The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans is often avoided. It opens with his greetings and expresses a strong desire to visit the Roman Christians. As the chapter evolves, Paul quickly makes many people uncomfortable. He addresses the sin of homosexuality. His purpose in visiting was twofold: to share the gospel and to impart spiritual gifts. Paul emphasized his eagerness to preach the gospel in Rome, declaring, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile“1NIV New International Version Translations (Romans 1:16). We cannot, nor should not ignore any portion of God’s Word.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17) – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Humanity’s Unrighteousness and God’s Revelation
Paul swiftly transitions his opening in his letter to a stark explanation of humanity’s unrighteousness. He argues that even those without the Mosaic Law (Gentiles) are without excuse. This is because God’s invisible attributes, including His eternal power and divine nature, have been made visible through what God has created. Despite this clear revelation, humanity has suppressed the truth through unrighteousness, failing to honor God or give Him thanks.
Some find these verses in Romans uncomfortable, especially since contemporary society often shows more leniency toward certain behaviors Paul addresses. However, these passages are presented as divinely inspired words that illuminate a fundamental human failing. Paul states that because people rejected God, God “gave them over” to various forms of depravity. This concept suggests that without acknowledging God, humanity becomes more susceptible to the harmful influences of evil in our world.
Consequences of Rejecting God
Paul points explicitly to idolatry as a primary error, where the glory of the immortal God was exchanged for images resembling mortal humans, birds, animals, and reptiles. Furthermore, Paul explains that God “gave them over” to impure lusts, leading to the dishonoring of their bodies. He also mentions degrading passions, explicitly referring to homosexual acts between both men and women, which he describes as unnatural and incurring a just penalty.
While not solely a study of human sins, this chapter reveals that humanity’s initial error was the failure to acknowledge God. This rejection had significant consequences: God “gave them over to a depraved mind,” resulting in a multitude of unrighteous behaviors.
(Romans 1:18-32) – “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. hey have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
The Apostle Paul’s assertion in Romans 1 regarding the degradation of the human soul into depravity is a cornerstone of Christian theology. Paul goes on to tell us in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Yes, we are “all sinners!” Without Christ, we must fight our depravity ourselves. But with Christ, we have help. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has reconciled all who believe in Him to our God, a God who loves ALL of us! It’s crucial to understand what Paul means and the progression he outlines. No one is excluded from God’s love.
The Knowledge of God is Innate and Suppressed (Romans 1:18-20)
Paul argues that humanity has a fundamental knowledge of God through creation itself. The intricate design and order of the universe point to a divine Creator. This isn’t just about intellectual understanding, but an intuitive awareness of God’s power and divine nature. Therefore, people are “without excuse” for not acknowledging God. The degradation begins because humanity suppresses this truth in unrighteousness. Humanity has actively rejected or exchanged the clear evidence of God for something else.
The Rejection of God Leads to Idolatry (Romans 1:21-23)
Instead of glorifying God and giving thanks to Him, people’s thinking became “futile,” and their “foolish hearts were darkened.” They claimed to be wise but became fools, exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images that resembled mortal humans, birds, animals, and reptiles. This is idolatry, worshipping the created rather than the Creator.
Let me remind you that this is God’s universe, and He is doing things His way. You may think you have a better way, but you don’t have a universe to rule. ~ J. Vernon McGee
God “Gave Them Over” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28)
This is a key phrase repeated three times, indicating a divine judgment. Because humanity willfully rejected God, God “gave them over” to the natural consequences of their rebellion. This isn’t God actively making people more sinful, but instead withdrawing His restraining grace, allowing their sinful desires to run their course. This “giving over” happens in a downward spiral:
- To impurity and the dishonoring of their bodies (Romans 1:24): The initial rejection of God leads to sexual immorality and a degradation of human bodies.
- To degrading passions (Romans 1:26-27): This refers explicitly to homosexual acts, where natural sexual relations are exchanged for unnatural ones. Paul presents this as a further consequence and manifestation of the rejection of God’s design and truth.
- To a depraved mind (Romans 1:28-32): This is the culmination of the spiral downward. Having abandoned the knowledge of God, their minds become “depraved” or “debased,” meaning people lose the ability to make sound moral judgments. This leads to a long list of vices, including wickedness, evil, greed, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hatred of God, arrogance, boastfulness, disobedience to parents, senselessness, faithlessness, heartlessness, and ruthlessness. People not only do these things but “approve of those who practice them.”
Why should we believe the Apostle Paul?
Original Sin: While not explicitly detailed in Romans 1, the broader biblical narrative (found in Genesis 3) establishes that humanity inherited a sinful nature from Adam’s fall. This inherited corruption means that human beings are born with a propensity to sin and are alienated from God. Romans 1 describes the outworking of this inherent separation.
Human Autonomy and Rebellion: The core issue is humanity’s desire for autonomy—to be their own god and decide what is right and wrong, rather than submitting to their Creator’s will. This rejection of God’s authority inevitably leads to moral chaos. What is good becomes bad, and what is bad becomes good!
The Nature of God’s Wrath: In this context, God’s wrath is not merely an emotional outburst, but a righteous consequence of humanity’s sin. It’s His just response to their rebellion, allowing them to experience the full destructive power of sin when God’s restraining hand is removed.
Progressive Nature of Sin: Paul demonstrates how sin is not static. Once the initial rejection of God occurs, there’s a progressive slide into deeper and deeper depravity. One sin often leads to another, and the mind becomes increasingly darkened and incapable of recognizing truth or goodness.
Conclusion
In summary, Paul argues that humanity’s degradation is true because:
- We have a precise, innate knowledge of God through creation.
- We deliberately suppress and reject this truth.
- This rejection leads to idolatry (worshipping creation instead of the Creator).
- As a divine judgment, God “gives them over” to the consequences of their choices, allowing us to descend into increasingly perverse behaviors and a morally corrupted mind.
This understanding of human depravity in Romans 1 serves as the crucial backdrop for Paul’s presentation of the Gospel. If humanity is so utterly lost in sin, then salvation must come from God alone through faith in Jesus Christ (as he goes on to explain in later chapters of Romans). As a reminder to everyone, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Apostle Matthew 7:1 states, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” This is concise and to the point: we are to reflect on our own posture toward others. It’s also the opening line of a larger teaching (Matthew 7:2-5) where Jesus uses the vivid metaphor of the speck and the plank to expose humanity’s hypocrisy.
Contemplations
- The Apostle Paul states that humanity is “without excuse” because God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen through creation.
- Ideas to Explore: In what ways have you personally observed or experienced this innate knowledge of God, even in individuals who may not profess faith? How does this concept challenge or confirm your understanding of human responsibility before God?
- The text highlights a terrifying progression where God “gave them over” multiple times. What do you understand this phrase to mean, not just as a divine judgment, but as a description of the natural consequences when humanity systematically rejects divine truth?
- Ideas to Explore: How do we see this “giving over” principle at play in individual lives or broader societal trends today?
- The Apostle Paul addresses behaviors and mindsets that are often viewed differently in contemporary society. How do the truths presented in Romans 1 regarding humanity’s unrighteousness and the consequences of rejecting God challenge or affirm your perspective on current cultural norms and ethical debates?
- Ideas to Explore: How can we communicate these foundational biblical truths with both conviction and compassion?
- 1NIV New International Version Translations