^ 3

The Righteousness of
Human Sin and Divine Wrath
By DELMAR D. DEBAULT
Bible-school Lesson for June 14*
MAN'S need of reconciliation to God is never more
starkly apparent than in the picture drawn in Romans
1:16-2:11. Both Jew and Gentile, being guilty of the
same sins, are alike involved in the same condemnation.
They had both sinned against what light they had and
would be correspondingly held responsible for their mis
deeds. The message in the later part of chapter one ex
poses the fallacy that man on his own is capable of self-
evaluation. Paul shows not only that man is incapable of
rising morally and spiritually above his environment,
but that the very opposite is true. His degradation has
always been progressive, when coupled with his rejection
of truth.
The basic concept of reconciliation denotes a change or
exchange. In the case of two estranged individuals, en
mity is exchanged for friendship. In the case of man,
alienated from God by his sin, man is changed from hos
tility and opposition to a position of contrition and ac
ceptance of His offer of peace through the cross:
Through (Christ) to reconcile to himself all things, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through
his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your
minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled
you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy
in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colos-
sians 1:20-22, The New International Version).
Godlessness leads to iniquityConsuming, licentious
lust is depicted by Paul in Romans 1:18-31. William Bar
clay states, "It describes a situation of degeneracy of
morals almost without parallel in human history. But
there is nothing that Paul said that the Greek and Ro
man writers did not themselves say." The behavioral pat
tern was completely self-incriminating. Before Paul
swung his scythe of truth into the Jews in chapter 2:1-8,
he pointed out that this lowest level of debauchery of the
Gentiles could be reached only after having known God
(v. 21) they refused to acknowledge Him as worth know
ing and deliberately chose darkness rather than light.
Only then were they given over, released, rejected as
"men whose moral sense is perverted and whose minds
are beclouded with their own speculations" (W. E. Vine).
Paul's purpose was to portray the despicable condition
resulting from the rejection of God. Of special offense
and flagrancy to him was the sin of homosexuality. He
was cognizant of its corrosive and devastating effect in
the ancient world. Many historians consider it to be the
primary undermining cause of the destruction of Roman
society and finally the empire. The present day aura of
respectability and cultural acceptability of this sin does
not change the unrelenting light of history, and certainly
not of Scripture, lb the reprobate man, justice becomes
so distorted that the most unfitting abominations be
come to him enlightened, exemplary conduct. Evil be
comes good and then this evil is joined with the insatia
ble desire to seduce others (innocents) to join in its
pursuits. It has been called destructive badness. Aggres
sive lust is the desire that knows no law. Warped and
twisted envy becomes so begrudging that murderous
pursuits are a natural consequence.
, Tb sin in ignorance is hideous but nothing compares
with the wantonness of those who sin willfully, then en
courage and abet others to join with them in its corrup
tion.
Privilege begets responsibilitySince the call of Abra
ham the Jews had experienced a superior relationship
with (jod, though His purpose in this call and the objec
tive of the special relationship had all but been lost in
their thinking. Their prostitution of the divine purpose
only added to the degree of their guilt. The Jews would
wholeheartedly agree with Paul's denunciation of the
God-rejecting Gentiles, but they were hardly ready for
the scathing truth of his message in Romans 2:1-11. Tb
be without defense or justification is the ultimate in der
eliction. Their sin was only aggravated by their super-
arrogant condemnation of those who were no worse, but
with less privilege.
Paul's assurance that all men can be reconciled to God
through Christ Jesus is the light of dazzling brilliance
directed toward this morass of sin. (Jod now applies the
same plumb line of justice to both Jew and Gentile, bond
and free. There are no favored classes, no caste system.
No one approaches God with an ethnic handicap, for He^
shows no partiality. We have all sinned, and reconcilia- \
tion between man and God is made possible in total fair
ness to all through the atonement of the cross.
Lesson text: Romans 1:18-32. Printed text: Romans 1:18-32. Memory text: Romans 1:20.
'Lesson based on International Sunday School Lessons, 1983 by the Lesson Committee.
for June 7, 1987 (521) Page Seventeen
THE LESSON WRITER
DELiMAR D. DEBAULT, now serving in Africa, is a
former postmaster in Efflngham Coiinty, IL. He is a
graduate of Lincoln Christian College, Lincoln, IL,
and Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK, with addi
tional studies in Butler University,- Indianapolis, IN,
and Jacksonville, FL, University. He has ministered
with First church, Minier, EL; First church, Kissim-
mee, FL; Central church. Winter Haven, FL; Osage
Hills church, Tulsa, OK; and First church, Dunedin,
FL. He has preached in more than 375 evangelistic
meetings in the United States and two preaching mis
sions in India. He has served as chairman of trustees
for Mid-India Christian Mission, Damoh, M.R, India,
and has been awarded an honorary doctorate in divin
ity by the Mid-India Bible College and Seminary at
Damoh. Mr. Debault is married and the father of
three children.