City Life Starter

I. The Word: Romans 1:28-32

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.

II. Study Questions

1. What is the consequence of denial of God’s truth?

2. According to Leon Morris, what is the result of a refusal to accept knowledge of God?

3. Why those who “approve of those who practice them” deserve death?

Today’s verses are a continuation of Paul’s summary of “unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (v. 18) Verses 28-32 are the devastating consequences of the denial of God’s truth, which will lead to a continual decline in the morality of men.  As God’s children, we were given the nature of God that seeks righteousness and truth, but when we’d rather choose lies, it eventually leads to death: morally, spiritually and physically.    

When we choose the path of unrighteousness in sin, what we are doing is contrary to what we were created to do, as an image bearer of God.  We are settling with the fallen nature of men.  Think about it, you and I were created in the image of God, you were given the DNA of God to exemplify Him on earth.  When you sin, you are not only sinning against God, but also choosing the nature contrary to your created purpose as an image bearer.  You are circumventing your original purpose by doing the very thing that will ultimately destroy your life.

Commentary

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;

Paul begins with those who purposefully chose not to accept God’s truth.  According to Leon Morris, “Their ignorance of God was not due to a lack of opportunity to know him, but to their deliberate refusal.”  Their action is to place other things and their preference higher rather than to accept the truth about God. Because of their refusal the consequences of their decision are given to be “debased” or have a “depraved” mind.  This mindset will ultimately lead to devastating results that are based on action, which will follow in following verses.

It is quite interesting to me that Paul takes his readers step by step to how moral decline can take place in the life of those who reject God’s truth.  It begins with rejecting God, followed by creation of a replacement of worldview based on ‘self’ rather than God, and final the conception of “to do those things which is not fitting.”  According to Morris, “The result, then, of their refusal to accept the knowledge of God is seen in the way they came to think and the things that their consciences came to approve.  Their minds became quite unable to make trustworthy moral judgment.”  The opposite can also be also true that when we accept God’s truth, we will establish a worldview based on God’s Word that will lead us to do the things that we were meant to do, being able to make moral judgments based on the knowledge of God.

29-31 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,[a] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,[b] unmerciful;

Paul lists twenty-one things which are consequences of exchanging the truth of God for a lie.  According to Morris, “He first speaks of the sinners as filled with wickedness, showing that he does not think of them as half-hearted about their sin.  They were wholly given over to it.  Their exclusion of God left room for nothing else.”  There is not much explanation needed to the terms in Paul’s list, they are self-explanatory.

Paul used the terms such as “being filled,” “full of,” and “they are,” to describe moral depravity.  These terms indicate that they have become or identify themselves with unrighteousness.  This is who they are, their rejection of God leads them to total depravity and lack of moral judgment. They self-identify by their actions, which is self-evident.

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.

Paul indicates here that those who rejected God, are also aware of the judgment of God, but made a choice to continue in unrighteousness.  According to Paul, he describes two types of those deserving death: those who practice and those who approve of them practicing.  It is important to point out here that those who approve are also considered to have a “depraved mind” who deserve death.  Paul’s description of death is based on death in sin, or the result of sin and not physical or spiritual death (though it can lead to both).  

JY