Three Kinds of People

“One Year Bible” New Testament Passage
Romans 1:18-32  

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.  Romans 1:18 (NKJV)  

The first two chapters of Romans deal with all of humanity.  According to these chapters, there are three types of men who need the Gospel of Grace:

1. The Pagan – who clearly breaks and violates God’s law (1:18-32).

2. The Moral Heathen – who is ethical yet without a relationship with God or the knowledge of God (2:1-16).  This includes the category many people are referring to when they ask, “What about the people in far-away lands who never get a chance to hear about Jesus?”  It also speaks of people who are living “good” lives yet apart from faith.

3. The Religious Man – who claims to know God and keep His law (2:17-29). This last group is typified by the Jews.

Paul’s purpose in pointing out these three types of men is to show that they all NEED JESUS. In Romans Chapter 1, two things are REVEALED.  They are the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God (vs. 17) and the WRATH of God (vs. 18).

His point is this:  God is talking to the world.  He is talking in the Person of Jesus.  He is not doing it by giving a list of rules.  He is not doing it by playing “hard to find.”  He is openly shouting in the Life and Death of the Savior.  

But, man has a problem:  We fight the truth, we run from the truth, we re-invent the truth.  In our blindness, we are manufacturing degradation, self-righteousness, and death based on wanting our own way – our own will.  

Holy God extends the only answer, and it is revealed through faith.  The alternative is to remain under wrath.  Later in Romans we will hear it again, “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  But the GIFT of God is justification by faith – “eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).  This is good news!