Romans 2:12-16 - Hearers vs. Doers

12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

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With or Without the Law

Paul is building a case in these first few chapters for our need of salvation. He starts:
The world has become depraved because it has rejected God.
You may think you are off the hook, since you do not see yourself as depraved.
However, your actions show whether you seek to do good, or seek to live unrighteously.
We know that God will judge all, without playing favorites.

In this next paragraph Paul addresses those people who claim they are favorites because they have the Law. Their attitude, “You don’t have the Law because your are not special in God’s estimation. We have the Law and you don’t.” Paul directs us to look at the following issues:

• Those who follow the law even if it wasn’t given to them (2:12-16)
• The Jews who violate the Law whilst requiring others to obey (“Do as I say, not as I do.”) (2:17-24)
• The value of circumcision (2:25-29)

V. 12 - “sin without the Law... perish without the Law” - Paul does not specify ‘the Law’ in the previous verses - 1:1-2:11. He launches from “the Jews first and then the Gentiles” comment in verses 9 and 10 into the following discussion. The world is depraved and some will object, because they are ‘good’. Some will object because they are Jews and have the Law - there is no way they could be as bad as that.

Paul is addressing an ancient question, “How will God judge those who have not heard?” I think this question is sometimes asked in concern for others, and also is based on our perception of ‘fairness’ - If I have to be saved by belief in Jesus Christ (I do!), it’s not fair if God saves someone who hasn’t heard. (I am not saying I know how God will judge - save or condemn - people who haven’t heard.) There is also the false concern - it’s not fair for God to judge them just because they haven’t heard. In either instance, the objection is raised because we don’t trust God to do right - we feel capable to tell God how to do justice and salvation! That is overweening pride in our abilities and knowledge.

This is a straightforward simple statement. If you are a sinner and are not subject to the Law, you will not be judged on the basis of the Law. "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.” (Ezek. 18:20) The Law did not invent sin, it calls attention to it, identifies it, makes us aware of sin.

“sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law” - This is a straightforward simple statement. If you are a sinner while you believe and adhere to the Law, you will be judged on the basis of the Law. "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'” (Eze. 33:11) I feel the need to issue a caveat: I am not saying you can be saved by obeying the Law. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone. No matter how hard you try, you will fail at keeping the Law without fail.

Law, or no Law, you need Jesus. 

V. 13 - “not the hearers of the Law... but the doers of the Law” - Knowing about the Law is important. Knowing and obeying the Law is vital. You can study the Law, you can memorize the Law. If you do not live your life according to that Law, then the knowing is worthless. This can be seen also in Jam. 1:21-25.

For example: I worked for several years as an Electrical Engineer consultant - our firm designed factories. I relied on the National Electric Code (NEC) to design the conduit and wire carrying power to the equipment being served. Each wire size has a designated current capacity. This value is not the maximum amount of current that can be shoved through the wire, but the amount that can safely be conducted without overheating the wire and insulation. Ignoring the NEC and designing for the conductor to carry more that the proscribed amounts could result in insulation melting, short circuits, fire, or even deaths. Knowing the Code, and not designing by it will result in dangerous situations.

“Justified” - A simple mnemonic, ‘just as if your had never sinned’ helps us get a start in understanding this word.

V. 14 - “do instinctively the things of the Law” - Gentiles (any non-Jew) who are obedient to the Law, without becoming a convert, follow because it seems right to them. Acting ‘instictively’ means you are not stopping to think. For example: Your car begins to swerve or slide on ice. If you are thinking, “What did the instructor say? Hit the brakes? No, that doesn’t sound right. Accelerate? Ummm.” You will have plenty of time while your car is being towed to come up with the answer.
Sometimes instinct means ‘fight-or-flight’. Part of the problem is that our ‘instinct’ has been corrupted by sin. Our old nature, the one we were born and grew up with, will lead us to decisions that are detrimental. They may seem right at the time, but lead ultimately to death.  

“Are a law unto themselves” - I do not think this means the ‘Law’ they are following has its origin within themselves, nor are they arbiters - judge and jury - of that law. It is they operate as if they were Jewish, not Gentiles.

V. 15 - “they show the work of the Law written in their hearts” - The law has become such a part of their lives they know the right thing to do immediately. Their conscience and thought processes will confirm whether their actions follow God’s laws or not.

V. 16 - “on the day” - There comes a day... No one, except the Father in heaven, knows the day or time when all will called to be judged.

“God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” - God will work through Christ Jesus to execute judgements. Every person’s actions will be judged. All will be judged with respect to their faith in Christ Jesus. I am confident the latter is definitely part of the picture. After all, it will be determined in the presence of God the Father and the Son if every person has their name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

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The accusation: the world is depraved is because the world does not have the Law. Paul is saying, “It ain’t necessarily so.” We are being drawn to the conclusion that we are depraved with, or without the Law. Additionally, we come to the conclusion that it is possible to know and follow God without the Law. Praise the Lord for that! (Otherwise, only Jews could become Christians.)

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Romans 2:1-4 - Your Stubbornness Gets You into Trouble

1 Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. 
2 Now we know that God's judgment is in accordance with truth against those who practice such things. 
3 And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God's judgment?
4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God's kindness leads you to repentance?

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You are Without Excuse

There are several ways of looking at Romans 2. (I’ve gleaned these from other readings and study.) At least three possible breakdowns of this chapter are as follows

Four Witnesses Against the Jews:
1) Gentiles - seeing the Jews Hypocrisy - vss. 2:1-3
2) God’s Blessings - which Jews rejected - vss. 2:4-11
3) God’s Law - Jews ignored - vss. 2:12-24
4) Circumcision - the act does not save - vss. 2:25-29
This is not my favorite analysis. Paul gives a thorough treatment of Jews in chapters 3-6.

We Have Earned Condemnation:
1) Condemnation of the moralists - vss. 2:1-16
2) Condemnation of Jews - vss. 2:17-29
This analysis continues the train of thought begun in chapter one, the wrath of God is because we have ignored and rejected the evidence God has provided.

Judgements Against the World Based on:
1) Judged on the Intent of people; you will be judged by your own standards - vss. 2:1-5
2) Judged by their deeds; seeking good or seeking evil - vss. 2:6-10
3) Judged without partiality; Law or not, no one escapes. - vss. 2:11-16
4) Judged by your Hypocrisy; you say, but don’t do - vss. 2:17-29

Almost everyone can read the last half of Romans 1 and think, “Thank God I am not as bad as those people.” Paul is showing us we are not as good as we think we are, even though we may not be depraved. It is easy to look at the world in general, cluck our tongues at the depravity of the world. No one has an excuse, not Gentiles, not Jews; not those who have God’s blessings and Laws; not even those who have taken on circumcision as a symbol or sign of belonging to God. We are reminded to not think too highly of ourselves (Rom. 12:3).

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Vs. 1 - “when you judge someone else” - Be careful how you make judgments. You are held to the same standard. You condemn yourself because you do what you accuse others of doing. It is so easy to look at the descent into depravity and think, “But I am not like those people.” We fool ourselves, because we want to believe we are better than we really are. No one escapes judgment based on their own righteousness. Jesus tells a parable regarding this very thing. 

(See: Luke 18:9-14) One of the people thought, “I am not like those sinners!” The other sought mercy.
You think you are better than those sinners? You are not!

I think there is some basic misunderstanding about the subject of ‘judging’. There is a difference between “discernment” and “judging”. We are to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. (See: Heb. 5:12-14) How else will we govern our own behavior? Those types of decisions are based on discernment.
We are not to determine whether someone else is going to hell becau>se of their actions. We are passing judgment when we decide that someone is ‘bad enough’ to be sentenced to eternal separation. That is not our purview - it is God’s decision alone. Only He knows the motive and spiritual condition of each person.

“because you who judge practice the same things” - Have you noticed in our political climate, that those who scream “racist” the most are indeed the most racist individuals? They would hotly deny it. There is the popular trope of the pastor who rails against adultery is most likely an adulterer himself. The person who demands the rich pay “their fair share” of taxes is the person who works hardest to be sure he is paying the smallest amount of taxes possible. We recognize pride in another because we know the pride within ourselves. We see the anger in another because it percolates in our hearts.

Vs. 2 - “we know that God's judgment” - You know that God knows. He sees what you do. God does not bring judgement against phantom sin. You sin because you are a sinner; it is what you do. It is who you are. He does not hold you responsible for my sin, or for your brother’s sin, or for your child’s sin. You alone are responsible to pay for your sin. The is no “splatter” of God’s judgement. Judgement of another does not slop over on to you. Judgement against you does not overspray on to others. (See: Ezek. 18:19-20) “The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.”

Vs. 3 - “that you will escape God's judgment?” - No one escapes (See: Eccl. 12:14; Heb. 4:12-14) The hypocrisy of the situation is clear. (See: Matt. 7:3-5) We fool ourselves into thinking we can get away with our sins. Perhaps He isn’t looking, or paying attention.

Vs. 4 - “do you have contempt” - Or as some translations read, “do you think lightly”. When the laws are not enforced, we become scofflaws. For example: You are cruising down the freeway, 70-75 mph. People in front of you begin braking, dropping down to 60-65. Well, how about that, a traffic cop parked along the road. Suddenly, everyone “feels the need” for no speed. Or when you come to a stop sign at a country intersection, do you stop or do you totally slow down? Or, why do you think cities put up the red light cameras? 

 These are minor examples, but show how we s-t-r-e-a-c-h the law when we think no one is looking, or there are no immediate consequences. Try rolling through a stop sign when a traffic cop is there. (Been there. Done that. Paid the ticket.) I think part of the problem we have in keeping God’s laws is because the consequences of disobedience seems so far away in the future. We can convince ourselves it really doesn’t really matter. We tell ourselves God is not a ‘sin radar’ traffic cop sitting along our road of life - so every time we see Him, we make adjustments. 

It is not only that we are deliberately disobedient, but negligently so. God is spirit, and we don’t always think of Him as being near, observing the way we live. We ignore Heb. 4:13, at our peril - “wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience” - based on how we perceive God’s love for us. His moral goodness (aka: kindness) is demonstrated (See: Tit. 3:4; Gen. 5:22). His tolerance (aka: forbearance) (See: Rom. 3:25), and His patience (i.e., steadfastness, or slowness to avenge wrongs) are shown.  (See also: Exo. 34:6-7; Rom. 9:22; Gal. 5:22) 

This is no impecunious god. The wealth of God matches His power (omnipotence) and His love “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psa. 136:1-26). 

 “God's kindness leads you to repentance” - If you had been insulted as God has been by our actions and disbelief, you would have wiped out the whole thing. Burned it to a crisp and started over, saying, “They just weren’t worth the trouble!” But that is not God our Savior. He has shown us the way of life. He has beckoned us in love. He waits patiently for us to respond positively. Paul acknowledges offers the way, and waits patiently.(See: 1 Tim. 1:15-16)

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Romans 1:28-32 - Depraved mind

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

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Filled With Unrighteousness

Vs. 28 - And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

“did not see fit to acknowledge God ” - This echoes verses 21 and 23. They “did not honor Him as God” and “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for... incorruptible.” The truth is out there - “that which is known”, and “His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen.” God is not hiding. He is not keeping secrets about Himself from us. To be sure, there is lots of things we won’t be able to comprehend because He is vastly beyond us. We are finite; He is infinite in every way. We can refuse to believe in God - that is our choice.

“ God gave them over ” - Echoing verses 24 and 26. Why would God allow them to fall away? Why didn’t He stop them? Those types of questions are common. I ask you, would you rather be free or be a robot? Would you rather make your own decisions, or would you prefer to have your choices programmed into you?
Some of the great science fiction stories (in books and movies) including the “I, Robot” series from Isaac Asimov, or the “Terminator” movies, or the “Blade Runner” movie (based on a story by Philip K. Dick) deal with the problem of artificial intelligence and autonomy. The writers are acutely aware that machines do not have souls, and therefore should not be allowed to make certain moral decisions. Asimov came up with the clever three prime directives of robotics, to make sure that the machines would not supplant humans, always protecting humans.
The artificial intelligence of the machines began destroying human life in the Terminator movies. Decisions were based on raw data and protection of the machines rather than the value of the creators of the machines. War between machines and humans was the result. Human life has more value than machine “life” no matter how smart or capable the machines became.
God does not want you to be a programmed machine, doing only what you’ve been told. That is not a relationship. Our pets, dog and cats, have more autonomy than that! God has allowed us free rein in any decision tree we come to in life. We can choose His way, or go our own. Each has consequences. In any case, God ‘gives you over’ to your decision - allows you to live with the consequences of your decisions.
Some decisions will lead to depraved behavior. Some will lead to peace with Him. If you develop a habit of making decisions leading away from God, the “giving over” becomes a habit that deforms the conscience, leading you deeper and deeper into things which are not proper.

Vs. 29-31 - being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;

“being filled...” - I mentioned earlier that Paul was not picking on homosexuality (vss. 26, 27) as he described their impurity or degrading passions. In verses 29-32, God provides a list of twenty-two (22) sins in which Paul describes “a depraved mind” - see the list below. A ‘Cliff Notes’ version is seen in 1 John 2:15-16: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” This is the kind of list that should start with the phrase ‘includes, but not limited to the following’.
The sins are the symptom of the illness that infects us. The illness is the sin nature we inherited from the ‘Original Sin’. It is almost as if the sins do not matter because they are the acting out of the way we are. It does not matter if you do not murder another person if you are arrogant - both show you are a sinner and need salvation.
Some of the sins on the list are personal, internal, and perhaps never visible to the people around you. The ‘visibility’ or public display is unimportant, for it is sin, period. God knows your sin, even if you will not acknowledge that fact.
Some of the sins on the list are inter-personal - the way you treat others, the lack of value you place on others. These sins may be committed, and observed by others. The disapproval that may arise is witness of your sin, but only the record kept by the Lord is important.

Vs. 32 - and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

“they know the ordinances of God... practice such things worthy of death... do the same” - Even though the people know what is being done is wrong, both in the short term and for eternity, they do it anyway. This is the Biblical definition of ‘fool’.

“hearty approval” - The depraved mind is the logical conclusion of active rebellion and passive indifference to God. The depraved not only act out the sin nature, but also encourage and tech others how to do the same. The sins are celebrated! Examples: Gay pride parades. Shouting out your abortions (encouraging women to brag about having an abortion). Spring break week bacchanal. Vilification of Christians. Personal destruction of those who disagree with the main stream media.
Some of the strongest language in the OT and NT is spoken against people who lead others into destruction. See: Mark 9:40, 42; Isa. 5:20-23. Paul is almost furious in the letter to the Galatians regarding teachers who are leading people away from the true gospel. See also: Matt. 7:15-23, 24:4-5; 2 Cor. 1:13-15; Col. 2:8; 2 Tim. 3:1-7, 4:3-4; Tit. 1:15-16; 1 John 4:1-6; 2 John 1:7-11.

If you start considering the attitudes of non-believers starting with verse 19 through verse 32, you see a death spiral - going from indifference to God, to disbelief, active opposition, to celebrating their disobedience, to urging others to join them in sin.
The attitudes go from being centered on God to chaos.

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(this assumes that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are not rebellious to the point of defiance. Most believers are not ‘in your face’ to God)

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The list of sins:
(including, but not limited to the following:)

• unrighteousness - violating law and justice (especially God’s)
• wickedness. - depravity, evil purposes & desires
• greed - desire to have more, covetousness, avarice
• evil - ill-will, desire to injury, break laws
• envy - jealousy
• murder - killing others, slaughter
• strife - wrangling, contention
• deceit - guile, to mislead
• malice - bad character, malignant subtlety
• gossip - secret slander
• slanderers - defamers
• haters of God - exceptionally impious, and wicked
• insolent - prideful, insulting others
• arrogant - placing self above others, overweening self-estimation
• boastful - empty pretender (on the other hand, it’s not bragging if you can pull it off)
• inventors of evil - plotters of wrong things and actions
• disobedient - not compliant
• without understanding - unintelligent, stupid
• untrustworthy - covenant breaking, faithless
• unloving - without natural affection
• unmerciful - without mercy (unable or unwilling to see that compassion is needed.)
• hearty approval - to be pleased together with, consent, agree

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End of Chapter
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Romans 1:26-27 - Trading Natural for Unnatural

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
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Indecent Acts

Vs. 26 - For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,

“For this reason” - They rejected God’s truth. They chose to go their own way. Being “wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight” (Isa. 5:20, 21) they make choices which violate God’s standards, and suffer the consequences.

“God gave them over” - It is no surprise when someone becomes addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, drugs such as marijuana, meth, coke, etc. God does not force a person to become an alcoholic, a drug addict, or addicted to pornography. God warns us that these activities are bad for us. On the other hand, He does not prevent the effects to take control of someone who will not listen.

That is the idea expressed in the fried egg commercial: “You do the drugs and this is what will happen to you.” When the ravages begin to take over the body and mind, no one can legitimately say, “I had no idea this would happen.”

As bad as the effects of alcohol, drugs, or sexually transmitted diseases may be, the eternal perspective of the result of rejecting salvation through Jesus Christ is far, far worse. Jesus was clear, believing in Him had benefits for the here and now, not just in a nebulous future. He came that we might have life, and that in abundance. (John 10:10)

“their women exchanged” - This is third time in just a few verses (vss. 23, 25, 26) the word “exchanged” is used. We do not turn to and beleive in nothing when rejecting one way of ordering our lives. We do not operate in a spiritual vacuum - we always live out our lives based on some principle. Whether you choose Christianity or atheism, Judaism or Islam, naturalist or nihilist, your belief system is the paradigm used to make life decisions. God here uses sexual mores to illustrate when people reject His principles they take up others. God is not picking on women in this verse, because:

Vs. 27 - and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

“in the same way also the men” - These two verses show that God does not approve of a homosexual lifestyle. In verse 26, above, women ‘exhanged the natural function for that which is unnatural’. In this verse, ‘men abandoned the natural function for... men with men committing indecent acts’.

There are many people who claim it is none of our business what others want to do. We cannot, should not, be telling others how to live their lives. It is their personal life, and not ours. The claim is the strictures against homosexual behavior are written because of the times and places where written, and really don’t apply to us. In the very narrow sense of you must live your life; I cannot live it for you, you must make the decision of how you will live.

However, ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness’ (2 Tim. 3:16), and written for all time, not just for first century Middle Eastern cultures. I do not believe Paul is picking on homosexuality because it is a particularly egregious sin. There is no difference between adultery and homosexuality and murder and theft - these are all sin, and sin leads to death.

“receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error” - Spiritual and physical penalties are exacted. The conscience is dulled, becoming incapable of telling right from wrong. The mind and body become addicted - many want to treat addiction like a disease. I cannot think of any disease as a good thing. Likewise, anything that will destroy the mind, spirit, and body is not good for you or me.

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Romans 1:22-25 - Exchanged Truth for Lie

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

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We Become Fools

Vs. 22 - Professing to be wise, they became fools,

“Professing to be wise” - That is: wiser than God. The height of arrogance is to decide human knowledge and reason is the ultimate end of what can be known or understood. Philosophers and scientists may choose to ignore God, but it is not without consequences.
I saw a bumper sticker the other day, “Science is Real”. Based on the other stickers on the vehicle, I am guessing the owner has decided God - or faith in God - is not real. There are several writers that have expounded on this subject far better than I can. (See: C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”; Nancy Pearcey, “Total Truth”; Francis Schaefer, “How Should We Then Live”; R. M. Weaver, “Ideas Have Consequences”.)
Professing to be wise, many wise words and sayings have been written based on the belief man is the measure of all things. This “wisdom” leads us away from God, making it deadly.

“They became fools” - From Unger’s Bible Dictionary: The word fool “is used in Scripture with respect to moral more than intellectual deficiencies. The ‘fool’ is not so much one lacking mental powers, as one who misuses them; not one who does not reason, but reasons wrongly. In Scripture, the ‘fool’ by way of eminence, is the person who casts off the fear of God, and thinks and acts as if he could safely disregard the eternal principles of God’s righteousness. (Psa. 14:1; 92:6; Jer. 17:11; Pro. 14:9)” (See Note 1). This reminds me of the comedian Red Skelton. One of his ‘characters’ was the Mean Little Kid, who would say, “If if I dood [sic] this, I’ll get in trouble.” After a few seconds pause, “I’ll dood it anyway.” This type of unreasonableness can also be likened to: “Don’t confuse me with facts. My mind is made up.” The sense is the person knows the right thing to do, and rejects it in order to do as they please.
The word used here for ‘fool’ is similar to a Hebrew word meaning ‘rebel’, and similar to the Greek word from which we have derived ‘moron’.

Vs. 23 - and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

“Exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image...” - Worshipping an idol in lieu of Holy God. Most of the pagan gods were represented by a physical image - an animal, bird, person, or some combination of these. See the story of the “golden calf” (Exo. 32:4). Several other gods show up in scripture: Baal (1 Ki. 14:23; 2 Ki. 23:7); Dagon (Jud. 26:23-30; 1 Sam. 5:1-7); Ashtoreth (1 Ki. 11:5; Jud. 2:13; 2 Ki. 23:13). Often the worship of these false gods involved licentious behavior - substituting sex acts with a temple prostitute for the worship and relationship with God Almighty. Before we get all uppity, feeling superior to those pagan religions, realize that human nature has not changed. Now we worship ‘science”, ecology, nature, etc. For example, we idolize polar bears, spotted owls, snail darters; we bow to global warming, abortion, political power, etc. Some of these are images in the sense a representation of something that takes the place of worshiping God.
I just watched an interview with the famous author Orson Scott Card (“Ender’s Game”) in which he noted that everyone has a religion - it may be a belief in God, or some other god, or “science”. Many science fiction authors have their characters and world systems rejecting God Almighty - maybe not explicitly, but rejecting even so. Likewise, detective stories and murder mysteries seldom have a faith in God. They may believe in themselves and their personal prowess, but not in God.

Vs. 24 - Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

“gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity“ - Be careful of what you wish for; you may actually get it. Go to Exo 7:10-12:29, Pharaoh refused to listen to the requests to let the Israelites go. The common phrase is “Pharaoh hardened his heart”, and at least once the Lord hardened the heart. The Pharaoh was pre-disposed to rebel against the Lord’s commands. At some point, God lets him have his way. But that way leads to death (See: Exo. 11:29ff; 14:26-31)
For some reason, when we reject God our predilection is to give in to baser lusts: sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, parties, etc.

“their bodies would be dishonored” - It is reasonable to think that addiction to sex, alcohol or drugs is destructive to the body, or mind, or even the soul.

Vs. 25 - For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

“they exchanged the truth of God for a lie” - The Truth: God created us to have a loving relationship with Him. This is a two-way relationship - God loves us and cares for us. We can love and worship Him.

The lie: Humans don’t need God, and can get along very well - we can determine what is best for our bodies, our minds, our souls.
A line from the poem ‘Invictus‘ by W. E. Henley is often quoted to show fierce independence from God, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul". It is to show resilience in the face of disaster, to defy an intractable and vengeful God. This saying only holds true for as long as you are alive. At some point in the future you must face the Lord God at His judgement seat. Your ‘captaincy’ or ‘mastery’ will determine the ultimate fate of your soul. “And as much as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgement.” (Heb 9:27) You have no control over what happens next. You face the Living God and the Lord Jesus Christ. If your ‘mastery’ meant you accepted Him as Lord and Savior, you spend eternity with Him in glory. If your ‘capataincy’ meant rejecting His freely offered gift of life, your fate is sealed and separated permanently from God. (See: Rev 20:11-15) No arguing. No debating. No bargaining. You have made a decision and you will live or die based on it. This is why professing to be wise is so scary. It may be said, “He chose poorly”, or better yet, “You have chosen wisely”. (See note 2)

Note 1: Unger, Merrill F.; “Unger’s Bible Dictionary”; Moody Press; 1966.
Note 2: From “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” ***

Romans 1:16-17 - I Am Not Ashamed

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

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The Power of God

Vs. 16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

“For” - The reason Paul is eager to preach the gospel (see Rom 1:13-15) to the Romans is as follows:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel” - What an interesting juxtaposition of shame and joy! Why would you feel shame at knowing Jesus, or at being free from sin and death and guilt? Why should having peace with God and having the peace of God be a cause feeling inferior or inadequate? Why should the joy of eternal life with God be the source of embarrassment, humiliation and shame? What is the negative of knowing Christ?

Perhaps it is because we have accepted and believed the lies of Satan?

Witness: We face continual assault from the world for our belief in Christ.
The intellectual and sophisticated tell us we are simplistic and should listen to reason and logic - science is the answer.
The tough guy tells us our faith is a crutch because we are weak.
The arrogant says he would rather be playing poker in hell with his buddies than being bored silly in heaven.
We are told our faith is suitable for Sunday morning worship only, and not welcome in the everyday workplace and world.

It is understandable and perhaps should be normal to be ashamed of the sinful things you have been doing in the flesh. (See: Rom. 6:21) We should never feel guilty or ashamed that we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Don’t fall into a trap of being pressured or coerced into doubting your faith in Jesus.
You believe in the Lord of Lords.
On the other hand, do not be arrogant in your faith. You are not saved by anything you may have done, but by the grace and power of the Lord. (See: Titus 3:5) Humility and thanksgiving are the watchword.

To repeat: We do not need to be ashamed to be called children of God. (1 Pet. 4:16). God is not ashamed to call us His children (Heb. 2:11). God is not ashamed to be called our God. (Heb. 11:16). We should not be ashamed of our personal testimony, nor of any persecution that comes to us (2 Tim. 1:18, 12, 16).

We already know that our lives now are surrounded by hate, anger, jealousy, and sin of all kinds. There is no bad or evil in the presence of God. We have been promised eternal life without sin, and in the presence of our God and Savior, in joy and triumph.

“it is the power of God for salvation” - Salvation comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ. His power transforms us. His power moves us from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of light of His son Jesus. (Col. 1:12-13) Remember, you are not saved simply because you exist, nor because of your righteous works. (Titus 3:5-6) The power is in Christ, his death, burial, and resurrection.

“Everyone who believes” - The power is transferred to us when we believe. "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:35-36)
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’" (John 6:29)
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, [even] to those who believe in His name,“ (John 1:12)
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)
The other side of this equation: without faith (belief) in Christ Jesus there is no salvation. That is a clear and bright dividing line. It is not an impossible task, e.g., climb Mt. Everest, or else. See: Acts 15:11; 16:31; Rom 10:9

“to the Jew first and also to the Greek” - The “Great Commission” is to send us to announce the gospel to the whole world. Jesus’ last words sent the apostles to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Vs. 17 - For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.

“righteousness of God is revealed” - Our salvation, supplied by God, shows He is righteous. How is this so? God shows no favorites. No one gets a pass. No one can say, “It’s not fair. You let that guy into heaven, and he did...” God does not ‘grade on a curve’. We all agree that great sins are worthy of being judged. We begin to quibble over what little indiscretion is not worthy of judgement. The answer, from the Holy God of the universe: There is no lower limit.

There is no sin, no matter how small, that can be ignored by a holy and righteous Lord. We are born in sin. We will die in our sin. Where does that leave us? What can we do? To paraphrase a heavy metal anthem, “Works. What are they good for? Absolutely nothing!”
This is the point where God’s righteousness is revealed. Rather than requiring us to do something to get salvation, God Himself pays the price. He does not ignore our sin, which would be immoral. A perfect sacrifice, someone as great as God, was made to pay for the sin of the world. The sacrifice had to be perfect to be acceptable, and efficacious. The sacrifice does not turn away from the sin and penalty, but faces it straight on, and pays the price. That is righteous! Justice is satisfied. Mercy is shown.

“From faith to faith” - Faith and nothing but faith. God, through the Holy Spirit, provides the faith to the person seeking Him. Faith in Christ saves you. Believe in Him and you shall be saved. Faith to be saved; faith to live the Christian life; faith to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior.

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Romans 1:13-15 - Obligated to Gentiles

13 I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

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I Really Want to Come to Rome!

Vs. 13 - I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

“often I have planned to come to you ” - The churches in Rome most likely know that Paul has travelled throughout Macedonia and Greece. Paul is answering a probable question, “Why doesn’t he come here?” He hasn’t forgotten about them. He isn’t ignoring them. He has been prevented from coming to Rome.

“ that I may obtain some fruit among you also ” - I think there are a couple of meanings in this phrase. One: Paul wants to come to Rome to share the gospel that more Gentiles will be saved. Two: Paul wants to see the believers be filled and controlled by the power of the Holy Spirit. Both are reasonable understandings. Jesus told us to be ready to lead people to salvation, because the fruit of the harvest is ready! (See: Luk. 10:2; John 4:35) Thinking of the alternate meaning: Jesus indicated that living for Him will bear much fruit. (John 15:5, 8, 16) In the Galatian letter Paul contrasts fruit of the Spirit with the deeds of the flesh. There are other references to righteousness of the believers as being the fruit of faith. (See: Eph. 5:9; Heb. 12:11; Jam. 3:18)

Vs. 14 - I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

“ under obligation ” - Why would Paul feel he is in debt to the Gentiles? Why call himself a debtor? What does he owe them? What have they done for Paul that he would be ‘in debt’ to them?
Think of the men and women who have served in the United States military from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, through both World Wars and those since, there is a significant debt owed to them for the sacrifice they have paid to keep us free. Because of that price paid, we are obligated to live up to the ideals and principles of the the Declaration of Independence and U. S. Constitution.

Paul sees the price Christ paid to make us free from sin. Paul was tapped by Jesus to take the Gospel to Gentiles. If he doesn’t share the message of saving grace in Jesus Christ he is not living up to his calling. Paul’s obligation is to Christ to speak the message. It doesn't matter if the listeners are sophisticated Greeks, or uneducated people from remote areas. It doesn’t matter if they are wise in the ways of the world, or naive and foolish. There is no way for them to come to Jesus if they have not heard. There is no way for them to hear if a preacher doesn’t tell them. (Rom. 10:14)

Vs. 15 - So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

“ I am eager to preach the gospel to you ” - Preaching the Gospel makes payment on the obligation. The debt can never be marked “paid in full” by Paul. Christ alone can pay - and has paid.

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