Romans 1:18-32

Romans 1:18-32 gives us the sad history of mankind in the world since the beginnin= g of time. It also shows what God = has done to make a way for everyone to know Him. This word is both a protection and warning to us.

Romans 1:18: For the wrat= h of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men= who hold down the truth in righteousness.

God’s wrath is his anger exercised against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. God is righteous. He loves righteous= ness and hates lawlessness (Heb 1:9). Because He is righteous, He has to judge the sins of man. The full force of God’s wrat= h came down upon Jesus on the cross. Jesus, the pure, sinless, spotless Lamb of God was made sin on our behalf (I Cor 5:21). Jesus to= ok God’s righteous judgment for us.&nbs= p; Hallelujah! This is th= e good news of the gospel to everyone who believes. But to those who have not believed, God’s wrath is upon them

Where does the ungodliness and unrighteousness come from? From men who hold down the truth in unrighteousness. This truth i= s just God Himself as the One Who is real and true. But men do not want to glorify God= or thank Him. Instead, they work= real hard to hold down this truth. It’s like trying to hold down a beach ball under the water. It is so good that God keeps poppi= ng up in people’s lives! (Con= sider how God has popped up in your life from time to time.)

Romans 1:19-20: Because t= hat which is known of God is manifest within them, for God manifested it to them. For the invisible thing= s of Him, both His eternal power and divine characteristics have been clearly se= en since the creation of the world, being perceived by the things made, so that they would be without excuse;

God is invisible. But cre= ation clearly shows something of God. The earth, the sun, moon, stars show God’s creating power and His holding power. The sun, with its enor= mous energy, that reaches the earth with light and warmth; the awesomeness of the Grand Canyon; the force of Niagara Falls; or the Giant Sequoia trees that c= an grow over 300 feet tall and 20 feet wide, are examples of creation that show something of God’s creating power. The fact that the earth is kept at= the right distance away from the sun and all the planets keep their order and p= lace show something of God’s holding power. Creation also shows something of God’s divine characteristics. Look at the beauty and wonder of creation. There is order, balance, and harmo= ny, blended with variety, diversity, creativity, and uniqueness, full of color, full of life, full of personality, yet full of details with fineness and tenderness. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>

Even more, look at the creation of man – in God’s image and likeness – with a human spirit. = How beautiful is the God created humanity that expresses something of God.

Romans 1:21-23: Because t= hough they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or thank Him, but rather bec= ame vain in their reasonings, and their heart lacki= ng understanding, was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man and of b= irds and four-footed animals and reptiles.

When we realize God from seeing the wonders of creation, a spontaneous response is to glorify God and to thank Him. To glorify God is to express honor= and praise to God. To thank God i= s to express our appreciation to Him. Glorifying God and thanking Him will protect us from every evil. The sad thing is men replace giving glory and thanks to God with vain reasonings &#= 8211; empty, .

Romans 1:24-25: Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, so that th= ey dishonor their bodies among themselves, Who exchanged the truth of God for = the lie, and worshipped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

When man gives up God, God is forced to give up man. To be given up by God is another s= ign of God’s wrath upon a person. In the human life, nothing is worse than to be given up by God. This means God allows you to go yo= ur own way. A person going their own way witho= ut God will end up in all kinds of evil. Man was made to worship and serve God. You worship what is special to you= ; what you admire above all else. If= not God, then something else will be the object of your worship. When a person gives up God, the indwelling sin in our flesh will eventually take over and control us and be= come the object of our worship.

Romans 1:26: <= b>Therefore God gave them up to passions of dishonor; for their females exchanged the natural use for that which is contrary to nature; and likewise also the mal= es, leaving the natural use of the female, burned in their craving toward one another, males with males committing unseemliness and fully receiving in themselves the retribution of their error which was due, =

Romans 1:28: And even as they did not approve of holding God in their full knowledge, God gave them up = to a disapproved mind, to do the things which are not fitting,=

A disapproved mind is a mind that is worthless, foolish, without understanding, full of darkness, and rejected and cast away by God.

Romans 1:29-32: Being fil= led with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, slanderers, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to pare= nts, senseless, faithless, affectionless, merciless; Who, though fully knowing t= he righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but also have fellow delight in those who practice= them.

This is the result of a person who gives up God. They go their own way which opens = the door to all kinds of evil to come in. God lets them go their way. <= /span>

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank= -you for taking the full wrath of God upon Yourself as payment for my sin. Lord, while I live on this earth, = never let me go. Never let me go my= own way without You. Lord Jesus, = draw me and attract me to Yourself.