God's Truths and Judgment (part 1)

Introduction

In chapter one of Romans, Paul taught the “saints” of Rome about the gospel and told of his calling by God to be His apostle. He blessed them and thanked God for them. Paul gave a thematic statement for this letter: the righteousness of God. He explained God’s wrath would come upon each person who is ungodly and unrighteous. Paul further explained that even pagans have no excuse for their ungodliness. He wrote God reveals Himself through creation and His continuing creative process in the world. This natural revelation of God tells the natural order of things and reveals God and His code for right living.

With the last Bible study taken from Romans 1:23-32, Paul made sure the Romans understood God sees everyone’s sins. He taught against sins of the heart, body, and mind in verses twenty-three through thirty-two. Paul wrote against idolatry (vs. 23-25), sexual deviance (vs. 26-27) and gave a list of sins coming from a depraved mind (vs. 29-31). He ensured the “saints” of Rome realized each of these made a person “worthy of death” because they go against the ordinances of God (vs. 32).

From the beginning of Romans 2, Paul spoke specifically to Jews and Greeks. In this chapter, he stated four main truths of God, which he emphasized with rhetorical questions. These main truths are in verses two, eleven, sixteen, and twenty-nine. Verse two says, “And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.” Paul said in verse eleven, “For there is no partiality with God.” With verse sixteen, Paul said, “God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” He ended the chapter in verse twenty-nine by saying, “Circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, and not by the letter; and his [the righteous person] praise is not from men, but from God.” With the foundation of these verses and more to come in later chapters, Paul laid out an understanding of God’s truths and judgment, the sinfulness of humanity, and the salvation God provides.

In this Bible study, we will study and understand what Paul said in Romans 2:1-4. Paul explained no person can judge and condemn anyone. He said God bases His judgment on truth. Paul used rhetorical questions to emphasize every person is a sinner and so is disqualified to be a judge. He said God is righteous and no one will escape His judgment. God is the perfect, righteous Judge. Finally, Paul aimed for the hearts of his readers and listeners. He taught with the second rhetorical question that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. Let’s begin our study of verses one through four.

God’s Truths

In chapter two, Paul used a technique in this letter to the Romans that he used in other letters, and that writers and teachers of the time often practiced. He used rhetorical questions to make his point. By asking rhetorical questions that sounded ridiculous, the truthful answer emphasized the point Paul wanted the people to understand in this teaching. Verses three through four, and eighteen through twenty-three use this rhetorical method of teaching. With the Bible study of chapter three, more rhetorical questions occur. We will study each of them as they occur in other Bible studies in this series on Romans.

Though I titled this section “God’s Truth,” we must understand Paul inserted God’s truths throughout this letter. The four basic truths in this chapter set the foundation for the letter to the Romans. These truths speak of God’s righteousness, justice, and impartiality, the unrighteousness of each person, and God’s mercy and grace. In Romans 2:1-4, two statements of fact/truth occur-God bases His judgment on truth and all people are sinners. Let’s consider these four verses closer. Read what Paul wrote in Romans 2:1-4,

Therefore, you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (NASB)

Each Person is a Sinner

First, with verse one, Paul spoke to each hearer and reader of this letter-Jew, Greek, and pagan-of that time and each one since then. Though he wrote to the pagans specifically in chapter one, he implied the chapter was for all people. With chapter two, Paul spoke specifically to Jews and Greeks, but implied the lessons were for every person. God did not send His Son, Jesus, to die for some people, but for all people. Paul understood this.

Paul began Romans 2:1 with the word, “therefore.” This means his next statement hangs on what he said in the preceding verses. In chapter one, Paul ended by giving a list of sins of the heart, body, and mind. With chapter two, he said, because of these sins, you have no excuse. He wanted every person to recognize they each are sinners and are unrighteous. Because of that, no one has an excuse for passing judgment, Paul said. This word “excuse” comes from the Greek word anapologetos. It literally means no (an) defense or argument (apologetos). For what did Paul say no one has an excuse? Why did he say no excuse exists for anyone? In Romans 1:20, Paul said no person has an excuse to say he/she did not know God and what is right or wrong because people can know Him through creation, natural order, and His active creative presence in the world. From chapter one that meant no person has an excuse for sin by saying they did not know God. For Romans 2, this idea carries forward. Paul said people have no reason to judge other people for their sins since each of them is a sinner. No one is righteous and can judge another person because each person does the same sins for which they judge the other. Only a person without sin may judge someone else. No one is righteous and so no one can point a finger and decide someone else deserves punishment. Paul said this at the end of verse one when he said, “for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself.” When we say someone has done evil, that same thing the person did is evil when we do it, too. Our condemnation of the sin condemns us, too. God condemns each person-judges as guilty and worthy of punishment-because of his/her sins. If a person judges another person for his/her wrongdoing, but does the same, that judge is a hypocrite.

Consider these Bible passages. Nathan, the prophet, called King David on the same thing in 2 Samuel 12:5-7. In this passage, David condemned the rich man who took a poor man’s sheep to feed a traveler instead of one of his own sheep. Nathan said David did the same thing by taking another man’s wife for his own use. Jesus emphasized this in Matthew 7:1 in the Sermon on the Mount when he told the listeners, “Do not judge lest you be judged.” Jesus, when confronted with a woman caught in adultery, wrote on the ground and then said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” [John 8:7, (NASB)] Paul continued this teaching later in Romans 14:22 when he said, “Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approved.” The point of truth Paul made in verse one is each person is a sinner and that disqualifies him/her from being a judge of other people’s sins.

Questions for Reflection:

·         Do you recognize you have done wicked things, said evil things, and contemplated vile thoughts? These make you a sinner. Every person who has ever lived was a sinner.

·         Of what have you considered that is evil in God’s sight? What have you done that is a sin? What words have you spoken that do not honor God? You are a sinner.

·         Do you realize then, you have no right to judge another person? You are not blameless so how can you judge someone else who is not blameless?

God’s Judgment is Righteous

Paul continued from that idea and made a bold statement about God with verse two. He said, “And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those people who practice such things.” With this statement coming directly after verse one teaching no person is righteous and, thus, cannot judge another person, Paul said God rightly judges. Paul is not the only Bible writer to declare God a righteous judge. David said it in Psalm 50:6 when he said, “And the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge.” Jeremiah 11:20 speaks of God as the righteous judge. Genesis 18:25 records Abraham declaring God is a righteous judge who would not let His righteous people perish when He judged the wicked.

As we continue to study verse two, we must look at the words Paul used. The word “know” comes from the Greek word oikeios, which means having seen, perceived, and, therefore, know. This knowing comes from experience of God and/or with God. The pagans experienced God through creation and His continuing creative process. Later in Romans, Paul said the Greeks knew God through their consciences and the Jews through the Laws of God. The word “rightly” comes from the Greek word kata. This rightness comes down from a higher plane to a lower plane and has its basis on God’s characteristics of righteousness and truth, based on His being. With these two words taken together, this verse means, we recognize from experience with and watching God that His judgment is right and deserved. It comes from His righteousness upon people who sin in word, thought, and action (heart, mind, and body). People, because of their sins, fall short of God’s standards of right living; they miss the mark.

Because each person is sinful and not righteous, he/she cannot judge fairly. That person's condemnation of a sin in another person would condemn him or herself because he/she practice sin, too. Yet God is righteous and can pass judgment down upon each person because of his/her sin. Added to this, John stated in 1 John 1:9, God’s faithfulness-His kindness-extends to people who confess. He said, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NASB) Paul spoke about this in Romans 2:4.

Questions for Reflection:

·         Have you stopped and acknowledged for yourself God exists, He is mighty, and He is righteous?

·         Have you recognized you do not qualify to be God? You are not righteous.

·         Will you admit you are sinful?

Rhetorical Questions Emphasize the Points

With verses three and four, Paul emphasized the points from verses one and two by asking rhetorical questions. The people contemplated the things about which Paul asked, but recognized the true answers in their hearts. With these questions, Paul addressed people’s ideas that God does not see their sins and, thus, they will go unjudged.

Will You Escape Judgment?

In verse three, Paul’s first question was, “Do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself that you will escape the judgment of God?” This question is straightforward in Greek and English. Paul spoke to anthropos, not men, but all people. Do you suppose you will escape the due judgment for the sins you do of which you convict another person with your judgment of him/her? This question reiterates Paul’s idea in verse one. The thing for which any person judges another is the same thing for which God will judge us, too. God sees everything-every sin-each person does, says, and thinks.

Jesus illustrated this point in Matthew 12:21-35 with the parable of the unforgiving debtor. A king wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. One slave owed him ten thousand talents (60,000,000 denarii or $34,800,000) and could not pay it. The king ordered the sale of his family to pay the debt. The slave begged the king to have patience and he would repay his debt. The king had compassion on the slave and granted a reprieve.  Upon leaving the king’s presence, the slave began collecting from people who owed him. He confronted and began choking a fellow slave demanding repayment of his 100 denarii (about $58), then put him in prison. When the king heard of this, he scolded the slave and said he should have had compassion on the other slave like he himself gave to him for his debt of ten thousand talents ($34,800,000). The king had that slave put into prison because he did not learn from his master and showed no mercy or compassion on his fellow slave. The first slave was no better than the second slave. They both owed a debt. The first slave deigned to judge the second harshly when he himself owed much more. God is like the king in this parable. He knows everything each person does. He chooses to have compassion and show mercy to us; still, people choose to be unmerciful and uncompassionate. Their judgment is skewed and marred by their own sinfulness.

God’s compassion and mercy comes from His love. His judgments come from His righteousness. The slave’s judgment came from his lack of compassion and righteousness. He skewed his judgment in his own favor. The slave showed contempt for the king and his compassionate judgment of him when he did not follow the king’s example. The king’s final judgment of this slave came against him because of the slave’s lack of compassion and mercy.

Paul’s first rhetorical question was, “Do you suppose you will escape God’s judgment when you do the same sin for which you judge another?” The peoples’ first answer would have been, “Yes.” They thought they could escape God’s judgment of their sins.  Yet, they understood in their hearts the answer was rightly, “No.” They realized no sin escapes the knowledge of God. People answer this same question in the same way even today. This question leads to several truths.

1.      Every person sins and is a sinner.

2.      God knows your sin and rightly judges it.

3.      You cannot escape from your sin or His judgment.

Questions for Reflection:

·         What sins have you committed? Where have you given in to temptation?

·         Have you ever really battled not to give in to temptation? Maybe you drink too much alcohol, or take illegal drugs, or beat your family members. Maybe you cheat on your taxes, tell small lies, or have an emotional attachment to someone who is not your spouse. These are each sins. There are many others.

·         Have you realized you cannot hide these sins or yourself from God? There is nowhere you go and nothing you do that keeps you hidden from Him. His right judgment will happen.

Do You Disregard the Riches of God’s Kindness?

In verse four, Paul asked a second rhetorical question. The people would answer, “No,” but would realize in their hearts based on the way they lived, the answer was really “Yes.” Paul asked in verse four, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

Beginning this question with the word “or” makes the reader focus on what came before this verse. The “or” in this verse means “as opposed to.” The word “lightly” comes from the Greek word kataphroneo, which means to disregard, or consider unimportant. Paul’s “riches” means an uncountable quantity of riches of spiritual and material wealth. In this verse, Paul spoke of the wealth of God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience. “Kindness” is God’s goodness, gentleness, and uprightness toward people. “Forbearance” is God’s mercy withholding judgment. This forbearance is His patient endurance hoping each person will turn to Him as his/her God. The Greek word used here for "forbearance" occurs only twice in the New Testament, here and in Romans 3:25.  Romans 3:25 speaks of God presenting Christ as a sacrifice to demonstrate His righteousness, because, in His forbearance, He had left the sins committed before unpunished. “Patience” is God’s waiting a long time before expressing anger. This expresses God’s divinely regulated patience, longer than we can think or imagine.

Understanding these words allows us to realize Paul asked the Romans if they took lightly God’s riches of kindness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing the kindness of God leads to repentance. God gave His forbearance and patience toward us-all people-so His kindness would lead us to seek Him, repent, and become His children through salvation. Exodus 34:6 speaks of this same thing when it records Moses teaching the Israelites the LORD is compassionate and gracious. He is slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. Paul spoke again about God’s patience and mercy in 1 Timothy 1:16 when he wrote, “And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost [blasphemer, persecutor, and violent aggressor, as he said in 1 Timothy 1:14], Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”  Peter spoke about God’s patience and desire that no one perish in 2 Peter 3:9. He further wrote in 2 Peter 3:15, the Lord’s patience means our salvation.

In Romans 2:4, Paul meant through this rhetorical question, if you think God does not see your sins and you will escape His judgment, and if you think lightly of His riches of kindness, forbearance, and patience, you do not realize that He shows His great kindness to you to lead you to repentance. You are blind to Him and focused solely upon yourself and your selfish ambition. The life you want to lead is of more value to you than God’s riches of kindness, forbearance, and patience. You consider His riches a small thing compared to doing what you want. This means you contemptuously throw God’s riches back into His face.

Paul ended this section with a profound statement. He said, God’s kindness leads you to repentance. God gives his kindness out of His compassion so each person will be saved from a judgment of eternal separation from Him. Paul’s second rhetorical question was, “Or do you think lightly of God’s riches, not knowing His kindness was to lead you to repentance?” The peoples’ first answer would have been, “No, they do not think lightly of God’s riches,” but they recognized in their hearts the answer was actually, “Yes.” They cared more about what they wanted to do than loving God by obeying Him. They did not consider God’s riches of kindness, forbearance, and patience worthy of consideration when they decided to do what they wanted. People today answer this question the same way. This question leads people to God’s truths.

1.      God wants everyone to be saved from their sins and the judgment due because of their sins.

2.      God is compassionate, merciful, and patient. He wants no one to be eternally separated from Him and His love.

3.      God’s kindness to you is to lead you to repentance.

Questions for Reflection:

·         Do you think lightly of God’s love, mercy, and patience?

·         Do you think, “Oh, He won’t care; I’m too small a fish in this big world?”

·         Do you understand God continues to show you kindness instead of judgment hoping you will repent and return to Him?

·         Understand, you are not too small in this big world for Him to love you. He loves you and sent His Son to die for you so He could be in a relationship with you.

·         What will you do now knowing of this great love of God?

Recap

Though this section of chapter two is small, it carries great meaning. Paul taught the Roman saints and other hearers and readers about God’s truths. Each person sins. Those sins separate the person from Him. Isaiah understood sin separates each person from God. He said in Isaiah 59:2, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that he does not hear.” (NASB) God sees the sins of each person. No one is qualified to judge and condemn another person for his/her sins. God is righteous and because of this, He alone is qualified to judge. His judgments are right. God wants everyone to be saved.  His kindness, forbearance, and patience lead people to repentance. Peter said in 2 Peter 3:9b, “God is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” (NASB)

From these truths, Paul continued in chapter two to lay the foundation for the gospel of Christ’s saving grace for all people. In Romans 2:11, he said God is an impartial judge. He proved no person is qualified to be a judge because everyone is sinful and “looking out for number one.” People are prejudiced, but God is impartial. With this next truth from verse eleven, the readers and hearers of the letter to the Romans will understand better why God is the most qualified to judge sinners. Paul then led them to understand even the Jews are not exempt from God’s judgment, though God set them aside as His people. He said in verse sixteen, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. What that means we will learn in a later Bible study. The final main truth of chapter two reveals a Jew-a true believer in God-is one whose heart the Holy Spirit circumcises.  We will understand each of these foundational points as we continue our study of Romans.

Conclusion and Relevance

No person exists, ever lived, or will live that is perfect, except the Son of God who came to live in human form among the people of earth. God knew humanity would corrupt His gift of free-will by selfish ambition and desire. For this reason, He planned from the beginning of time to have the Messiah-the anointed One, His Son-to be born a human on earth, live a sin-free life, die a judgment for sin yet be sin-free, and rise from death the victor over sin and death. From the beginning of the Bible to the end, God’s word points to this Messiah, and the salvation and restoration of humanity to a relationship with Him forever.

Should we ever consider ourselves greater than others, Jesus pointed the way to lead us to be the servant of others. He said, “Whoever wishes to be great among you, shall be your servant.” [Matthew 20:26 (NASB)] Continually throughout time, prophets and men of God said no one is sin-free (righteous) and can judge other people. [Romans 3:10, Psalm 14:1-3, & 53:1-3] Only God is righteous. Yet, we can always remember what John taught in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NASB)

If you are already a believer in Jesus Christ and Christ justified you to the Father, you are still a sinner and can walk away from God and His ways. Still, you have the hope of Christ in you. Just as God told King Solomon and he taught to the Israelites in 2 Chronicles 7:14, we, too, can receive cleansing and renewed life when we humble ourselves, pray, and repent before God. In this passage, God said, “If My people, who are called by My name, humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (NASB)

God is faithful to His promises. He will forgive you if you seek Him and humbly repent. God said He is just and will forgive you.

Today you have a choice:

If you are not already a believer, but recognize you are a sinner and want forgiveness and a right relationship with God, pray to Him.

1.      Admit you are a sinner.

2.      Believe Jesus is the Son of God whom He sent to die your sin judgment.

3.      Confess Jesus as your Lord.

God’s kindness has kept His final judgment back so you could have the chance to come to repentance, Paul said in Romans 2:4.

If you are already a believer and recognize you have walked away from God, come back to God.

1.      Humble yourself before Him.

2.      Repent of your sins and.

3.      Turn away from that wickedness.

God will forgive and restore you.

Every one of us has sinned. We have all fallen short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23)

What we deserve for sinning against God is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life with Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

(Note: All Bible passages are from the New American Standard Bible)

Are You Eager?

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“So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”

Romans 1:15 KJV

The love Paul felt for God and for other people compelled-obliged-him to preach to the Romans. Though he’d never met them, he felt obligated to God. That means he felt duty-bound to share the gospel so other people could know the love of God, know Jesus, and receive salvation and eternal life. Paul’s response to God’s love was love for Him through obedience and love for people so they could know of God’s love, too.

A very important point comes in this verse. Paul said he was “eager.” The word “eager” comes from a Greek word meaning ready and willing. Readiness is God’s part of the equation; willingness is a person’s side. Paul’s rabbinical training, his love for God and people, and God’s calling on his life made him ready. God gave what he needed to do the task to which He called him. That’s one side of “eager.” The other side of “eager” is willingness. Paul’s attitude and obedience to God’s calling showed him willing to obey Him.

Paul was ready, made so by God, and willing, made so by his heart and mind. God calls people to tasks for Him, but people often hesitate or say, “No.” A person’s fear, ambitions, or complacency causes that person not to be willing. God did His side of the eager equation; He made the person ready. That denying person did not fulfill his or her side and wasn’t willing to obey.

This is eagerness, acknowledging God’s preparation of us for His task and stepping out in faith with obedience to what God calls us.

Lord, please show us Your way and prepare us for the task to which you call us. Help us to be willing to obey Your calling and step out in faith knowing you have prepared us. Amen.

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The Guilt of Man

Introduction

In the last Bible study from Romans 1:18-23, Paul relayed to the pagans/Gentiles they could not say they did not know God. God reveals Himself in creation and in His active creative presence in the world. Paul said God’s wrath reveals itself against ungodliness and unrighteousness in people for suppressing truth. This truth he spoke of is of God Himself. He explained in verse nineteen, God made Himself evident within them. The Gentiles/pagans knew God in their hearts, but denied His existence even though He made His attributes of eternal power and divinity clearly known. Paul said these people had no excuse for denying God. God is evident in the world. Paul continued in these verses saying these people did not honor God or give Him thanks. They had foolish hearts because of their internal debate; they thought themselves wiser than God. These Gentiles (pagans) chose to follow their own desires and reasoned God out of their minds and hearts. Paul said they chose to follow unrighteous ways by exchanging the glory of God for manmade images of man, birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures-created things-instead of the Source of these things, the Creator-God, perishable things rather than eternal God. This showed their ultimate foolishness because they worshiped created things instead of the Creator-mortal things instead of immortal God. God gives each person freewill to choose to be in a right relationship with Him or to turn away from Him and follow the reasonings and whims of their own minds and hearts. By exchanging the glory of God for images, Gentiles (pagans) were guilty of worshiping other gods.

With this Bible study, we will consider what comes from foolish and futile reasoning. Paul said God allowed Gentiles (pagans) to follow their own hearts and decisions and reap the results of them. They walked in guilt from creating idols in verse twenty-three. In verses twenty-four through thirty-two, Paul listed the unrighteous actions, thoughts, and words that come from unrighteous decisions. He then used them to juxtapose with the righteous decision of living in a relationship with God-honoring, glorifying, and giving thanks to Him. The ungodliness and unrighteousness Paul spoke of affects a person’s body, mind, and spirit. It brings guilt of sins done by one’s body, mind, and spirit.

Verses eighteen through twenty-two explain the foolishness and ignorance of Gentiles (pagans) for turning away from God, who is evident in the world. Verses twenty-three through thirty-two expound on the sins that come from turning away from God and deciding to live without Him. As Paul explained, the pagans/Gentiles had no excuse for ignorance. God makes Himself evident. In the following verses, Paul explained they had no excuse for the guilt of idolatry (heart), sexual sins (body), or sins that come from the mind that adversely affect themselves or other people. Let’s now consider verses twenty-four through thirty-two with the rest of this Bible study.

Guilt of the Heart

Verses eighteen through twenty-three speak about the foolishness and ignorance of pagans/Gentiles for choosing to turn away from God who made Himself clearly evident to all people through creation and His continuing active creative presence. Verses twenty-four and twenty-five give greater meaning to verse twenty-three. Verse twenty-three alluded to idol worship. Paul said in twenty-three, “[they] exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds, and of four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” (NASB) Making statues or art of things in creation is not wrong. What you do with those statues and art could be wrong.

In verses twenty-four and twenty-five, Paul said,

Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might 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. (NASB)

First, we must note, the word “therefore” expresses an action or thought now because of something earlier. “Therefore” looks backward to look forward properly. Because they loved images of creatures, they worshiped them. “Therefore” since they made idols, God gave them over to run their own lives instead of following Him. He allowed them to follow their own hearts. “Therefore,” they dishonored God and their own bodies. The word “therefore” carries much weight. The two-word verb “gave over” comes from the Greek word paradidomi and means to deliver over, hand over, or abandon. The word “lusts” comes from epithumia and means to focus on a passionate desire. It expresses a passion built on strong feelings or urges. Paul said, God abandoned the Gentiles (pagans, and all people, really) to the passions of their hearts and the result of those passions. The result of passions not based on God is impurity. Impurity means unclean in the Greek language. This uncleanness comes from being sinful, which keeps a person from being right before God. Impurity dishonored and defiled the pagans/Gentiles’ bodies. The pagans'/Gentiles’ worshiping idols defiled their bodies and showed they dishonored themselves.  Paul spoke of this in Romans 1:26 & 28, too. The pagans/Gentiles dishonored themselves by focusing on the statues with lust. They chose to care more about the statues than about God. This brought shame upon them. The impurity of the pagans/Gentiles came from rebelling against God and lusting, desiring with passion. It came from not following Him, but following something else. Paul spoke about lust of the flesh in Ephesians 2:3, too. He said in Ephesians in times past believers had walked in the lust of the flesh by fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind. Believers were children of God’s wrath before they accepted Jesus as their Savior. Each person deserves the penalty for sinning against God. Jesus paid the penalty so we can be in a right relationship with God since He will not be where sin is.

In verse twenty-five, with the word “for” Paul told the pagans/Gentiles their sin when they turned away from honoring, thanking, and glorifying God. He told them they “exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” Paul told the pagans/Gentiles their blatant denial of God led them to dishonor themselves in God’s eyes. He said, they chose to lust after other gods, things they desired other than God, by making gods out of statues in the shapes of creatures. Instead of acknowledging the truth of God as evidenced in creation, they chose to believe an untruth. With this belief, the pagans/Gentiles worshiped and served the physical images of the untruth they believed. Jeremiah 10:14 speaks about handmade images. He said, “Every man is brutish in his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.” (NASB) Images/idols people make have no breath and are perishable. Only God who created the resources and the model for the image is immortal, divine, and powerful. Paul said this with the end of verse twenty-five when he said only the Creator is blessed forever. He meant only God is truly worthy of praise and will exist for eternity. God is everlasting and worthy of praise, honor, and glory.

God allowed the Gentiles (pagans) to become what they began. They wanted to worship things instead of Him. God allowed them to have freewill. Paul said these people considered themselves wise and followed their own ways. The pagans/Gentiles, he said, did more than make statues. In following their foolish ways, they worshiped the image of the creature, not the Creator. The pagans/Gentiles became impure and dishonored themselves. They exchanged the truth for a lie and worshiped it.

·         Is there something or someone you think about and give more consideration to than holy God?

·         Do you recognize Him in creation and His continuing creative process?

·         Do you hear and feel His conviction in your heart?

·         What do you do when you recognize God and feel convicted? Do you turn your back on Him refusing to give Him credence? Or, do you turn toward Him, asking forgiveness, and doing what He says?

Guilt of the Body

With verses twenty-six and twenty-seven, Paul explained how the pagans'/Gentiles’ decisions to worship manmade idols and follow their own desires affected their bodies and lives. In verses twenty-four and twenty-five, he said their lusts made them impure and dishonored (defiled) them. The pagans/Gentiles worshiped things other than God and by doing so made themselves as high or higher than God in their lives, in their minds and hearts. When a person chooses to do what he/she wants in the face of doing what is right according to God that person makes him or herself his or her own god. Paul said in these verses, by choosing to follow their own ways, making their own decisions and being their own god, this rebellion caused impurity. With verses twenty-four and twenty-five, the impurity of the heart came from worshiping creature rather than Creator. This impurity in worship can lead to impurity in the body and mind of a person.

In verses twenty-six and twenty-seven, the impurity from worshiping self-that person’s decisions-affects the body. Paul said in these verses,

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. (NASB)

The phrase “for this reason” refers back to what went before like the word “therefore.” “For this reason,” which Paul said was the pagans'/Gentiles’ worshiping self over God, God allowed them to experience the consequences of making themselves their own gods. He allowed them freedom of choice and to experience the results of those choices. Basically, God took His hands off (“gave them over”) the pagans/Gentiles and let the natural result occur. He delivered them to their own control. The natural result was the pagans/Gentiles dishonored and defiled themselves. God gave them control of their own decisions and gave them over to their degrading passions. The passions of the pagans/Gentiles were uncontrolled; they did whatever came to their minds. Their passions (“lusts” of verse twenty-four) controlled them. Even the pagans/Gentiles could not control themselves when they allowed their lusts-desires or great passions-to lead them.

Paul explained the results to the body of allowing the lusts of the mind and heart. He explained these degrading passions for men and women that caused impurity. Paul said their women exchanged the natural function for the unnatural, what is against nature. That may seem vague until you understand the words in this verse and read verse twenty-seven which Paul hinged with verse twenty-six. The word “exchanged” comes from the Greek word metallasso and means to change or transform. The word “function” comes from the Greek word chresis, a feminine noun used to speak of the sexual use or intercourse of a woman. This means the woman who made herself her own god and chose not to follow God transformed the natural function of sexual intercourse for herself to an unnatural one, one contrary to nature the way God made it. What is the natural function? Let’s consider what Paul said in verse twenty-seven.

Paul said in verse twenty-seven, “and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of women and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts.” (NASB) In this verse, Paul stated the women in verse twenty-six were inflamed (burned in their lust) for women and had sexual intercourse with other women instead of with men. He said men did the same with other men. Paul said these desires are unnatural; they were indecent. The word “unnatural” Paul used comes from the Greek word that means contrary to the order of nature. Women transformed or altered the natural function of sexual intercourse. Men abandoned (aphiemi)-sent away or released-the natural function of sexual intercourse with women. They removed it from their minds and chose to follow their own desires. Instead of doing that for which God created male and female bodies, to join man and woman, the Gentile men and women abandoned it and burned in desire (orexis-inflamed with a strong lust and longing) for a person of the same sex. Paul applied this to the women of verse twenty-six and the men of verse twenty-seven.

Not only do these acts cast aside the natural ways God created men and women to fit together for procreation and pleasure, it goes against God’s laws. They are “indecent deeds” according to Paul. These “indecent acts” (aschemosune) mean they are shameless and improper behavior that fails to fulfill the needed purpose. In Leviticus 18:22, God told the Israelites through Moses, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” (NASB) Later in Leviticus 20:13a, God said, “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act.” (NASB). In 1 Corinthians 6:9, Paul continued this thought when he wrote to the people of Corinth. He said, “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither shall the fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals.” (NASB) The words “abomination” and “detestable” come from the same Hebrew word meaning disgusting, wicked, unclean, and unrighteous. “Unrighteous” comes from the word adikos and means sinful, not right with God. Fornicator, adulterer, effeminate, and homosexual deal with unlawful sexual intercourse, male with male, male with a woman who is another man’s wife, female with female. These sexual relations occurred contrary to God’s laws and the way He made all things, natural laws. They occur because people decide to be their own gods and allow their passions to lead them into unnatural actions, actions against nature. Unnatural sexual relations was a consequence of pagans/Gentiles following the lusts of their own hearts when misusing the freewill God gave them.

For these indecent deeds, sin affects their bodies, Paul continued in verse twenty-seven. He said they “received back in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” Basically, Paul said they got what they deserved, the reward for their actions of going against the nature of things and God’s laws. The error of the pagans/Gentiles is wandering and roaming into sin. The people followed their lusts and did what they wanted to do. They had sexual intercourse in unnatural ways and against God’s laws, the God Who is evident in creation and His continuing creative process. Pagans/Gentiles understood God is real. They understood the natural created purpose for their bodies, but they allowed their desires and strong passions to take control and be their gods. They exchanged the natural for the unnatural. The consequence of any sin against God and His created natural process is the matching reward. For sin, the matching reward is judgment/punishment. For good deeds, the reward is blessing. For each person, the reward for sexual sin is separation from God just like all sins. God’s love and righteousness demands unrighteousness, such as sexual sin, receive punishment to alter the course of the person’s life and cause him or her to turn and look toward God. He does this because He wants to bring the person into a right relationship with Him. Sometimes the reward for sexual sins is disease or death. Other times it can be turmoil within one’s mind and heart. God decides each sinner’s judgment based on his or her sin and depth of rebellion against Him and His laws.

God’s plan allows each person to have freewill. Depending on whether a person uses that freewill to follow God or become overcome with his or her passions and desires, determines the reward the person receives from Him. For those who want to worship idols and make themselves their own god, God gives them over to the lusts of their hearts. Those lusts make the pagans and all people impure. They end up dishonoring their bodies and becoming impure when they alter the natural sexual function of their bodies for the unnatural, when they choose sexual relations with someone of the same sex instead of the way God created them-men with women. Because of these sins in the body that came from making their own decisions and being their own gods, their bodies receive the penalty for these indecent acts/sins. When a person sins against the natural order of things as God created them, sin enters the mix and changes things making it “not good” as compared to God calling it “good” when He created it. This sin causes disease, guilt, confusion, and despair, the natural just result/reward for/from the sin. Sin results from turning the natural into unnatural. When something changes the natural way God made things, it becomes unnatural; it makes “good” into “not good.” Sin in the body causes unnatural things to occur in the body. Sin causes unpleasant rewards in the body when people use their bodies in unnatural ways.

·         Have you chosen to be your own god and make your own decisions despite what God told you?

·         Have you received God’s judgment yet on those decisions? What happened?

·         Were the results of choosing to go your own way and not God’s way positive?

·         Have you ever felt the pull of lust in your body? Did you give in to it?

·         If you did not give in to lust, how did you overcome it and why?

·         God gives each believer strength to overcome temptation. We must call on Him.

Consider what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:13-

 No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. [1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB)]

Guilt of the Mind

Paul tied this to verse twenty-three where he said they “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man.” Remember, this means they made themselves and their desires their gods instead of God almighty. In the first two sections, Paul said “God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts” (vs. 24) and “God gave them over to degrading passions” (vs. 26). Because the pagans/Gentiles made themselves and their desires their gods, Paul added, “God gave them over to a depraved mind” (vs. 28).  Becoming one’s own god affects one’s heart, body, and mind. Consider Romans 1:28-32,

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. (NASB)

This list is lengthy. At first glance, we recognize some of these sins are against God alone and others are against people primarily and secondarily against God and His laws. Paul began by saying they, the Gentiles (pagans), did not see fit. This two-word verb-see fit-comes from the Greek word dokimazo and means to examine and approve. “Acknowledge” comes from the Greek word epignosis, which means to possess or have the precise correct knowledge of ethical and divine things. The pagans/Gentiles did not approve and possess the correct knowledge of God. They did not live by and act on things in the way God said was right. These pagans debated within themselves and chose to follow their own ways. With each action or decision we make, God acts or decides something. Here, because the pagans/Gentiles did not acknowledge God any longer, but followed their own desires, God gave them over (paradidomi), He delivered or committed them, to a depraved mind. This statement is like verse twenty-four where God gave them over to their lusts. Before, the people wanted to follow their passions and God gave them over to their lusts. Here they refused to acknowledge (a mental action) God and He gave them over to depraved minds. Paul meant the pagans/Gentiles considered God and decided He was unnecessary in their lives. The word “depraved” comes from the Greek word adokios and means failing the test, unapproved, and counterfeit. The words Paul used here contrast “see fit” with “unfit” or “depraved.” The latter means the mind is no longer properly functioning and perceiving God. The person estranges him or herself from God and his or her ideas or speculations have displaced the perception of God. 

God allowed the pagans/Gentiles to follow their own thoughts and receive the results of them-ideas, words, and actions that fail God’s standards. The pagans'/Gentiles’ thoughts would lead them to do improper things. Their sins against society are also sins against God. For Paul, the mind has a crucial part to play in conduct. Jesus said this same thing. Matthew and Mark recorded what He said in Matthew 15:11 and Mark 7:15. Matthew 15:11 records Jesus as having said, “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” (NASB) What the heart intends and what the mind plans is what a person says or does. To choose to do any of the vices/sins listed in the next verses requires choosing not to do what God considers right.

Paul gave an extensive list of these thoughts that result in improper actions. Notice the actions are against God and people. These coincide with the ten commandments. These vices break into three lists-crimes against society/community, crimes against individuals, and the final list of six dispositions of pride and six vices related to the destruction of human affection and sentiment. Let’s consider these thoughts and actions now by looking at their definitions.

1.      Filled with all unrighteousness – This is the opposite of justice and is a violation of God’s standards. It encompasses all sins and brings God’s divine disapproval and judgment. It leads us to consider Paul’s use of unrighteous in verse eighteen and that all unrighteousness brings God’s wrath. Each of the vices listed below this shows man as forgetting or turning away from the recognition that God is Creator and he or she is creature, not God.

2.      Wickedness – This word comes from the Greek word poneria, which means pain-ridden evil or pain that results from wickedness/evil. This is evil that inflicts or results in pain for another person.

3.      Greed – This word comes from the Greek word pleonexia and means the desire for more things or lusting after a great number of temporal things beyond what God considers is eternally best. It means not being content with what God gives you, but choosing to be discontent and wanting more, even to the detriment of someone who needs it.

4.      Evil – This word comes from the Greek word kakia. It means malice, vicious disposition, and wicked.

5.      Full of envy – These words come from the Greek word phthonos and means a strong feeling that sours because of sin’s influence. It means being glad when someone has misfortune or pain. It is spiteful and grudging.

6.      Murder – This means the intentional killing of a person.

7.      Strife – This word comes from eris and means a readiness to quarrel or having a contentious spirit.

8.      Deceit – This word comes from dolos and means using bait to allure or hook people, especially vulnerable people, like those in emotional pain or insecurity.

9.      Malice – This word comes from kakoetheia and means evil-mindedness, malevolence, and malignity. It is a malicious disposition that fosters and grooms evil habits and shows itself in deceit.

10.  Gossips – This word comes from psithuristes and means a whisperer, secret slanderer, or backstabber. It is one who secretly destroys another person’s character.

11.  Slanderers – This word comes from katalalos and means back-biting, and defamer-one who speaks against another.

12.  Haters of God – This comes from theostuges meaning hating/abhoring God. Abhoring means more than ignoring God. It means to turn away from Him in all the parts of one’s life. It is total rebellion and denial. This word is only found in Romans 1:30 and nowhere else in the Bible.

13.  Insolent – This word comes from the word hubristes, which means to damage others by lashing out with a nasty spirit. The person who is insolent delights in doing wrong and hurting other people with words and actions.

14.  Arrogant – This word comes from huperephanos and means showing one’s self above others.

15.  Boastful – This word comes from alazon and means a wandering vagrant boasting to anyone foolish enough to take him seriously. This is a person claiming things he cannot really do and who must keep moving to new listeners because people learn the truth about him.

16.  Inventors of evil – This phrase combines two words and means one who plans or discovers ways to do evil/malice.

17.  Disobedient to parents – This describes a person who cannot be persuaded to obey his or her parents.

18.  Without understanding – This comes from asunetos and means unwise, unintelligent, undiscerning, and foolish because he or she cannot understand.

19.  Untrustworthy – This word comes from asunthetos and means being untrue or unfaithful to an agreement, sometimes intentionally so.

20.  Unloving – This word comes from astorgos and means being without affection or love.

21.  Unmerciful – This word comes from aneleemon and means without pity, mercy, or compassion.

After understanding these vices/sin, we must realize Paul did not mean the sins at the top of the list are worse than those later in the list. They each speak to the wider conventional morality. Each of these twenty-one vices is against God and His wrath comes upon those who do them. They lead us to the climax of verse thirty-two showing the wrath of God is justified because of human sin. The people knew of God through created things and through His continuing active creative presence. They realized His divinity and power, still they turned their backs on Him. Paul said, “Although they know the ordinance of God.” God’s moral law is part of creation. He writes it in the consciences of all people. God gave it in His Laws. Each person can know what is right and what is unrighteous through them. In this chapter, Paul taught about knowing God and his moral laws through creation and God’s continuing active presence in creation.  He said Gentiles (pagans) know those who sin against God’s moral laws are worthy of receiving His wrath, a permanent separation from God. These people continued to sin and understood they broke God’s moral laws. They sinned regularly so that when their sins were put on a balance scale of righteousness and judgment, the balance dropped and God had to mete out judgment to correct the balance. Gentiles (pagans) know (epignosko) God’s moral laws in verse thirty-two. This “knowing” recalled the knowing of God in verse twenty-one through what can be known about Him because He made it evident to them, as verse nineteen says.

Because the Gentiles (pagans) can know God and have known God because of creation and His active creative presence in the world, they are not exempt from judgment. They know God’s moral laws, and He holds them accountable to His moral laws, just like the Jews will be because of having the moral law in their written codes of law from God and Gentile-background believers will be because of having the conscience of God within themselves. Each person sins and will be accountable for those sins. Each person needs salvation from his or her sins to be in God’s presence forever and not to have to pay the penalty for sins-death. The list of sins/vices Paul gave in verses twenty-nine through thirty-one are each worthy of God’s judgment. No one sin is worse than the other. Each sin separates a person from God and causes him or her to be due the reward coming from God’s judgment-death. Even the applauding or approval of such sins deserves God’s judgment and penalty. No one escapes God’s judgment-neither Jew, Greek, or pagan. Because God is righteous, justice must happen. Jesus came to fulfill this law. That is the point Paul will get to during the study of the rest of this book.

·         Have you ever done any of these vices About which Paul wrote? Be honest with yourself.

·         Have you ever considered yourself better than someone because you didn’t murder someone or hurt someone? No sin is greater than another. Each sin is wrong and requires God’s justice to make it right.

·         What came to your attention as you studied the list of sins? Do you need to seek God’s forgiveness and renew your relationship with Him?

·         Every person sins. Paul stated, “All have sinned fallen short of God’s glory.” (Romans 3:23) We have to recognize our sin and our need for cleansing. We each must seek God and repent. Then He will hear and cleanse the repentant person, renewing his/her relationship with Him.

Recap

Every person who ever lived sinned. It occurs because we are not God and, therefore, are not righteous. God gives freewill to all people. Paul said no one was exempt from knowing God and His moral laws, not even the pagans who had never heard about God. God can be known through creation and His continuing creative process. When a person chooses to be his/her own god and go his/her separate way away from God, He gives him/her over to the depravity of his/her heart, body, and mind. This depravity leads to idolatry, sexual sins, and decisions that lead to the vices listed in verses twenty-nine through thirty-one. Being one’s own god leads to sin-moral failure-and separation from God.

When we sin, we deliberately turn away from God and His ways to do what we want. We rationalize within ourselves that we know better or we want what we want no matter what. This stance makes us consider ourselves as our own god. Yet we are human, mortal, and fallible. We are not almighty and eternal God. When we sin, we deserve judgment. God gives rewards for good and evil behavior. That is His judgment. For evil that remains unconfessed and uncleansed, judgment is death-eternal separation from God. Judgment can also be separation from God while alive on earth until recognition of sin and repentance occurs. God’s righteousness requires justice. Lest you think you have not really sinned, saying, I just took $1 or R5, Paul reminded the pagans/Gentiles no sin is a small sin. They are all sins and they each separate you from God requiring judgment.  People who practice sin and those who approve and applaud it are worthy of death, Paul said.

Relevance and Conclusion

This should make you stop and think. What are you thinking? Did you think of a sin in deed or thought? That’s recognition of sin and any sin is sin against God. What you do with it now that you recognize it is up to you. You can act like you are hiding it and go on with life, but it’s not really hidden. You will face it again in your conscience and in God’s presence. Paul said in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” (NASB) Conversely, you can confess it to God (turning toward God) and repent of it (turning away from evil). John said in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NASB)

God made it possible for each of us to be cleansed-saved-from our sins. He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to live in human form, to be tempted as we are tempted, yet to remain sinless, and then to die a sinner’s death of crucifixion as the penalty-the judgment-for our sins. God did this because He loves us and wants to be in a right relationship with each of us. He does not want us to be separated from Him. God gives each person freewill to choose for him/herself who he/she will follow, Him or his/her own desires. God did not leave us to wallow in our sin and die because of our sins. Paul explained in Ephesians 2:4-6,

But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. (NASB)

 Today is your day to choose. Will you choose to follow God or continue to follow your own desires and sin?

Admit your sins to God and repent.

By faith, accept Jesus, the Son of God, as your Savior.