The Great Exchange
Romans 1:18- 32
Intro: Where did man come from? Where is man going? These 2 questions are at the heart of every human being at one time or another. The answers to these questions determine how a person values life and the lives of others. For example; If a person believes in evolution, which is a process of change, he believes man started low and is climbing higher. He started somewhere as the result of something and become something that evolved over millions of years into someone. As long as man continues he will get better with every new generation.
We are all changing a little every day. We are not the same as we were 5 years ago. We are either drawing closer to the Lord or not. We are either changing for better or for worse. You can’t do this thing called “life” without the Lord! If you do not submit your life to the Word of God you will exchange the things of God for other things.
This text teaches us apart from the grace of God man never gets better but rather sinks lower and eventually lower than the animals.
These devilish changes that take place in man are the result of man exchanging things God has given him for other things. What are they?
I. THEY CHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR A LIE.
Verse 18 they suppress or hold back the truth of God because they are living ungodly and unrighteous lives.
God’s Word is described in Jer. 23:29 read.
Ill. Sometimes that hammer breaks that hardness around our hearts like a hammer or burns like fire. People become sermon proof to the degree that they hear the truth of God but do not obey it. They don’t repent but keep on living the lie.
In order to do this man has to justify his ungodly and unrighteous life by changing the truth into a lie and serve the creature rather than the Creator. Read verse 25.
Humanism is the end result of evolution. It is the philosophy man is the highest authority and beyond man and the material universe there is no reality. You know people who are humanistic in their thinking. They change right into wrong and make what is wrong sound right. The lie begins to sound more right than the truth does. All this is done so man can serve himself rather than God.
Whenever we sin against the Word of the Lord we will suffer. Read Jer. 2:13, 19. There are built in reproofs.
God’s Word is truth for us to live our lives. When we obey His Word we are blessed when we disobey there is built in reproof. See Proverbs 1:23-33.
Ill. Example is Haggai 1. The people of God are not prospering. God tells them over and over, “Consider your ways.” Vs 6 describes their lives as blessed by God but it is like putting money in a bag with holes in it. Verse 9 “You look for much and it comes to little, consider your ways!”
Problem was they were ignoring God’s clear Word to put His interests and the work of the KOG first in their finances and support. God accuse them of building their own fancy homes and letting God’s house lie in waste. Is God going to bless us if we put our interests before His? Consider your ways.
The reproof of God is built into our ways.
-What do you do with the truth about tithing to God’s storehouse? Turn to Malachi 3 it says if you don’t put God first in tithes you are already cursed with a curse. God actually calls you a thief. Read 3:6
Are you guilty of changing the truth of God into a lie by saying “that is Old Testament”, or God understands I can’t afford to tithe right now? This is a matter between you and the HS.
Ill. People accuse preacher of using tithing scripture as tool to manipulate people. Think about it, no where in scripture does it change the principle of tithing. NT endorsed this idea as a matter of fact. It was an accepted practice and tradition that no one questioned. The idea of putting God first in every area of your life makes this idea of tithing fit. Not as a regulation or law but that you should put the Lord first in your finances. You should put God first in every area including finances.
I personally believe tithing is pattern or guideline of faith between you and God. God will speak to your heart about what you are to give. 2 Cor. 9:6-7 is your guide. If you are not obeying what God has shown you then I believe you are experiencing the built in reproofs that the Word says you will experience.
Not only in money but in every area where the Word of the Lord is declared. You will either accept the truth or suppress the truth. You will either believe the truth and change your ways or change the truth to believe your ways!
Ill. Back in Haggai 2:18-19 the prophet challenges the people to mark down the day that they start obeying what they know the Lord says is right. “Consider now from this day on… from this day on I will bless you.”
James says, “the one who knows the truth as does it is the one God blesses.” Bible says, “it is better to not have known the way of righteousness if your not going to obey it.”
II. THEY CHANGED THE GLORY OF GOD TO CORRUPTIBLE MAN. Read vs 21-23a.
Once a person rejects the truth of God he embraces a lie about God. The result is his heart becomes “darkened”. He imagines God to be something He is not. Man’s image of God is warped. He makes God into something to his own liking rather than receiving the truth about God. Willful rejection of God’s revelation of Himself causes man to glorify his own intellect. He de-thrones God.
a. Man likes a god who cuts corners on holiness.
b. Man likes a god who does not punish sin but who is all loving and understands and tolerates our sin. This is not the god of the Bible.
Verse 22 read. The result is they “profess” that they are wise but actually are “fools”, word is “moron”.
They changed God’s incorruptible glory for an image (eikonos: icon). Man wants something he can see touch or feel. This is the reason God warned His people not to think of Him in terms of some tangible form. See Deut. 4:12, 15-19.
Note the descending order in verse 23 of man’s worship exchange. First it begins with man, then birds, four footed creatures, then reptiles.
Mental perversion leads to moral perversion. Read verse 24.
If man decides his own god then he can do whatever he pleases. The result of self deification is self indulgence.
“God gave them over” 3 times mentioned = God let men reap what they sowed. Much like allowing a boat to drift downstream. A withdrawal of God’s restraint. As a result there was another change.
III. THEY CHANGED THE NATURAL USE OF THEIR BODIES
One example was homosexuality or sodomy which was common in Greek and Roman worlds. The crucial point to note in homosexuality is the LIE that is involved. That is results from a biological condition and cannot be helped rather than the truth is it is willful disobedience.
Note in verse 24 “lusts of their own hearts” = an expression of their own will. You don’t lust because someone dangles temptation in front of you, you lusts because you have it in your heart already. Mtt. 15:19-20 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery…” The devil can only appeal to lust, not create it.
Read verse 26 “natural use” = heterosexual relationship. “which is against nature”.
Read verse 27 “receiving in themselves” is an imperfect verb meaning the result is coming because of a continuous past action.
Is AIDS an example of recompense for this sin? I think so. What about the innocent who suffer? The innocent always suffer as a result of sin in our world.
Read verse 28. The deeper a person goes into the depravity of sin he loses his grip on the knowledge of God. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge…”
“God gave them over” = not without a battle. They insisted on their own way with no repentance and God eventually gives them over to a …
“Reprobate mind” is one abandoned to it’s own wishes. Ill. Ever notice an abandoned building never stays abandoned. It soon becomes occupied by bugs, rats, bats, pigeons or almost anything.
If you do not fill yourself with God then the devil with all his delusions can move in.
Verse 29 read Filled with a list of things that destroy social and family relationships.
Verse 30-31 read. What a list!
Verse 32 “death” includes spiritual death and eternal death = hell.
Concl: No breaks in this letter such as chapters. It continues 2:1a read. “You are without excuse” because you know the truth. Since you know the truth what are you doing with it?
