When Real Truth Is Traded For Lies

Introduction:

We live in a time where "truth" is increasingly viewed as subjective—flexible depending on personal preferences, emotions, or convenience. Today we have “My Truth”, “Your Truth”, and Their Truth”. But Scripture is clear that there is only one “TRUTH” – God’s. And it is when we reject God’s truth and embrace lies, we face severe consequences. Romans 1:18-25 paints a vivid picture of what happens when truth is deliberately ignored, twisted, and ultimately replaced.

This passage offers both a warning and a wake-up call. It’s more than a commentary on the culture out there; it calls each of us to examine our own hearts. And yet, in the midst of this descent, there remains a glorious hope: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let’s read this text and then we will walk through this progression together, noting three traits of unbelief that emerge when real truth is traded for lies.

Read Text

I. Suppressing the Truth (Romans 1:18-20)

• Paul opens with a sobering announcement: the wrath of God is being revealed.

o This isn't just a future threat—it's a present reality.

o God is actively responding to the ongoing rebellion of humanity.

o And what triggers this wrath? It’s that people "suppress the truth in unrighteousness."

• This suppression isn't passive. It's willful.

o Like trying to hold a beach ball underwater—you can force it down, but it keeps trying to surface.

o God has made His existence plain through creation: His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature are on display.

o You don't need to be a theologian to sense there's a Creator.

? The heavens declare His glory.

? The order, beauty, and complexity of the world point to Him.

? As Paul states, people are "without excuse."

• Think of how often we hear the phrase, "I’m just living my truth."

o But what happens when "my truth" or “your truth” contradicts His truth?

o Illustration: Like a child closing their eyes and insisting you can’t see them. Denying truth doesn’t change reality; it just blinds us to it.

• Application Questions: Ask yourself –

o Am I ignoring or avoiding God's truth in any area of my life?

o Do I allow creation to remind me of the Creator?

o Where do I see willful suppression of truth in our culture, and how am I responding?

• Transition: Suppressing truth is only the beginning. When we push it down, we don’t leave a vacuum—we make space for distortion.

II. Distorting the Truth (Romans 1:21-23)

• Paul continues: though they knew God, they didn’t honor or thank Him.

o That’s a heart problem—ingratitude and pride.

o The result? Their thinking became futile, and their hearts darkened.

• When truth is suppressed, lies rise to take its place.

o They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for cheap substitutes—images and idols.

o Idolatry isn’t just bowing to statues. It’s putting anything in God’s rightful place.

o Paul lists images of man and animals, but today’s idols are more polished: career, comfort, politics, social media, and even good things that become ultimate things.

• Right here in our own community, we’ve seen families slowly drift from faith.

o Weekend worship gets traded for ball games, times of rest, or travel.

o Over time, the center of life shifts—and faith becomes peripheral.

o Illustration: It’s like trading a priceless diamond for a handful of glass beads. That’s what happens when we exchange the truth of God for empty imitations.

• Application Questions:

o What have I allowed to become more important than God in my life?

o Am I reshaping God to fit my comfort and preferences?

o Are there "respectable" idols I’m clinging to?

• Transition: And this distortion doesn’t remain in our heads or hearts. It leaks into our actions and reshapes our lives.

III. Distorting Life (Romans 1:24-25)

• Paul writes, "Therefore God gave them over..."

o This is not God abandoning people, but allowing them to experience the consequences of their rebellion.

? When we suppress and distort the truth, we begin to live out the lies.

• Our moral compass spins.

• Paul says their bodies were dishonored—a reference not only to sexual sin but to the unraveling of God's design for human life and flourishing.

? We’ve moved from worshiping the Creator to worshiping creation—including ourselves.

? The result is confusion, brokenness, and a loss of identity.

o Personal Connection: I remember speaking people whose lives had spiraled into addiction and toxic relationships. They all said in some fashion the same thing: "The lies I believed were killing me. But when I heard the truth of Jesus, everything changed."

o Illustration: Like a house with a beautiful exterior but a cracked foundation—eventually, it collapses. A life built on lies will too.