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 about God (Romans 1:19-20). They have no excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1:20b). They knew God but They did not worship or give thanks to God (Romans 1:21a). Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools (Romans 1:22). Instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols (Romans 1:23). They traded the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself (Romans 1:25). So, God abandoned them to their shameful desires (Romans 1:26-27).
See verse 28b.
28a he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
It is a pain to experience “things that should never be done”. Like Lot, whose righteous soul was tormented day after day by the wickedness around him (2 Peter 2:7–8), the godly grieve deeply when they see people rejecting God’s truth (Ezekiel 9:4; Psalm 119:136).
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 of others’ sins, but of how all of us—myself included—fall short without God’s revelation.
Romans 1:27 (NLT)
27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
Message
I was born in a Buddhist family, and for many years, I refused to change my religion. When I was 15, I became mysteriously sick for three years. At 18, I was converted to Christianity. But when I didn’t know the Law of Moses written in the Old Testament, I was ignorant of many sins.
Decades later, I decided to read Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy carefully. When I read Leviticus 5 and 15, I learned about the guilt of “uncleanness” for the first time. I discovered when I would become unclean and how long the uncleanness would last. I also learned that being defiled by another person’s uncleanness was my guilt (Leviticus 5:3), and that I should confess my sin and bring a sin offering to make things right with God (Leviticus 5:5–6).
I realized how unclean I had been all the time—not only before I became a Christian but even after—because I didn’t know these laws. I thank God for His great mercy and grace, who saved a Gentile man like me, even though I was often unclean without knowing it.
When I read today’s passage, Romans 1:27 (NLT), I deeply understand how ignorant the Gentiles can be, because they don’t know God’s law. Just as I once lived in ignorance, so many live today without understanding what God calls sin. But now, through Christ, I have come to know the truth. His sacrifice has cleansed me once and for all—not through animal offerings but through His precious blood.
This makes me humble and grateful. Instead of judging others, I remember where I came from. I pray that those who are still unaware of God’s ways will also come to know His truth and mercy, just as I did.
This reflection leads me not to judgment, but to humility. I remember who I was and how much mercy I received. My prayer is not condemnation, but that all of us—wherever we are—may encounter God’s truth, grace, and restoration in Christ.
* God’s image in us gives moral awareness and self-reflection, which can result in inner shame when we act against God’s law—this helped me understand “the penalty within themselves”; for more, see this reflection: https://www.comnc.org/falling-short-of-gods-glory-sin…/
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 Scripture, God often works in unexpected ways. In the Old Testament, women sometimes rose to positions of leadership and influence—like Deborah, who judged and led Israel (Judges 4–5), and Esther, who risked her life to save her people. Even Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, protected Israel’s spies and became part of God’s salvation story (Joshua 2; Matthew 1:5). From the very beginning, God promised that the Savior would come as the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), overturning expectations and highlighting His sovereign plan through those society often overlooked.
Yet Paul also shows the opposite reality in Romans 1:26: how even women, who had played such key roles in God’s plan, traded His truth for a lie—exchanging natural relations for unnatural ones. Here he is not describing a different physical orientation, but showing how human behavior reflects the exchange of God’s truth for lies. This includes pride, greed, gossip, envy, sexual behavior, and more. We’re all in the same human story.
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 when we worship the wrong objects. By not worshiping God, they became utter fools (Romans 1:22 NLT). By worshiping idols, they have gone shameless, vile, and degraded (Romans 1:24 NLT). It is the act of trading the truth about God for a lie (Romans 1:25 NLT). That is, they believed in a lie. They deceived themselves.
II. When they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them
The man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT) will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9 NLT). He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them (2 Thessalonians 2:10 NLT). When they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them, God not only abandons them (26a), but will cause them to be greatly deceived and they will believe these lies (2 Thessalonians 2:11 NLT). Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT).
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 lies?
Since Romans 1:21 NLT said, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks…”, they became utter fools (Romans 1:22 NLT), and they worshipped idols (Romans 1:23 NLT). They desired and did shameful things (Romans 1:24 NLT). Today, v25a summarises the above and says, “They traded the truth about God for a lie.” They traded the Creator for the Creatures. They worshipped the things God created instead of the Creator himself (25b). Jeremiah declared this in Jeremiah 2:11-12 NLT.
11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!
12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord.
II. Exchanging Jesus for Barabbas
How does humanity repeat the same tragic exchange today?
All four books of the Gospel record the event that people chose Barabbas instead of Jesus (John 18:39-40 NLT, Matthew 27:20-23 NLT, Mark 15:11-15 NLT, Luke 23:18-20 NLT). They traded Jesus for Barabbas! This event may sound accidental, but it clearly shows who we are and what we do.
They falsely accused Jesus, breaking the 9th commandment written in Deuteronomy 5:20 NLT. They condemned Him without two or three witnesses for each accusation, breaking Deuteronomy 19:15 NLT. They opened the trial at night to make the trial unfair, breaking Deuteronomy 16:18-20 NLT. They condemned the innocent, breaking Exodus 23:7 NLT. They rejected the Messiah, breaking Deuteronomy 18:15 NLT.
After all these violations, they chose a rebel to live and the Savior to die.
In fact, Barabbas represents sin, rebellion, and destruction, while Jesus represents truth, life, and salvation. When the people shouted for Barabbas, they were choosing sin instead of holiness, death instead of life, lies instead of truth.
This is not just their story; it is also our story. Every time we choose the world, selfish desire, or idols over God’s will and His Messiah, we repeat the same tragic exchange.
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 but allowed them to experience the full results of their choices (24a).
Human beings were like sheep short-sighted and easily strayed. See Isaiah 53:6 NLT.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own…
II. They Desired & Did Shameful Things (24b)
Our bodies are the temple of God and the Spirit of God lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16, See also John 2:21). But we become like what we worship (Psalm 115:4-8). When they worshiped idols, their hearts desired shameful things and did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies (24b).
When humans left God and worshiped idols, they became like the prodigal son who wasted his inheritance (Luke 15:11-32), showing that turning from the Father leads to emptiness and shame.
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 spoke throught Moses in Deuteronomy 4:15-20 NLT.
15 “But be very careful! You did not see the Lord’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. 16 So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, 17 an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, 18 a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. 19 And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. 20 Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.
God spoke through Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 2:11-13 NLT.
11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
says the Lord.
13 “For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!
Based on the bible study, I tried the following exercise: I recognized God’s presence now without needing to see any visible form of God. I realized that I had almost forgotten God’s presence this morning. But as soon as I recognized Him, I sensed strong love of God deeply touching my heart. And I praised and worshipped Him.
We become like what we worship (Psalm 115:4-8). So, let us worship not an idol but the one true God. For the encouragement for our prayer life and worship, I quote Hebrews 9:14 NLT and Hebrews 10:19-25 NLT.
Hebrews 9:14 NLT
14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Hebrews 10:19–25 NLT
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
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 them arrogant while love edifies (See 1 Corinthians 8:1b NKJV)
III. Connection to Eden
The first man and his wife ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6) in the temptation to become like God (Genesis 3:5).
IV. Human Pursuit of Knowledge
Can we say humans since then are pursuing “knowledge”? Yes, in one sense. From that moment, humans have been chasing after knowledge, technology, and wisdom apart from God. This pursuit often leads to pride and self-reliance.
V. Wisdom from God vs. Arrogance
But we must be careful. The problem is not knowledge itself. The Bible praises wisdom and understanding when they come from God (Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5). The real issue is the same temptation from Eden: to seek knowledge independently from God and to use it for pride or control.
VI. Conclusion
This is how human beings became arrogant while being utter fools (22).
Separated from God: Spiritual Blindness and Confusion
Romans 1:21b,c (NLT)
And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
Message
I. Spiritual Blindness and Death
When the first man and woman ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6, https://www.comnc.org/the-beginning-of-sin-refusing-to-worship-and-give-thanks-to-god), they were separated from God, the source of wisdom and life, and became spiritually blind and dead.
II. Darkness and Confusion
God said in Exodus 20:2-6 NLT,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
God is spirit (John 4:24, 2 Corinthians 3:17) and invisible (Deuteronomy 4:15, 1 Timothy 1:17, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 11:27).
God wants us to acknowledge Him as the Lord our God and to remember His salvation (Exodus 20:2). That is, we should worship and thank Him.
However, they didn’t do so (Romans 1:21a). This shows that they were separated from God, the source of wisdom and life, and became spiritually blind and dead.
They began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like (21b). As a result, their minds became dark and confused (21c).
The Beginning of Sin: Refusing to Worship and Give Thanks to God
Romans 1:21a (NLT)
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.
I. The Beginning of Sin: Refusing to Worship and Give Thanks to God
Paul declares that all humans know God (21a, Romans 1:19-20). The problem was that even though they knew Him, they would not worship Him as God or give Him thanks. It is like a son who does not treat his father as a father, nor show him gratitude. In the book of Romans, the sin begins from refusing to worship (or glorify) God and not giving thanks to Him.
II. Genesis and the Origin of Sin: The Fall through Moral Independence
Genesis is the first book of the Holy Bible, and also called the book of beginnings. How does Genesis explain the beginning of sin?
God created human beings (Genesis 1:27a, Genesis 2:7) in His image (Genesis 1:27b) so that they would reign over his creatures (Genesis 1:26b). God planted a garden in Eden (Genesis 2:8a). The garden was a paradise (Genesis 2:9a, Genesis 2:10-14). God placed the first man there (Genesis 2:8b). He could live there forever, as there was the tree of life in the middle of the garden (Genesis 2:9b). He was to tend and watch over the garden (Genesis 2:15). God allowed him freely to eat the fruit of every tree in the garden (Genesis 2:16a) except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16b). As the name indicates, the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil causes one who eats it to decide what is good or evil by himself without referring to God’s word or inquiring of God. This moral autonomy causes spiritual death and subsequent physical death. Therefore, this tree is the tree of death. Despite God’s warning, “If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:16c), the serpent, representing the devil, deceived the woman (Genesis 3:1-6a) and then the man broke God’s command not to eat from the tree (Genesis 3:6).
This independence—the moral autonomy—explains why, as written in verse 21b,
“they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.”
Isaiah 53:6a describes them:
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.”
