Romans 1:18-32
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because
that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident
to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His
eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood
through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though
they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became
futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing
to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God
for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals
and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their
hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For
they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the
creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason
God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural
function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men
abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward
one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own
persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to
acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those
things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness,
greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving,
unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who
practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also
give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32 NASB)
The unrighteous need
the righteousness explained in verse 17.
For in
it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
"BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:17 NASB)
- The Suppression of the Truth (v.18-20)
For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that
which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to
them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal
power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what
has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20 NASB)
- God says that he has made himself known to everyone, so all those who don't believe are suppressing truth that they know exists
At
Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his
mother's womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he
spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to
be made well, said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet."
And he leaped up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have
become like men and have come down to us." And they began calling
Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest
of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to
the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles
Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the
crowd, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are
also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you
should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE
EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. In the generations gone by He
permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave
Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and
fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." (Acts 14:8-17 NASB)
- The unrighteous suppress the truth because they love their sin.
This
is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the
darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who
does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his
deeds will be exposed. (John
3:19-20 NASB)
- The Rejection of the Truth (v.21-23)
For even though they
knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile
in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be
wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for
an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals
and crawling creatures.
(Romans 1:21-23 NASB)
Foolish speculation
- Psychology, Idolatry, Mythology, Evolution
the wisdom which
none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
But a natural man
does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to
him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
(1 Corinthians 2:8, 14 NASB)
Now
when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the
people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who
will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land
of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." Aaron said to them,
"Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons,
and your daughters, and bring them to me." Then all the people tore off
the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this
from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten
calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from
the land of Egypt." (Exodus
32:1-4 NASB)
Idolatry - Buda,
Humanism, Worship of Animals, Nature, Technology.
Any worship that
does not begin and end with the God of creation.
So this I say, and
affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles
also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their
understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is
in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become
callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every
kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if
indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in
Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old
self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that
you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in
the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the
truth.
(Ephesians 4:17-24 NASB)
- The Perversion of the Truth (v.24-32)
Therefore
God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their
bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for
a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is
blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading
passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is
unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of
the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men
committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of
their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer,
God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God,
insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they
know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of
death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who
practice them. (Romans
1:24-32 NASB)
You
are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because
there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 NASB)
but
from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said,
'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent
said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day
you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil." (Genesis
3:3-5 NASB)
- Depraved mind -
"For
My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no
understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not
know." (Jeremiah
4:22 NASB)
- Doing evil fills people's hearts when they pervert the truth.
"being filled
with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent,
arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without
understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful"
But
realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be
lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to
parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips,
without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness,
although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB)
- The Good News
Or do
you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not
be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of
you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB)
NFL's "No
More" domestic abuse campaign - has no chance
"Just Say
No" - How's that working out?
Without the Gospel,
none of this will change.
There
was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was
in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know
Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as
many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even
to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will
of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:9-13 NASB)
