Decline and Fall of People

Decline and Fall of PeopleRomans, Lesson 1 Study Romans 1:18-32 

     The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.      For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.      Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.      Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.      Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.  ◦          God has made it plain to all humans that He exists—even those in the most remote parts of the world—through everything that He has created and the order of all things in the universe.  We have no excuse not to acknowledge His existence, even if we know nothing else about Him.◦          If we acknowledge that God exists, we will seek Him out, study Him, try to understand Him, but so many people simply reject God and turn their backs on Him, choosing instead to do whatever they feel like doing.  They claim to be intellectual and wise, but are only fools in the eyes of God.◦          Since people continually choose sin over God and righteousness, God, after much patience and discipline, gives them over to their evil desires to suffer the consequences of all their sinful activities.  ◦          How does this description of people—with shameful lusts, man-made idols, perversions, depraved minds, pride, and ruthlessness—compare with the way the world is today?
THE TRUTH IS PLAIN TO SEE God’s Existence

…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  Romans 1:19

 ◦          How does creation clearly point to the existence of God, the Creator?  How do people try to explain the existence and order of all the things in the world without recognizing the hand of a Creator in it?◦          What can we know about God through His creation?

◦          Even if a person has never heard the names Yahweh, Lord, or Jesus, they can still gather from all their surroundings that a divine being has created the world, brings rain and sunshine, causes crops to grow, and feeds all the wild animals.  This is enough knowledge to prompt one to seek out this divine Creator who made them as well.  God promises that we will find Him if we seek Him with all our hearts (Jeremiah 29:13). A Verse very speacial to me because this was the verse that I heard preached when I came to faith in the Lord Jesus.

God’s Nature

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  Romans 1:20

 ◦          How does creation demonstrate God’s power and divinity?◦          When looking at the created things to reflect on the nature of God, we must be cautious not to worship the created things rather than the Creator.  David was a psalmist who praised God for the wonderful things He made and how well He cared for His creation, but David never exalted creation above God.
BECOMING FOOLS No Fear

There is no fear of God before their eyes.  Romans 3:18

 ◦          How do people who do not fear God tend to act?  Do they seek to please themselves and their sinful natures or do they try to do what is just and pure?◦          The world often teaches that those who fear God, believe in God, and trust God are weak and using a “crutch” to support themselves.  Those who teach this way have no fear of God and place all their trust in their own strength and intellect, calling it wisdom.  But God sees the true condition of their hearts and calls it foolishness to reject Him.◦          Paul quoted this verse in Romans from Psalm 36:1, which starts out describing they ways of the “wicked” person: he is too proud to recognise his sin, speaks lies, does no good, plots evil, and refuses to turn from doing bad things.  These words describe not only those who appear thoroughly evil to everyone, but all those who reject God and serve themselves. No Seeking

…there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  Romans 3:11

 ◦          Even though God has made it plain that He exists and is a powerful, divine being, every person has rejected Him.  Before we came to know Jesus and experienced new life through Him, each of us served our own hearts and tended toward sinfulness.  It was through Jesus’ death and resurrection that God provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him and to walk on the path that leads to eternal life.◦          Without Jesus, we have no real understanding of God, but through Jesus, we gain knowledge and understanding of God and acceptance from Him.  Jesus inside of us draws us to God, compelling us to seek Him more and more.◦          Even in this state of utter sinfulness and rebellion against God, Jesus came and died for us so that we might once again know God and live with Him eternally.  Once we trust in Him, we devote our lives and hearts to seeking Him out so that we might know Him and follow Him even better. No Wisdom

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Romans 1:21

 ◦          How does godly wisdom differ from worldly wisdom?  How is it possible that we can become extremely knowledgeable, learned, and honored here on earth, but still be considered a fool in the eyes of God?◦          Can we be considered wise by God but foolish here on earth?◦          The book of Proverbs contrasts the ways of the wise to the ways of the foolish and pushes us to gain wisdom and understanding and walk in the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom.◦          Those who refuse to acknowledge God or thank Him for all He has done and given for us are fools.  This sort of thinking will only cause them to sin more which will darken their hearts and harden their consciences more and more until they become utterly foolish, unable to see God’s hand in anything.

DOWNWARD SPIRAL  Given Over to Sinful Desires

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  Romans 1:24

 ◦          What are some desires of our flesh that could be potentially sinful?  Our bodies have strong drives for food, sex, sleep, and pleasurable sensations.  While God built these desires into our bodies, we are commanded to use them in a way that is holy and glorifying to God, not in sinful, perverted ways.◦          How do people abuse these natural desires with their bodies?  We can indulge ourselves with food, fornication, homosexuality, adultery (and other sexual sins), laziness, and drugs, among other things.  However, there are natural negative consequences that result from indulging sinful desires.◦          What are some issues in our society today that have become prevalent, and how might they be the result of too much sinful activity?  How can participating in the sinful desires mentioned above result in very serious consequences? Given Over to Depraved Minds

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  Romans 1:28

 ◦          Once we start giving in to sin and calling that which is wrong good and acceptable, our consciences quickly become hardened towards God and anything He tells us.  Our minds become depraved, or corrupted, and start believing lies.◦          What are some wrong ways of thinking that permeate our society and are promoted as good and right?◦          Think about the prevalence of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, etc. in our country.  Why might there be such an increase in the breakdown of people’s minds and emotions here?
 Romans 3:10-18  As it is written:
   ”There is no one righteous, not even one;
   there is no one who understands,
      no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
      they have together become worthless;
   there is no one who does good,
      not even one.”
“Their throats are open graves;
      their tongues practice deceit.”
   ”The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
   ”Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
   ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.”
   ”There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ◦          Rejecting God leads to all sorts of sinful activity, wickedness, and depravity.

◦          Once we give in to sin, it becomes easier to do it again and again—our sinful nature of our flesh tends toward sin. I know, I have very often on my sacred journey experiened that rejecting God leads to all kind of sinful activity.

◦          The pleasure of sin is but for a moment, but the pain could last for eternity, unless we repent and put our hope in salvation through Jesus.

I never like speaking on God’s wrath but we must recognise that as individuals and as a nation we need to again

see the hand of the Creator and seek for Him with all our hearts.

Have a great day.

John

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