American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio

>> Jeff Chamblee: The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.

Bert Harper: The Word of God is timeless and eternal

Welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Alex McFarland: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth. Unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. And with that famous scripture from Romans 1, 18 and 19, we welcome you to today's edition of Exploring the Word. Today we're going to talk about Romans 1. If you've got your Bible, turn to Romans chapter one. And we're going to talk about what I call the downward slide of a Christless. And with me is Bert Harper, as always, Exploring the Word. And Bert, it's good to be with you, my friend.

>> Bert Harper: Always good to be with you, Alex. We enjoy working together. It's not just a, program. Even when we're not on the program and we're together, we're having fun and talking about the things of the Lord. So it's a joy to be able just to have this conversation with you and to have it recorded so others could hear it. And I pray it'll be a blessing to others, Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, amen. Amen. And you know, the Word of God is as, important as anything could possibly be. It's as relevant as this morning's newspaper, they used to say, although most people don't read the newspaper anymore. But the Word of God is timeless and eternal. And it's interesting how with piercing accuracy, the Word of God seems to depict our world today. it's a world of violence, it's a world of danger, terrorism. it's a world of immorality and darkness. And the Bible has a lot to say about that.

>> Bert Harper: And it's always been that way, but it is amplified today and multiplied today. Remember what Ecclesiastes said? There's nothing new under the sun. And there really is not. There may be new ways of expressing it, there may be new ways of knowing about it. And so it says in the Bible that in the latter days things will get worse and worse. Why is that? Well, it's not just because there's something new. It's because more are doing it, more are participating in it. And with today's, media, we hear about it all the time. 24 hour newscast has Changed a lot. And again, I'm not downing that and causing that, but it's caused, us to have to hear about stuff that really we didn't have to hear. But it is exponentially worse today, Alex, than it's ever been before. especially in certain areas. Now when I say that there are some areas, especially in Africa and Asia, where the gospel is being shared and people are coming to Christ by the thousands. And, and so in those areas we say, praise God, look what God is doing. So, and sometimes we're too, tunnel visioned with ourselves. But when we look at Romans 1 today, that we're going to look at, we're going to look at a society and we are looking at a little bit of more of Western civilization culture and what's being brought about by it. Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, exactly. And you know, there's a famous painting from the late 1800s of the devil playing chess with God. Really? And you know, I think the way the world is now, you know, the devil will never defeat God, the creature will never overthrow the Creator. And just like a person who's about to lose the checker game or about to be in checkmate, I think the devil is frantically working overtime, causing havoc. dominoes are falling, cultural dominoes, spiritual and biblical dominoes, as people, conform to the darkness of this world and the sin of the times. And the devil is like a man who's about to be totally defeated, lose the game, and he knows it, and he's frantically doing anything and everything he can do.

Alex Martin: I think our culture is in trouble, Bert

And we want to talk about, the downward slide, the slippery slope that we appear to be on. Although we can always repent and turn back to God, revival is possible. But Bert, I want to say I think our culture is in trouble. We know this because we have the word of God, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. We have an innate moral awareness, conscience and common sense that all humans are endowed with because we're made in God's image. But may I read a little bit of this scripture and let's talk about this a little bit.

>> Bert Harper: Go right ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: and I began with verse 18, the wrath of God revealed from heaven. And it says in verse 19, look, we know about God because knowledge of God is manifested or shown to all people. Now, verse 20 of Romans 1. For the invisible things of God 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 man is without excuse, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. Neither were they thankful, but they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four footed beasts and creeping things. Now, before we go into 24 and following, let's talk about this verse. 20 says that people really do know about God, don't they?

>> Bert Harper: It sounds like I want to use the word innate. you know, there's nothing good in me. I mean, that's what the Bible talks about. But there's an innateness of this, what was it called, a divine vacuum that that's in every individual that needs to be filled, and only God can fill that. And so I believe that is so true here. And notice what it says, the latter part of that, and I know we'll get to that there without excuse. I, love Romans for many reasons, but this passage does help me to understand what God is doing and what he bases his judgment on. God gives revelation, Alex. Even if it's creation or conscience or a message or a messenger, God gives, opportunity for man to respond to him. Man will stand before God without excuse. So here it is, it says, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are what clearly seen. Yeah, you have to walk over them in order to not believe in him.

>> Alex McFarland: Exactly. And we're going to come back and talk about that in just a minute. But, it's a, wild world right now, let me tell you. And I know I'm on the road a lot, and, I love to meet people and talk with people, but I meet a lot of young people and they very often, even at a young age, they want to reject God. And yet you mentioned the Blaise Pascal quote, where Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician and he later really became a defender of Christianity. He got into apologetics because he wanted to win his sister to Christ. But Pascal famously said, there's this emptiness, this vacuum, this hole in every heart that can only be filled by God. And Pascal said, look, an infinite longing hunger can only be filled by an infinite being. And that, that insatiable longing within all of us can only be satisfied by the eternal God. Now, Bert, I read a thing about people nowadays coping with stress and just, you know, the pressures of life. They want to go into a rage room where they can break fine china and smash things and throw bricks at, televisions and just scream. And people pay big money. And all around the world right now there are more than 50 of these rage rooms where you feel better by tearing up nice things. And I mean, you know, that I get we, we would play basketball or something when we just needed to blow off steam. We'd go, you know, chop wood or, or, or feed the animals or play basketball. But, smashing nice things, I mean, that's not a healthy way to deal with the stress of life, is it?

>> Bert Harper: It is not. You know, you have escape rooms these days. You have rage rooms, you have free speech area. Have you noticed how people are kind of segmenting life? the rage and the, stress that they're under? Listen, we're fearfully and wonderfully made. And just letting off steam will not take care of the real issue. The real issue is within you. And if you're looking for, if you are out of control of your rage, you need to look at the source. And that, would be great to find the source room. And that source is at every local church. It should be the source to overcome this stress and rage and is in Christ and Christ alone.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you know, I'm going to show my age right here. way back in the early 70s, there was a rock and roll song called Kicks. And it was talking about drugs. And it says, you know, you thought you found the answer taking, a drug last night. But when you wake up in the morning, the world just doesn't seem right. Now listen to this lyric. It said, no matter what you do, you'll never get away from you. And the thing is that the questions that eat away at us and the stress and the wanting to find purpose and place in the world, the answer is in Jesus. And so for a few minutes, let's look at Romans 1, 18, 21. Later on in the show, we're going to get to 24 and following. But you know, when it's talking about, the wrath of God revealed from heaven, the person of God revealed from heaven, and us being without excuse, in a sense, it's talking about past, present and future. The past tense, the present standing and the future verdict of our accountability to God. So let's look at 18 and 20, past tense. Humans have been warned by God, they've been informed of God, and they have a knowledge of God. And so, the human race has always been accountable because God has shown himself, hasn't he?

>> Bert Harper: He has, and it makes it plain. Here, look at the words manifest, showed to them, clearly seen, understood, and it ends. Man is without excuse. That's the whole idea. That when you stand before God and you start trying to give an excuse, you'll find yourself stuttering, trying to come up with one, because there is none. Because you would have had to trample under the evidence that God has given to make himself known. Isn't that. Notice the Word revealed. God reveals himself to us in life, Alex. And you know, that revelation comes by nature, by experience, by conscience. And the book of Hebrews says it. Well, he has finally spoken to us through the perfect. and that's Jesus Christ.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, I love that passage.

>> Bert Harper: Isn't that powerful? And when you combine Romans here with that passage in Hebrews, I think you do see a clear message of God's revelation to man.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, do you remember back in Genesis 3:10? In fact, I think this happens to be a very sad passage of scripture. but Adam says, God, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself. Now, when you hear God and folks, if God is knocking at the door of your heart right now, reverence God, but don't be afraid and run away from God. You know, Adam heard God coming. That should be a joyful thing. But Adam said I was afraid, so I hid. And all the way throughout history, God has revealed himself. And we know.

American Family Radio celebrates America's 250th birthday with patriotic apparel

Bert, I've met a lot of people who claim to be atheists, but there's not a one of them. First of all, atheists talk about God more than most preachers I know. I mean, and they don't claim to not believe in God, but there's never been an atheist that will die. Leave this world, stand before God and say, oh, my goodness, I had no idea. No, we really do know, don't we?

>> Bert Harper: We do. From the darkest area on this planet where we have not gotten a, people, they're called unreached people groups to the one that's got a church on every corner. God has revealed himself, and he's revealing himself to you today.

>>  : We'll be back with more America's 250th birthday. It's a great excuse to have some extra cake and ice cream, but we can help your celebration go well beyond that. Show your patriotism M with America 250 apparel that will become a memento of this special year. We also have special episodes on AFA Stream to help underscore that America is a Christian nation and help you find God in the Constitution. Find all of this and more in one place. Afa.net topics 250.

>> Jeff Chamblee: You're listening to Exploring the Word on American Family Radio.

>> Alex McFarland: All glory and honor is yours.

>> Bert Harper: Whoa, whoa.

You can send your questions to Wordfr. com and I will get them answered

Welcome back to the show. Exploring the Word. And this is Alex and Bert and we're doing a pre record. it means we are out and usually preaching. Sometimes we're doing family things. Those are about the only two things we do besides teach and preach is, you know, go to the family with them, do something. So anyway, so this is a prerecord, so we'll be not, will not be taken, phone calls at the end. But you can send your [email protected] and then Alex gets them on his website quite a bit. Alex McFarland. And, it's alexmcfarlane m dot com, isn't it Alex?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. And the email and it'll come straight to me. alexmcfarland.com and I will get your email.

>> Bert Harper: He will. And a lot of times we take these questions. Some of them are answered individually, but most of them we take and say we're going to look at those and answer those on the radio. And you say, well, mine wasn't answered. Look back on the podcast, go to afr.net and you can look at, Exploring the Word podcast and you can find them. Have, an individual when he's mowing his yard. He's got quite a big yard. he said, you know, some people golf for the extra time, some people fish. He said, I mow my yard. And he's got his podcast on and he listens. Matter of fact, he said, I listened to six programs the other day, listening, to Exploring the Word this week after mowing my yard. So anyway, there's a way to get in touch with us and that is the way Alex, you was talking about man without excuse and the evidence being clearly seen. I have a friend who was raised in an educational liberal pit of anti God atheism and anti Bible. That's the way he grew up. And he was taught evolution from a child on up. And he started looking at evolution and he saw all the problems with evolution and did not get those connectors, those missing links, those one transitional form to another. He said they were just missing, they were not there. And then when they would find something that, they thought might be it was something of a mutation or it was something of somebody made up and put together and he started questioning evolution and he started reading the Bible and he came to Christ first intellectually saying, this does not make sense. Evolution does not make sense. Creation makes sense because you do not have design without A designer. And, now he's traveling the United States. He's been with me several times sharing the truths of the word of God. And so when you read Romans 1, I am just fascinated with it individually, but I'm also just fascinated how a society can go down a spiral downward and get there quickly. And that's what we're talking about today, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it is. And I believe the whole incentive for evolution is not that there's any evidence for it. There isn't. I mean, there isn't. It's never been observed. I mean, you know, I've been in so many conferences and with so many scholars who've left evolution and came to believe in a creator, then came to believe in Jesus. But the whole incentive of a godless universe was because people wanted there to be, a life without any moral boundaries or any moral accountability. And in the previous segment, we talked about how God has revealed himself. Creation has a creator, like you said, design has a designer. The moral law that is on our heart comes from a moral law giver. And so the present standing is that humanity is guilty before God. Now, how? Because. And the Bible tells us ungodliness, unrighteousness, truth suppression. All right, let's look at this. the way the King James renders it might sound a little, hard to grasp, but we're going to unpack it. It says ungodliness, of men, unrighteousness. And they hold the truth. And unrighteousness. Now, ungodliness is impiety. But, Bert, it's really the word for wickedness. And, oh, my goodness, stuff comes on the news about what people do to each other, and it's shocking how wicked people can be. Unrighteousness means the habitual, repeated, willful violation of God's standards.

>> Bert Harper: Yeah. And the most wicked place that there's been in the last years is in the mother's womb. If you were to do to a baby or a human who had been delivered out of the m. Womb of the mother, and they were, and I'm going to be graphic, pulled apart, burned with saline solution, you know, they would. It would be. But wickedness continues. You know, why Wickedness likes to not be seen. That they do it in the darkness. And that is the womb. And the latest movie that came out about unplanned. And when that person who was pro abortion, when she saw that baby react in the womb by watching that child being aborted, she saw this is life and this is wickedness. And so, yes, wickedness is prevalent, but wickedness in the womb is the most prevalent place. I know of it. We talk about school shootings, church shootings, mall shootings. yes, they're bad, but the lives that are taken in the womb is the worst on the planet.

>> Alex McFarland: I'm telling you. When we were up at the Values Voters Summit a couple of years ago, we were broadcasting live from Washington, D.C. it was our privilege to interview a young lady that was an abortion survivor, and she couldn't get her medical records, and she had to finally get a court order. And it turned out that she was, the survivor of a saline abortion. And the Abortion Survivors Network is growing. and, you know, Romans 1, 18 talks about unrighteousness, but let me say we live in a wicked culture right now. Now, abortion is wickedness because violation of God's standards includes the habitual insistence on changing, what is clearly reality. Bert, I'm just going to say this. homosexuality is wicked. It is not God's design for human beings. It is certainly not God's, ah, definition of marriage. It is certainly not the way that physically, spiritually, psychologically people are to interact. It is not the way for procreation to happen. it is, as many, Catholic scholars would say, gay marriage is not gay marriage because it's against God's design. It is wicked. And let me say, all of you know, libraries have been written to try to change reality, talk about gender being fluid, change scripture, reinterpret reality and the truth.

Alex: Romans 1:18 says God's wrath is against those who suppress truth

All right, Romans 1:18. God's wrath is against those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Literally, it means to suppress known truth and the wording. Folks, listen to this. And I want to throw to Bert, this is a very serious thing. Imagine standing before God one day, and God says, look, you knew the truth, you suppressed it, you squelched it, you withheld it. And I mean, there are a lot of people that they're blindly in a state of ignorance. But I think about the professors, I think about the preachers, the theologians, the philosophers, the commentators, the writers, the journalists, and all these people, they knew the truth and they suppressed it. They schemed and planned to withhold truth. The wording there really means like the hijacking of a ship or tying up and holding somebody hostage. Bert, it's going to be a fearful thing for all the pro gay, the gay marriage, the transgender, the pro abortion, pro choice. All these people that have known the truth and given their life to fight against it, and they're going to stand before God one day having done all that. Not pleasant to think about.

>> Bert Harper: It is not. And it's not enlightenment. It's really the opposite. It's darkness. And that's exactly a lifestyle. We talk about the wickedness and the abortion that's done in the womb because people are not seeing it. And when a congressman would get up, on the floor of the Congress and have pictures of that, they'd say, oh, you shouldn't do that, because that was bringing the light into the darkness. The same thing is true concerning homosexuality. If it was known all the things that homosexuality causes and the whole aspect of that lifestyle, you would know that it's a detriment and it's a hurt, and it's God saying it's not good. that's the whole idea. And so what people are doing who are suppressing the truth, they're aiding people in hurting themselves. They. They have become agents of wickedness and evil for it to be continued on. And God wants to deliver us from that. And there's been many, many who have been delivered from that lifestyle. And God, if you're listening and you say, well, I think I'm kind of going that direction. I believe I was born that way. I believe that I, you know, I would be happier that way. Listen, you're going into darkness. It may look all right in the beginning because the world has painted a false narrative, but that narrative ends in destruction. For is the soul. But honestly, yes, for his body, and yes, for a society, it's a downward spiral.

>> Alex McFarland: Alex I was counseling with a couple, and they paid a lot of money for their son to go to college and law school. And while he was in school, he got in with, He had been dumped by his girlfriend. He was depressed, so he began to dabble in homosexuality. And he moved in with a man and embraced the gay lifestyle. This couple was pouring out their heart, asking for prayer. The mom had a key to the apartment. This was in another city, and they were paying for it. So she went and she was going to surprise her son and cook him a meal when he got home. And she went in and saw the apartment of these gay college kids. And she said that she went into the bedroom of her son and all over the bed was blood and feces. And she said she fell to the floor weeping. How debased her son had become. And she still loves him. And they're praying for him to come back now. But here's the thing. in law school, smarter than mom and dad, Enlightened and moved beyond the backward, beliefs of mom and dad. Now, enlightened or, woke.

>> Bert Harper: Is that the new word? Woke?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, woke. That's right. Exactly. And yet, here's the thing. these people that are trying to stand against God, even jeopardize our US Constitution and all of our freedoms and liberties to try to legitimize that which God calls an abomination, this is wickedness. And, I mean, I think about this, and we're going to move on. But, Bert, the people that will one day stand before God and remember the Bible calls Satan, a liar and the father of lies. And these in Romans 1:18, who suppress the truth because of their love of unrighteousness. Imagine standing before God one day, and there's truth that is revealed, and we all actually really do know truth. And then there's all the spin and the lies and the revisionism, and Satan is the father of it all. And God says, look, you were on his team. You joined up with the. The spin and the truth suppression and the wokeness and the progressivism. And, you knew the truth, but you believed what was false. And not only that, you promoted it. This, this is real stuff. And, folks, the reason that we're doing this, not to make anybody uncomfortable necessarily, but we're talking about reality here. And, and we're accountable to God. Now, let me go into verse 21 a little bit. How we are present standing is a state, of accountability. We are accountable to praise God, to thank God, to believe what is true. Do you know? God commands that you believe what is true. And we're accountable to remain wise, not to become foolish and darkened, but to be truly wise and truly enlightened.

Unthankful means living apart from communion with God

Now, I want to talk for a minute about in verse 21, where it says, part of the indictment, they wouldn't glorify God or praise him, but they wouldn't be thankful. Now, Bert, you want to hear something that's just really amazing?

>> Bert Harper: Go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Okay. The word there, unthankful, interestingly, means without the Eucharist. Now, we know in taking the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist, the elements of communion, the bread and the wine represents the body of Christ and the wine. And you might think, well, how in the world unthankful. How is that like without the elements of communion? Well, now, I want to be clear. Salvation is by being born again, not taking communion. If you are saved, you ought to take communion. But communion in the sense of having a relationship with the Lord, unthankful the unwillingness to thank God, your creator, Jesus, your savior, is like not having communion. And Bert, I've met atheists who said to me, well, if there is a God, I'm going to ask him, why did you do this? And this, because, hey, I didn't ask to be born. Life is a gift and we need to be grateful for it. Salvation is a gift and we need to be grateful for it. But if you are unwilling to acknowledge God, submit to God, praise God. You don't have the Eucharist in the sense, the communion with your maker. And there's a lot in this, just verse 21 here. But unthankful means you're living apart from communion with God. A fascinating word there, isn't it?

>> Bert Harper: It is. And when you think about that, Alex, it really, those do tie together because, when it was revealed to me and to you, all of a sudden we knew we needed to have a savior and we became desperate to the point. And we thank God there is a way. And he communed that to us, brother. He really did. And he's, made it known unto us. I pray that you know Christ. I pray that you're trusting him. And as Lord and Savior. We're going to be back with more right after the break. Don't you go away right now. More mothers need that moment of Hope. Just $28 sponsors one ultrasound and $140 helps rescue five babies. Your generous tax deductible gift also helps provide mothers who choose life with love and support and care for up to two years. Please don't wait. Help surround mothers and babies with compassion, truth and hope today. To donate, dial hashtag 250 and say the key word baby. That's hashtag250baby or visit preborn.com Bert Harper that's preborn.com Bert Harper.

Alex McFarland and Bert Harper discuss Romans in American Family Radio

>> Jeff Chamblee: Welcome back to Exploring the Word on American Family Radio.

>> Alex McFarland: Would you pour down like rain washing my eyes to see your majesty, to be still and know that you're in this place. Please let me stay and rest in your holiness. Word of God. You know, many, many years ago, Lord Byron, the poet wrote, this is the moral of all human tales. The same rehearsal of the past. First freedom and glory, and then when that fails, wealth, vice, corruption at last. Welcome back to Exploring the Word. We're talking about the downward slide of a Christless culture. Alex McFarland, Bert Harper here. We're in Romans, chapter one. Love for you to follow along in your Bible, if you could. I do want to say this is A prerecord, because Bert and I are on the road preaching in different places. And you can listen to this [email protected] and other shows as well. We invite you to go there. And, Bert, let me pull out something here. You know, we talked about, our past tense of being warned and informed by God. Our present standing guilty before God, accountable to God. But the future verdict, if we don't turn to God, and this is really sobering, I, would say this, that it says in verse 20, man is without excuse. Now, let's talk about that a little bit. No excuse. Because we really do know. I mean, here's the indictment, that we violated a standard. We honestly, truly did know. And the human race is accountable to God, aren't we?

>> Bert Harper: We are. And, you know, if you present this, in a way, it's like a court case. here is the charges that are made, and here is why and how it took place. And then what's the defense? There is none. It's indefensible. They're without excuse. And over in chapter two, verse one, we're not getting there, but notice the words, therefore, you're inexcusable. Oh, man. And so, man, there is no defense that you'll stand before God with that will make it legitimate for you to have refused his love, his mercy, his grace, his truth, his holiness. No defense. Alex.

Alex Giver: An apologetic means without something

>> Alex McFarland: Well, I want you to think, folks, about the prefix A, n, an, which means without. Because I looked up the word without excuse. I thought, now wonder what that word is. And interestingly enough, it was an apologetic. An apologetic. Now, what does that mean? You've heard words like anaerobic or anaphylactic or, So the prefix an means without something. And in the case of this word in the original language, without excuse, an apologetic. What would it mean to be without an apologetic? Now, you know, we do apologetics. We defend the faith. But man stands before God, and we don't have a defense for ourselves. The word there. And here's what I'm getting at, folks. To stand before God, to have heard the gospel, to. In your conscience, deep in your heart, that little voice tells you there is right from wrong. I ought not do this thing. I really do need to turn to God. I need to deal with the state of my soul. You live and you die. You've rejected what you knew. You've turned from Christ. You procrastinated, and you find yourself before God. And Romans 1:20 says, we are indefensible. Now, Bert, that's Sobering and stirring, isn't it?

>> Bert Harper: It is. And it's always been practiced by a few. That's the whole idea. When you start looking from Genesis all the way through the Bible, you'll find those that were unthankful, unholy, that were wicked, that did abominable things, and they're there. But then it moves and this is the future verdict. Everyone is going to be judged individually. We understand that it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment, yes, individual. But carrying out this rebellion against God is not only against the individual, it's not only against those who are close to him, it is against society. And that's the reason you'll have the plural pronoun they and them, and it'll transcend the person and, and it transcend, to the multiple, group of society. So it's practiced by a few, but then it is protected. It becomes protected by the law and that's where we are now. these deviant lifestyles have been practiced for a long time, but they've been rejected as wrong. But now they're being accepted and they're protected by law. And, and it's moving to the point of not just practiced and protected, but promoted, Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: That's right.

>> Bert Harper: And that's where we've moved to in our society. It promotes such things.

>> Alex McFarland: Exactly. Well, the five step slide of a Christless culture. Unbelief, ingratitude, intellectual arrogance, sexual immorality and societal anarchy. Okay, we've talked about unbelief, rejecting known truth, any ingratitude, willfully resolving not to acknowledge God. Praise God. Thank God. Then there's this intellectual arrogance and self sufficiency and self righteousness. Verse 22. I, mean this is the United states of the 21st century. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, believing evolution rather than creation, believing in sexual deviancy rather than the beautiful design God has given for the human race, for marriage, family, procreation and child rearing. you know, let me say this Bert, regarding evolution, okay, we hear about the primordial soup and life evolved. But you know, think about this, what about human consciousness? Because life itself is one thing. Physical life, our bodies, our mind, plant, animal, human life. But then there's consciousness. Do you know folks, the materialist, the evolutionist has no, zero, no explanation for the origin of consciousness. So let's say there was a swamp somewhere in some ancient time past. How did mud become mind? How did inanimate matter develop consciousness? And so you have a brain, and if I said two plus two equals. And you think four, the thought in your mind, four, the knowledge of the concept of four, the thought in your mind is different than the tissue of the brain itself. And you know what I think about how, in refusing to acknowledge God, the giver of life. Remember it says that, God breathed into Adam the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Professing ourselves to be wise, we're fools by not acknowledging that life comes from God. And Bert, this slide, this arrogance of Romans 1:22 and 23, and then the two steps. If we were to read 24, 27, and then 28:32, a culture that has abandoned God becomes sexually immoral and socially chaotic.

>> Bert Harper: It does, Alex. So well, now we understand that. And we are on our soapbox talking about abortion, talking about the homosexual agenda, transgenderism, the whole idea.

Bert: Perversion of family starts with fornication, adultery

But we also got to go back to the perversion of the family. And that starts with, fornication, adultery, no fault, divorce. Now, people talk about, why should you put those in there? That is still not God's best. And it's a downward thing. You just don't stay. Now one of them becomes more unnatural than the other. You know, here it is a, man. It was appointed unto man to have a woman and a husband to make up a marriage, one on one. Man perverted that. And man had wives, you know, that was a perversion of God's best. But it was natural for a man to be with a woman. And then the divorce, that they would lay aside. Someone, well, first they were going to kill them, and God permitted divorce so the murder would not take place. It was because of the hardness of man's heart. You see this progression all the way, going, going to pervert that which is natural to the perversion of that which is unnatural. Do you catch that, Alex? Yeah, I do what I'm saying. And that's been our host. And in the 20th century, now in the 21st century, it has continued to go down. And the whole thing is the perversion of family. God made Adam and Eve, and he said, multiply. Be fruitful and multiply. And have these children under you and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And when man starts failing on that level, I want to just tell you, man will reap the consequences on every level there is. So what can you do? I want to tell you, be saved. Trust the Lord. Raise your family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and teach them to Stand for righteousness. Alex, you still have to go back to the fundamentals in order to overcome that which is evil, don't you?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you really do. You really do. And, folks, you know, there are places where, the mere reading of Romans one can be grounds for protest and things like that. But it says, look, in light of this, they were just determined, resolved, resolute to reject truth and God. They change the glory of God in, the incorruptible God. Into an image made like corruptible man and birds, four footed beasts. In other words, there's, idolatry, false religion and occultism. Verse 23. But then, if on the spiritual side there was false religion and occultism on the physical side, God gave them up to uncleanness the through the lust of their own heart to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who change the truth of God into a lie, by the way. Human sexuality, God's design. Heterosexual monogamy. God's design for marriage. We've often said the family is like a gospel tract. So Christian marriage and family is an example of truth. it shows us the gospel. All right. They changed the truth of God into a lie. And it says in verse 26, for this cause God gave them up to vile affections. Vile there means evil. For even the women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. 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. By the way, the word unseemly means shameful. Homosexual activity is in the eyes of God, shameful. Receiving in themselves that which the recompense of their error which was meet or suitable or appropriate. In verse 28, even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, a reprobate mind. A godless mind is really what it means to do those things which are, not appropriate, not convenient. Now, verse 29. And again, this is a Christless culture and friend. We are there. we're there and. And then some being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, deceit, debate, malignity. In other words, you know, evil and whispers, backbiters, haters of God despiteful, proud boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient parents without understanding, covenant breakers without natural affection, implacable, in other words, can't be satisfied, in any way unmerciful. Who verse 32. And I'm going to throw it to you, Bert, knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, condemnation, not only do it, but have pleasure and, promote it. Bert. I mean, I hate to say it, and I don't mean to be doom and gloom here, but I read these verses and I'm telling you, it reminds me of the 21st century Culture in which we find ourselves.

>> Bert Harper: It does. And notice this, I'd remind you, you started out with idolatry. It leads to immorality. You do not have idolatry without immorality. They go hand in hand. They run parallel when you think. And people always are asking us, when the children of Israel went into the promised land, why did God say to judge those people and even run them out or destroy those people? It was because of idolatry that led to what? The immorality. When you read what the God of Molech, what he required and what BAAL would require, you see that in Romans, chapter one. And it says, it will overtake a society, it will overtake a people group. And so again, I'm revisiting this, but I want to share it because I think it's so important. Yes, people can say, oh, it's been with us a long time. Yes, all these things that we're talking about here have been practiced by a few for generations and generations. But they were in darkness. But then they became protected. they said, well, you know, they're equal, they need. You know, they have the right. But now, Alex, it's gone into the area of what you read in verse 32 of, promotion. If you do not agree with their practice and what they say, and not say you love me, but it's wrong, but you've got to agree that it's all right, then you are the one that. That is despised. You are the one that's against. And they're trying to say, to bring God along with them. Why did they do that? Because they started out in idolatry. And when you start out in idolatry, you're going to end in idolatry. But you're going to add this destructive immorality with you, aren't you?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you are, you know, in verse 31 of the results, you know, backbiters, haters of God. And there's a little interesting phrase there.

Alex Martin: What our culture needs is to humble ourselves before God

Inventors of evil things. And the word there is to contrive wicked devices.

>> Bert Harper: Sounds like it was in the day of Noah. I know they only thought of that which is evil continually Exactly.

>> Alex McFarland: And, you know, I read, ah, an article about. There was a big technology show of, you know, things. And now with computers and apps, I mean, there's so much that things can do, sometimes good things. But I mean, people invent a lot of evil things. And yet, what our culture needs is to humble ourselves before God, yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, repent of sin, and turn to the one and only Savior, Jesus.

>> Bert Harper: Jesus Christ is the answer for deliverance. If you're in that lifestyle, God wants you delivered to have a better life. If you're in your sin, God wants to deliver you. He's already paid the price. We pray that you'd turn to Christ. Turn to him right now. Thank you for listening to Exploring the Word. We appreciate you being a part of the family. Tell others about Exploring the Word. But Alex, what's more important than that?

>> Alex McFarland: Most of all, tell everybody, everybody, everywhere about Jesus. Thanks for listening.

>> Bert Harper: God bless you.

>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast do not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

Chapters:

(00:00) American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio

(00:16) Bert Harper: The Word of God is timeless and eternal

(04:28) Alex : I think our culture is in trouble, Bert

(13:14) American Family Radio celebrates America's 250th birthday with patriotic apparel

(22:39) Alex: Romans 1:18 says God's wrath is against those who suppress truth

(28:57) Unthankful means living apart from communion with God

(32:08) Alex McFarland and Bert Harper discuss Romans in American Family Radio

(34:52) Alex : An apologetic means without something

(40:40) Bert: Perversion of family starts with fornication, adultery

(47:59) Alex : What our culture needs is to humble ourselves before God

✍️ Episode References

American Family Radio
https://afr.net 

Alex McFarland
https://alexmcfarland.com 

The Bible
https://www.biblegateway.com 

Ecclesiastes
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+1%3A9-10&version=NIV