Romans 1:18-32 – Progression of Sin in Gentiles
18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31. Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
We have taken some time in the first half of Romans 1 to lay the foundation of this great book – exploring the author Paul, his purpose in writing this powerful summary of the Christian faith, and the key theme of the Gospel and grace that we are going to plumb the depths of.
Now that we know that grace, salvation, the power of the Spirit to walk in a victorious life, and our missional calling will be the destination that this roadmap takes us, we must take a turn to first understand our sinfulness. Let me state here that you can NEVER fully grasp grace without an understanding of sin. Sin is perhaps the most neglected doctrinal teaching of the modern humanistic diluted Christianity. We call sin by more palatable terms like “mistake”, “error”, “an oopsie”, but sin is a serious problem and the root of all the problems that plague humanity.
Sin is such a severe problem that mankind cannot fix it. Men have tried to throw education, money, government, religion, and many other antidotes at it. Yet sin is not fixed by education – there are many depraved educated men that have wrought evil on history. Sin is not fixed by money – the rich and poor alike fill prison with blood on their hands. Sin is not fixed by government – both king and peasant have wrought atrocities. Sin is not fixed by religion – in fact religion often multiplies sin as men have justification or excuse for sin.
Sin is no minor issue. It is not, as some psychologists posit, a problem with the environment. You can become a monk on a deserted island to find that the sin problem was not those around you but a depraved nature in you.
So as Paul begins to outline our sin problem, he is going to do so in three phases through Romans 1, 2 & 3. His first description is going to address those who do not have the law, those who are ignorant of God’s commands. Next he will talk about the sin problem with those who have been given God’s law. Then Paul will conclude with a summary of the sinful nature, state, and acts of all humanity since the Garden.
So Paul begins the sin discussion with a powerful, fearful word – WRATH.
I. God’s Wrath is Revealed
a. Wow, what a potent word to begin the sin discussion with. This creates a sense of fearful reverence that is often ignored or minimized in the current western church.
b. What does Scripture mean when it refers to God’s wrath?
i. When we see an example of God’ wrath, it is a fearful picture
1. Adam and Eve permanently expelled from the Garden because of 1 SIN
2. God destroys all humanity except for Noah’s family in His wrath
3. God annihilates Sodom & Gomorrah in one night in His wrath
4. God commands Israel to exterminate every man, woman and child in His wrath
5. Jesus is brutally beaten and crucified as the wrath of God against sin is borne in His body
6. Every unbelieving sinner is cast into hell where the wrath of God will burn eternally
c. So God’s wrath is no light or trivial thing, and is foundational to any understanding we gather of God – the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
d. God’s wrath is given to the:
i. Ungodly – those who hold the characteristics and actions that are contrary to God’s divine nature
ii. Unrighteous – those who act contrary to God’s perfect standards of justice, goodness, and holiness
II. Why is God’s Wrath Revealed?
a. Because God’s Truth is known
i. Paul is here addressing the question everyone asks “what happens to the heathen that never hear the gospel?”
1. This is a terrifying reality – that the 2 Billion people on this planet that have never heard the name of Jesus, will face eternal wrath
ii. Paul is describing here what theologians call “General Revelation”
1. This is contrast to “Specific Revelation” – like Scripture where God gives the full story of redemption and grace
2. General Revelation is how God’s truth can be seen in the skies, the mountains, the stars, DNA. . .
3. I could go on and on describing His fingerprints in Creation where He has shown from the vastness of the universe to the smallest atomic particle that He is real, powerful, and brilliant
b. Because God has showed the Truth to them
i. Not only is there the fingerprints in creation around, there is an inward unveiling of God to each person
ii. Helen Keller, after beginning to communicate with her teacher, had the gospel shared with her. She responded “I knew him, but now I know His Name”
iii. God places an inward hunger and drawing to Himself within each person to Himself.
c. Invisible Truth is imprinted in visible creation
i. God’s truth can be seen in creation
ii. God’s presence can be felt in nature
iii. God’s glory can be heard in the thunder, clapping ocean waves, baby cries, singing birds
iv. The gospel can be seen in the changing of seasons
v. Even with the earth and man being shackled by sinful darkness, there is still Light that can be see, felt, and heard
d. What can be understood from General Revelation?
i. God’s Power
1. You can understand the power of God when you see the vastness of the universe
2. You can understand the genius of God when you see the intricacies of DNA
3. You can appreciate the artistry of God when you see the brushstrokes of the sunset
ii. Eternal Godhead
1. In addition to knowing that God is powerful, you realize “THERE MUST BE A GOD”
2. I read “Darwin’s Black Box” that was written by a micro-biologist that was not a Christian that powerfully refuted evolution by showing it was mathematically impossible. But his conclusion of Intelligent Design, led him to believe aliens had seeded the earth with DNA to design the species and ecosystems
e. Without excuse!
i. So the result of this great universal understanding of a powerful God, leaves everyone without excuse
ii. Whether or not you have heard the message of Christ, you know enough of God and are drawn toward Him to be without excuse
iii. No one will stand before God and say “I didn’t know”
III. Foundational Sin of All Humanity
a. You know if we were to look at the core sin problem and where it begins, we might mistake it to be selfishness, lust, deceit, or any other number of evils
b. But Paul identifies the sin problem of man is based in a worship problem
i. The beginning of all man’s sin is identified – “they glorified Him not as God”
ii. This leads to the next phase in escalating depravity – “neither were they thankful”
c. Now this is a sobering truth, because even in our redeemed state of grace, we can see these core evils sneak into our attitude
i. This mirrors the first sin in the universe – Lucifer’s movement away from God-worship to self-worship
d. Now as we get ready to join together and lift voices of praise, bow our knees in prayer, if we do self-examination, how do we look with this core evil?
e. Lack of worship is a horrible evil that is the beginning of what we will see is an escalating road to depravity
i. This lack of worship is grouped in two categories
1. Not giving God the Glory He is due for who He is
2. Not being thankful to God for what He has done
IV. Imaginations become Vain and Hearts become Dark
a. This is a direct consequence of not filling your mind with worship to the True God
i. The mind focuses its creative ability on the vain, empty, inconsequential and sinful
ii. Lack of worship effects the mind (imaginations) and the emotions/soul (dark hearts)
iii. The cure to the depraving of our mind is to fix the cause of this problem –lack of worship
b. I have personally experienced the lack of worship leaving a sinful vacuum in my mind
i. When I don’t worship, I find I create sinful fantasies, greed, bitterness, vengeful anger
ii. When the mind is not pointed toward God, it is cluttered with all manner of evil
c. I have personally experienced the creative power of worship
i. I noticed when I would begin my day with worship, I was much more creative on the job, able to solve problems, accomplish goals, and be far more productive
ii. It makes sense, because when you are in the presence of the Creator, you are not empty or trivial
d. This is why Scripture commands us to “love the Lord our God with our mind, soul, and strength” because worship should not only fill the heart but the mind with the Glory of God
V. Sin Exponentially Worsens
a. Before we descend the spiraling staircase downward and see all shocking growing evil, let me interject a note about grace
i. Don’t be proud or self-righteous to say that “at least I didn’t become ____________”
ii. Because truth is, the only reason you didn’t descend further, was that GRACE PREVENTED your fall
1. Like the prodigal son that “would feign fill his belly with the husks”, we should rejoice not only in what grace forgave and rescued us from, but what GRACE PREVENTED
2. If it were not for grace, I would have _____________________
3. I almost became ______________ but grace rescued me
4. I could have become __________________ but grace rescued me
iii. Thank God for PREVENTIVE GRACE that kept me out of the hospital, out of jail, out of the grave!
b. Mistaken Wisdom – Growing Foolishness
c. Idolatry worshipping created things
i. The innate drive to worship is so powerful, that men must worship something
ii. Look at atheism – you would think that if you didn’t believe in God, you wouldn’t need to evangelize it and worship at its altar
d. Uncleanness
e. Lustful hearts
f. Dishonoring their own bodies
g. Distorted God’s truth into a lie –
i. Justification of evil
ii. Self-induced deceit & confusion
h. Served & worshiped creating things
i. God gave them over to evil passions
i. God did not cause sin, but “greased the tracks of depravity”
ii. Most often, God’s judgment is not directly poured out like on Sodom
iii. Most often, God allows you to pursue sinful desires to their own destructive ends
iv. You don’t break the law of God, any more than you break the law of gravity
j. Paul highlights homosexual sins as another step in the deceptive power of sin
i. Paul is showing that deception is so overwhelming that even fundamental realities of nature are confused
ii. Paul refers to this sin have consequences – the way of the transgressor is hard
k. Reprobate mind – God allows those who want deception to become hardened and blinded to truth
l. Lives become filled with ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
i. Fornication
ii. Wickedness
iii. Covetousness
iv. Malice
v. Envy
vi. Murder
vii. Fighting
viii. Deceit
ix. Malignity
x. Whisperers
xi. Backbiters
xii. Haters of God – from lack of worship to hatred toward God
xiii. Despiteful
xiv. Proud
xv. Boasters
xvi. Evil Inventions
xvii. Disobedient to Parents
xviii. Without understanding
xix. Covenant Breakers
xx. Without Natural Affections – parents abandoning children
xxi. Implacable
xxii. Unmerciful
xxiii. Take Pleasure in defying God’s judgment
