Romans 1:18-32 is an accurate and scathing picture of mankind, both outside and inside the church. In Paul’s presentation of the Gospel, which he summarized in verses 16-17, he then explains the wrath God feels towards mankind for their utter wickedness which suppresses his truths. This is no small matter, and it is still true today. He begins in verses 18-20:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For 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 His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.”
Many of us deny God’s very existence by how we live our lives, even though the evidence of his existence is overwhelming, regardless of our circumstances. So, knowing God exists, what did many of us do? Verses 21-25 describe our response to God and then his:
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.”
For many of us, our response to God’s love and truths was to become fools and to disregard him and to replace the immortal God with things in this world. So God handed us over to our sinful desires, and we have been paying for it ever since. Our minds and our bodies given over to sin drive us to indulge more and more into it, beyond anything we ever imagined or wanted. The rest of Romans 1 gives the downward spiral of our lives given over to sin and its consequences.
Why does this matter? As one who lived a lifetime of sexual addiction – pornography, adultery, abuse, deception, disregard for how I hurt others – I can attest to where you can go once you start down that road. I wasn’t just having a little harmless adult fun – replacing God with the things of this world sent me down a pathway to hell I almost never got out of, even once I badly wanted to leave. It destroyed my marriage, stomped on my wife’s heart over and over, and isolated me from others so I could keep going deeper into it. My wife still loved me and tried over and over to help me, and I just turned against her and denied I had a sin problem. Ask most any addict and they will tell you that’s what it’s like, and ask their spouse and children what it does to them and you won’t be able to stop the tears. Worst of all, living a lifestyle of sin and rebellion against God incites his wrath against you – you become his enemy, not his child, no matter what someone else told you. The Bible is clear on this if you read it in context.
Is that what you want to do with your life too? God will let you go to hell if that is what you want. But if you repent and turn to him by faith and work with him and obey him every day he can turn your life around, will forgive all your sins, and accept you into his kingdom. It’s your choice – don’t blame God if you choose poorly and you face the consequences he warned you about. I have no one to blame but myself for the mess I made out of my life and all the people I hurt along the way because of my pride and selfishness.
Searching My Heart 