“Though 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” (Romans 1:32).
While we rarely have all the information needed to make decisions in life, Romans 1:32 tells us one thing for certain: those who reject their Creator do not act in ignorance regarding the consequences that flow from that decision. And since we naturally seek the affirmation of others as we travel our chosen path in life, we shouldn’t be surprised to find that other travelers along the road away from God offer support and encouragement along the way.
Jesus’ famous counsel from The Sermon On The Mount is instructive in this regard…
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (-14).
The following commentary ties these thoughts together…
“Paul’s conclusion is that the heathen are never without a witness to the presence and personality of God. They have the witness of nature and the witness of their own conscience. However, the heathen have deliberately suppressed these witnesses to the truth and have consistently opted for a lie in place of the truth. They have chosen the course of idolatry, which is always accompanied by debauchery.
Thus, God has revealed His wrath from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth of God. In addition, God has given them up to idolatry, to passions of infamy, and to an undiscerning and unapproving mind.” (1)
Another commentator adds, “…this chapter is a call to self-examination, the end of which should be, a deep conviction of sin, and of the necessity of deliverance from a state of condemnation.” (2) As we look back on our study of Romans chapter one, the following verses from Romans chapter two function as a guidepost that points to the ultimate destination alluded to in this passage…
“[God] will give each one whatever his deeds deserve. He will give eternal life to those who patiently do the will of God, seeking for the unseen glory and honor and eternal life that he offers. But he will terribly punish those who fight against the truth of God and walk in evil ways-God’s anger will be poured out upon them” (Romans 2:6-8 TLB).
Image Attribution :The narrow gate, CC BY-NC 2.0,Adam, via flickr.com, disclaimer notice
(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2211.
(2) Henry, Matthew. “Concise Commentary on Romans 1”. “Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhn/romans-1.html. 1706.