Do Not Judge Others — God Alone Is the Judge
Romans 2:1 (NLT) You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. Message I. Introduction and Context See verse 1. You […]
The Death-Dealing Catalogue of Sin: The Sins of Those God Abandoned in Romans 1:28
Romans 1:29-31 (NLT) 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have […]
Echoes of Lot: Grief in a Godless World
Romans 1:28 (NLT) 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Message See verse 28a. 28a Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, Verse 28a encapsulates the essence of the preceding passage (Romans 1:18–27). God’s creation obviously testifies […]
From Ignorance to Grace: Understanding Romans 1:27 as a Gentile
A personal note before today’s reflection: This post is not aimed at any individual or group. I’m sharing my own journey—from ignorance to understanding—through Scripture. My intention is not judgment, but gratitude for God’s mercy toward me as a Gentile who once lived without knowing His law. When I read Romans 1:27, I’m reminded not […]
From God’s Redemptive Work to Tragic Exchange
Romans 1:26b (NLT) 26b Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. Jesus spoke the truth through paradoxes such as the greatest must be a servant (Matthew 20:26-27)’ and the Good Samaritan, where the despised outsider becomes the true example of love (Luke 10:25-37). Throughout […]
When Does God Abandon People?
Romans 1:26a (NLT) 26a That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Message I. When they trade the truth about God for a lie See verse 26a. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. ‘That’ indicates the idolatry, described in Romans 1:21-25 NLT. It is clear that God is displeased […]
The Tragic Exchange: Truth for Lies, Christ for Barabbas
Romans 1:25 (NLT) 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. Message I. Exchanging the Creator for the Created (Romans 1:25 NLT) How did humanity trade the truth about God for idols and […]
What We Worship Shapes Us
Romans 1:24 (NLT) 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. Message I. God Let Them Follow Their Choices (24a) When they worshiped not one true God but idols (Romans 1:21-23), God did not force them to obey […]
The Glory We Trade: A Call Back to God
Romans 1:23 (NLT) 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Message God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), Spirit (John 4:24), and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17, 6:16, Colossians 1:15, Deuteronomy 4:15). God knew they were susceptible to idolatry. God […]
The Foolish Pride of Human Wisdom
Romans 1:22 (NLT) 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. Message I. Observing the Verse See v22. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. Why did they claim to be wise, when in reality they were foolish? Such empty pride is what we call arrogance. II. Knowledge and Arrogance Knowledge makes […]
