Excuses are an (almost immediate) product of the Fall. When the Lord asked Adam if he had broken His command not to eat of the one forbidden tree, Adam quickly responded: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Upon turning to Eve and asking her what she had done, she laid the responsibility at the feet of still another: “The serpent deceived me.” Why do we make excuses? Perhaps it is because we don’t want to take the blame for our actions. But Paul shows us in Romans 1 and 2 that it goes deeper than that – we don’t want to admit that we need deliverance; we want to project that we are in control and everything is just fine. So even though all people are caught up in the effects of the Fall, some use ignorance as an excuse, others us morality, and still others use their devotion to religion. Paul strips us of our excuses, showing that attempts to hide behind religion are evidence that we do not truly understand the God of our religion. There is no hiding, as Paul shows us that “Religiosity is No Excuse” (Romans 2:17-24).

I.   Hypocrisy of Mind
A.  Resting in Advantages
B.  Resting in Privileges

II.  Hypocrisy of Life
A.  Relating to Fellow People
B.  Relating to God

III.  Before a Watching World
A.  Barriers to the Gospel
B.  How to Tear Down Barriers

Questions for consideration:  (1) What is it about your theology that you tend to think makes you superior to others? Why is that dangerous?  (2) It has been said “your life is the only Bible many people will read.” In what specific ways does that affect how you live?  (3) Why do you think the Lord makes it central to the gospel that believers have to show their weakness?