Romans 1:28–31
Memory Verse
And just as they did not approve worthy to have the God in full experiential knowledge, the God gave them over to an unapproved mind to do what is wrong, being filled up where they lack in all unrighteousness: fornication, malignant evil, covetousness, wrong, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, bad character, secret slanderers, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, arrogant, inventors of wrong, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, without natural affection, irreconcilable, not merciful. (Romans 1:28–31).
Rejecting who God truly is leads men down a dark path. It starts with an attitude that lacks appreciation and a refusal to keep a proper view of God. From this point, the person who rejects God tries to change reality to fit his desires. He changes the image of the incorruptible God into images of corruptible men, animals, or creeping things. In his own wisdom, he foolishly serves creation—what he should rule—rather than the Creator.
God’s wrath is upon men and women who reject the truth and burn in passion for each other. He gives them over to an unapproved mind, through which they corrupt their bodies and act disgracefully. God allows them to face judgment for their deeds. He shows no mercy by letting them continue in their corruption.
Since they do not consider experiential knowledge of who God is to be valuable to them, God gives them over. They are then filled in all their ways with the unrighteousness they strongly desire. This unrighteousness affects their minds and actions. Because of their lusts, they even corrupt their ability to judge evidence. Their way of thinking is worthless when examined. They ignore the truth and live by fantasies. These actions and ways of thinking lead to corruption and judgment.
As long as a man has breath in his lungs, God gives him an opportunity to change his mind and accept the truth. When the light of the gospel of the proper opinion of Christ shines into their hearts, the darkness leaves (2 Corinthians 4:4). Reality does not come from threats of judgment, but from God’s kindness (Romans 2:4). God gives the faith needed to believe the message of salvation (Philippians 1:29). Man must use what God has given and be saved by grace through faith in Christ’s death on behalf of sins and His resurrection three days later, as the Scriptures say (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). Those who keep rejecting the truth are turned over to corruption and allowed to fill up their judgment.