Holding the Truth in Unrighteousness

Romans 1:18-20LITV

The Bible says, For God's wrath is revealed from Heaven on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, holding the truth in unrighteousness, because the thing known of God is clearly known within them, for God revealed it to them. For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.

The word truth here does not mean, or does not refer to the gospel, because not all men possess the knowledge of the gospel, but here it refers to general revelation, as seen in v. 19, 20, referring to creation and conscience. That is the reason a person who has never heard the gospel is without excuse, because if they lived up to the light he or she had, and earnestly seek to know the true God, then God will bring the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to them, to hear the good news, so they may be saved.

For example, we see this in the Bible, with the Ethiopian eunuch, in the book of Acts ch. 8. He had just been to Jerusalem, and he was seeking the true God, but yet he did not know Him, because he did not know Christ, and he needed to hear the gospel. What happened? God sent his messenger, Philip, to go to Gaza, the deserted place, to tell him about Christ. Philip joined him on his chariot, and the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, and from Isaiah 53, Philip preached the gospel to him, he preached Jesus. 

Look in v. 35 LITV, And opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, Philip announced the gospel to him, Jesus. Obviously, a person is not saved by just hearing the gospel, but hearing the gospel, and believing the gospel. Exactly what happened! The eunuch asked Philip, what prevents me from being baptized. Acts 8:38 LITV, And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 

What did Jesus command in Matthew 28:19 ESV, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Notice Jesus commanded to make disciples, disciples are believers, and to be baptized as a believer in Christ, which is seen here in Acts 8 with the eunuch. He was saved by the Lord Jesus in Gaza, the deserted place. God made him ready to hear the gospel, and to believe the gospel. 

It is also true, if a man who has never heard the gospel, does not live up to the light he has, knowing there is a God, and not seek after Him, the true and living God, to know Him, and does not come to the Lord Jesus Christ, they will die in their sin, and they will face the wrath of God, and will spend eternity in hell. There is only one way to God, and His Name is Jesus.

But understand also, a man who had been given more light, for example heard Bible teaching, heard the gospel, and refused Christ, they will receive a higher degree of punishment in hell, than those who did not hear the gospel, and refused Christ. Both will be in hell forever, no way out for either, but one will receive a higher degree of punishment in hell for all eternity, the other, a lesser degree of punishment in hell for all eternity. What did the Lord Jesus say about the people in Capernaum, Matthew 11:23 LITV, And you Capernaum, who "have been exalted to the heaven, you will be thrown down to Hades." For is the powerful acts happening in you had taken place in Sodom, it would remain until today. But I say to you, It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom in Judgment day than for you.

The people in Capernaum, they will receive a higher degree of punishment for eternity than even Sodom, because Jesus taught and preached in that city, and they received Him not. Both will go to hell forever, but one will receive the greater degree of punishment for eternity, the other a lesser degree of punishment for eternity. 

Now, look at the word, holding, in v.18. It is the Greek word, katecho, and literally means, to hold down or to quash. You notice this is in the present tense. This indicates that all ungodly people continually, wilfully, intentionally, to pin down and holding the truth in unrighteousness. 

In this same chapter in verse nineteen, the Bible teaches there is something in man that causes him or her to know there is a God. The word, truth, refers to that which is out in the open, not an open secret. One commentary says, unrighteous men continually put the truth in a box and sit on the lid and hold it down in unrighteousness. It speaks of people who hold down or quash his truth, and rather hold on to their wicked sins, and not the Lord. These are people who hold onto their sins but hold down the truth. They love their sin but hate God. They love their sin and hate God, so they suppress the truth, and seek to go even deeper into their sins, into their wickedness. The reason an atheist deceives themselves to believe there is no God is because to admit there is a God, means they are in trouble.

What does the Bible teach about a man who says there is no God or says no to the true God. The Bible says in Psalm 14:1 LITV, To the chief musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! They acted corruptly; they did hatefully in deeds; there is none doing good. The Bible tells us in John 3:19 LITV, And this is judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than the Light, for their works were evil. Why do people love their darkness instead of the light of God,  because rebellious sinners want to live their way, and not the way of God. They have pleasure in sin. People are in open rebellion towards God. These people continually quash the truth of God, while persistently they are clinging onto their sins. 

It is like the boy who was told by his mum not to eat the cookies out of the cookie jar before dinner, but the boy was disobedient, and he put his hand into the cookie jar, and heard his mum coming back to the kitchen, and got his hand caught in the cookie jar while attempting to take his hand out, because he would not let go of the cookies in his hand, because he would not let go of his sin. 

It is not just they have rebelled against the truth of God, but they have rejected the truth of God. There is no excuse they will be able to use on the Day of Judgment, as Christ rejectors. There is something God has put in man to know there is a God, and a need for God, but when the ungodly who has pleasure in unrighteousness, and quash the truth, they are guilty of their denial of the truth of God, and are subject to the wrath of God, because ultimately, they reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the very same chapter of Romans, Paul makes noticeably clear, in v. 16, the one who genuinely believes in God, believes in Christ. To know God, you need to know Christ. Salvation is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone believing, both to the Jew first, and to the Greek. v. 17, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, even as it has been written, "But the just shall live by faith."

Let us not forget, as believers in Christ, we are to be continually be thankful to our God, for once we were going our own way, and rejecting the way of God, which is Christ, but God interrupted our lives, and saved us by His grace in His Son, and made us sons and daughters of God. Amen. By God's grace, we stopped rejecting the way of God, which is Christ, and received the way of God, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, by the gracious hand of God. Amen. 

For the Lord Jesus Christ paid our sin debt with His life, when He was crucified, and was buried, and rose again on the third day for our justification. He has satisfied the justice of God for His people. We serve a risen Lord, a victories Lord. Our God deserve all the praise and glory for our salvation. The Lord Jesus took the wrath of God for us. Let us give Him continual thanks and praise and honour, for He is worthy, but let us not just be thankful by the fruit of our lips, but let us be thankful in the way we live for Him according to His Word. Amen. We can lay our head at night, and know whatever happens, we will never go to hell, but be with Christ in heaven, all by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.