How many times have I heard someone say that a person is without excuse? What they want the other person to understand is that every opportunity and everything needed to succeed was available; they just did not take advantage of it. In school, if I did poorly on a test, it was my fault. All the materials were available for me to do well. I had a teacher who taught well, a textbook I could read, notes I had to study, and parents who would help me. I had no excuse if I got a bad grade. In Romans 1:20, Paul makes the same statement about mankind knowing God. Because of creation and the power God has shown about himself, we are all without excuse. We have seen all that God made and clearly see the eternal power and divine nature of God.
Romans 1:20 “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.”
In the beginning, God revealed Himself to Adam and Eve. They walked with God every evening in the garden. Then, they rebelled against God and did what was right in their own eyes, and sin entered into the world. However, their knowledge of God was passed down to generations after them. I can only imagine the stories they told their grandchildren about walking with God in the garden. Since then, generations upon generations have passed down their faith. Some got away from the truth. Little by little, they edited the truth. It was not passed down to their children that there is one God, and He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present.
In Romans 1:21 we see that they had known God. They knew of Him, but they did not honor Him as God. They chose not to have a personal relationship with God. They became vain or futile in their thinking. They were incapable of producing any truth that would lead their children to God. They thought they were wise, but their thinking caused them to be fools. Anytime we think we can usurp God and that we know best, we are a fool. They did not glorify Him, worship Him, or seek Him when they had the opportunity.
Romans 1:21-22 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools”
Even though men did not pass down a godly heritage and generations have grown up not knowing God, there are still those who seek to fill the void that only God can fill. If you go to remote areas where people have never heard of the one true God, you will find them worshiping something. Usually, it involves creation, the sun, moon, stars, etc. They understand that things do not just come from nothing. They sense a need for a creator, a god, something, or someone to hear them and respond. This is what Romans 1:20 is talking about. They see Him in the invisible things, His power, His divine nature, but they don’t understand who He is. This is why we send missionaries to reveal who this God is that they don’t know. While they are still without excuse because somewhere down their ancestry line, someone dropped the ball. Therefore, it is our responsibility to tell them about our God.
This makes me wonder how God views those who live in a country where knowledge of Him is available in every town, city, or rural area. If you are reading this, you certainly have no excuse. The internet is full of tools to study the Bible so that you can know God. The best way to find out about God is to read the book He wrote to us. The Bible was penned by men that God inspired, and the words are God’s words, not theirs. There are many false teachers, but you can determine who is false and who is true by comparing what they say and what they do to God’s word. Read it and study it in context; that is, how it was written and how it is to be interpreted. Do not make assumptions based on pulling a verse here and there. If you earnestly seek to know God through His word, He will reveal Himself to you.
There is no one with a valid excuse to not know God. It is not God’s fault that fathers who knew the truth did not pass down their knowledge. It is not God’s fault that men took the truth and exchanged it for lies to fit their desires. It is certainly not God’s fault that those living in a civilized culture don’t know Him. We are all without excuse and will stand before Him as a guilty sinner condemned to hell if we do not know Him as our personal Lord and Savior.
The best way that we can make sure our children, grandchildren, and their children know God is to teach them the Bible while they are young. We are to teach it and live it in their presence. One day, we will all stand before God, and all that will matter is what we have done with Jesus.
Is God your life, or is He a part of your life? Have you segmented your life by giving God a time slot like you do everything else? Activities can be good, rest and relationships can be good, but none are good if they come before your time with God. All these things God has provided are simply opportunities for you to live out your faith and let others know who you are in Christ.
