The Most Controversial Passage

TNG Radio, where today's culture and timeless truths come together. It's reasoned relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Ministries, this is Truth for a New Generation Radio.

And now the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. What is probably the most controversial passage in the Bible? I mean, there are a lot of passages that could be deemed controversial. I think about passages that clearly promise the land of Israel to the Jewish people for those that are pro-Palestinian and believe that we should go by UN edicts rather than the Word of God.

That would be controversial. There are passages about morality and marriage and the sanctity of human life. Those passages are controversial.

But I would submit to you that probably the most controversial passage in the Bible here in the 21st century would have to be Romans chapter 1 from verses 18 to really the first five verses of Romans chapter 2. Hi, Alex McFarland here. Welcome to the program today. And I want to talk a little bit about morality and what the Bible calls the mystery of iniquity and tie it into how our nation so desperately needs a revival, a spiritual awakening. And I want you to think about some of the leaders of our day and some of the things that people stand for. And I think about how presidential candidate Joe Biden a few months ago said there is no place in the Democrat Party for a person who's not pro-choice. The defending of abortion, the contorted ways that so many on the left try to argue for the legitimacy of abortion, when remember our Constitution and our Bill of Rights was predicated on the belief in what is called natural law.

Moral truth. And among the tenets of natural law, these are things just by nature innately we all know. We all know that human beings are different than animals. We all know that murder of a human being is wrong. Now self-defense, national defense, execution of convicted murderers, the death penalty for murderers, that's different. And the book of Romans chapter 13 talks about good civil government is sanctioned by God. And in fact good civil government according to Romans is a minister of God. So as tough as it is to get your mind around, killing and murder are two different things.

Now think about that. And sadly a police officer or a soldier might kill another person in self-defense, in national defense. A homeowner might shoot an intruder. But again the Word of God and great Christian thinkers and Jewish thinkers and Christian ethicists throughout history have recognized that the Word of God gives to individuals and nations the right to self-defense. And governments are legitimate in prosecuting and punishing evildoers. That is not murder. Murder is the willful, unjustified, unprovoked killing of another human being for no right reason.

And abortion is a form of murder. Now listen to Romans 1 verse 18. It says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. In other words actively, willfully suppress the truth. And that is the indictment to stand before God one day, naked before God, our soul extracted from our body, our spirit put before God, and any of the barriers and the disguises that we hide behind, our intellectualism, our wealth, our position, we are just too sophisticated and refined to sully ourselves with imposing our values on others. All of those layers of facade that we try to hide behind, we stand naked before God one day and here is the indictment that people knew what was true and they denied it, they ignored it, and even worked to suppress it. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against those who suppress the truth.

And there are many academics, democrat politicians, Hollywood celebrities, spin doctoring reporters who are truth suppressors today. Verse 19 of Romans 1, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them. For the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. Now what that means in Romans 1 20 is that the creation cries out there must be a creator.

But verse 20 says amazingly, even his eternal power and Godhead. Now here is something that if we were honest, if we were thinking clearly, this ought to strike fear in the heart of everybody who deep in their soul they know they are rebelling against God right now. It says so that they are without excuse. Imagine, no excuse, no alibi.

C.S. Lewis wrote a book many decades ago called God in the Dock, it was a series of essays that Lewis had written and the dock is the defense chair in a courtroom, the witness stand. God is in the docket according to Lewis. I mean the mindset of the 20th century that God is guilty until proven innocent. The Word of God, the Scriptures are wrong until proven true. And here is the irony, and we have got to take a break and we are going to come back to Romans 1, the most controversial section of God's Word in 2020. We think we have an excuse and God doesn't, but in reality God is truth and it is we, a fallen humanity who has no alibi. Apart from Jesus and His cleansing blood and His righteousness, the human race stands before God guilty unless they repent and believe. Stay tuned, TNG radio is going to come back after this. The enemy hoped Amos could be intimidated into silence or that threats would lead Amos to compromise his message, but Amos remained faithful.

Would you? Amos's faith was tested, yours will be too. So expect the enemy to attack, keep your armor on, stay in the Word and be fervent in prayer. Let the I Am A Watchman ministry help you on this journey. Be bold, be faithful, be a watchman.

I am a watchman dot com. There's been some confusion between the title of Engage Magazine and the term engaged. Alyssa, would you marry me? Oh, Todd. See, now that's what I mean.

Engage Magazine is a ministry to millennials while getting engaged is. Oh, Todd. Oh, Alyssa. Right.

And the thing is, we want you to be engaged. Yes. Yes. A thousand times. Yes.

That's sweet. But Engage Magazine is about being engaged with your faith in the culture. Visit engagemagazine.net. Alex has written many books to help you defend your faith. One of them answers questions from skeptics.

It's cleverly titled Ten Answers for Skeptics. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity and straightforward truth. And in the book, Alex McFarland identifies the 10 most common types of skepticism that plague doubters minds and offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity. Learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by atheists. Plus find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love. The ultimate apologetic Christians can offer as a witness to our loving God.

Check out Ten Answers for Skeptics when you visit alexmcfarland.com. You don't need to have a Bible degree from Liberty University to love, serve, pray, worship or obey God, but it can make life more vibrant when you do. When you're ready for a religious studies degree, you'll find more than 60 ministry degree options from a bachelor's to a doctorate of ministry. And you'll pay one low block rate for divinity courses at Liberty University, where we train champions for Christ. Go to liberty.edu backslash explore to learn more.

That's liberty.edu backslash explore to learn more. For apologetics resources, books by Alex McFarland, and to find out where Alex is speaking, visit alexmcfarland.com. Welcome back to TNG Radio. Alex McFarland here.

We're talking about the most controversial passage in the Bible, Romans 1 and 2. And I do want to remind everybody that we're on Facebook Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 11 a.m. Eastern Time at Rev. Alex McFarland, R-E-V, Rev.

Alex McFarland. There are two pages. Now if you go on Facebook and you see my name, there's a Facebook page that we got up to 5,000 friends and followers. So we had to start a public figure page that is R-E-V, Rev.

Alex McFarland on Facebook. And right now we have about 550-some thousand followers, and we thank you for that. Please share and repost. By the way, every week we give away one of my books. So if you watch us Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11 a.m. Eastern, and then you repost.

Even if you watch it after the fact and you repost it, then you are entered in the Friday drawing. And right now we're giving away my book, Stand Strong in College, what you'll hear your freshman year preparing for the ways that college will challenge your faith. I wrote this book, interviewed 300 and some college students, and we talk about the four areas where college challenges the faith of a young person, academically, emotionally, socially, spiritually.

And listen, if you're heading off to college or maybe you're even studying online, you need to know the landmines. Hey, I became a believer while I was in college. I love education, but I assure you that right now American secular education, K-12, college and postgraduate programs, unless you go to a solidly Christian school like Piedmont International University in Winston-Salem, I'm on their board. Dr. Charles Pettit and his teachers do such a good job.

Unless you go to like Piedmont or Liberty or Biola or Houston Baptist or Patrick Henry or Grove City, and there are some good colleges out there. But I'll put it this way, Larry Schweikert that we've interviewed on this program, he's a great professor in Ohio, and he wrote a famous book called A Patriot's Guide to American History. Schweikert also wrote a book called 48 Liberal Lies You Probably Learned in High School.

Think about this, folks. He documents in his book about liberal lies you probably learned in high school, 97% of the history books published since the 60s have been overtly liberal. And think about this, 97% of the history books that deal with 20th century America. The two most prominent themes in the history books written after the Vietnam era, the two most prominent themes have been to berate and belittle America, to denigrate America, and to denigrate the church. Criticize the USA, criticize Christianity. 97% of the history books published since the 60s that are secular have been anti-America and anti-God. That's why Ben Shapiro, we've interviewed Ben Shapiro on the program before, but Ben Shapiro, when he wrote a book about college years ago called Brainwashed, he said college has become a four-year attack on America and God. And those are some of the truth suppressors that we're talking about from Romans 1. But my point being, young people need my book, Stand Strong in College, what you'll hear your freshman year preparing for the ways that college will challenge your faith. And you can get that book online, but if you watch our live stream on Facebook, Rev Alex McFarland, and you share, and we encourage you to do that, you're automatically entered, we're giving away one book a week, and we can't wait to send that out to you that you can use.

A lot of youth groups use this book as a study. Because listen, we love people, but many people are blinded, many people are biased, many people are actively fighting for that which is false. So back to Romans chapter 1 here for just a moment. Romans 1 says this, that the eternal things of God are clearly seen by the created world.

In other words, creation had to have a creator. The moral law written on everybody's heart. We all know lying is wrong, murder is wrong, stealing is wrong, slander, false witness, is wrong. But we know the right and yet we do the wrong. The law on our heart, the moral law, had to come from a moral law giver. Now Romans 1 20 says that we are without excuse. We knew the right, but not only did the wrong, actively worked to suppress and silence the truth. I think about the people that have given their lives and you know the names.

I think about Nancy Pelosi, who stands for everything wrong, not only that which is ungodly, but that which should be your civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. And folks, that's why, listen, don't get me wrong, my home is in heaven. We know that. This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. But if you are an American, especially if you're a Christian American, you need to pray, you need to stay informed, and come November you need to vote. Because the Bible says in verse 21 of Romans 1, when they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, neither were they thankful, but they became vain, that's futile, in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Verse 22, if ever there was a verse that's so descriptive of American secular education, and American secular politics, and certainly the voices coming out of much of the media and Hollywood, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. They changed the glory of the uncorruptible God to an image made like corruptible man, to birds, forfeited beasts, and creeping things.

The subject of false religion, pagan religions, the rise of neo-paganism, and all that's on the internet that's just occultic, the occult, that's another subject for another day. But man's fundamental problem has been a two-sided coin that we might call pride and idolatry. Pride says I don't need God. You know, humility says I really don't need anything but God. Pride says I don't need God. And the other side idolatry says I'm not going to worship God. I'll worship what I want to worship myself or some image I've made.

Norm Geisler, he's with the Lord now, he was a professor and a colleague. Dr. Geisler said, in the beginning, God made man in His image, and man's been returning the favor ever since. We make God in our image. Rather than believing the revelation of the true and living God, we reject that, and we create the gods of our own making and follow them. Now stay tuned, because we're going to come back, and I'm going to conclude about what do we do, those that love God, truth, and America. You love God, you love truth, you care about this country. What do we do in a time like this?

I'll discuss that when we come back after this break. The Lord has a 100% track record in keeping His promises, and He lovingly offers to help everyone prepare for life and for eternity. Join Alex McFarland at the Cove as he shares from the Old Testament book of Daniel and the New Testament book of Revelation, the two most well-known books of Bible prophecy. Each reveals things about world history and the future that only God could know. Their prophecies could be a source of motivation, warning, and assurance. They can also be an apologetic persuasion for non-believers.

Get clarity on which events today may relate to these two prophetic books and be equipped to answer the big questions and objections about prophecy. Daniel and Revelation, How God Wrote History in Advance with Alex McFarland, July 27th through 31st at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. Find out more and register at thecove.org. If you're a Christian parent, you of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children. If you're a pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity. I interviewed hundreds of children ages 5 to 12 and we address actual questions from actual children, the spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids. The book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask, the book study guide and video series. You'll find it at AFASTORE.net.

That's AFASTORE.net. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to Truth for a New Generation Radio. Welcome back to the program.

Alex McFarland here. We're talking about the most controversial passage in the Bible in the 21st century, and we're in Romans 1, 24 through following. It talks about not only the immorality, the idolatry, not only the pride and the suppression of known truth, but it talks about just detestable, indescribably evil sexual deviancy that people will work to legitimize, and we're living in those times. That's why we need a Holy Spirit revival in our nation, and that's why we need preachers.

Let me just say we need preachers that will courageously, obediently call out sin and help people to come to Christ and to realize with not only the preaching of the Word, the clear reading of Scripture, but the merciful power of the Holy Spirit, help people understand that sin will be their eternal undoing. Verse 24 of Romans 1 says, God gave them over to uncleanness through the lusts of their own heart, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Verse 25, people who changed the truth of God into a lie, people that pursued vile affections. Verse 26, and it goes on and it talks about homosexuality, a clear description of homosexuality. Verse 27 of Romans 1 calls this unseemly. Verse 28 says the people who pursue and engage in such things and defend such things are reprobate, in other words not even able to discern right from wrong.

Verse 29 says being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, in other words just being a person of bad faith and malice, whispers, backbiters, and here it is in verse 30, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, who knowing the judgment of God and that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the things but have pleasure in these things, enjoy it. And it asks the question in Romans chapter 2, how do you think you can escape the judgment of God when you've been given over to sin in this way? We need again in this culture to have shame and a sense of guilt and remorse and brokenness over sin. And Spurgeon talked about at the end of time when the angel of God brings you from out of your grave and you stand there before the wrath of the righteousness of God. We who have broken God's law face only wrath, unless we're under the blood of Jesus in the cleansing of the Savior. And so I think once again our culture needs to understand that look, God is just not this kindly grandfather in the sky who's going to give us a pat on the head and a cookie. No, God is a holy, eternal, righteous God and we deserve judgment for sin. Sinners deserve punishment.

And C.S. Lewis said this, and I think this is an amazing observation. Lewis said, if there is a God, you are in a sense alone with him. Now you think, well no I'm not. I've got people around me, my friends, my family. I mentioned earlier in the show the facade that we hide behind, the layers of insulation that we put around us and we tell ourselves it's going to make us okay. But think about it, the trophies on the shelf, the plaque on the wall, the accomplishments, all the things that desensitize you to the voice of God, it's all going to be taken away one day and you will stand naked before God. All right, back to C.S.

Lewis. He said, if there is a God, you are in a sense alone with him. You cannot put him off with speculations about your next-door neighbors or memories of what you've read in books. What, with all the chatter and hearsay, what will it count? Will you even be able to remember these things when you stand before God?

When the anesthetic fog, which we call the real world, fades away and the presence in which you have always stood becomes palpable, immediate, and unavoidable, says Lewis, what will you do then? So think about it, God sees you, God knows you, and one day, the one that we procrastinate about, we try to push aside, one day everybody will deal with, as Lee Strobel says, the God issue. You know, earlier this week, a great apologist went to be with the Lord, Ravi Zacharias. Ravi spoke for us in the Truth for a New Generation conferences a time or two, and it was my privilege to interact with him a number of times. We had him on the radio, and he gave his life to defending the faith, and he was a brilliant intellect. And the Word of God calls us not only to be disciples, but to be evangelists. And not only to be evangelists, but to be apologists. You know, we are to preach the gospel to every creature, that's evangelism. We're to make disciples of all nations, Matthew 28, 18 through 20, that's discipleship. But we are to be defenders of the faith. 1 Peter 3, 15, be ready always to give an answer. Jude verse 3, that we are to earnestly contend for the faith, and so we are to present, explain, defend the faith. That's what our ministry has done now for 22 years, Truth for a New Generation, and that's why we love to hear from you, and we love to interact, and we love to give content that we hope will encourage, inform, inspire, and equip.

But folks, I would ask that you pray at such a time as this, when so many people are lost, and they're blinded, and even many within the church, I don't know if it's just ignorance and being uninformed, I don't know if it's fear, I don't know if it's willful disobedience, but so much of the church that ought to be talking about God proclaiming truth, we're strangely silent these days. G.K. Chesterton famously said this, he said, when people abandon the true God, they do not believe in nothing, they believe in anything. And that's really where people are. Chesterton also said this, he said, an open mind is like an open mouth.

It's designed to close down on something solid, otherwise it becomes like an open sewer rejecting nothing. So we hear so much about people being open-minded, and oftentimes if we speak out against sin, people will say, well, you know, you're phobic, or you're being hateful. No, not afraid of anything, not hating anybody, merely trying to stand for what is true and critique and oppose that which is false. Well, listen, folks, stand for truth, because when the tides of culture are finished and finally gone, what will remain is truth and the God of truth eternal. So God bless you, thanks for listening, and stand for truth in these truthless times. Thanks for listening today, and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG Radio.