Romans 1:26-32 2:1-11

26-32

26

“For this reason” goes back to the previous section from last week, even though there is no excuse and man knew God from the evidence in creation he did not honor God but made other created things or his self or his desires the object of his worship, for this reason, just like in verse 24, God has let sinful man chase after his hearts desire which is impurity. Paul then goes on to list, and not an exhaustive list of what man desires. He starts with lesbianism, women exchanging the natural relations that are from the beginning in Genesis when God created man and woman, male and female, not only to be a helpmate and partner for each other but to go out be fruitful and multiply. The natural order that God intended to fill the Earth for every higher life form on the planet.

27

Just like the women rejecting the natural order so do the men, Paul says burning in their desire for other men. Like the men of Sodom who even after they were blinded they searched for the angels so that they could have relations with them. There is a quote from Dr. Milton Helpern a forensic expert in NYC, who does not claim to be a Christian, he says “When we see …brutal, multiple wound cases in a single victim …we just automatically assume that we’re dealing with a homosexual victim and a homosexual attacker …I don’t know why it is so, but it seems that the violent explosions of jealousy among homosexuals far exceed those of the jealousy of a man for a woman, or a woman for a man. The pent up charges an energy of the homosexual relationship simply cannot be contained.” I am listening to a sermon by one of the pastors of Apologia church and he mentions this section of Romans and talks about the glory of shame, and that when we sin and do what is unnatural to God’s plan the shame we feel is a blessing from God. The problem is that without the help of the Holy Spirit every time we sin that shame that we feel is diminished and we become numb to our own conscience, the effects of God giving them over to degrading passions.

28

For the third time Paul says that even though we have no excuse to know God we do not see fit to acknowledge God and that is the reason God has given us up to do what ought not to be done. Paul wants us to be crystal clear that God is not approving sin or that this is not the natural order, also later Paul mentions that all of the unrepentant people’s sins are being stored up for the day of wrath, God will not also turn a blind eye to sin.

29-31

Paul here give a list of the things that man does, not at all an exhaustive list but he starts with all manner of unrighteousness and wickedness in some translations and evil, which covers everything really, all manner of things which are against God. Covetousness or greed wanting what we don’t have, malice the intention or desire to do evil. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness all things we do to or against other people. Gossips and slanderers, spreading lies and hateful stories about people. Haters of God which covers all of the unsaved as Jesus said if Matthew 12:30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” The list goes on and it is an indictment of man’s rebellion against God.

32

Paul reminds us that the penalty for all of our sins is, by God’s righteous decree is death as laid out later in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” But the unrepentant not only practice all these acts of unrighteousness they give approval and encourage others to those who practices them. I think we clearly see this today. More and more, faster and faster the world is not only performing all kinds of wickedness but as God restraint lessens and we slip ever closer to the final judgement the world actively encourages more and more sinful acts that just a few years ago were not tolerated, at least in public, and makes the unnatural accepted and encourages everyone to join them in eternal damnation.

2:1-2

This section is sort of a transitional section, in chapter 1 Paul was laying out why everyone, Gentiles, have no excuse not to know God and later in chapter 2 Paul is speaking of the Jew, but this section here can be for both. Chapter 2 starts out with Therefore alluding to this is a continuation of the thought process of chapter one, Therefore you have no excuse, O man. But then Paul turns to those who pass judgement on the people discussed previously. This can be the self righteous sinners and it could be the Jews who look down at the rest of the world, the Gentiles. But both groups in passing judgement condemn themselves because while they judge and condemn they are doing the very same things and the judgment of God fall on all those who practice such things. Jesus speak of this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:1-3 ““Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” They apply the standard to everyone else but not to themselves.

3-5

Paul also switches the narrative pattern in this section to more of a question and answer type, in verse 3 he asks the self righteous judge if he thinks that looking down on others and judging them for the same things that he is doing will bring about approval from God and escape his due punishment? Or that knowing of God’s kindness and patience, his long suffering will be sufficient to avoid punishment? But God’s patience and kindness in not immediatly destroying the sinner is intended to lead to repentance, God gives us grace and patience, he does not delight in destroying anyone and longs for our salvation. Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” But we keep on sinning and being heard hearted, and all our sins are being recorded, all the wrath we are due are being stored up and up and up until there is no longer an opportunity to repent and turn away, the day of wrath when God’s judgment will be revealed.

6-8

Each will be dealt with according to his works. What we do in this life will be the determination for our eternal state. Paul is not saying that we can work our way to heaven though, no work we can do apart from the Holy Spirit in us is pleasing to God’s eye. Those who seek for glory and honor and immortality, but not our own glory, honor and immortality, but the glory and honor and immortality of God, those God will give eternal life. Those who do not seek the glory of God and do not repent and turn to Jesus as our savior and only way to redemption, the self-seeking and unrighteous will be eternity of wrath and fury.

9-10

Everyone in the second group from verse 8 will be full of tribulation and distress, every human being who does not repent and turn to Christ, including the Jew and also the Greek. There is some who believe that Abraham is waiting at the gates of Hell to rescue any Jew and turn him back to heaven because they are Jewish and God’s chosen people, even the most sinful and evil Jew will not go to Hell because of their Jewish heritage. Verses 9 and 10 are a clear rebuke to that notion, all who are unrighteous and unrepentant, the Jew and the Gentile, will have an eternity of wrath and fury in Hell. But all who do seek after the honor and glory of God, repent and trust on Jesus’ saving work will be at peace.

11

1.Paul concludes this section that even though the Jews are God’s chosen people there is no partiality. The Jew’s are no better off because they are Jews by birth if they trust in their ethnicity rather than God. Luke 12:48 “But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”