19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 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. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 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. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 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; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 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. (Romans 1:19-32 KJV)
God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness
In this final section of the chapter, the apostle applies what he had said specifically to the Gentile world. Though they did not have the law of God like the Israelites, God did not leave himself without a witness among them. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)
Their Knowledge of God
The knowledge that the Gentiles had of God was not a mere discovery of their own. God himself imprinted these fundamental, natural notions of a supreme deity on their hearts. The existence of a divine being can be grasped, but it cannot be fully comprehended. We cannot completely find God out, for finite minds cannot perfectly know an infinite being. However, enough of him can be known to lead us to our ultimate purpose: to glorify and enjoy him.
This knowledge was confirmed and enhanced by the created world. The invisible things of God, his power and divine nature, are clearly seen in his creations. The things that were made could not have created themselves or fallen into such an exact order by chance. Therefore, they must have been produced by an eternal, powerful God. The workman is known by his work. The sheer variety, multitude, order, and beauty of creation, and the way everything works together, provide abundant proof of a Creator. This truth was not a recent discovery; it was present from the beginning of the world. The acknowledgment of God is an ancient way, and truth preceded error.
Their Idolatry
Despite these discoveries, the Gentiles fell into gross idolatry. This is described in Romans 1:21-23, 25. Their sin was all the more inexcusable because they knew God. The problem was that they did not glorify him as God, nor were they thankful for his blessings. To glorify him as God means to glorify him alone, since there can only be one infinite being. But they did not do this. They set up a multitude of other deities and made images of him, failing to worship him with spiritual reverence.
Instead, their thinking became worthless. They had knowledge of general truths but no wisdom to apply them to their lives. When they abandoned the truth, their foolish minds became darkened. This was particularly true of the philosophers who claimed to be wise but became fools. It has been observed that the most advanced nations, which made the greatest show of wisdom, were the most foolish in their religion. They thought they were too advanced for the plain truth of God’s existence and, as a result, fell into the greatest errors.
As a result, they made idols of God, changing the glory of the immortal God into images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. By doing so, they changed the truth of God into a lie. They gave divine honor to created things, worshipping and serving them instead of the Creator. God is an all-or-nothing God. He will not share his glory with another. This was the general wickedness of the Gentile world.
In the midst of his discussion about the dishonor done to God, the apostle inserts a powerful statement: “Who is blessed forever. Amen.” When we see or hear of contempt shown toward God, we should take it as an opportunity to think and speak highly of him. God is glorified, and will be glorified forever, even when people refuse to glorify him.
God’s Judgments
For their idolatry, God gave them up to shameful lusts. The phrase “He gave them up” is repeated three times in this passage (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). This is a spiritual judgment, the most severe kind. God gave them up in a way that was both just and righteous. He took away the restraint of his grace, leaving them to themselves. God is not the author of sin, but he allows people to follow their own sinful desires. The fault lies with the sinner’s wicked heart.
First, God gave them over to impurity and vile passions. Those who would not honor God forfeited the basic self-respect that preserves human dignity. Man, who was made only a little lower than the angels, became far lower than the beasts. A person cannot be given over to a greater slavery than to be given over to their own lusts. This led to unnatural lusts, which many of the Gentiles were infamous for and which went against the plainest and most obvious natural instincts.
Second, God gave them up to a depraved mind. They did not like to retain God in their knowledge because it conflicted with their lusts. It is the nature of a sinful heart to only do what pleases itself. In response to their willful rejection of the truth, God gave them up to a similar willfulness in the most gross sins, which is called a depraved mind, a mind void of all sense and judgment. This is a person with a seared conscience, a person who is past feeling.
This depraved mind led them to do things that are not fitting, things that go against the very light and law of nature. The apostle provides a long list of these things: unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. They were gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and merciless (Romans 1:29-31).
The apostle mentions two specific aggravations of their sin (Romans 1:32). They knew God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, and yet they not only continued to do them but also approve of those who practice them. It is a great aggravation of sin when it is committed against knowledge, especially against the knowledge of God’s judgment. It shows a hardened heart to know the consequences of sin and yet continue to practice it. To be pleased with the sins of others is to love sin for its own sake. It is to join a confederacy for the devil’s kingdom.
Ultimately, this passage proves that the Gentile world, living in such guilt and corruption, could not be justified before God by any of their own actions.