God Gave Them Up - Romans 1:28-32 (Sermon)
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WELCOME
Good morning! It is great to be with you. We are studying the book of Romans, one of my favorite books in the Bible. I am fired up.
CONTEXT
Romans is a letter from the apostle Paul to the church resident in Rome. The Christian population consisted of Jewish and non-Jewish people. Over time, these two clashed. Paul responded to both, encouraging them to be united in their commitment to following Jesus. His letter was a call to all people to “live together in the power of the gospel, because it saves everyone who believes.” Paul began with an introduction and offered a thesis of sorts. A couple of verses after, he provided the reason people needed to believe the good news: God’s wrath was upon the ungodly. In our verses this morning, Paul thoroughly unpacks why God was angry with people. Paul was not rebuking his audience, but teaching them. And as he taught, if his readers were being preceptive, they would see that they too are included in this indictment.
TEXT
Let me show you what I am talking about. I am going to have M.V. read for us Romans Chapter 1, verses 28 through 32. Would you please stand with me in honor of God’s Word?
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. (Romans 1:28–32, ESV)
PRAYER
The Word of the Lord, thanks be to God. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word. We need your help to understand it and apply it to our lives. Teach us to live for you and give you honor, glory, and fame. Speak to each of us now by the power of the Spirit, we pray this in Jesus’s name, amen. You may be seated.
STRUCTURE
The passage breaks down into three sections. The first is the central idea. The second unpacks it. The third is a summary. If you are taking notes, and I move too fast, the church office will publish a link to my manuscript in the weekly email called Gems. If you don’t receive that email, please let us know, and we would be happy to send it to you. Here are the points in our verses,
Vs. 28 God gave people up to their ways because they didn’t acknowledge his way.
Vs. 29–31 Paul unpacks their destructive ways.
Vs. 32 In summary, people pressed on, ignoring the consequences.
MAIN IDEA
The point Paul was making was that people rejected God, and in doing so, he let them go down a destructive path. In verses 28 through 32, Paul listed twenty-one different ways people pursued their ends instead of following God’s. It is a vice list and was common in ancient times. Paul and other Biblical writers used them. The list began with broad categories, then became more specific, and finally ended with four things that these people didn’t have. Notably, the list does not include sexual sins, which Paul had just covered. The self-aware will see him or herself as companions to those who outright reject God and need the salvation Paul proclaimed earlier. The reality is,
All have sinned and fallen short of God’s ideals (Romans 3:23).
No one is right before him (Romans 3:10).
And the result of this is death (Romans 6:23).
Let me show you what I am talking about. If you have a Bible, open to Romans Chapter 1, starting at verse 28.
MAIN IDEA: GOD GAVE PEOPLE UP TO THEIR WAYS BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T ACKNOWLEDGE HIS WAY.
“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” (Romans 1:28, ESV).
Hear this, the “giving up” is not just here in verse 28. It is also in verses 24 and 26. Jump back to verse 24:
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:24–25, ESV).
And verse 26,
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature” (Romans 1:26, ESV).
Do you see the repetition? “God gave people up.” How? How did that work? If God is sovereign, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, there is no misplaced or forgotten atom in his grand design. Whatever was happening did not diminish his authority or deity. How could he give people up? Perhaps an analogy could help us?
PARENTING
A couple of weeks ago, I likened this “giving up” to a parent letting a child do what they want. In my family, we love sweets, but if that desire is not checked, our teeth and guts will rot. As a parent, I can tell my kids,
Have moderation at the picnic,
Eat fruit and vegetables,
And don’t drink pop.
However, if they continually disregard my instructions, there are natural consequences. With little kids, there are little problems, and with big kids, there are big problems. Eventually, they will have to make their own decisions about what goes in their mouths. They will be the ones paying the grocery bills and medical bills. They will make the selection at the restaurant and decide whether to lace up their shoes for exercise. They will have to look at the scale and bank account. God, as our heavenly Father, has created us with wills and minds, souls and hearts. Since the Fall, in the beginning of creation, our tendency has been broken toward the unhealthy. We become attached to things in ways that ultimately hurt us. God has warned us again and again to follow him and his ways, but we tend to resist. I have at times. Paul described this as a substitution, an exchange: truth for lies, the natural for the unnatural, worshipping the creation rather than the Creator. As we give up on God, he releases us to discover the danger of going our own way. This release is God’s tough love.
Vs. 28 God gave people up to their ways because they didn’t acknowledge his way.
Vs. 29–31 Paul unpacks their destructive ways.
Vs. 32 In summary, people pressed on, ignoring the consequences.
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
Turn to verse 29, please. What does it say? First,
“They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness” (Romans 1:29, ESV).
Stop there. What does that mean? Unrighteousness is not being right with God. Paul used the same word in verse 18 to describe these people. He described them as ungodly, thankless, and dishonoring. In verses 24 through 27, he described them taking a nose dive into false religion and sexual perversion. That is what he meant by unrighteous. They were not right. If that is not clear enough, these people were plagued with numerous other bad qualities.
EVIL
What? What is the next word? They were filled with evil. The word for evil in Greek is “pornea.” We get the word pornography from it. Although this evil can be associated with sexuality in the Bible, it is not here. It had a broader meaning; literally, they were full of badness. These unrighteous people were evil.
Covetousness
They were also full of what? [] “Covetousness.” You may have another version that interprets this word as ‘greed.’ What comes to your mind when you think of greed? Do you think of Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Maybe you think of the 1% in America. (Interestingly, if you made $65,000 after taxes as a single adult, you would be part of the global 1%. https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/how-rich-am-i?income=65000&countryCode=USA&numAdults=1&numChildren=0. We are far richer than we think.) Maybe you associate greed with the “Man.” Perhaps you think of capitalism. Why are people greedy?
Is it a drive for material things?
Maybe this desire is to keep score.
Possibly, this longing is to make people happy.
Sometimes the search for money is good. We need money. It can be helpful to put food on the table and a roof over one’s head. Money is not evil, in and of itself. It is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil. God desires people to put money in its place. We must be content, not covetous. Let us not love money, but use it wisely.
CONTENTMENT
Paul was in prison and wrote a letter to the church in Philippi. He said that he had learned the secret of being content in having loads of things and having nothing. Paul was content because he had his greatest needs met in Jesus. He knew his hope was in heaven, not this life. Those Paul described in Chapter 1 did not.
MALICE
The next word Paul used to describe them was full of malice. What is that? Malice means anger, hatred, and bitterness. It is related to wickedness. Here is a question for you. How full are you of malice? Do you seethe? Are you ready to boil at a moment's notice? Do people have to tiptoe around you? Are you one mosquito bite away from becoming a rage monster? Do you hold grudges? Are you a bitter person? This person is full of malice. If this describes you, why is that? Explore your frustration. Anger is only a symptom. Anger is not necessarily a sin. There is good anger. God is wrathful. Our anger may stem from disappointment. Move towards acknowledging God in your anger. Seek his help.
ENVY
The following seventeen words move from being full of, to specific things people do or don’t do. There is some overlap, such as the first word: envy. To be envious is like jealousy, greed, and covetousness. It is wanting what other people have and violates the Ten Commandments:
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (Exodus 20:17, ESV).
Are you envious? When you hear that someone acquired a new car or house, do you find yourself jealous? If someone else’s grandkid or child does well, does that bother you? When a person shares about his or her vacation, what goes on in your heart? I can be envious. Can you?
MURDER
The next word may offer relief or not. What is it? [] Murder. I am not a murderer. I can clear a background check. However, Jesus said if we call each other names, we are liable for murder. There is a way that we can do violence toward each other with our language. Did any of us call anyone a name this week? Jesus said doing that is like verbal manslaughter. Let us be careful in what we say, text, and type. God wants us to love one another, not attack each other.
STRIFE
We may not be tempted to engage in name-calling. But we fight in another way. My version of the Bible says the word strife. Other words for this are quarrelling and discord. If you want a picture of strife, think of the teenager. My kids are great. But they all have had their moments. Lest you think I am high and mighty, I was one once, and so were you. Now, not all teenagers cause strife, but I was contentious at that time in life. Moderns might deem this person as toxic, unsafe, and narcissistic.
DECEIT
The subsequent word Paul wrote was about liars. Let us be the opposite: honest. Jesus said he embodies truth. The Bible teaches us that God cannot lie and his Word is true. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth. Can we be a people who are known for being like our God: truthful and faithful. Does this charge mean we say whatever comes to mind? No. Being honest doesn’t mean we have permission-slip to say all our crazy thoughts. Friends, pursue transparency with grace, respect, and love.
MALICIOUSNESS
Next on the list was maliciousness. This is a form of malice. These people don’t have other people’s benefit in mind. They are thinking of harming people and like it. They are haters. Are you a lover or hater? Let us not be mean people.
GOSSIPS
The subsequent word was gossip. What is that? It originates from the word "whisperer." There is a place for us to bite our tongue and a place to speak our peace. When? When is that? Ask yourself:
Is what we are about to say about someone going to be shared with someone who is part of the solution or problem?
Is it my business to share?
I like to share. I like the news. However, I know many secrets. However, my job is built on trust. I need to keep people’s confidence. So, I don’t want to gossip. But Paul says these people do. They talk about each other behind their backs. I picture hearing them say, “Did you hear about so-and-so?” Let’s not go there. Resist the temptation to seek attention, validation, or friendship through gossip.
SLANDER
Closely related to gossip is slander. What is the difference? To slander is to speak against rather than about. There is a way to cast people in a bad light. This is throwing shade. We would do well to bite our tongues, hold off on texting, and wait on posting when we have an urge to speak against someone. Does that mean we never stand up and say what is hard? Can we oppose people? Yes, we can. God says some hard, pointed, direct things to people and about people. He doesn’t slander. How do we know the difference between a correction and a rebuke, and between slander and gossip? We can ask ourselves,
“Does my speech honor God?” (Colossians 3:17)
“Does my speech build people up or tear them down?” (Ephesians 4:29)
“Is my speech truthful? (Ephesians 4:15)
“Is my speech loving?” (Ephesians 4:15)
We can test our words by asking ourselves, “How would I feel if the person I am talking about overheard me?” These people Paul was writing about were slanderers.
GOD HATER
Worse than that, they were God haters. Would anyone here identify with that? I don’t think so. We did hear baptismal testimonies of people who did not like God. That is not too different. Maybe we can relate more than we think. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” So, if we don’t love Jesus, are we hating him? If we don’t obey him, at the very least, we express disrespect, a lack of value, and a lack of faith. Obedience as well as disobedience demonstrate allegiance.
INSOLENT
These people were also insolent. What does that mean? That is a violent, abusive, and insulting behavior. Don’t be mean. Don’t be a jerk. Don’t let your temper be unchecked. If you are struggling, get help. Find someone to talk to. Seek counseling. Don’t be okay with the status quo or rude.
HAUGHTY
Paul said these people were also haughty. Other words for that are proud, arrogant, and conceited. The Bible tells us that pride is an abomination. God hates it. Pride goes before a fall (Proverbs). We want to be humble people. Who is the most humble in your life? Picture him or her. [] Jesus tops them all. Philippians tells us that Jesus took the form of a servant and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He left heaven in love with you. That is humility. Radical. Let’s be like that.
BOASTFUL
Paul expanded on this heart condition to people who boast. Don’t be a braggart. If you do brag, boast about God. Boast about his grace. Boast about other people. Don’t boast about things you have no business claiming responsibility for.
INVENTORS OF EVIL
Paul said these people were creative in bad ways. Where do you spend your creative juices? Don’t spend them on inventing new ways to sin. Flip it and devise ways of doing good.
DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS
Paul included one on the list that I want younger people to hear. What is that? [] Need I say more? I love that Paul put this on the list. Part of the Ten Commandments is that we are to honor our parents. Parents, isn’t God great? How do they show respect? Obedience, humility, and listening. The kinds of things Harriet Tubman did to acknowledge God. The types of things these people were not doing.
FOOLISH
The following four words have a ring to them. These people were foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. The conclusion of the list includes people without a sense, faith, heart, or mercy. Instead, God wants us to be wise, faithful, caring, and compassionate. Which are you?
Wise or foolish?
Full of faith or faithless?
With a big heart or a little one?
Caring or a cutthroat?
32
In the last verse of Chapter 1, Paul concluded with a reason God is so angry at these people.
Vs. 28 God gave people up to their ways because they didn’t acknowledge his way.
Vs. 29–31 Paul unpacks their destructive ways.
Vs. 32 In summary, people pressed on, ignoring the consequences.
People knew how bad they were and what that meant: destruction. Yet, they kept acting the way they were acting and approved others doing the same.
“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” (Romans 1:28–32, ESV).
The consequences of rebellion were clear enough; however, that sense can fade over time. People can numb themselves to reality. They can seek self-atoning behavior to mitigate their guilt and shame, missing out on the real help and hope they need.
HARRIET TUBMAN
Last week, at Sawyer Highlands, I shared the story of Harriet Tubman, a woman who did the opposite of these people who didn’t acknowledge God. She was a slave, a spy, and a saint who lived in the 1800s. She suffered greatly. She was beaten, mistreated, and disparaged. She was illiterate and uneducated. Her husband left her. She had a bounty on her head. And she suffered the painful effects of a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) for most of her life. What did she do with the tension between a sovereign good God and her harsh life? Did she move towards him or away? Did she hate him or reject him? She sought him. Why? Because she believed that he was good, and ultimately in control, in an out-of-control world. She knew the gospel, the good news about Jesus. She embraced the goodness and grace of God. How did she express her faith? How did she acknowledge God, unlike those Paul mentioned in Romans 1 whose lives were spiraling downward? What did she do?
She talked to God. God was not too weak to handle her concerns. He wanted her (and he wants us) to speak to him. Do we acknowledge God through prayer?
Secondly, she listened to God. We can also listen to him through his Word. Although she was illiterate, she was faithful in attending church. She eagerly listened to the Bible being preached, taught, and sung, and committed much of it to heart. Like magic, God speaks through it. The Scripture probes the depths of the heart better than any angiogram. It unlocks the mysteries of life better than any documentary. Harriet listened to her Creator. Have we done the same? We can acknowledge God through listening.
Thirdly, Harriet acknowledged God by obeying God. She trusted he would lead her, even when life fell apart. She depended on him in the good times and bad. Her hope was in God. He led her while she had the strength to take dozens of trips into the dangers of the South, to rescue slaves out of slavery. God led her to help the Union army rescue 780 slaves during the Civil War. God led her to purchase land and a home to provide housing for the poor of Auburn, New York. He led her to fight for women’s right to vote. He led her.
Will you let God lead you, or do you want to wrench control from him and go your own destructive way? He wants to help you. He can walk with you through your valleys. Will you listen to him? Will you obey? Let’s acknowledge God. Let’s go his way today.
DO WE?
What if we do that but screw up? What if we acknowledge God, but can’t obey? Or, do we find ourselves in a broken cycle of trying harder but seemingly making no progress? Where is our help and hope, ultimately, not in our performance? This was a long and dark list that God gave to people because they didn’t acknowledge him. It included thoughts, words, and actions. As we wrap up, I want to point us to our help and hope. But before that, what on that list hits closest to home for you? Where do you struggle to obey God? Let’s pause to pick one or two areas that seem to be where we might improve. [] Here is the list for you to look at:
“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” (Romans 1:29–31, ESV).
REPENT
Let me encourage us to repent of these sins God brings to mind and run to verse 16 of Chapter 1. That verse communicates our strength and hope. What does it say? Let’s say it all together in unison:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV).
Repenting is turning. Turn from sin to righteousness. How? Let’s pause to tell God what we have done. []
FORGIVENESS
Let’s ask for forgiveness. [] God says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God forgives you who trust in Christ as your Savior from sin. Go and sin no more. But if and when you do sin again, and you will, turn back to Jesus and this good news that he died and rose again. That same power that raised Jesus from the grave is at work in his people to help them overcome sin and live for him.
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