Introduction
All of Romans is a discussion about the gift, power, and need of the Gospel (or, “good news”) of Jesus Christ. The good news is summed up in three truths: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again three days later. It is in these truths that we have all our hope.
Paul says in v. 17 of chapter 1 that God’s righteousness “is revealed from faith to faith” in that very gospel. Through this good news, we see God’s righteousness and justice. Yet, we see in v. 18 another aspect of God.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
Romans 1:18
So we see that both God’s righteousness and His wrath are revealed. His wrath comes upon all who go against Him and who “suppress the truth.”
Why Do Bad Things Happen?
Many people lose faith in God because they have a hard time reconciling that God is good, but He still allows bad things to happen. They ask, “Does God really love us if He lets such horrible things happen to us?” These are good questions, and they have good answers.
The first thing we must realize is that God gave us choice. Our free will is what defines us. If God had not given us the gift of choice, He might have forced us to follow Him, whether we wanted to or not. He gave us choice so that we could choose to love Him, and He desires love just as we do.
Think about parents. People choose to have children for differing reasons, but ultimately there is something beautiful that is felt when those children choose to love the parents. That love is not unfounded, though! If parents do as they ought and raise their children well, with good discipline and love, the children can love their parents for doing so much for them. In the same way, we can love God because of all that He does for us.
Now, parents must remember that those children still have a choice. No matter how well or how poorly they are raised, they can still choose to hate their parents and go against them in every way. So, knowing that this is a possible outcome, why do people continue to have children? Why did God choose to have us? God is love, and He has great love for us. He desires love in return, just as a parent desires love from a child.
God gave us choice so that we could choose to love Him, but bad things happen in this life because of our sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, God could no longer be directly with them. Without the direct presence of the goodness of God, there is evil. When we go against God or choose things other than Him, there are consequences━not because God wants bad things to happen to us, but because God is good, and without him, there is no good. Step away from the source of all goodness, and horrible things will be found. That is what we find in this chapter of Romans: the consequences of not choosing God.
Setting Up the Problem
Romans 1:18-32 sets up the problem of sin━not just to show us the consequences of going against God, but to show us the solution to the problem. The book of Romans was not written to tell sinners that they are doomed, but to show how there is hope of salvation in the saving grace of God. We will see more about that remedy in the coming chapters, but for now we will focus on the problem━the problem of sin.
God Has Given Us What We Need
God has given to all mankind a knowledge of His personality, as vv. 19 and 20 continue,
“[B]ecause what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”
Romans 1:19-20
Since the beginning of time, God has given us glimpses of Himself within ourselves, the world around us, and everything within it. Even without knowledge of the Bible or Christ, we are told that those who deny God are “without excuse” (v.20) because of all the evidence God has given us.
The Sins of Mankind
Now Paul moves into a discussion of the offenses committed by mankind. This is almost like a trial in which all the charges are being brought up. The case is being made against mankind. Read on:
“[B]ecause, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Romans 1:21-23
Here we see that these sins are not just committed by those who don’t even know God, but those who once knew God are also guilty of darkening their hearts. We will now spend some time breaking down each of these offenses.
Everything we see here is a description of what happens when people forget, disobey, and dishonor God. People who once knew God (v. 21) turned away from Him, and in doing so, allowed their thoughts to become empty and their hearts to become dark. When we do not abide in God’s light━the only true source of light━all that is left is darkness.
“Professing to be wise, they became fools” (v. 22). Does this sound like anyone you know? Often people who tout their perceived earthly wisdom over anything they might have from God only make themselves out to be fools. For example, there are those who don’t want to believe in God, so they fabricate wild theories about our origins by means of spontaneously exploding atoms, time loops, and aliens.
People who go down this path also often try to explain God or capture His character in limiting ways, such as idols modeled after the very beings He created. Romans 1:23 lists the degrading path people will take to get away from God: making idols that look like men and birds, then four-footed animals, to simple crawling bugs. See, when we step down from God, we continue on a downward path ever farther from Him and ever closer to the lowest forms of life.
God Gave Them Up
Because the people chose to give up on God, God “gave them up” to their vile passions. As we have stated, God gave us free will. When we go so far and want so badly to have no part of God, He will let us go and have no part of us. God is good, and therefore evil can have no part in His presence. Just as God had to “turn His back” when all the sins of the world were placed upon the shoulders of His Son, He just may need to turn from those who deviate so far from His commands. This is a frightening place in which to be. Beware, lest God turn his back on you.
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Romans 1:24-25
Here, God gives up the people to their uncleanness. They chose it; He let them have it. He let them dishonor their bodies because He gave them a choice. Then, they “exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (v. 25). This is reminiscent of Isaiah 5:20a: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.” This can be seen all throughout history, but is certainly apparent in our world today. People constantly purport that God’s commands are evil and all the things He told us are evil are actually to be accepted. Evil “flips” the truth. Evil people exchange the truth for lies.
We also see that the people chose to worship instead the creature; those birds, four-footed animals, and bugs instead of the Almighty Creator who truly made them. This is the fallacy. This is the foolishness. They were so futile in thinking that they chose to worship things God actually created instead of worshiping Him.
“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”
Romans 1:26-27
Here, God then gives the people up to their evil passions. Oxford Dictionary defines “passion” as “strong and barely controllable emotion.” These people were so far gone, that God just let them do these evil acts. The women went against the natural use of the man and had other women instead. The men left women and lustfully committed shameful acts with one another. Paul says that they all received the penalty for their errors. Whether that penalty that Paul had in mind was the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among homosexuals or the psychological repercussions indicative of those who choose that lifestyle, Paul is clear that the penalty they received was “due.” They earned it. The error of such a way of living cannot be presented more clearly.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
Romans 1:28-32
Because these people didn’t even want to THINK about God, he gave up their minds to all the evil deeds they could and would commit. Then, v. 32 says that these people, even knowing that anyone who commits these heinous offenses against God deserve death, still do them, and even “approve of those who practice them.”
Beware of those who practice such things, but also be aware of anyone who approves of the practice of such things. Tolerance is very different from acceptance and approval, and there is much we ought not even tolerate.
Conclusion
You may find that you do not practice most of the things called out in this passage, but you will most likely find that you are guilty of some. The rest of the book is for you. Without the gospel, we are all doomed because we all sin (Romans 3:23), but glory be to God for the next verse (3:24) tells us that we are “justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Ω
Sources
- Romans (New King James Version)
- Th 24th Annual West Virginia School of Preaching Victory Lectures | “The Depth and the Riches of God’s Saving Grace”
- “The Foundation of Civilization” (Romans 1:18-32) by Charles C. Pugh III
- Truth for Today’s “A Study of the Book of Romans: Part I (1:8-8:13)” by David Roper
Comment