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I can remember when I was a child that I loved shoes called “ROOS”, aka: “Kangaroos.”[1] What made these shoes fantastic and nostalgic is, like a kangaroo, they have a hidden pocket. As a child, can’t you just imagine all the items that could go inside that pocket!?! Keys, money, paper notes, throwing stars, firecrackers, snacks – the possibilities were endless. But another function of ROOS was the Velcro straps. You see, for a kid who did not know how to tie his shoes, Velcro was a game-changer. And old-school Velcro isn’t like modern sticky patches that only half fasten or temporarily attach. This Velcro was a strong bond. And it made life so much easier.

• Going outside to play was quicker, saved time. 
• No worries of coming off at school.
• Waking up from nap time and still being sleepy was not a problem to get shoes back on.
• And perhaps most importantly, removing shoes was not a hassle. No need to worry about getting laces tangled and demonic monster knots in the strings.
• These were simple, practical, yet functional.
• And, did I mention they had a zipper pocket?

When you’re a child, you have worries and fears about things getting in knots. When you’re an adult, those fears turn into trauma from circumstances being tangled and problems being knotted. And life becomes very complicated with twists and loops tied tightly.

This is like what Paul describes in Romans 1.

EXAMINE            Romans 1:18-32   Undeniable Yet Unbelieved

¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
So they are without excuse.

God’s revelation makes us accountable. God is readily undeniable but regrettably unbelieved.

It is important to note that Ro1:17 speaks about the righteousness of God and Ro1:18 about the wrath of God. ^[2]  Paul will return speaking about God’s righteousness in Ro3:21, but he wants readers to understand salvation is the union of righteousness and wrath, which is only displayed on the cross. The gospel is good news because the righteous wrath of God was satisfied through the cross of Jesus Christ. God became human through Christ and reversed the curse of sin and death, so that God’s life of blessing endures forever.

But part of sin’s curse is to create doubt. Humanity doubts God’s existence, wisdom, and goodness. We have not only doubted but rebelled against our Creator’s design. We have exchanged the glory of God for groveling toward idols.

One of the truths Paul makes known everywhere he goes is that we have a Creator. Paul traveled the world and was dismayed at the various idols of people (Ac 17:6). He saw statues constructed and stadiums celebrating the works of humanity; but these were far short of the glory of the Creator. Paul said, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by humanity, nor is he fashioned by human hands… since he gives all humanity life and breath” (17:24-26).

Humanity can only prove God’s existence as they can prove the existent cry of humanity for what is good, just, and loving, “for in him we live and move and have our being.”[3]

C.S. Lewis,  “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist.
A baby feels hunger: well, there is such thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such thing as sex. If I find myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”[4]

Steve Jobs was a great innovator, specifically with Apple computers – ipods – iphones. Yet, relationally his family life was very broken. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died a few years later. He claimed to not believe in God, yet during his diagnosis he waffled in an interview[5]: “Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don’t. It’s 50/50 maybe. But ever since I’ve had cancer, I’ve been thinking about it more. And I find myself believing it a bit more… maybe because I want to believe in an afterlife. That when you die, it doesn’t just all disappear. The wisdom you’ve accumulated somehow lives on.” Interviewer replied, “Yeah, sometimes I think it’s just like an on-off switch. Click, and you’re gone.  Steve Jobs replied, “And that’s why I don’t like putting on-off switches on Apple devices.”

You see, God has placed His fingerprint on every human heart. Paul tells the Romans, God is revealed… For what can be known about God is plain, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

God has placed His fingerprint on every human heart.

While philosophers and some religions discuss divinity with speculation, Christians declare God with revelation; we are not guessing with whimsy works or senseless sacrifices. Instead, God has provided the fingerprints of revelation, which comes in two forms:
1) General revelation with external creation and our internal conscience.

2) Special revelation with the incarnation of Jesus, and the Holy Scriptures.

God’s revelation holds accountable. Ro 1:20 affirms we are without excuse. The challenge is that we read the Bible with binoculars to look at other people’s sins instead of a mirror to our own life. When we get frustrated, offended, angry, and desiring justice, to whom or what are we appealing? Our wrath is evidence of our belief in right & wrong with a law-giver; otherwise, we’re hypocrites for claiming offense.

People famously say, “I speak my truth. You can have your truth, and I have my own truth.” Beyond the reality that isn’t logical, it’s also not livable. Because, when one of us offends/wrongs the other, no one says, “I have my justice, and you can have your justice.” Deep inside we know there are basic human rights and behavioral wrongs that are timeless and universal to every culture.

C.S. Lewis explained this is helped his faith. He realized the idea of justice and injustice was a greater problem for the atheist than the theist. “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of ‘just’ and ‘unjust’?… What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust… But when I said that my argument against God collapsed… Consequentially, atheism turned out to be too simple.”[6]

So, you can deny God but the sun will still rise, the earth will still be in the “Goldilock Zone,” perfectly positioned between the sun and other planets, with the precise percentage of oxygen and carbon dioxide so our atmosphere doesn’t devour us into a wild vortex or cosmic oven. And people will still ponder the wonder of creation.

The reality is, there are more reasons and revelation to believe in God than there is speculation for why God does not exist. I encourage you to check out a series we taught 3-years ago: Why believe? as we explored questions like[7]

• How do we know God exists?
• Which religion is true?
• Why does Christianity have so many rules?
• Why does a good God allow bad suffering?
• How does the Bible compare to science?
• Can we trust the Bible?

There are more reasons and revelation to believe in God than there is speculation for why God does not exist.

Our issue is not that the evidence for God is insufficient but that our hearts are idol-factories. By nature, we are worshipers of self and swift gratification. Belief in God is not just a matter of the mind but the posture of our heart. People choose to not take steps of faith because they know it will require change – so we suppress the truth.

²¹For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

You say, “These are ancient worship practices. We’re modernized. We don’t worship idols, or try to resemble birds, animals, or creeping things.”

• Orioles. Ravens. Eagles. Falcons. Cardinals. Seahawks.
• Bears. Bills. Broncos. Bengals
• Red Sox & White Sox               
  – – – laundry is always creeping. Seriously, who names a sport team after laundry!?!  
• And be careful of seductive snakes & cunning cougars, among other idols that cost $, use time, expend energy. (ahem!)

²⁴Therefore God gave them up

What we see in the following verses is God’s wrath in a way we don’t expect. Most people view God’s wrath in its active dimension where God’s anger burns hot with plagues and punishment.
The LORD’s wrath forever

• banished Adam & Eve from paradise for eating fruit from a tree (Gen 3).
• drowned people and animals in a worldwide flood for its violent behaviors and vile character (Gen 5).
• burned with sulfur and fire the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their unnatural sexual vices (Gen 18-19).
• plagued the Egyptian Pharaoh after he hardened his heart against the LORD and God’s people (Ex 9).
• slaughtered 3k Israelites for worshiping a golden calf (Ex 32).
• executed 2 worship leaders who offered unauthorized sacrifices before the Lord (Lev 10)
• slayed 15K congregation members who rebelled against God’s appointed leaders (Nu 16)
• defeated Israel’s army when they allowed 1 soldier to take possessions that did not belong to him (Josh 7)
• killed 2 sons of a priest for not listening to their father or honoring God (1Sam 2)
• exiled a nation with defeats of armies, destruction of property, enslavement of families, and demoralizing faith and hope for a nation that drifted spiritually.
  Ps 78:62 “God gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage.”
  Isa 51:17 Israel drank the cup of God’s wrath to the very last drop as they staggered dead.
• And Jn 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God remains on them.”
  Rev 6:17; 19:15 “for the great day of wrath [will] come, and who can stand?… From Jesus’ mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will read the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”
• Overall, God’s active wrath is not arbitrary or unfair, but justified toward unrepentant sinners. Ro 2:5 “because of your hard and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Yet, another dimension to God’s wrath is its passive nature. God’s passive nature is when He permits us to experience the uncomfortable and painful consequences of our sinful choices. God gives us over by removing His provision of mercy and protective care. You’ll notice 3x the repeated phrase God gave them up (Ro 1:24, 26, 28).

God’s passive wrath is equally horrible; because while God’s active wrath is immediately noticeable and perhaps correctable after being disciplined, God’s passive wrath is almost undetected as we silently drift toward a lukewarm concern and calloused heart toward God.   

It is this reason why many people will appear before Jesus on the last day, calling Him “Lord” and claiming religious deeds, but Jesus will reply, “I never knew you, depart from me” (Mt 7:21-23).

God’s passive wrath is equally horrible to active wrath. While God’s active wrath is immediately noticeable and perhaps correctable after being disciplined, God’s passive wrath is almost undetected as we silently drift toward a lukewarm concern and calloused heart toward God.   

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What actions does God abandon us?

²⁴Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

Paul’s first reference is to lustful desires and dishonoring their bodies. Paul was writing this letter from Corinth, a city where over 1K temple prostitutes “worked.”^[8] Exchanging your body for pleasure and security is an age-old trade, not a modern internet industry. The Bible addresses several violations for immorality (porneia):

• Fornication (Mt 15:19; Ac 15:29; Ro 1:29; 1 Cor 5:1; 6:9, 18; Gal 5:19; Ep 5:3; 1Th 4:3; Heb 13:4; Rev 2:20)
• Adultery (Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10; Mt 19:17-18)
• Homosexuality (Ge 19; Lev 18:22; 20:13; Ro 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10)
• Polygamy (Dt 17:17; Lev 18:18; Jer 5:8; Mal 2:14-15)
• Bestiality (Ex 22:19; Lev 18:23; 20:15-16; Dt 27:21)
• Incest (Lev 18:6-18)                                
• Pedophilia (Mt 18:10; Ro 1:27)
• Rape (Ge 34; Judges 19; 2 Sam 13)          
• Deprival (1Cor 7:3-5)
  
  
  The bottom line is that no one is innocent of immorality…

God’s gift of sex is like a flower garden.^[9] The flowers need attention with water, sunlight, and pruning, but they bloom bright with the proper care. But, the moment you pick a flower, it begins its process of dying. It doesn’t appear dead, but it has been separated from its source of life. In just a little time, the stem will droop, petals will shrivel and drop for decay and death to set in. Likewise, when sex is removed from God’s design, individuals may appear happy, but in time the spirit will droop, relationships will shrivel and drop, and sin will squeeze every ounce of life until your very end.

²⁵because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

We worship the gift rather than the Giver; seeking God’s blessings instead of God’s face.

²⁶For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Here we go.[10] This is the premiere passage against homosexuality. Not to be mistaken, there are others (Ge 19; Lev 18:22; 20:13; Ro 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10). What is also not to be mistaken is that every time this sin is specified in the Bible, it is in the context of other sexual violations and sinful vices. In other words, same-sex attraction or orientation is not any more sinful than others. Is homosexuality unnatural, depraved, and deserving of God’s judgment? Unequivocally yes. But every other sexual violation and sinful vice is equally deserving of spiritual accountability and condemnation and God’s judgment.

Why does this matter? It matters two-fold.

1) First, it matters because people, especially today, often define themselves by their sexual orientation. Their identity is wrapped up in their behaviors and pleasures.
For example, the claim is that people were born this way, so how can or why should they change?? I don’t dispute the way a person feels or thinks. Yet, Rom 1 teaches us sin deceives our minds and disfigures our heart to the very depths of our being. However, our identity must be rooted in the One whose image we are made, not recreating ourselves or God to be in our own image.
* Imagine the married man saying, “I was born with a wandering eye for other women.” The wife would not feel loved nor tolerate her husband’s acting on his feelings.
*Criminals can be born with propensity toward greed, anger, cheating, stealing, abuse, and murder. But our laws do not (should not) excuse people from committing crimes because they have selfish desires. The Bible teaches that innate desires need repented and reshaped by the Holy Spirit. We can be born one way, but Jesus says each of us must be born again (Jn 3:5).

Therefore, as Rosaria Butterfield says, former SSO, “Homosexuality is not the core of our rebellion against God; a desire to BE God is [my emphasis]. A desire to be the one who gets to declare good and evil, ‘play judge rather than be judged.’ A desire to use God’s creation for our own gratification rather than with pleasure, for his glory.”[11]

2) It matters for how we speak to others who struggle or are entangled in this sin. While God is crystal clear on this topic, He is also crystal clear on offering every sinner compassion as sheep without a shepherd and the opportunity to repent and receive forgiving grace. Jesus came to save sinners – all kinds of sinners. It matters not what kind of sinner you are but who your Savior is.

Practically and pastorally… if you… or know someone SSA/O:
a) God’s love is available to you (Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8)

b) Our church strives to relate not hate.
We can have differences and disagreements but still find common ground. Start on commonalities and let that lead us to Christ. Further, we stand against hate. We do advocate for bullying, discrimination, or any kind of mistreatment toward lgbtq persons. What we see in the faces of others is reflections of how we have been deceived and distorted, and the reminder of our personal need for God’s mercy.  

c) Wherever you or those you know are on this issue, you/they still have curiosity about Jesus Christ. So, if this issue is your stumbling block, then try to withhold opinion of Christianity and focus on Christ. Read the Gospels and be confronted with the gentle character, the compassionate heart, and the resolute convictions of Jesus. Let the love of Jesus guide you to His saving truth (Rom 2:4).

It matters not what kind of sinner you are but who your Savior is.

²⁸And 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. ²⁹They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Do you see how sexual sin is interwoven with other issues of the heart: coveting, envy, strife, deceit, pride, foolishness…? Sin creeps and spirals into every area of our life. And if we are not accountable to God or others, then before long we don’t even realize how far we have strayed from God’s design and demands of our obedience.

³²Though 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.

Sin creeps and spirals into every area of our life.

APPLY/THINK

While we have read and realized the horrifying description of human rebellion, let us not forget the power of the gospel to transform.[12] The gospel transformation of Romans 1 would be a redeemed vision of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

The joy of God is revealed from heaven upon all those who are loved by Jesus and celebrate His word and ways. For God’s beauty is evident and His goodness surrounds us beyond what our eyes can see. Those who know God are forever grateful and that leads to a fruitful life filled with wisdom, light, and glory. God’s people enjoy all of creation and are humbled that they alone share and reflect the glorious image of their Creator.

God blesses people with love’s purity with enriched relationships. For the women know their worth, confidence, security, and beauty being made in the image of God and under God’s assured care. Likewise, the men find their strength in humble service and feel the Father’s approval.
Men and women lift each other up in brotherly benevolence and sisterly support.
Each submits to the Almighty, serves the LORD, and is sustained by the Holy Spirit.
Their minds are sharp, their hearts are pure, their compassion is abounding, their words are truth-telling, helpful, and hopeful. God’s people flourish and prosper in every season, and no storm can hinder them because their roots are deep in the soil of God’s truth and grace.

We close today with a call to place all your hope in Jesus.

• You don’t need to be perfect or religious.
• You don’t need to have a clean past.
• You don’t need to have everything figured out.
• You only need to be willing to admit you need help, and that Jesus is able.
• Pray: Lord Jesus, I confess my need for salvation. I’m a sinner who needs you for my Savior. Thank you for offering me grace. Please guide my steps that my faith will grow, recognizing you as the Lord of my life. Jesus, save me and make me new. Amen.
• If you prayed that with sincerity, let us know so we can follow up and help you grow spiritually.

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KangaRoos

^[2] Robert W. Yarbrough, “Romans,” in Romans–Galatians, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. X, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 45.

[3] Thoughts elaborated from another message, Why Believe?” https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2021/04/12/why-believe-in-christianity-john-1/.

[4] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book III chap 10, “Hope”.

[5] See quote from J.D. Greear, Essential Christianity, p.33.

[6] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p.31.

[7] https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2021/05/25/why-believe-in-christianity/

^[8] Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988), 89.

^[9] Adapted from Tony Evans, Book of Illustrations: #846, sin, consequences of, p.282.

[10] Some thoughts adapted from J.D. Greear sermon on Romans 1. Note: I do not agree with every approach or wording from J.D. on this passage, which is how and why I have made adaption.

[11] Secret Thoughts Of An Unlikely Convert.

[12] Section adapted from https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/reversing-romans-1