The Sinfulness of Man

What a shocking beginning to the Book of Romans! Paul seemingly shifts from talking about God’s grace to immediately discussing God’s wrath (Romans 1:18-32). What a way to begin a discussion of good news, right? Paul is showing that the Gentile recipients of this letter have no basis for thinking they are exempt from the penalty that is deserved for not following God’s law. Just like the Jews, the Gentiles too fall short and are therefore deserving of eternal damnation. I am not so sure that Paul’s writing is directed exclusively to the Gentiles here, but it certainly includes them. Many might wonder how the Gentiles could be in need of grace if they were never given a special law as were the Jews. This is why Paul, in my opinion, makes a distinction throughout this section between two types of revelation. Special revelation is a law code given by God to His people (i.e., Law of Moses for the Israelites; the New Testament for us today). General revelation constitutes that which God gives to all human beings in general; creation, providence, and a sense of morality in our hearts. So although the Gentiles did not receive special revelation, they have received general revelation (i.e., understanding between right and wrong), and they are therefore without excuse (Romans 1:19-20).

Paul wants the Gentile readers to understand that although they did not have access to the Law of Moses, (God’s special revelation to the Jews) they still knew enough about God and His expectations to be held accountable. His point is that ALL are accountable. The general revelation that God did give them, they broke and so they are therefore susceptible to God’s wrath.

Again, let me emphasize that I think Paul’s message was for all (Jew and Gentile), but the message is that the Gentiles are equally undeserving of justification. In other words, although this is technically a message for all men, this is seen as a reference to the Gentiles because they did not receive special revelation as did the Jews. So just because they didn’t receive the Law of Moses, they were still guilty of breaking God’s law. I think there is an equally important point to be made today in that many might ask the question, “Can those who have not received God’s special revelation today (the New Testament gospel message), still be in need of God’s grace? Yes, because God has given all man general revelation of knowing right from wrong. He has instilled in all man some sense of morality. For example, even before being taught what to do in order to become a Christian, I still recognized that I was not supposed to steal, curse, mistreat people, do drugs, etc… And because all men are less than perfect, this law of the heart is broken. Therefore all are in dire need of God’s grace.

Speaking of grace, I think it is interesting that Paul begins such a grace-filled message as we see here in Romans, with a tirade on God’s wrath. This is significant. Is it possible for us even today, to fully appreciate God’s loving and redeeming grace, without first understanding His wrath? How much would His mercy mean to us if we didn’t first realize that we are deserving of His wrath?

As we will see moving forward, Paul’s main idea from this point all the way to Romans 3:20 is to show that law as a way of salvation lacks. It is impotent. Law is not enough to save man. The rules of a law system states, “Keep the commandments, and escape the penalty; Break the commandments and suffer the penalty.” We will not and cannot be justified by our own righteousness because we all sin. So the only way we can escape the penalty is through something other than law-keeping. Paul will talk more about this alternative, but for now, he wants us to see that law cannot save us because as humans, we are incapable of perfectly keeping it (James 2:10; Galatians 3:10). God had to “bail us out” by giving us something better. And these Christians to whom Paul is writing, including those who did not receive the Law, are getting the message loud and clear, that they too are just as undeserving.

• In vv.18-20, Paul discusses that all men are knowledgeable of God and His law. Paul was not going to allow these Gentiles to think that because they were not God’s original chosen ones and not amenable to a special revelation as was given to the Jews, that they were therefore exempt from God’s wrath. Romans 2:14-15 has to be considered here. The point being established is that there is a universal need for salvation from God because there is a universal knowledge of God’s law.

• In vv.21-25, Paul continues this same thought by now emphasizing a universal denial or rejection of God. Not only is everyone (including the Gentiles) knowledgeable of God, but they have likewise refused to accept Him. By suppressing the truth, they refused to honor Him, refused to give Him thanks, and refused to have pure hearts. They traded the true God for powerless idols.

• In vv.26-32, Paul goes into further detail over Gentile corruption and further demonstrates why they are without excuse.

Paul is not affirming that every Gentile is guilty of every sin he lists here, but is simply pointing out the depths to which sinners sink when having no regard for God’s higher ways. Paul wants us all to understand that sin has the potential to darken the lives of every individual who denies the light God has given us.

Gentiles, like the Jews, are without excuse (Romans 1:20). They are not an exception to the general rule that no one will or can be accepted by God according to the terms of law-keeping. As Christians today who did not receive the Law of Moses, there is still tremendous application for us. We are not supposed to do these things. We are charged with the responsibility of respecting the human nature God has assigned to us. We too are without excuse—especially because we have been given special revelation (the Bible—His word). But because we fall short (Romans 3:23), we cannot be saved by law. We break the commandments and therefore deserve to suffer the penalty. So something is going to have to take the place of law-keeping as a method of salvation.

More discussion of this “alternative” to law-keeping will come later in our study of Romans. But for the time being, the next post will discuss more in detail some of the specific sins Paul lists vv.26-32.

Thank you for reading!