Romans 1:28 – Smarty Pants – Bible study

Romans 1:28 Smarty Pants Sometimes I date myself, and I dont realize it. The term, "Smarty Pants" may not even be used today so let me give you my understanding of it. Growing up, when we boys got a little too sassy for our own good, mother might call us "smarty pants." That was her gentle warning that we best not go too far. There was another more ominous warning which was similar. If she said, "You are about to get too smart for your britches," that meant if we did not change course quickly, the backside of our pants would be getting a thorough dusting, and that was most often done with a belt. Keep that background in mind as I preach this morning. Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Notice the word "reprobate." Sadly, most are going to hell, and the reason most of them will go is because of a lack of knowledge. Most of hells residents will be there because they did not know who Jesus was. However, there are two groups that will go to hell in spite of their knowledge: hypocrite and reprobates. 1. Hypocrites will go to hell in spite of their abundant religious knowledge. Jesus coined the term hypocrites as He had to deal with people who thought they knew too much about God to believe on Him. 2. Reprobates will go to hell in spite of their abundant intellectual knowledge. Paul coined that term as he had to deal with people who thought they were too smart to believe on Jesus. Although there are similarities in the two groups, I dont have time to speak on them both this morning so I will speak on the reprobates. They are smarty pants who are too smart to go to heaven. I. Pauls Conclusion A. As I said, Paul took the term reprobate and gave it a Biblical meaning. 1. In Romans 1, he explained what reprobates are, how they come to be, and what will happen to them. 2. Romans is a rather deep book so lets take it one verse at a time. 3. There are three steps in becoming a reprobate, but Paul listed the first two together. B. Step One and TWO- God Reveals Truth and Men Reject Truth. 1. Paul first tells us that it is the gospel that saves, and it is our believing that makes it so. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. a. Paul gave us three things (gospel, salvation, and believing), then he told us what the relationship of the three things to one another is. b. The gospel (the good news of what Jesus did for us on the cross) is what saves us. There is no other way! c. And it is our believing that causes the gospel to save us. (1) Other verses will tell us that we must also repent (surrender ourselves) to Jesus, but nothing happens if we do not first believe. (2) Paul mentioned that up front because a reprobate chooses not to believe. (3) Just keep that in mind. 2. Then Paul tells us what happens when we reject truth like that. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 3. Then Paul tells us why God gets so angry. 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. a. God gets angry because He is the One showing them truth, and they reject it. b. It goes back to what I said last week, they steal Gods glory. 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 4. I believe the reason Paul was the one who created this term. a. It was because Paul was the one who first brought the gospel to so many who had never known the truth about God, sin or salvation. b. That gave him the opportunity to watch as reprobates were being born. c. Whenever the gospel is presented, and the Holy Spirit turns the light of understanding on, one of two things is born. (1) Either a new convert is born. (2) Or a new reprobate is born. 5. But a person does not have the plan of salvation presented to them to become a reprobate. a. No. That much understanding is not required to become. b. You can become a reprobate by just understanding that there a God. Ro 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: c. All that is necessary is that you understand there is a God and then you reject that knowledge. 6. That is why I called this message, "Smarty Pants." a. Typically, only people who think they are smarter than the Bible and God will become reprobates. b. But this is a common affliction of the affluent and the academic. c. It is strange that the very thing that should bring us to God (knowledge) is the thing that recreated a whole new pool of damned souls. C. Step three – They must the truth that God is God. 1. I am not saying everyone who knows there is a God and doesnt get saved will be a reprobate. 2. There is more to it, and Paul spelt it out. 3. There are three steps to becoming a reprobate. a. To be a reprobate, one must have and understand the truth. Romans 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. b. To be a reprobate, one must reject the truth. Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not. c. But even more, the reprobate does not just reject truth. He rejects God. Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew GOD, they glorified him not AS GOD. (1) This is not just a case of rejecting truth. (2) All lost people have rejected truth, even though they dont know what the truth is. (3) But the reprobate knows there is a God (he may not know what name to call Him, but he knows) and rejects the God he learns must exist. II. Predetermined Course. A. "Predetermined Course" is another way for me to say a "Predestined Course." 1. The Bible definitely teaches predestination; however, it definitely does NOT teach Calvinism. 2. God has NOT predetermined who will go to heaven and who will go to hell, but He has predetermined what will happen to a reprobate. (and a lost person, and a Christian, and a faithful servant, and lots of others.) B. However, notice the "Predetermined Course" starts with a personal choice. 1. God made Himself known to the person. Romans 1:19 for God hath shewed it unto them. 2. That person chose not to acknowledge God. Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not. 3. And chose to reject God altogether. Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew GOD, they glorified him not AS GOD. 4. After that, God determines what will happen to them. a. If you have ever wondered whether God predesignated Pharaoh to reject Him in the Bible, the answer is not until God showed Pharaoh who He was, and Pharaoh decided to reject that truth and to reject God as God. b. Pharaoh was a reprobate. c. Reprobates have a predetermined course. C. Once a person or a people refuse God, what does God do with them? Romans 1:21 but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 1. They become vain first, the foolish. 2. They might even become foolish enough to worship the things God created instead of the God who created them. 3. Oh, wait! That is what the next verse actually says. 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. a. It amazes what America will worship and what they will not worship. (1) Since 9/11, Islam has been made the victim and is encouraged even in public schools. (2) On tour is a replica Arch from a sanctuary of Baal. b. People worry about Pharaoh being predesignated to hell. (1) Pharaoh was a reprobate! (2) Even after God showed Pharaoh who He was, Pharaoh rejected God as God and continued to worship beasts: cows, cats, crows. (3) All of the plagues against Egypt was God showing Pharaoh that He was God. (4) Pharaoh damned his own soul and placed himself on the Predestinated Course. 4. And they might become so smart that they think they know more about sex and the human body than the God who created us. (Oh, wait. Thats what the next verses actually say!) 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 5. And all of this might affect their behavior so that they become very hateful toward God and contrary to everything He teaches is right. (Oh wait! Thats what the next verses actually say.) 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: D. Does this sound like anyone we know? 1. Yes! 2. It sounds like pretty much everyone we knowat least those who are lost. 3. But it is hard to blame the people. They were MADE into reprobates! 4. For the last 60 years, they have all been educated that there IS no God. a. They spend all day at school studying the beauty, the wonder, the precision, the delicacy, the power that was and is required for this world to exist and then say "There is no God. All of this just happened." b. Then they go to colleges where that foolish teaching is concentrated and poured down their throats as their esteemed professors call the Bible antiquated, the concepts of man and women arbitrary, and declare the deity of mankind. 5. But the other deadly prong is that many of those same people sat under some kind of religious teaching. a. Maybe it was good Bible preaching and teaching. b. Maybe it was false, but one thing most every religion does teach is that there is a godsome kind of Creator and Mastermind. c. Then under the day-in and day-out tutorage of the atheists that parents encourageif not demandtheir kids list to, the children reject the notion that there is a God, and we wonder why we are where we are! 6. Friend, it was a predetermined course! a. First, the mind is corrupted. b. Then the spirit is corrupted. c. And finally their morals are corrupted. E. Please notice why I call this predestination. 1. And you dont want to miss the fact that God makes sure this path for the reprobates is followed by nudging the foolish further and further down the pathway they have chosen. 2. Remember, it started with God revealing Himself and those to whom He revealed Himself to did not glorify Him. 3. But then God takes over: a. \#24\ Wherefore God also gave them up to b. \#26\ For this cause God gave them up c. \#28\ God gave them over to 4. This pathway is not random. 5. It is predestinated. 6. When fools start feeding the foolish foolishness, God will take His mercy from them altogether. III. Pitiful Conclusion. A. We left these damned reprobates in \#Romans 1:31\ "without understanding," but that is not their conclusion. B. That is just a stopover on the way to their final destination. Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God (that would be hell), that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 1. "who knowing the judgment of God" a. I could show you pictures of people standing with placards mocking hell. b. People making jokes about hell. c. People laughing at the notion of hell. d. People declaring that they are looking forward to hell. 2. Smarty pants – You wont be there 10 seconds before you will regret it all. 3. Can we help them? a. We can try, but the Bible does not give us a lot of hope. Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Pro 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. b. You see one cannot be saved without understanding, the ability to see cause and effect. c. When you see the effect (creation and all that is) and refuse to the see the Cause (a Creator), you have turned off the lights of both the mind and the spirit. d. God can intervene so we will continue to tell them, but sooner or later they are apt to turn on us and do us harm. e. You see, they think they know it all, and we are their inferior.