Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 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: 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. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 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. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 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. 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: 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. 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; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 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.

Paul gives us two reasons why God’s wrath is revealed or manifested upon the ungodly and unrighteous. In vs. 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. Romans 1:19 and then in vs. 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, Romans 1:21

 

Paul declares that God has not left even the Gentiles, the pagans who did not have the direct revelation of God, ignorant of Himself or of sin’s penalty.

 

Paul reasons like a logician and a philosopher and says that the Gentile is still answerable to God because God has revealed Himself to them through creation.

B.H. Carrol said, “The knowledge of God, and their relation to him, is manifest both in them and to them. There are two books of this revelation—the book of nature in them and the book of nature outside of them. …This internal light is not a faint spark, but a great light. With every man in the world there is an internal sense of right and wrong. Men may differ among themselves as to what particular thing is right or wrong, but all have the sense of right and wrong. …But there can be no right and wrong without some law to prescribe the right and proscribe the wrong. And there can be no law without a lawmaker. And there can be no law without penal sanctions, otherwise it would be no more than advice. And there can be no penalty without a judgment to declare it and a power to execute it. But every man knows that even and exact justice is not meted out in this world—that many times the innocent suffer and the guilty triumph. Therefore the conclusion comes like a conqueror, that there must be a judgment to come and a wrath to come. - An Interpretation of the English Bible

 

Paul goes on in verse 21 with the second reason God’s wrath is revealed in the Gentiles, because at one time they knew God and they rejected him.

 

Romans 1:21-23 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.

Even when they knew God they would not worship nor thank Him. When did the Gentiles know God? They knew God when they fled the Garden of Eden all mankind knew God. They knew God after the flood, all mankind, 8 people, knew God. Throughout history God has reached out to the Egyptians in Joseph, the Assyrians in Jonah, the Babylons through Daniel, the Persians through Ester, Mordecia and Nehemiah. Time after time God has fully shown Himself to the great pagan kingdoms of the world and instead of repenting, they refuse to acknowledge God and they became vain, empty, in their imagination, their hearts were darkened, proclaiming they were wise they became fools. (Sure sounds like the people of today, doesn’t it?)

 

Then worse than ignoring God, they tried to control God by making Him who is a spirit and invisible into their image and then degrading that images to something even lower than themselves, an animal that they could tower over. Romans 1:23 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.

What then did God do, and this is where God’s wrath is revealed against the pagan Gentiles Romans 1:24-27. 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.

 

God’s punishment was not fire from heaven, it was God given them up to the consequence of their own sins. Paul says he gave them up to uncleanness. They dishonored their bodies between themselves, sexual sin. Sex outside of marriage, Pauls say even more, Gode gave them up to vile affections. Women with women (lesbianism) Men with men (homosexuality) burning with lust and doing what is unseemly, the words means shameful, but these people no longer have shame. They have moved beyond shame and now revel, rejoice in their unnatural sin before God.

 

Romans 1:28-32 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.

They did not want to keep God in their knowledge therefore God gave them over to a reprobate (base, worthless, condemned) mind. To do things not convenient (not proper, not decent, not fitting.)

Such a mind ultimately destroys itself and all those around it. They practice fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malicousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers, (gossip) backbiters (slander), haters of God, despiteful (insolent), proud, boasters, inventors of (new) evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding (conscience or sympathy), covenantbeakers (unable to keep their word), without natural affection (no natural love), implacable (unmoving), unmerciful.

And yet these reprobates know they are going to be judged and yet encourage others to do the same. Like drowning rats going down a whirlpool they grab every other rat they can and pull them down as well.

 

Do you wonder what has happened to our society today? Why we are seeing gay pride parades, women boasting of their abortions, men proclaiming they are women and women proclaiming they are men. Do you question why we are seeing riots in our streets, policemen being made into criminals, Christians being called haters and schools teaching that it is okay to be homosexual but not okay to be a Christians? Paul just gave you the answer in Romans 1:24 God gave them up!

We are a people who do not want to acknowledge God as our Creator and as a result we see the same evidence of degradation that Paul saw. We are increasingly being given over to vile affections and reprobate minds.

 

We often think that if we as a nation don’t change our ways God will punish us, I’ve got news for you, we are already being punished and God didn’t send in an invading army, or fire from heaven, He just let us go as a nation. He just released us, removed His protection and the consequences of our rejecting God is destroying us.