The Epistle to the Romans
Lesson 5
Special English Version

All the World is Guilty

Reading Assignment: Romans 1

Introduction
Lesson 4 completed our study under the general heading “Introduction – Righteousness Revealed.” We now continue with the outline we suggested. This lesson covers the section under “Condemnation – God requires righteousness.” Our outline under this heading extends through Romans 3:20, but this lesson will be limited to only the rest of Chapter 1. God looks at all of mankind as guilty and sinful (Romans 3:19; Galatians 3:22). Romans 1:18-32 gives the reason for the condemnation of all mankind.

Importance of this Lesson

• When we see how wicked this world is, as Paul describes it, we see the eternal love and grace of God who sent His Son into this world to save it (John 3:17).
• This lesson shows the desperate need of the Gentile world for God’s righteousness. Without God’s righteousness no person will ever see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). God’s word is true.
• The verses we will study in this lesson are an accurate description of a world that refuses to believe and obey God.

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The Lesson

Outline:

1. Gentile knowledge of natural revelation – Romans 1:18-20
2. Gentiles turn away from God and reject the revelation – Romans 1:21-23
3. Gentile corruption and sinfulness – Romans 1:24-32

I. GENTILE KNOWLEDGE OF NATURAL REVELATION

1. Romans 1:18
   1. For the wrath of God – “Wrath” is used 12 times in Romans and always as God’s anger.
   2. is revealed should be translated “reveals.” God provides righteousness for all believers, but at the same time His anger is upon all unbelievers. Read John 3:36.
      • The word “wrath” refers to God’s holy anger. Many people emphasize the love of God and forget that God is a just and holy God. God is a person who hates sin. Read Hebrews 10:26-31 and Psalm 7:11.
   3. from heaven – God sees from heaven everything that men do. Read Psalm 14:2-3; 34:15,16; Jeremiah 32:19; and Proverbs 15:3. All judgment comes from God in heaven.
   4. against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
      1. “ungodliness”– all acts of sin against God which show man’s sinful condition.
      2. “unrighteousness” – all acts of sin against other people that show a person’s attitude and actions.
   5. who hold the truth in unrighteousness – “Hold” means to “hold down” the truth. The same idea is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7. There the Holy Spirit holds down sin. In this verse wicked men hold down the truth in their unrighteous lives.
      • We must apply this section to ourselves or the point is lost.
      • In 1935, William R. Newell wrote, “Christians are rapidly losing the awareness of their sin.” Christians are doing that even more so today.
2. Romans 1:19-20
   1. God’s accusation is that all mankind are without excuse. WHY DOES GOD SAY THIS?
      1. Man rejects this teaching about sin but he knows it is true because he was born with that knowledge. “…is manifest IN them…” (Romans 1:19).
      2. Man rejects the God who is clearly seen in nature (all the things God created). The “…things that are made…” clearly reveal his eternal power and Godhead (Romans 1:20). (Know these for your exam.)
   2. …from the creation of the world (Romans 1:20).
      1. God has never left this world without a witness that showed His power and that He is God. Read Psalm 19 and Psalm 8:3.
      2. Men reject the law of cause and effect. God is the great cause. His remarkable universe is the effect.
      3. The Genesis flood (Genesis 7 and 8), the tower of Babel (Genesis 11) and the call of Abraham (Genesis 12), all show that man rejected God.
         • Knowledge of the facts alone cannot save, but God holds man responsible for believing in Him through the light that he has. Kepler, the well-known student of the stars said, “The student of the stars who does not believe in God is crazy.”
   3. …so that they are without excuse – They have no excuse for their sin at this time, later or at the judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

II. GENTILES TURN AWAY FROM GOD AND REJECT THE REVELATION

1. Romans 1:21 – Literally, “when they knew God.” In other words, all men knew God at one time.
   • The story of man provides no evidence of evolution. The history of man is one of sinfulness.
   • Sir William Ramsey in the book with the title, “The Cities of Paul” writes, “Whatever evidence exists, the history of religion among men is one of degeneration.”
   • Men have been returning to the pit of sinfulness out of which the Gospel alone can deliver them.
2. Romans 1:21-23 – Note and learn these seven stages of Gentile apostasy:
   1. …when they knew… – all mankind once knew God.
   2. …they glorified him not as God… – Man refused to give God honor and praise. Note 1 Corinthians 10:31.
   3. …neither were thankful… – Not to be thankful is a terrible sin. It shows pride, selfishness, disrespect for God, and for other people. It leads to all kinds of evil. Note 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
   4. …became vain in their imaginations… – Because they were not thankful and they were proud, men began to imagine useless and foolish things about God.
   5. …their foolish heart was darkened. – That is, they did not understand spiritual things. Man became blind to the true God. Man is unable to separate truth from error. This is why many highly educated people have rejected the God of the Bible but they have adopted humanism, liberalism, oriental mysticism.
   • Ephesians 4:18 – Having the understanding darkened…
   6. Professing themselves to be wise… – Man cannot know God when he has a mind that is blind to the things of God.
      1 Corinthians 8:1 says, “…knowledge puffeth up…”
      Read 1 Corinthians 1:20, 21 and 3:19 to learn what Paul thinks about people who are wise about worldly sinful things.
   • …they became fools; this is the opinion of educated philosophers.
   7. Romans 1:23 –And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man…
   1. God is the same forever! He is completely trustworthy!
   2. Man rejected the true God and then changed Him to some kind of god in his own mind, but he cannot escape the fact that God is real and that God exists today! Note that the list goes down from sinful man to creeping things. This is a terrible description of man! Archeological discoveries of the ancient world clearly show man’s downward path in sin.

• The farther from God a man gets, the more sinful his life becomes! Watch out for idols in your life.

III. GENTILE CORRUPTION AND SINFULNESS

1. Romans 1:24 – Wherefore God also gave them up… This statement clearly answers the question, “Does God ever give a man up who continues in his rebellion and sin?” See Romans 1:26 and 28.
   1. 2 Peter 2:4-6 – God gave up the sinning angels, the old world of Noah’s day and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
   2. 2 Chronicles 36:15,16; Psalm 81:11,12; and Acts 7:42 shows us that God gave up His own people, Israel (for the present time, Romans 11:25).
   3. God does not give up until man rejects God. Romans 1:28 …they did not like to retain God in their knowledge….
   4. The deeper man’s sinfulness becomes, the more rotten he becomes.
   5. The less holy your god is, the less holy you consider your body – “To uncleanness – lusts, to dishonor their bodies.”
   6. This is an answer to those people who say that man is getting better and better!
2. Romans 1:25 should read: Who exchanged the truth of God for a lie….
   1. No one can deny God’s truth without believing Satan’s lie.
      This is what happened in the Garden of Eden. Eve rejected God’s truth and accepted Satan’s lie.
      We can see this fact is in the teaching of the New Age movement. We can see it in every teaching that tries to make man his own god.
      Those who reject God’s truth when the tribulation comes on the earth will believe the lie of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:11).
   2. “Who is blessed forever” – Some will praise God no matter what man is or becomes.
3. Romans 1:26-27 (Should be read together) – …God gave them up into vile affections…
   1. They will love unclean action that will bring shame on them and take away the love that is honorable.
   2. even their women – A condemnation of lesbianism. It is of interest that women are named first. Remember that Eve led in the fall of the human race.
   3. change the natural use – They committed sinful acts of sex that are not normal. Another condemnation of lesbianism which God considers evil and not acceptable.
   4. Men with men – Here is God’s indictment of homosexual conduct. God condemns it as evil. God says it is not normal. It is sinful and not natural. These actions are the result of man’s rejection of God’s truth.
   5. receiving in themselves that…meet (fitting). They got what they deserved. This could refer to the sicknesses, weakness, diseases that result from living in a way that is not normal.
      1. Always keep in mind – God saved us out of this world.
4. Romans 1:28 – …as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge….… God gave them over to a reprobate mind… (Romans 1:24,26,28).
   1. A fixed state of mind that enjoyed sin. They rejected God so God gave them a mind that turned to sin.
   2. A mind that was willing to do those kind of things was “not convenient.” This means that a mind that was willing to do those things was not proper. It was not as God planned it. It was not normal and not natural.
5. Romans 1:29-31 – …being filled… – Mankind is full of sin.
   1. Paul now lists ten sins men commit:
      1. All unrighteousness – selfish, sinful acts against other people.
      2. Fornication – sexual relationships that are wrong.
      3. Wickedness – all evil that stands against the good and tries to destroy what is good.
      4. Covetousness – idolatry (Colossians 3:5), desiring what we do not need. Never satisfied.
      5. Maliciousness – a desire to hurt another person.
      6. Envy – hatred and jealousy toward those who possess things that you would like to have.
      7. Murder – see also Matthew 5:21.
      8. Strife – fighting with words.
      9. Deceit – dishonest claims, lies.
      10. Malignity –spoiling a person’s reputation by saying hateful word.
   2. Now follows eight things men become as the result of those sins:
      1. Whisperers – gossips. Secretly spreading stories about a person.
      2. Backbiters – Openly spreading stories about a person.
      3. Haters of God – Read Colossians 1:21 and Romans 5:10, 8:7.
      4. . Despiteful – Insulting other people.
      5. Proud – feeling that you are better than other people.
      6. Boasters – a person brags because he thinks he knows everything.
      7. Inventors of evil things – Thinking of new sins. Ever since Cain, men have invented new sins.
      8. Disobedient to parents – Note the fifth commandment (2 Timothy 3:2).
   3. Now Paul lists five things that are not found in the lives of people because of their sin:
      1. Without understanding – unwilling or unable to understand moral and spiritual truth.
      2. Without honor – people who break their promises – people who are not faithful to what they say. Many people are guilty of this sin today.
      3. Without natural affection – described clearly in Romans 1:24-27.
      4. Without placation – implacable – unwilling to make peace. Look at our world today!
      5. Without mercy – unmerciful – lacking in tenderness – unwilling to forgive.
6. Romans 1:32
   1. Who knowing the judgment of God – men are born with the knowledge that the things described above are wrong and that God will judge them.
   2. Not only do the same – continue in doing them anyway.
   3. But have pleasure in them that do them – People who do the things described above enjoy doing these sins with each other. Read John 3:19 and Philippians 3:19.

Examination

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