The first Chronicle (45a) in this series on the Scripture’s
45th book, Romans, provided an overview of the thought flow of
the book as a whole. It showed that God in all His actions of
judging or saving is just.
This second Chronicle (45b) will focus on the truths of chapter
1, verses 18-32. These verses are part of a greater context where
the Lord’s apostle is proving the guilt of all mankind,
showing they are worthy of the judgment of God. His purpose is
to demonstrate that since all peoples (religious and nonreligious)
are equally under God’s wrath, they all are in need
of God’s salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. (See #1
of the ‘Gospel of God’ series for further study
of this subject).
In this article we will consider how a society becomes pagan
in its belief system and life-style – a sign of already
being under the wrath of God.
We will focus on two areas in chapter 1:16-32.
1. How nations become fully depraved
2. God’s answer
How do Societies Become
Pagan under Wrath?
1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed
from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
In this part of Romans, God is dealing with the Gentiles.
Gentiles in that time were nations that were thoroughly pagan
(depraved in their thinking and life-style), which was very unlike
the Jews who had the revelation of God in the Scriptures. Consequently,
the Gentiles are under the wrath (righteous anger) of God and
worthy or deserving of “the judgment of God” (1:32).
But are nations born fully depraved in their societal life-style?
Don’t some societies (such as Abimelech’s nation, Gen.
20:3-6) have a measure of law and order and a fear of the Supreme?
Do they come into full depravity and darkness because God was
in a “bad mood” and in uncontrolled anger erratically
consigned them to be pagan? Or is it because they knew the truth
and didn’t want it, and deliberately walk away from it?
Darkness is the absence of light. Consequently once nations leave
light only darkness is left.
Romans 1 shows 6 steps from the knowledge of God’s existence
(revelation) that progress down to utter blindness and wickedness
worthy of judgment (retribution). It also reveals the 3 stages
of God’s present wrath.
1:19-21a
... For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, ...Because that, when they knew
God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were
thankful ... .
Verses 19-21 show that man knew of the existence of God. The
invisible God can be clearly seen by His visible intelligent
creation. All intelligent designs demand intelligent designers.
And all intelligent designs reflect the intelligence of the designer,
even though he might be unseen. This is simple logic.
For example, you might see a beautiful home with acres of
flowering gardens, swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. Without
ever meeting the designer-owner you know by what you see that
he is rich, intelligent, aesthetic, and athletic.
With creation revealing God and His eternal power, societies,
knowing Him, were not thankful nor would they give Him His due
glory in fear and worship.
The first step into the
wrath of God and to becoming a depraved society is a spiritual
one: the rejection of the Creator in His revelation of creation.
1:21b-22
1:21,22 ... but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
Once the revelation of God is rejected, one is only left with
human reasoning. Darkness is the absence of light. Now man will
be left with only the darkness of his mind and whatever fanciful
theories he can come up with to explain God – or explain
Him away. In his darkened pride he will exalt in his own wisdom
which in reality is foolishness – but he won’t know
it.
1:23
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.
Rejection of the light of creation then gives way to human
reasoning. And human reasoning leads only to the perversion of
understanding the true God. Although man will still remain “religious,”
he now makes God into his image.
Whether it’s the inanimate idols of native tribes, the
mythical gods of the Greeks and Romans, the mystical “enlightment”
of the eastern world or the evolutionary lies of western intelligentsia,
man now misrepresents God. We now have ‘mind gods’
where man’s reasoning creates God in the ideas of his mind.
He denies that God revealed Himself by making man in His
image.
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God’s Present Wrath – Phase
One
1:24 Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,
to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.
Romans 1:18 claimed the wrath of God is (present tense)
revealed from heaven. There is a future phase to God’s wrath
when He will directly intervene with physical judgment (Rom.
1:32, 2:5, Rev. 6:19). But there is also a present phase to God’s
wrath.
This present wrath is not the direct intervention
of God but the nonintervention of God.
For example, suppose an enemy was headed in ignorance to a
washed-out bridge over a cliff. By not saying anything
(nonintervention) you would be carrying out judgment: allowing
him to self-destruct.
Man firsts rejects the revelation of God. God does not force
Himself. Only then does God step back and do nothing. This nonintervention
(silence) from God allows man to engage in further perversion
through the lust of his heart. Man now dishonors his body.
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1:25
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.
Man, because he is not functioning by the knowledge of God
but by lusts (passions of his heart), now treats his body in
a dishonorable way: he defiles, debases, disgraces and demoralizes
it in the name of freedom. The body is given over to sexual perversions
and debauchery which brings with it a multitude of emotional
and physical sorrows.
They take the truth of God and make it a lie, thus blinding
themselves to any hope. They put the emphasis not on the Creator
who is to be honored and glorified, but on the creature (creation):
themselves and nature. This change causes a reversal of values.
To justify their perverted actions they convince themselves that
what God calls good is bad – bigoted, hateful, biased, narrow-minded,
etc. And what God calls bad is good – freedom, rights, pro-choice,
etc.
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God’s Present Wrath – Phase
Two
1:26a For this cause God gave
them up unto vile affections.
God, by continuing to not intervene, allows societies to additionally
self-destruct. This nonintervening is based on a cause: man reversing
the truth of God and exalting self. So then God permits man not
only to live by his heart’s desires and to fulfill his bodily
cravings, but also to digress to the baser affections of his
soul which are wretched, evil and animalistic.
Now, man will be given to deeper rebellion resulting in ravishing
soul appetites which further destroy.
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1:26b - 27
... For even their women did change
the natural use into that which is against nature: 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 recompense
of their error which was meet.
Now, the fruit of God’s present wrath (phase two) is
lesbianism and male homosexuality. Such acts are directly against
God’s nature. The woman was created for man. The
natural bodily differences make God’s pattern for marriage
and procreation evident.
When societies go against God’s nature in this way there
are inherent diseases and destruction associated with such behavior
that will now inflict one’s body internally. That nation
will then be dealing with epidemics as it self-destructs under
the wrath of God.
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God’s Present Wrath – Phase
Three
1:28a And even as they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over
to a reprobate mind ... .
The final phase of God’s present wrath on a society effects
the mind. Because a society now wants none of God in their education
(knowledge), God allows their minds to become reprobate. When
one’s mind is allowed to become reprobate (thoroughly depraved
and unable to think and judge wisely), virtually every decision
he makes will be harmful and wrong. It will be only a matter
of time when the results of all those wrong decisions fully destroy
that person or nation.
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1:28b - 31
1:28b, 29 ...God gave them over to a
reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness ... .
Once the mind is gone, one is unable to understand God-honoring
and life-sustaining values. A reprobate mind is one free from
moral restraint and understanding; thus, it can no longer judge
intelligently or correctly. Consequently that society will be
filled with all manner of sin; religious and moral. It will think
this is normal and even good progress. Hence, they will see no
need for a solution and therefore not seek one. And without the
right solution they will inevitably perish.
Retribution. “Who knowing the judgment of
God, that they which commit such things are worthy of
death ...” (1:32). The irony of this cycle of six downward
steps from the revelation of God to the righteous retribution
of God is that what was rejected – the revelation of God
in creation – becomes the catalyst to cloud their ability
to know truth, thus bringing the judgment of God.
Because they don’t fear or believe in the Creator who made
man in His very own image, their offspring have “inherited
lies” (Jer. 16:19). And with reprobate minds they will be
subject to the following results:
- human life devalued – for if a person is just a mass
of chemicals, acts such as violence, abortion, suicide and murder
will increase
- inability to discern right leaders and good laws
- diseases that are associated with sinful living
- the lack of meaning in life, for if there is no origin (purpose)
or destiny, what hope is there?
- unfulfillment that leads to depression
- the stress that goes with sin: broken relationships, broken
promises and heartbreak
- retribution of God’s judgment – death: eternal
separation from God in conscious torment
While it is true there
is a future judgment day for individuals, the present wrath of
God has already fallen on western society.
The wrath of God on North America
according to the Roman’s pattern
Early 1960’s - the national rejection of the revelation
of God in creation (no Bible and prayer in schools - Supreme
Court, 1962) (1:21)
1960’s - rationalization - the institutional insistence
and popular acceptance of foolish evolution (1:22)
Late 60’s - early 70’s - religious perversion
- the entrance of eastern mysticism (new age) to find fulfillment
and meaning (1:23)
Mid 60’s - mid 70’s - dishonoring bodies
- the sinful “sexual revolution,” drug abuse, and legal
abortion - Supreme Court, 1973 (1:24)
1970’s - reversal of values - emphasis of “rights
movements” & earth consciousness over God (1:25)
1970’s - 80’s - vile affections - lesbianism
and male homosexuality accepted as normal - recompense in them
– STD, HIV, AIDS, (1:26, 27).
1990’s - 2000’s - reprobate mind - God’s
ways are called legalistic, bigoted, and hateful. Abortion (murder)
and sexual sins are approvingly called “rights” and
“choice”. Minds are closed. (1:28-31)
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God's Answer
1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek [Gentile].
Romans has been proving that Gentile humanity is lost, under
wrath, depraved, and worthy of future judgment. Man is responsible
for the darkness he is in because he chose it by rejecting God
in His revelation through creation. But such is the context of
the gospel.
Romans also shows that pagan
individuals are saveable by the power of God’s gospel in
His Son: Jesus the Lord.
If the root problem is spiritual (rejection of God in creation)
then the solution will also have to be spiritual. Christian politics,
education or values will not convince a reprobate mind. As the
child’s lyric says when Humpty Dumpty had a great fall:
“All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
couldn’t put Humpty together again.”
God’s answer is the gospel of Christ. This is the gospel
the church saw change some of the pagan world of their day. Man
must first be reconciled with his Creator before he can then
change. The gospel of the Son of God accomplishes those two major
things for the repentant sinner who will trust Him in faith.
1. Saves from future wrath. “... Being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his Son ...” (Rom. 5:9,10).
2. Saves from present wrath. Because the Lord also
lives, His Spirit changes the mind from a carnal (natural) mind
into a renewed spiritual one: “to be spiritually minded
is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).