Romans Chapter 1 Verses 18 to 20 – The Gospel Paralleled in Nature

The Gospel was Promised in the Old Testament (Rom1:2) The Gospel is Paralleled in Gods Creation (Rom1:18-20) Principles that can be seen in creation: Godhead There is one God who is in control He is responsible for the whole of creation He is marked by "power" and 'intelligence' - "Godhead" One God and one creator evident by the unity and harmony of nature Creation is not higglety pigglety For example the orchid bee and the coryanthes flower, the coryanthes is specific for a particular species of bee, and for the male of that species in specifically, the flower is designed around the bee, and infact it contains many design features:

1. the scent to attract the bee
2. a slippery slope for it to fall into the bucket
3. nectar dripping into the bucket shaped flower
4. a step shaped part out of the bucket flower
5. the design of the stamen and the pollen packet and
6. a part of the flower shaped like a tunnel for the bee to crawl through.

Not only that but the bee collects esters from the plant and stores them in special compartments in its legs and then releases them to attract the female bee at mating season!

An addded level of complexity exists; the orchids are highly vulnerable to slugs and snails, tend to grow on ants nests, the ants protect the orchids, and produce formic acid which acidifies the soil and is an ideal growing medium for the orchid!

The God who created the orchid, created the bee! The oneness and unity of design in nature is evident. We can see His "eternal power and Godhead" Evolution says the purpose of life is to reproduce! The Coryanthes says it is not! The Coryanthes is fussy about the means of reproduction and the transfer of the pollen, picking only one creature - the bee, only one species and only the male! The Purpose of Creation is to stand as testimony to the power, wisdom and Glory of the Creator! The Principle of resurrection

God is able to Raise the Dead This principle is evident too in creation Rom6:5 - "Planted together in the likeness of His death we shall also in the likeness of His resurrection" The seed is planted in the ground, dead looking and unpromising and yet from the humble acorn can come the mighty oak tree Never ever think that it is unreasonable that God can bring life from the dead or that God can raise up our lives from the deadness of the sin they were stepped in, into the newness of His own life. The seed of a date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) was discovered during an archaeological excavation at King Herod's Palace on Mount Masada near the Dead Sea. Nicknamed "Methuselah" the palm that sprouted from this ancient seed has been Carbon-dated at about 2,000 years old

God has built in hope to His Creation (8:20)

Our expectations of life out strip our experience of life We have a hope for life and for health and happiness that is never realised in time Physical life is passing and we yearn for more

God is able to give second chances (chp 11)

He is able to take the wild branch and graft it into the cultivated stock We are not too far gone for God Death

All life ends in death (5:12-21)

There is no escaping God We are expected to ask: what next?

God is able to transform lives (12:12) 'metamorphosis' Can God transform me? The evidence is all around us: Caterpillar to the butterfly Maggot to the fly Tadpole to the frog

God has given us a conscience of sin (2:15) This conscience anticipates judgment (2:16) We possess Gods knowledge of His moral law.

https://graceinchrist.org/romans