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
Since
the unrighteous refuse to acknowledge Christ as their Lord and Savior, God has
revealed His wrath against them (1:18), and has given them up “in the lust of
their hearts to impurity” (1:24), “dishonorable passions” (1:26), and “a
debased mind” (1:28). Because of their blatant rebellion against Him, God is
allowing unrighteous humanity to do things--such as participating in
homosexuality--that they were never created to do. Their souls are being used
by Satan as worthless trash, not even fit for the vilest of dumps.
The
unrighteous person is easy to spot. Spend just a few minutes with one and their
characteristics become self-evident. Paul gives us a description of their
defining qualities. He notes that they are exceedingly greedy. They intentionally
seek to cause physical and emotional harm to others. The unrighteous person is
an angry, deceitful, and resentful murderer. Those without Christ are known for
their broken promises, arrogance, disrespect for authority, and lying tongues.
Paul even goes so far as to note that they are “haters of God” and “inventors
of evil”. The unrighteous person lacks common sense, compassion, mercy, reason,
and sympathy. Such is the state of fallen man. The unrighteous know and
understand that their lifestyles break the laws of God and that they are
risking eternal damnation. But they do not care. In fact, they seek to persuade
others to do the same, giving approval to those who disobey God. This is not
ignorance. This is sheer rebellion against the Creator. This is rebellion that
will have fatal consequences. Though their sin may bring them pleasure for a
time, the unrighteous person will die, and their souls will burn in the fires
of sheol forever.
Such
was the state of the Christian before we were washed and justified by the blood
of Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit (I Cor 6:11). Without the grace
and mercy of God, I would be subject to His just wrath against sin. Thanks be
to God, Who has delivered from wrath those who call upon His name. As can be
seen from Romans chapter 1, God’s wrath is very necessary for the distribution
of justice. Without the wrath of God against sin, holiness would be
non-existent.
