Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;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;And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
6 sermons cite this verse
… if they're a part of idol worship. Verse 28, and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper. He's already talked about homosexuality, but he lists some more sins. Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossips. God says, whenever you rebel against me, I'm going to give you over to a depraved mind to commit all kinds of unspeakable acts. Homosexuality, gossip, slander, murder. Now, are we willing to say murder is only wrong if it's a part of idolatry? Are we willing to say that envy and strife and gossip and slander, that those things are only wrong when they're practiced in context with idolatry? Of course not. Paul says all of these things are sins, and they are the result of rebelling against God. You know, whenever we come to something in the Bible we don't like, we can always say, well, that's just one person's interpretation. …
… men with men committing what kind of acts? Indecent acts and receiving their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a what kind of mind? Depraved mind to do those things which are not proper. Could it be any more clear? Here are people who have rejected the true knowledge of God and God gave them over to these degrading passions. I want you to look at verse 27. It says that they received in their own persons the due penalty of their error. Now some people have interpreted that to mean that sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS and hepatitis, that those are the penalty that homosexuals receive in their body. We're going to talk about that next week, about is it true that AIDS is no respecter of sexual orientation? I'll give you a preview. The answer is no, that's not true. But that's not what this passage is talking about. …
… Mock the truth. Romans chapter 1, verse 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, I don't want to think about God. Don't talk to me about God. I don't want to hear it. God gave them over to a debased mind or reprobate mind. How do we know? To do those things which are not fitting or not correct, not proper. Being filled with all unrighteousness and what? Sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. Yikes. I want to take a shower after you read this verse. They are whispers and backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud boasters, inventors of evil things. And he goes on, evil things. But their mind has been seared. Question to you is this, why should you trust God? Why should you believe in the Bible? Why should you look to Christ who died on the cross for your sins and rose again from the grave? It's the same Bible telling you this morning that there's a perversity out there and there are those that are bent on wickedness and God is saying, I want you to stand and I want you to be different from the world. I want you to walk away from them and I want you to walk closer to me. I want you to forsake wickedness and pursue righteousness. God is announcing this to all of us. He's announcing it to this nation. …
… For this reason, God will send them strong delusion. Now, you remember Romans chapter 1, where Paul said, because they did not want to retain God in their thinking, in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are unseemly. If you reject God, reject the testimony of God, push God over, away, push, push, push, he will allow you to pursue your own will. This is what everybody wants, right? I just want to do my thing. No, you don't. And if God lets you do your thing, that's judgment. one of the great judgments of God is when God allows people to have what they say they want you push God away, God will let you pursue other things. I think this is a precedent that goes all the way back to the time of Moses and Pharaoh. You remember Pharaoh? It says Pharaoh hardened his heart. He hardened his heart against God, hardened his heart against Moses. But then we keep reading and it says, and God hardened his heart. …
… This is remarkable. and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge get God out of this shut down this Bible get out the Ten Commandments don't talk about God God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not right or not fitting being filled with all unrighteousness sexual immorality wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness full of envy, murder strife, deceit, evil-mindedness they are whispers, backbiters haters of God, violent, proud, boasters inventors of evil things disobedient to parents that's bad enough, but the bottom line is they will have no authority over them, no one the most loving authority that they could have over their life assumes it's their parents they don't want that undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also post, tweet. right? Film, approve of those who practice them. That takes the air out of this room. …
… The last paragraph, verses 28 through 32. and since they did not see fit to acknowledge god god gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice they are full of envy murder strife deceit maliciousness they are gossips slanderers haters of god insolent haughty boastful inventors of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them. This whole section from chapter 1 verse 18 until chapter 3 verse 20 is about the universality of sin. No person, no people, no place is exempt from the problem of sin. That's the argument that Paul is making with an unrelenting intensity. And chapter 1 in particular, verses 18 through 32, have been focused on the Gentile world. This church in Rome had both Jews and Gentiles. and what he's going to do is shift in chapter 2. Look at verse 1 of chapter 2. …