God: Foundations Series #3 (July 27, 2025)

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,[e] as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Foundations Series 3 God

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Introduction

If you ask people, “Who is God?” you will hear very different answers.

In Eastern philosophy, “god” is often seen as a universal spirit or impersonal force. In Western philosophy, “god” is viewed as a supreme being, or a distant creator who wound up the universe like a clock and left it to run. Many people today see “god” as a vague concept of goodness or a higher power that might help if you believe hard enough.

However, the Bible presents God in a very different way. Scripture shows Him as personal and relational—the Father who loves His children, the Shepherd who cares for His sheep, the Groom who seeks His bride, the Judge who maintains justice, and the King who rules over all creation.

Today we ask a foundational question: Who is God?

To answer this, we look at Romans 1. Paul writes Romans not as a book of abstract philosophy but as a letter to a church, a faith community in Rome. His purpose is to strengthen their faith by grounding them in the Gospel. After declaring that the Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (vv . 16–17), Paul explains why this good news is necessary: God has revealed Himself, humanity has rejected Him, and God’s judgment is real.

Romans 1 answers our question with three truths:

1. God has made Himself known to all people.

2. God, as the Creator, deserves to be worshiped.

3. God’s judgment is revealed when He gives sinners over to their desires.

1. God has made Himself known to all people.

Romans 1:19–20 says, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

God is not hiding. His fingerprints are everywhere—in the vastness of the galaxies, in the beauty of a sunset, in the intricacy of DNA, in the moral law written on every human heart. Paul says His invisible attributes—His eternal power and divine nature—are clearly perceived in what He has made.

This means we don’t have to prove that God exists. Everyone already lives in a world filled with His revelation. The problem is not a lack of evidence—it is that people suppress the truth because acknowledging God means submitting to Him (v. 18).

Paul states that unbelief is ultimately a moral issue, not an intellectual one. People are “without excuse.” They recognize God's existence but refuse to worship or thank Him (v. 21).

Even for us as Christians, this is a reminder: faith is not blind. Our God has clearly revealed Himself in creation and most fully in Jesus Christ. We don’t believe in spite of evidence—we believe because God has made Himself known.

2. God, as the Creator, deserves to be worshiped.

Romans 1:18 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

Paul continues in verses 24–25: “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

God is the Creator. As such, He is worthy of worship, honor, and thanksgiving. But instead of worshiping Him, people exchange the truth about God for a lie. Instead of serving the Creator, they worship the creation—money, power, relationships, career, pleasure, comfort.

Sin is ultimately a worship problem. It is not just breaking rules; it is exchanging God for something else. Paul says that failure to glorify God and give thanks to Him is at the very heart of human rebellion (v.21).

This is not just “their” problem—it is ours. Even as Christians, we must examine our hearts. What competes for our worship? What do we rely on for meaning, security, or joy more than God? Whenever we do that, we are acting as if the creation can satisfy us more than the Creator.

3. God’s judgment is revealed when He gives sinners over to their desires.

Three times in this passage Paul says, “Therefore God gave them up …” (vv.24, 26, 28).

This shows us something sobering about God’s judgment: He doesn’t always send fire from heaven or strike people down. Sometimes, His judgment is simply letting sinners have what they want. He removes His restraining grace, and people spiral deeper into their sin, dishonoring their bodies, degrading their minds, and reaping the consequences of their rebellion.

This is a terrifying reality: sin itself is judgment. When people turn away from God, He allows them to follow their desires—and that path leads to ruin.

This is why we desperately need the Gospel. Left to ourselves, we would run farther and farther away from God. But God, in His mercy, has not left us in our sin.

Conclusion: The Good News

Romans 1 paints a bleak picture of humanity: we suppress the truth, exchange the glory of God for idols, and deserve His righteous judgment. But the passage begins with hope:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (vv.16–17)

The God who reveals Himself in creation has also revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). On the cross, He bore the wrath of God we deserved. By faith in Him, we are forgiven, restored, and made worshipers of the Creator rather than slaves to creation.

Romans is a letter written to believers to strengthen their faith. If you belong to Christ, you have been rescued from the judgment of being “given up.” You now belong to the God who has revealed Himself in glory and grace—and you can live in joyful worship of Him.