Paul started with the immediate social problem of his day; the
commonly accepted sexual practices of the world around him, particularly same-sex
sexual acts, but at this point he broadens the spectrum. That is only one facet of a larger
problem. God in his wrath allows them
freedom of will, and as a result they have reaped what they have so gladly sown
and have surrendered themselves to having a debased mind. Here the argument extends to a wide-ranging
characterization of “all manner of unrighteousness.” With a broad stroke brush
he paints a quick picture of the fruit of unrighteousness.
Romans 1:28 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. 29 They were filled with all
manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters
of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
In this brief picture he moves to the unrighteous behaviour of
those who sit in judgment over the sexual behaviours so evident in his society
and ours. When the sluice gate of
rebelliousness is willfully opened, all kinds of filth floods in. Note the quality of the sins that Paul has
cited. The list includes, “gossips, slanderers,
haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to
parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” It’s what I think of as a “Woops” list. The net of kingdom judgment is wide enough
that none of the evil that we do is left outside of the net. In following chapters Paul will make it clear
that sinners can’t afford to sit in judgment on sinners, because all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
There is another issue that we cannot afford to miss. Did you know that unrighteousness is
“evangelical” and seeks to convert you to its own way? This last verse of Chapter One is alarming:
Romans 1:32
“Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve
to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
Let me share a memory with you.
I am a recovered alcoholic and I had better never forget it. Towards the end of my second year of sobriety
(forty years ago) we had a Sunday morning baptism at the Church I was
serving. Following the baptism we went
back to the home of the parents for a baptismal party where we were met at the
door by the child’s grandmother with a drink in her hand. She was obviously too merry for 11:30 in the
morning. The first thing she did in
greeting me was offer me a drink. I
said, “No thank you, I don’t drink,” but she did not want to take “No” for an
answer. She was drinking and she needed
me to join her in her dissipation and she continued to press me to join her in
drinking. Not just once, but several
times. At last, in frustration, I said,
“I don’t drink because I’m a recovered alcoholic.” She responded, “You can’t be. You’re too young.” For the rest of the party she made herself
scarce and avoided me like the plague.
Above all it was apparent that she, who was having a problem with
alcohol, needed the priest to join her so that she could feel justified in
drinking that early in the day.
Never mistake the malignant evangelicalism of evil. What the unrighteous want you to do is to share
in their wicked deeds so that they can avoid the challenge with which your life
confronts them. In the context of the
sexual immorality of our day it is clear that those who do such things
desperately seek our approval, for the very thing they want to avoid is that
those deeds are not in the sight of God acceptable. That is one reason why there is such a press
towards the acceptance of same sex marriage in the church. For them it is a terrible thing that you
avoid the sparkling sins that for them are the very sign of their liberty from
an oppressive God. But be careful, the
next chapter will be merciless on the self-righteous who themselves have their
own sparkling sins.
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