Do we see in Romans 1:18-32, what is happening in America today? If you didn't know better, you would think that Paul was speaking about us.
Romans 1:18-32 (KJV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
In verse 18, it speaks about "The wrath of God being revealed." Actually, if you want to know what salvation really is, you have to know how bad sin is. "Sin is the measure of salvation." The wrath of God is God's feeling, not His punishment of sin. It is His holy anger. Wrath is the antithesis of righteousness, and it is used here as a correlative.
There is a continuous revelation of the wrath of God in both the Old Testament and New Testament. It is revealed in our contemporary society. This is God's constant and insistent displeasure with evil. He changes not. God is merciful, not because He is lenient with the sinner, but because Christ died. The gospel has not changed God's attitude toward sin. The gospel has made it possible to accept the sinner. The sinner must have either the righteousness or the wrath of God. Both are revealed from heaven. And you can see it on every hand.
"Against all ungodliness" -- ungodliness is that which is against God. It is that which denies the character of God. Oh, the irreligiousness of today! There are multitudes of people who disregard the very existence of God -- that is a state of the soul. That is sin.
"Unrighteousness" is against man. Ungodliness is against God, but unrighteousness is against man. What does that mean? It is the denial of the rule of God. It is the action of the soul. That man who gets drunk, goes out on the freeway, breaks the traffic laws, and kills someone -- that man is unrighteous. He is sinning against man. Another example is the man who is dishonest in his business dealings. God hates man's unrighteousness. He will judge it.
"Who holds the truth in unrighteousness" is literally to hold down, suppress the truth in unrighteousness. The wrath of God is revealed against folk who do this.
"So that they are without excuse." Creation so clearly reveals God that man is without excuse. This section reveals the historical basis of man's sin. It did not come about through ignorance. It was willful rebellion in the presence of clear light.
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
If you examine these three verses carefully, you will see that there are nine steps which mankind took downward from the Garden of Eden.
1. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
2. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
3. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
There is no such thing as man moving upward. These verses contradict the hypothesis of evolution. Man is not improving physically, morally, intellectually, or spiritually. The pull is downward. Man is moving away from God, and right now the world is probably farther from God than at any time in its history.
4. "They glorified him not as God." They did not give Him His rightful place, and man became self-sufficient.
5. "Neither were thankful." Ingratitude is one of the worst sins there is. You recall that the Lord Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one returned to thank Him. Only ten percent were thankful, and I believe it is less than that today.
6. "Became vain in their imaginations" -- they even concocted a theory of evolution.
7. "Their foolish heart was darkened." They moved into the darkness of paganism. To see living proof of this, all you have to do is walk down the streets of any town in America, to see that man's foolish heart is darkened.
8. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." The wisdom of man is foolishness with God. Man searches for truth through logical reasoning but arrives at a philosophy that is foolish in God's sight.
9. "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
The city of Ephesus in the Roman Empire reached probably the highest degree of culture in civilization that any city has ever reached. Yet at the heart of that city was one of the most horrible images imaginable, enshrined in the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Called also Diana, she was not the lovely image you see in Greek sculptures. She is like the oriental Cybele, the mother goddess, the many-breasted one. She had a trident in one hand and in the other a club -- she was a mean one. That is the idea the most cultured, civilized people had of God! She was a female principal, and gross immorality took place around her temple, and dishonesty of the worst sort. They had turned the glory of the uncorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man.
Man did not begin in idolatry. Man descended downward; he did not develop upward. Religiously man has departed from God. The history of religion among men is a history of degeneration. The reason today there is failure in our poverty programs and health programs and other social programs is because of gross immorality and a turning away from God. They say, "We want to be practical, and we do not want to introduce religion." That's the problem. The only practical thing for man to do is to return to the living and true God.
From verses 24-32, we see the results of man's revolution against God. In the remainder of this chapter it says three times that God gave them up.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Man's degeneration is measured by his perversion of sex. While many churches in our day are espousing sex perversion instead of condemning it, God says He has given them up. Idolatry and gross immorality are the bitter fruits of rejecting God's revelation.
"God gave them up" is literally God handed them over -- it is positive, not a passive attitude.
"Who exchanged the true God for the lie," suggests that they turned from God to Satan, the author of the lie and the father of idolatry. This is idolatry which led to the lowest depths of moral degradation.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
These are passions of dishonor and disgrace and depravity -- regardless of what public opinion is today.
Perversion entered into Greek life, and it brought Greece down to the dust. Look at Greece today. The glory has passed away. Why? Because of their sins.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [Rom. 1:28].
Anybody who tells me that he can be a child of God and live in perversion, live in the thick mire of our contemporary permissiveness, is not kidding anyone but himself. If he will come to Christ, he can have deliverance.
The next three verses list a frightful brood of sins which follow man's rebellion against God.
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful [Rom. 1:29-31].
This is what the human family is doing today. How much longer will God tolerate it and be patient with us? He has judged great nations in the past who have gone in this direction.
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them [Rom. 1:32].
Man has a revelation from God, but he flagrantly flaunts it by defying the judgment of God against such sins. He continues to practice them and applauds and approves those who do the same.
Would this be the case in America today?
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