Romans Chapter 1 Second Continued
Romans 1:22 "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,"
Man rationalizes his sin and proves his utter foolishness by devising and believing his own philosophies about God, the universe and himself.
Romans 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."
The children of Israel, on the way to the Promised Land, tired waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain of God.
They talked Aaron into making them a golden calf that they could worship. God is the Creator not the created.
Those that worship things they can see with their physical eyes are worshipping idols.
Thus, the ox, under the name "apis," was adored in Egypt, and even the dog and the monkey. In imitation of the Egyptian ox, the children of Israel made their golden calf, Exodus 22:4. They are substituting the worship of idols for the worship of the true God.
Historians report that many ancient cultures did not originally have idols. The historian Eusebius reported that the oldest civilizations had no idols.
The earliest record of idolatry was among Abram’s family in Ur (see Joshua 24:2). Although the false gods which men worship do not exist, demons often impersonate them.
Romans 1:24 "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:"
“God gave them up”:
Is a judicial term in Greek used for handling over a prisoner to his sentence.
When men consistently abandon God, He will abandon them.
He accomplishes this:
1.Indirectly and immediately, by removing His restraint and allowing their sin to run its inevitable course,
2. Directly and eventually, by specific acts of divine judgment and punishment.
“Uncleanness”:
A general term often used of decaying matter, like the contents of a grave.
It speaks here of sexual immorality which begins in the heart and then moves on to the shame of the body.
Our heart condition determines what we are.
Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."
An evil heart desires evil.
Our body (if we are Christians), is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God.
If we involve our bodies in sin, we have involved the Holy Spirit's dwelling place.
That is why I personally believe sex sin of every kind to be very evil.
Homosexuality, lesbianism, and adultery are 3 of the worst type sins a person can commit, because they are all 3 sins that involve the body.
The first 2 are even worse than adultery, because they are unnatural.
We will read of all this in the next few verses.
Romans 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."
A denial of God’s existence and His right to be obeyed and glorified.
Which is greater, the thing created or the Intelligence who created it?
You know the answer, the “Creator”.
In our society things like cars and homes are worshipped too.
We must first realize who God is and then worship Him alone.
Just the fact that He is eternal sets Him aside from all His creation.
Amen means (so be it).
Romans
In these two verses, Paul mentions the woman first to show the extent of debauchery under the wrath of abandonment, because in most cultures women are the last to be affected by moral collapse.
God turned His back to these lesbians and homosexuals.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God for this very sin.
It is natural for Paul to write of this particular sin to the Romans, because this very sin was rampant in their society.
God calls this sin an abomination.
It is also called against nature, which God created.
Sex is for the procreation of life and these unnatural uses do not create life, they create death.
Notice the last sentence of verse 27 “the recompense of their error which was meet”, (due).
God's wrath will fall on this person for this type of sin if they do not repent.
Fire and brimstone at Sodom and AIDS in our society today is the wrath of God on a sinful generation.
Romans 1:28 "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;"
Reprobate or debased mind, in the sense it is used here, means (worthless, castaway, or rejected). Debased translates a Greek word that means “not passing the test.”
It was often used to describe useless, worthless metals, discarded because they contained too much impurity.
God has tested some man’s minds and found them worthless and useless.
God has turned away from this type person, simply because they have rejected God and also all of His teachings.
I believe it is possible for a homosexual or lesbian to be saved, but only if they walk away from their old life.
I do not believe a person practicing homosexuality or lesbianism is saved. Things which are not convenient: means against nature.
Verse 28 is saying that the Holy Spirit stops pursuing them for salvation.
Romans
In verse 29 we see where the reprobate mind leads to all unrighteousness.
Fornication has to do with sex sin (adultery is just one example), and there is also spiritual adultery (idolatry).
Covetousness includes greediness, wanting what others have, and fraud or extortion.
Maliciousness means all sorts of evil and meanness.
Malignity means bad character.
We know that covenant breakers are those who do not honor agreements they have made.
Implacable means a truce breaker.
2 Timothy
Can't you see our day here?
This describes our day perfectly.
These verses in 2 Timothy and in the Scriptures of Romans that we have been reading describe a people who are out of fellowship with God.
We must repent and change now before God has turned our whole nation over to a horrible reprobate mind.
It is time to repent and turn to God.
Drug and alcohol problems will go away when we give our life to God.
The answer for all of us is to heed the Scripture in 2 Chronicles:
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Romans 1:32 "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."
This is not just ignorance but blatant rebellion.
We know that God is displeased.
Just look around you.
The weather pattern is messed up, inflation is great, earthquakes have increased and in fact all storms have worsened.
AIDS and a lot of other incurable diseases have many people frightened.
The threat of nuclear war is ever present.
The normal life we used to have is now out of control.
It seems we cannot depend on anything.
Luke 21:26 "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."
WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REPENT AND TURN TO GOD NOW.
Romans Chapter 1 Second Continued Questions
1.Professing themselves to be wise they became _____________.
2.They changed the glory of the incorruptible God to what?
3.When the Israelites were waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain, what terrible thing did they do?
4.When you worship things you can see with your eyes, you are worshipping what?
5.In verse 24 God gave them up to what?
6.They dishonored their own_________ between themselves.
7.Why is sex sin so bad?
8.What are 3 terrible sins God calls abominations?
9.Verse 25 says, they changed the Truth of God into what?
10.They worshipped what?
11.Which is greater, the Creator or the thing He created?
12.What are some things falsely worshipped in our society today?
13.What does Amen mean?
14.In verse 26, why did God turn them over to vile affections?
15.What does (recompense of their error which was meet), mean?
16.What 2 Old Testament cities were destroyed, because their people were homosexuals?
17.What is sex really intended for?
18.What in our society today does the author believe is punishment for homosexuality?
19.What kind of mind did God turn them over to, because they did not retain God in their knowledge?
20.What is meant by not convenient?
21.Verse 29 says, that they who are away from God are filled with what?
22.What is fornication?
23.What is covetousness?
24.What does implacable mean?
25.What day is 2 Timothy speaking of?
26.What type of society is this speaking of?
27.In 2 Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14, what is the solution to our problems?
28.People who commit the sins mentioned are worthy of what?
29.They not only do the sin, but have pleasure in what?
30.In Luke chapter 21 verse 26, we see a society full of what?
31.What are they afraid of?