When God Gives Up
Romans 1:18-3:20
Chapter 2
• Romans 1:18: a door to courtroom
• Theme of Romans: righteousness of God;
Paul starts with unrighteousness of
humankind
• Pattern: first the law & condemnation;
then grace & salvation
• The Gentile World Is Guilty (1:18-32)
– Devolution: human started high & because
of sin, he sank lower than the beasts;
opposite of evolution (18-20)
• People knew God, but turned from truth &
rejected God
• God revealed Himself through creation
– God is eternal (1:20)
– “Clearly seen”
– Psalm 19:1 –The heavens declare the glory of God: and
the firmament showeth his handiwork.
– “Hold”: suppress or hold down
» Men knew the truth, but didn’t allow the truth in
their lives
» Result: refusing the truth (1:21-22) & then turning
the truth into a lie (1:25)
» He abandoned the truth that they became like the
beasts in thinking & living
– Ignorance (1:21-23)
• Humans knew god, but they did not want to know
or honor God
• Humans refused to give thanks or glory to God
• Willing to use God’s gifts, but not willing to
worship & praise God for His gifts
• Result: empty mind & darkened heart
– If not God, a false god
– Top of false gods: ourselves
» “ye will be like God” (Gen 3:5 NASB)
– Man made gods in his own image, instead of man made
in God’s image
– Indulgence (24-27)
• From idolatry to immorality
– He does whatever he pleases & fulfill his desires
without fear of judgment
• The lie that man is his own god
– Eve
• Satan wanted the worship (Isa 14:12-15, Matt
4:6-10)
• In idolatry Satan received the worship (! Cor 10:
9-21)
• Result: self –deification leads to self-indulgence
– Homosexuality (Gen 18:20ff, I Cor 6:9-10, Jude 7)
» “Vile”, “unnatural”, & “against nature”
– God gave them up (1: 24,25)
» He permitted them & they earned consequences
» “in their own person the due penalty of their
error” (1:27 NASB)
» “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven
(Rom 1:18)
» How? By abandoning sinful man to their lustful
ways
– Impenitence (128-32)
• Because he was abandoned by God he became
worse
• Man did not want to retain God in their
knowledge
– “depraved mind” (1:28): a mind that cannot form right
judgment
» 24 sins
– He encouraged others and applauded them when they
sinned
• “Men are without excuse” (1:20)
• The Jewish World is Guilty (2:1-3:8)
– Addressing Jewish readers (2:17)
– Four witnesses to prove the guilt of Jewish
nation
• Gentiles (2:1-3)
– Jewish national & religious pride led them to despise
“Gentle dogs”
– Jews condemned the things Gentiles committed that
they themselves practiced
– God judges according to truth
» Standard for all: not one for Jews and another
for Gentiles
» Sins of the flesh & spirit (2 Cor 7:1, Rom 1:29-32)
» Prodigal sons & elderly brother (Luke 15: 11-32)
» When you point a finger at someone else, the
other three fingers are pointing at you
• God’s blessings (2:4-11)
– Blessings gave the Jews greater responsibilty to obey
and glorify Him
– God judges according to deeds
» Obedience & godly living
» David & Judas
» Measure of deeds the same for both Jews &
Gentiles
• God’s law (1:12-24)
– “There is no respect of person with God” (2;11)
– Jews were judged by the law
– Gentiles were judged by the law written in their heart:
conscience (2:15)
– Possession of the law vs practice of the law
– God judges “the secrets of men” (2:16)
» God sees what is in the heart of men
» “the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb 4:11)
» Sins committed in the heart (2:21-22)
• Circumcision (2:25-29)
– The mark of the covenant beginning with Abraham
» Physical mark vs spiritual mark
– A true Jew is the one who has the inward spiritual
experience and not only an outward physical operation
– God judges according to the secrets of men (Rom
2:16)
» He is not impressed with outward formalities
» God looks at the heart of men
– Praise of men vs praise of God (2:29)
» Jew from Judah means praise
– Paul’s summation (3:1-8)
• Jews were guilty before God
– “What advantageth is it to be Jews?”
» Possessing God’s Word
– “Will Jewish unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness?”
» Unbelief established His faithfulness
– If our sin commends His righteousness, how can he
judge us?”
» God judges the world righteously
• The Whole World Is Guilty (3:9-20)
– “none” & “all” reveal the universality of
human guilt
• Psalm 14:1-3 “The fool haith said in his heart,
there is no God.
– “No, God”
– The whole of man’s inner being in controlled
by:
• His mind (“none that understandeth”)
• His heart (“none that seeketh after God”)
• His will (“none that doeth good”)
– God must seek out sinners (Gen3:8-10, Luke 19:10)
– X-ray from heart to toe (Rom 3:13-18)
• 13a – throat & tongue (Ps 5:9)
• 13b – lips (Ps 10:7)
• 14 – mouth (Ps 10:7)
– “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh” (Matt 12:34)
– “For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy
words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt 12:37)
– The condemned mouth can be converted mouth, “Jesus
is Lord” (Romans 10:9-10)
• 15-16 – feet ( Isa 59: 7-8)
– Like his words are deceitful his feet are destructive
– Christians’ feet are shod with the gospel of peace
(Eph 6:15)
– Broad way vs narrow way (Matt 7:13-14)
• 17 – mind (Isa 59: 7-8)
– The peace of God is through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)
• 18 – sinner’s arrogant pride (Ps 36:1)
– “There is no fear of God”
– Conclusion (3:19)
• The mouth must be stopped
• The world is guilty
– “therefore” (Rom 3:20)
• Because – reason that the world is guilty
• No one can be justified by obeying the law for
no one can obey the law
– Closing
• Has your mouth been stopped?
• Are you still defending yourself before God?
• You cannot be saved by grace if you haven't
stopped your mouth and stopped defending
yourself before God