charlotte to marry me, I needed to get an engagement ring. So, I went to the jewellers to browse some options in the cabinet. I then asked to view one that looked good. However, before the jeweller took out the ring, he spread out a black velvet cloth on the counter. Only then did he set down the ring, so that the diamonds sparkled.
Romans has laid out a dark backdrop. But now Paul is ready to bring out the diamond of the gospel so we can see it sparkle in all its beauty and brilliance.
And so, our section today has been a dose of realism, we are all sinners in need of help. But it's also a dose of optimism. The gospel is still the good news that our sophisticated, but sinful world desperately needs to know and experience.
Don’t feel disheartened by today - next time we delve into Romans we’re going to consider what’s so amazing about God’s glorious, bounteous, plenteous grace. Amen.
Lord Jesus, thank you that you are merciful and forgiving to your people, even though we have rebelled against you.
We have turned away from you to try and rule over our own lives.
Many times, we have made ourselves judge and ruler over others.
Forgive us for condemning others silently or audibly, while ignoring our own prejudices, unhealthy attitudes and sinful behaviours.
Lord, we have no hope, except for your love and forgiveness to heal and restore us.
Forgive us Lord, and guide our words, thoughts and deeds today so that we may live in ways that honour you.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen