The second in a series of 17 sermons
Series Theme
This series of sermon follow the articles of the Belgic Confession to present an bird’s eye view of the main doctrines of the Bible.
Readings reproduced on this page:
The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1996, 1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Readings
Romans 1:18–32 (NIV84)
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Text
Psalm 19 (NIV84)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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Belgic Confession Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God
We know Him by two means:
First, by the creation, preservation, and governmentof the universe,since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God: His eternal power and His divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20. All these things are enough to convict men and to leave them without excuse.
Second, He makes Himself known to us more openly by His holy and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for His glory, and for the salvation of His own.
