Romans 1:18-32 "God's Wrath Revealed"

Good morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

If you missed our Election Day Sermon this past Wednesday… there are some leftover resources at the info table.

I especially appreciate the websites of the organizations that share the key issues of importance and the voting records of candidates.

It’s eye opening to see where candidates land on issues like whether a child born alive after a failed abortion deserves medical care.

I’m not sure how one can vote against that and still claim to be human.

But, that is just one of many symptoms of a society that has digressed morally and spiritually… and will be addressed in our message today in Romans.

Please open your Bibles to Romans 1. Romans 1: 18-32 today.

Last time we concluded the introduction portion of Paul’s epistle to the Christians in Rome.

Paul shared how he prayed for them continuously, and desired to come see them to further establish them… and for mutual edification.

Paul eagerly was ready to unashamedly preach the gospel in Rome to everyone!

For the gospel reveals how God will make unrighteous and ungodly people right in His sight… and this is accomplished through faith in Jesus Christ.

And, at the conclusion of that introduction… Paul quoted from the OT… “The just shall live by faith.”

Because salvation has always been through faith in Messiah.

Today, we pick up in in V18… starting the next section of Paul’s letter which could be summarized in the word “condemnation”… or the “Bad News” section of Romans where Paul puts the entire human race on trial and finds them guilty before God.

This section goes until Roman 3:20, and then Paul will shift to the Good News of Justification.

But today we will see how and why God pours out His wrath on those who reject Him… in a message titled “God’s Wrath Revealed.”

Let’s Pray!

In reverence for God’s word, please stand as I read our passage.

Romans 1:18–32 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes 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, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

For the next several chapters and perhaps for the duration of the book… it is helpful to picture a courtroom scene…

I’ve read that historically in American Law schools, including in the first century of Harvard’s history, the Book of Romans was taught to teach the art of argumentation because Paul lays out a logical case…

… that we’re all guilty before God. And, this is not presented not to bash us, but to build the case that everyone needs the gospel and we all need a Savior.

And so, in vv 18-32 today… we will hear the opening statement from Paul that God’s righteousness in revealed in condemnation.

And there are two sub-divisions to this section today…

In verses 18-23, Paul lays out the reasons for condemnation…

And, in verses 24-32, Paul shares the results of condemnation.

And, through Chapter 3 Paul will build the case that all people need the gospel… ungodly people… moral people… and even Jews who have the law… they need the gospel too.

And as Paul next segues from the Gospel to the wrath of God… it raises a question, “How are these two compatible?”

“Why would God provide the means to salvation from His own wrath?”

Couldn’t God just ignore our sins and accept us the way we are… and then there would be no need for the Gospel and no need for wrath?

Well… No, He couldn’t… Not without denying His own nature as a Holy and Righteous God.

If God were to just overlook the sins of mankind… not only would all creation fall into total anarchy, but also He would not be a loving God.

God’s wrath is an expression of his righteousness and His judging of evil.

He wouldn’t be a righteous judge if he didn’t experience wrath and express that wrath toward wrongdoing in the form of judgement.

One old puritan preacher is quoted saying, "The righteousness of God is that righteousness which God's righteousness requires Him to require, or He wouldn't be God."

In unsuccessfully attempting to figure out WHO said that quote… I was surprised by this AI explanation of that quote.

Generative AI explained, “This phrase essentially means that God's righteousness is a standard so high that it is inherent to His very nature; if He did not uphold this perfect standard, He would not be considered truly God. If God did not require righteousness, it would imply a lack of moral character or a lowering of His standards. This concept is often used to emphasize the idea that humans cannot achieve their own righteousness before God, and therefore require salvation through Jesus Christ who embodies God's perfect righteousness.”

That’s AI… If only all mankind… God’s original creation also knew this…

And so, vv 18-23… the reasons for condemnation. V18 stands out to me as the key verse of our passage today… as it lays out the foundation of what Paul will discuss for the rest of Chapter 1.

V18 begins with the word “for”… “For the wrath of God is revealed...”

And the word “for” ties back to what Paul just said in verses 16 and 17… explaining that the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes… and in it the righteousness of God is revealed.

And, these verses and the concepts in these verse are linked… they’re not separate.

The righteousness of God… and the wrath of God are not opposed to one another.

If there was no wrath, there would be no need for the gospel, because without wrath… what we would we need to be saved from?

We need to be saved from sin… and we need to be saved from hell, but even more… supremely we need to be saved from the wrath of God.

This is the greatest peril facing mankind… more than climate change… or nuclear war… more than global population… or AI takeover or quantum computing… more than pandemics…

The greatest peril facing mankind is the wrath of God.

And, this is not a popular subject… some hear the “wrath of God”… and immediately mentally shut down…

They deeply enjoy messages of love and grace… but if we only focus on those characteristics of God… and ignore His judicial righteousness… we eliminate a cause to worship God.

God’s grace and love have no appeal if we don’t also recognize His wrath and His righteousness and holiness and possessing a righteous anger on sin.

The wrath of God IS a cause to worship God… and many people overlook this.

Knowledge of the wrath of God and acknowledgment that MY sin deserves to be judged makes me appreciate His love and grace that much more.

And, knowledge that God is perfectly just… and will follow through with justice on sin…

AND, knowledge that He provided the solution to avoid His wrath… salvation through faith in His Son…

… causes me to worship Him that much more.

If God is your problem, recognize that only He can provide the solution… and He did… His name is Jesus Christ.

Believe in Him.

Because until you trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, God is your problem… and righteously so.

Now… before we go any further… it’s important that we define God’s wrath.

In the New Testament… the word ‘wrath’ appears 49x… and 4 different Greek words are used… 2 of those Greek words only 1x each…

So, there are 2 main words for wrath in the New Testament…

One form of wrath is explosive… and the other… more level headed and calculated.

Perhaps you’ve had a parent… or maybe you have exploded in anger… and that kind of wrath is not what’s used here of God in Romans.

Wrath is Rom 1:18 is Gk. orgē … Of it’s 32 uses in the NT, it’s almost exclusively used of God’s wrath… except for 2 uses in Rom 13 where governing authorities are said to be God’s minister… an avenger to execute wrath.

Orgē… properly means “excitement of the mind” and by analogy means “justifiable abhorrence.”

By implication “punishment, anger, indignation, vengeance.”

This is a wrath born out of reason.

Pro 5:21 declares, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths.”

God ponders or observes… literally He “weighs” all the paths of mankind.

Imagine all He sees. Things we cannot see… atrocities even in this very moment… crimes against humanity… crimes against children… domestic abuse… destruction of nature… rejection of and blasphemy against His holy name as creator God.

When God’s wrath is expressed it’s righteous because He sees all… and knows all…

And, His wrath comes out of his righteousness. His anger is always righteous. Not like ours. His wrath is controlled and measured and careful…

And His judgment is perfect justice… as we’ll see in this chapter.

God’s wrath in this context is different from man’s wrath.

The Gk. word used almost exclusively for man’s wrath is a different Gk. word… thumŏs… it’s also used of Satan pouring his wrath on the world because he knows he has a short time (Rev 12:12)… and it is used of God’s Great Tribulation wrath… when God’s wrath reaches a peak against a world who rejects him in the final 3.5 years of the Tribulation…

“I saw… seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.” (Rev 15:1)

Thumŏs by def. means “a strong passion or emotion of the mind (as if breathing hard)… fierceness, indignation, outbursts of anger...”

It’s root word means… to rage, seethe… a whirlwind.

This explosive kind of wrath is not the word used in Romans…

Again, God’s wrath revealed in Romans is one born out of careful observation and consideration of mankind… coupled with His character of longsuffering (patience)… and loving kindness…

God is not quick to pour out wrath… God would much rather people come to Him and be in relationship with Him…

But, there comes a point when enough is enough…

I think of Sodom and Gomorrah… Gen 18 & 19.

The LORD said, “the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me...”

God already knew, but still sent two Angels and the men of Sodom, both young and old from every quarter of the town… demanded for Lot to release the angels to them so they could “know them carnally.”

It was no small thing for God to judge Sodom & Gomorrah… He even agreed to withhold His wrath if there were even 10 righteous people withing the city… but there was not.

The city had fallen into total degradation.

And this ties back… as the picture of a society.... and the picture of the individual heart that is addressed in Romans 1.

Again, Rom 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness...”

Notice this is the wrath OF God not simply from god… His wrath is not just something he does but a personal part of his holy, loving and perfect nature.

And this becomes a point where some reject God… they cannot believe in a God of judgment who would sentence people to hell.

And, out of the other corner of their mouth, they would criticize a human judge who would extend leniency to an obviously guilty criminal.

Consider this human example…

In the sport of football, how do we feel if a rule is obviously broken against our team, and the ref doesn’t throw a flag?

We are outraged. “C’mon ref!”

Now… one step further… imagine if the refs in football didn’t have rules and didn’t penalize the players for violating those rules…

What would happen?

The whole game would devolve into chaos, players would blatantly cheat, violence would be unchecked, and there would be no game.

The rules and the refs who enforce those rules protect the integrity of the game.

Laws protect society… and we honor and demand justice and are outraged if a judge doesn’t exercise justice.

Laws are boundaries… they are the guard rails to keep society from driving off the cliff.... they keep us safe… they are good.

And yet when God upholds justice… He is considered intolerable.

But the truth of the matter is people know they are guilty of sin, and they don’t want to be held accountable.

People demand justice… until justice becomes personal.

When the eyes of justice are focused on me, my human survival instincts kick in.

People, therefore, deflect their own guilt and the truth that they should be judged onto God and claim He is unrighteous when they are truly the guilty party.

They shift focus from themselves (the one who did the wrong)… to God (the righteous Judge).

But that’s the purpose… to get out from the guilt… to subdue justice.

But, when justice comes into contact with unrighteousness… it always demands judgment.

Continuing in V18… “For the wrath of God is revealed...” Revealed… Gk. apokaluptō… by def. “uncovered”…

Revealed is written in the present tense. God’s wrath is presently being revealed… not as an outburst of wrath, but a constant state of wrath…

This has been true in every generation… and culminates at the Great White Throne Judgement.

God’s wrath is being revealed from heaven…

The origin of this wrath is OF God… it’s part of His nature… and comes FROM His divine abode in heaven…

… and His wrath is “against” it is directed towards…

ALL… not some, but ALL…

Ungodliness & unrighteousness of men.

By def. Ungodliness is impiety or wickedness… specifically in rebellion namely against God…

Ungodliness reflect people who are ungodly… people with no reverence or concern for God.

Today, we use the term ‘secular’ or ‘unbelievers.’

Not serial killers, but people who live life without God.

Formerly, this was me, and many of you, prior to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

And, in their dismissal of God… this is wrong done on the vertical plane against God.

Unrighteousness from a legal perspective is ‘injustice’… from a moral perspective is defined as ‘wrongfulness.’

Some bible translations choose the word “wickedness.”

This is wrongdoing done on the horizontal plane against other people…

And, so God see all the wrongdoing… that done against Him… and that done against others…

And, His wrath is revealed against people who neither love God, nor love their neighbor as themselves.

AND, they “suppress the truth in unrighteousness…”

The suppression of truth is in order to continue in an unrighteous lifestyle of sin.

Paul’s condemnation in chapter 1 reflects the gentile unbelieving world then and still today.

Suppression means to “hold down or detain.”

Truth is staring them in the face… and they have to wrestle truth to the ground… and it takes great effort to bury that truth, but they do.

In Eph 4 Paul exhorts believers not to behave as unbelievers, and then he describes the nature of unbelievers which is a good parallel to our passage here in Romans 1… of those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…

Eph 4:17-19 “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, [Rom 1:21 uses these same words] being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, [having become calloused… like Paul wrote in 1 Tim 4:2 “having their own conscience seared [or cauterized] with a hot iron”] have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

Unbelievers have God’s truth.

But they refuse to heed it… they suppress it… and this is Paul’s first reason for a righteous condemnation of the unbelieving world by God.

Paul continues in vv 19-20 “… because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,...”

Unbelievers knew of the existence of God…

“Known” in V19 is Gk. gnōstos which is a word used of an acquaintance.

But “knew” in V21 “they knew God” is the root word for gnōstos... ginōskō which is a deeper form of knowledge… of intimate and personal knowledge… even used in relation to the marital relationship…

Paul is making it clear unbelievers know God… it’s “manifest [or evident] in them”… “God has shown [or made it plain] to them.”

To prove this, Paul calls his first witness to the stand… creation.

Notice the visual imagery in these verses…

“God has shown it to them.”… “His invisible attributes are clearly seen”…

You can look around at the earth with the naked eye and it testifies of God…

You can look up into space with a telescope and it testifies of God…

The Psalmist David knew this… Ps 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.”

You can look at cells, organisms, and bio-molecules under a microscope and they testify of God…

Or look within at our DNA and it testifies of a designer.

Even before microscopes and knowledge of DNA… the Psalmist David testified of God’s design.

Ps 139:13-15 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.”

And, within systematic theology… the idea of General Revelation is in view here…

General Revelation is “God’s testimony to his character and works given to all human beings indiscriminately through the created order.”

God also reveals Himself through ‘Special Revelation’ which by def. is “the teaching about God and his works that he has given to us through the prophets and apostles and which is now contained primarily or exclusively in the Bible.”

Going back to the beginning of creation of the world… and the creation man… it is evident… it is obvious… through plain observation of the earth and sky… and everything God has made…

… that God’s invisible attributes (meaning qualities) which are identified as His eternal miraculous power… and “Godhead” or divine nature…

All of who God is… is written all over creation… creation is not primordial soup, but is the result of God creating something from nothing.

Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Created… Heb “bârâʾ”… meaning to create from nothing.

This is a creative power unlike mankind’s creative power.

Mankind is no doubt inventive and ingenious… and our progression in being able to design and create historically is no doubt impressive…

BUT… we are working with matter not made by us.

Where God spoke matter into existence.

And, until we can create something from nothing… we cannot match the power of God.

And, so creation stands as a witness against the unbelief of mankind… and it’s clear that mankind has NO EXCUSE for their ungodliness and unrighteous…

And, yet… they deny God regardless.

Look at vv 21-23… wrapping up the section on the “reasons for condemnation”…

They are without excuse,

Rom 1:21 “… because, although they knew [ginōskō] God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Creation… since Eden has testified of God… and mankind… ignored God’s revelation… almost immediately mankind did not glorify Him, nor did they give Him thanks.

In the beginning, after God’s sixth day of creation He looked back and said, “It is very good.”

And mankind… by and large… took it all for granted.

They did not praise God… nor thank Him… the very purpose for which God made them.

Isa 43:21 reads, “This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.”

1 Pet 2:9 declares, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

We were made to worship… and there is much to be thankful for… but unbelieving mankind is neither…

Thus, not surprising they “became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

When one repeatedly dismisses God… and denies the testimony of God’s existence in nature…

… it leads to futility of the mind. Worthless and purposeless thinking… devoid of truth.

And their minds become dark and confused.

Foolish in V21 means “morally senseless, unenlightened” even “heathenish.”

Ps 53:1 reads, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good.”

When man denies God… there exists a void that man will attempt fill…

Thus, they begin to speculate foolishly… in vanity… about what God is like…

And, they think of themselves as enlightened…

vv 22-23 read, “Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

When mankind is devoid of truth… they claim that they are wise… but are in truth fools.

Their hearts are foolish… and they are fools.

Fools in V22 is Gk mōrainō… it’s root word mōros is where our English word “moran” comes from.

Professing to be wise, they became morans.

People today who reject God think they are evolving into an age of intellectual ascent… that they are reaching a higher plane…

But the Bible says they are fools.

According to Pro 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Without a reverence for God… there is no beginning of true knowledge.

Unbelievers are not evolving… they are devolving.

And, part of their de-evolution is exchanging the glory of an immortal God to worship idols made to look like mere people, birds, animals and reptiles.

Interesting how Roman’s and Greeks had gods that reflected characteristics of humans.

People have their own idea of what God should be like and so often it’s a reflection of them.

So many people today worship the image in the mirror… and primarily spend their time, money, and affection… to serve the satisfaction of that one.

They like being the God of their own life.

There is a downward spiral when one knows God, but refused to glorify Him…

First, futile thoughts… or worthless thinking.

Next, their foolish hearts are darkened… they become morally insensitive.

And, finally, the worship idols… which is religious stupidity.

Again, in vv 18-23, Paul presents the reasons for God’s just condemnation.

He never condemns and pours out His wrath without just cause…

And, as we saw in those verses… the pagan Gentile world… was charged and found guilty of…

… suppressing God’s truth…

… ignoring God’s revelation in nature…

… and for perverting God’s glory.

And, now as we shift to vv 24-32 and observe the results of condemnation…

We will see that God’s wrath is not like other times He poured out His wrath…

There is no flood like the days of Noah…

There is no fire and brimstone reigning down like Sodom and Gomorrah…

Or wrath like we will see in the Book of Revelation.

What we see ahead is the same wrath that God poured out on Israel at times…

When Israel digressed into worthless thinking, moral insensitivity, sinful idolatry… which is spiritual adultery…

God poured out the wrath of abandonment… which is when God abandons a person or nation to their sin.

They forsook God… they wanted nothing to do with Him… they replaced Him with the Baals, and Astaroth, and Molech… and many other false gods.

And, so God gave them up.

There are many verses in the Old Testament that share this concept. Let me share a few.

I have 57 verses to share with you.

Pro 1:24–31 “Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. 31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.”

Jdg 10:13-14 “Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”

There comes a point in an individual’s life and in the life of a nation when God gives them over to what they want… to serve the God of their own belly…

And Romans 1 shows us what happens when an individual or society reaches that point…

God’s restraining grace is lifted… He allows them to experience the full weight of their sin… and they experience the wrath of abandonment.

God allows that person or that nation to experience the natural consequences of suppressing truth, ignoring revelation, and perverting God’s glory.

If you’re confused about what is happening in our nation today, read Romans…

And so in vv 24-32… we see the results of condemnation… which can be outlined as follows…

These verses are divided starting in vv 24, 26, & 28… with the words that repeat “God gave them up” in vv 24 & 26… and parallel “God gave them over” in V28.

vv 24-25 display an increase in heterosexual sin.

vv 26-27 display an increase in homosexual sin.

And, vv 28-32 display a society of mental depravity… a society that digresses into moral anarchy and chaos.

Let’s re-read vv 24-25 “Therefore [because God is clearly revealed and mankind has rejected Him] God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

As unbelievers reject God… and are filled continually with lust in their hearts to commit vile and degrading acts with their own bodies…

God gave them up to uncleanness… sexual impurity. It’s when culture de-stigmatizes & legitimizes the practice of heterosexual sin.

21x the Bible calls it “Fornication”… 55x the Bible calls it “harlotry.”

It’s heterosexual sexual activity outside of marriage…

And, it’s linked to “adultery” when one is unfaithful to their marriage partner. Adultery is mentioned another 45x in the Bible.

God created marriage to exercise the beautiful gift of sexual intimacy.

God is not a prude. He created sexual intimacy… and put a boundary around it… the covenant of marriage…

Sex is sacred and committed to the person who marries us… and any exercise outside of that context degrades and cheapens the practice.

To protect His creation from disease… emotional trauma… violence… sex trafficking…

God designed marriage… where two will become “one flesh” (Gen 2:24).

But mankind has rejected this.

In 1965, reflecting on the conditions of America… Ruth Graham (Billy Graham’s wife) said, "If God doesn't soon bring judgment upon America, He'll have to go back and apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!"

Some of you may remember our society prior to the 1960’s, but since the sexual revolution in the 60’s and 70’s… our culture has declined into moral uncleanliness… and all kinds of sexual immorality has become acceptable.

It used to be that pornography was limited in society… and was somewhat scandalous.

But today according to the organization Covenant Eyes (a great resource for accountability)…

“90% of teens and 96% of young adults are either encouraging, accepting, or neutral when they talk about porn with their friends.”

And, around 60% of men and 15% of women watch porn each month… and it’s about the same for Christians or unbelievers.

Sex has been worshipped as an idol since days of old.

God is truth… God is the creator.

And mankind has historically exchanged worship and honor of God… for worship and honor of sexual pleasure.

Sexual immorality has been at the heart of cultural decline in societies historically…

… and this is concerning because the United States is not exempt… eventually when a heart or a nation becomes so calloused towards God… in order to serve sex…

God honors their rejection of Him and gives them up to uncleanness.

And, when His wrath of abandonment is poured out… what happens next… is there is a progression to a lower level of depravity… as we read in vv 26-27…

“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

Clearly homosexual sin is pictured in these verses.

Note first Paul cites “For even their women”…

This note about women stands out and would be surprising to Paul’s audience because women typically are a restraining force to morality in a culture.

They are the mothers and protect their children.

And when the women fall… the society is at an all time low.

Notice… the reason the Bible separates heterosexual sin and homosexual sin into separate categories…

Both are sins against God… and it’s not that homosexual sin is condemned unfairly…

But it is in a different category… an elevation of degradation within a society because homosexual sin is not only against God’s commandments…

… it’s also against nature. V26 states it’s “against nature”… V27 men leave the “natural use of the woman” for man… which is unnatural.

Sexual design was created for male and female not male and male or female and female.

When you look at the human body it’s obvious there is not a natural way for in homosexual relationships.

As one pastor so eloquently said, “In heterosexuality there is a clear that for there and a clear there for that. But in homosexuality, there’s no there for that in males and no that for there in females. It’s unnatural.”

And, the widespread acceptance of homosexuality is an indicator of a society that is rapidly nearing moral collapse… because once you have a society that can convince itself that going against nature is normal and acceptable…

They have crossed the line and they can convince themselves that anything is right and nothing is wrong.

To do so means to reject the witness of nature, and to reject the witness of God’s word.

And, now that homosexuals have achieved general acceptance in our society… the line keeps getting pushed…

Now we have transgenders demanding the same rights… and violating the rights of women to compete in true female sports…

Men can waltz right into women’s bathrooms claiming they identify as females.

The gender of and hormones of elementary aged children are being surgically and chemically altered…

People deny natural anatomy… and deny chromosomes of the human male and human female bodies, and buy into the lie that we can be whatever gender we want.

The LGB acronym keeps growing… the latest is LGBTQQIP2SAA…

… which is referred to as "alphabet soup."

People identify as animals… and pedophiles are wanting acceptance as well.

And, how can one category say ‘no’ to another… it’s a slippery slope of moral decline… and the United States is in the midst of it…

And it’s spelled out here right in Romans 1… written almost 2,000 years ago.

These are the fabrications of the immoral and ungodly mind, and it’s a symptom of a degraded society that has rejected God.

And the final stroke of God’s wrath of abandonment is spelled out in vv 28-32 which begins “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting…”

As God is dismissed from the mind… it is filled with all kinds of active sin which is summarized as “the debased mind”… or the depraved mind… this is the bottom.

It is not reaching a higher plane or a maturation process to throw off the shackles of Christian morality…

It is a rejection of the very morals that God has written into the heart of every individual…

And, once you reject God‘s morality, you have to create a new definition for right and wrong.

And, this historically has always led to a societal decline of morality… and ultimately chaos… anarchy… and societal collapse.

And, Romans shows the process of what happens when people write their own morals and reject gods.

God wrath of abandonment is the perfect expression of wrath and justice and judgement… because then each person individually experiences the consequences of their sin to the degree in which they press into it.

As you read the list of unfitting or unrighteous deeds in vv 29-30… you may identify with some of these.

You many practiced these deeds… or back slide into these deeds…

This is not a list of unpardonable sins. Only one sin is unpardonable and that is the lifelong rejection of Jesus Christ as your Savior.

But this list represents characteristics of a depraved and unbelieving society… and if these are creeping up in your life now… either for a minute… and hour… or a season… as a saved believer…

You need to repent of these. You need to tear down any strong holds in your life that are pulling you away from God… and pulling you into sin and idolatry.

Tear down your high places. Delete the apps… set up the boundaries… run to good and not to evil.

These sins are not of the nature of those who love God.

Wrapping up in V32… (and worship team please come)

… moral collapse is complete when people know inwardly that these sins are wrong… and are worthy of God’s judgment…

… yet they remain unrepentant and unite to promote these sinful lifestyles for others.

Recently the LGBTQ acronym has a push to add an additional a for “allies.”

And with the close of Chapter 1… Paul rests his case that the entire gentile world is guilty before God and is in need of salvation.

Romans 1 is not there for God to express hatred towards mankind…

God loves mankind and sent His Son to redeem mankind.

But Romans 1 paints the picture of the world’s rejection of God… and embracing of all kinds of folly… and the result of God’s wrath to give them over to that which they desire.

Paul will eventually shift to proclaim the Gospel… and without recognition of our sin and of God’s wrath…

There would be no understanding of WHY we need a Savior and for the urgency to place our faith in Him for salvation.

And, I invite you… if you never have professed faith in Jesus Christ… don’t wait until we get to Chapter 3… place your faith in Him today.

Let’s Pray!

If you need prayer, our prayer team will be available on the sides to pray with you.

As you enter the world in this week ahead… may the peace of God guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.