Ed Urzi

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:24-25).

Romans 1:24 identifies the correlation that exists between one’s beliefs and the consequences that flow from those beliefs. If we could visualize that progression in the form of a flowchart, we might do so in the following manner…

This progression exists because people generally act on what they believe unless something prevents them from doing so. If God elects to remove His restraints from those who choose to reject Him and subsequently delivers them over to “…the lusts of their own hearts” (Romans 1:24 KJV), then He no longer shields them from the impact of their choices. As we’ll see, that progression leads to an array of negative consequences once those restraints are removed.

The word “lust” that appears here in Romans 1:24 identifies a craving, urge, or longing for something forbidden. ₍₁₎ Lust often accompanies a range of inappropriate behaviors, including selfishness, immorality, and malicious conduct (see Colossians 3:5-9). We should also notice that the word “exchange” appears once again in Romans 1:25: “…[they] exchanged the truth of God for the lie.” We might understand this reference to “the lie” in the context of those who “suppress the truth” concerning God’s existence (Romans 1:18).

A person who wishes to have nothing to do with his or her Creator must replace Him at the top of life’s priority scale with something else. That “something else” might be a person, an idea, an object, or anything that someone loves, respects, or fears the most. That’s the exchange that takes place here in this passage. It involves substituting “the lie” (in whatever form it takes) for “the truth” concerning God. This “lie exchange” thus occurs whenever someone replaces God with anything that takes His place.

It is one thing to deny the existence of God, but it is another matter to add insult to that denial by worshiping a member of His created realm. Another source adds the following insight…

“All through history foolish men have attempted to bring God down to their level, portraying Him in various images and worshiping created things rather than the Creator. It’s a direct violation of the first two of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–5). Their minds rejected the proof they had of the divine nature, so, as a just punishment, God abandoned them to minds incapable of grasping the truth (Romans 1:19–20).” ₍₂₎

(1) G1939 – epithymia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1939/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) GotQuestions.org. (2024, November 7). What does it mean that “God gave them over” in Romans 1:24–28? https://www.gotquestions.org/God-gave-them-over.html

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves” (Romans 1:24).

Thus far in Romans chapter one, Paul the Apostle has established several links that unite an attitude or behavior with an associated consequence. For example, God expresses His wrath against those who choose to suppress the truth in unrighteousness (verse eighteen). In addition, those who reject the existence of God are without excuse since His attributes are clearly seen in the created realm (verses nineteen and twenty).

In verse twenty-one, Paul explained that a refusal to acknowledge God leads to futility. Finally, those who professed to be wise ultimately exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images of His creation. In doing so, they became fools (verses twenty-two and twenty-three). Here now in verse twenty-four, our author introduces another related consequence: God responds to those who take such actions by “giving them up” to their preferences.

This act of “giving them up” communicates the idea of someone who is surrendered into one’s power or use. ₍₁₎ When people habitually reject and dishonor God, He may opt to withdraw from them and permit them to dishonor themselves. This is a form of judgment in itself; God delivers them over (the judicial decision) to the degrading and shameful desires of their hearts (the corresponding sentence). In one sense, it is almost as if God says to the unrighteous, “If that’s the way you want it to be, I’m going to let you do what you want.”

So, the decision to reject God did not lead these individuals to become more virtuous or honorable human beings. On the contrary, that decision led to dishonor and a multitude of destructive behaviors that our author will catalog in the closing verses of this chapter. God did not initiate that chain of events but “steps aside” to permit the unrighteous to follow the path they have chosen…

“Paul clearly portrays the inevitable downward spiral into sin. First, people reject God; next, they make up their own ideas of what a god should be and do; then they fall into every kind of wickedness: greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. Finally, they grow to hate God and encourage others to do so. God does not cause this steady progression toward evil. Rather, when people reject him, he allows them to live as they choose. God gives them over to or permits them to experience the natural consequences of their sin.” ₍₂₎

(1) G3860 – paradidomi – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3860/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) Life Application Study Bible [Romans 1:21-32] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.

“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles” (Romans 1:22-23 NET).

This passage speaks of an exchange that takes place with those who choose to reject the existence of God. This concept should be familiar to virtually everyone, for we frequently engage in various types of exchanges each day. Perhaps the most common example is the person who is seeking to purchase an item from a merchant. To do so, the buyer must exchange money (or another commodity) in order to complete the sale.

A wise consumer aims to secure a “good buy” by acquiring an item with a value that meets or exceeds its purchase price. However, let’s consider the exchange that takes place here in Romans 1:22-23. In this transaction, a priceless treasure (God) is exchanged for a inferior imitation (a human-like image or a representative of the animal kingdom). Today, we might add other commodities (like financial wealth or material possessions) to that list of substitutes.

However, this decision involves more than just a bad deal. A good consumer might recover from a bad purchase, but foolishness will undoubtedly manifest itself in many different areas of life. Unfortunately, a decision to exchange “…the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God” (AMP) offers an excellent starting point for a variety of foolish choices.

From ancient mythologies that remade God in man’s image, to modern-day idolatries that replace God at the top of life’s priority scale with social status, power, influence, or other types of acquisitions, humanity has consistently attempted to reconcile its rejection of God by substituting Him with something else. In fact, we can trace the origin of such behaviors all the way back to Garden of Eden.

As the following source observes, “One of Paul’s primary points in Romans 1:22–25 is that there is no such thing as religious neutrality within the hearts and minds of human beings. When people reject the one true God, they do not stop worshiping; rather, they direct their religious affections elsewhere. Only the term foolishness can describe this redirection of devotion.” ₍₁₎

So, those who embrace such practices reveal their foolishness. They also violate the very first of the Ten Commandments…

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them” (Exodus 20:3-5 NIV).

Image Attribution : Exchange by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images via The Blue Diamond Gallery

(1) Worshiping the Creature (2014, January 20). Ligonier Ministries. https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/worshiping-creature

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:22-23 ESV).

What mental image does the word “fool” elicit? In the original language of this passage, the word “fool” is moros, and serves as the precursor to our contemporary term “moron.” This word typically describes someone who is lacking in wisdom, understanding, good judgment, or common sense. The Old Testament book of Psalms offers another definition of this word that relates to our text from Romans 1:22-23: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God…'” (Psalm 14:1).

Those who seek to navigate through life without the acknowledgment of God are those who are charting a foolish course. One source builds upon this concept with the following observations…

“The New International Theological Dictionary of New Testament Theology adds, ‘Moros means foolish, stupid and, like moria, foolishness denotes inappropriate behavior, thought or speech, both of single lapses of sense as well as in the sense of a permanent attribute.’ In other words, people who claim to be wise apart from God are not just acting foolishly in the moment; they are demonstrating the lifestyle and worldview they have adopted, and the impact thereof.

The idea behind the word moros is that there is ‘a power which dominates man.’ His foolishness is beyond his comprehension or control. He acts foolishly, but believes that his foolishness is wisdom.” ₍₁₎

Another commentator shares some additional insights concerning the fool described in this passage…

“Instead of looking out to God, he looked into himself. He involved himself in vain speculations and thought he was wise, while all the time he was a fool. Why? He was a fool because he made his ideas, his opinions, his speculations the standard and the law of life, instead of the will of God. The sinner’s folly consisted in making ‘man the master of things.’ He found his standards in his own opinions and not in the laws of God. He lived in a self-centred instead of a God-centred universe. Instead of walking looking out to God he walked looking into himself, and, like any man who does not look where he is going, he fell.” ₍₂₎

Of course, it is reasonable to expect that foolish individuals will eventually engage in foolish actions. If we choose to reject the one true God, we must then replace Him with an inferior substitute as the object of highest worth in our lives. Our author will provide us with some examples of those inferior substitutes in the following verse.

Image Attribution: Johann Georg Rauch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

(1) Baucham, V., Jr. (2015). Expository Apologetics: Answering Objections with the Power of the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. Page 27.

(2) Romans 1 – Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (n.d.). StudyLight.org. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/romans-1.html

“Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:22-23).

The idea of “cause and effect” refers to an action, event, or decision that is followed by a related consequence. Here in the book of Romans, one such relationship is exemplified in those who choose to hold down or suppress the truth of God’s existence. That decision produces the effect described for us in Romans 1:21: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (NAS).

Once we begin by suppressing the truth of God’s existence, we proceed from a starting point that is fundamentally flawed. On the other hand, the Biblical book of Proverbs directs us to the right departure point for good decision-making: “… the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding” ( Proverbs 9:10 TLB). Psalm 111:10 adds, “To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight…” (NET).

If we start with a flawed premise (like rejecting the truth of God’s existence that is revealed in the natural realm), then everything that flows from that premise is likely to be erroneous as well. That is the consequence of a mindset that is predicated on the assumption that God does not exist. It ultimately leads to the reasoning process described for us here in Romans 1:22: “Behind a facade of ‘wisdom’ they became just fools, fools who would exchange the glory of the eternal God for an imitation image…” (Phillips).

These inferences are important because every moral conviction finds its ultimate source in our beliefs concerning God. For instance, a person who believes in the existence of an all-powerful God who has created human beings in His image and holds us accountable for our actions is likely to make different moral choices than a person who doesn’t hold those beliefs. This is why our views on such matters are critically important, for the things we believe influence the choices we make.

If God does not occupy the highest position of worth in our lives, we are bound to replace Him with an inferior substitute. That decision also leads to another type of cause and effect relationship that Paul the Apostle will go on to describe in the following verse.

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused” (Romans 1:21 NLT).

Romans 1:21 offers an incisive look at those “…who knew all the time that there is a God, yet they refused to acknowledge him as such, or to thank him for what he is or does” (Phillips). According to this passage, the problem isn’t a lack of awareness regarding God’s existence. The issue is that we refuse to acknowledge Him despite our awareness of His existence. That refusal leads to an attempt to redefine “god” in ways that align with our “dark and confused” speculations concerning Him.

One source explains the crux of the issue…

“…it should be observed that Paul does not say that natural persons cannot perceive truth about God, but that they do not receive (Gk. δεκομαι, ‘welcome’) it. Paul emphatically declares that the basic truths about God are ‘clearly seen’ (Rom. 1:20). The problem is not that unbelievers are not aware of God’s existence. They do not want to accept him because of the moral consequences this would have on their sinful lives.” ₍₁₎

That decision yields another unfortunate response: ingratitude. When a gracious, benevolent Creator “…makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), we would do well to respond with an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation. Instead, we’re told that such individuals “became futile in their thinking” (ESV).

“Futility” denotes something that is useless and devoid of purpose. This definition is important, for our text from Romans 1:21 reveals a concern that is far more significant than it seems. For instance, consider the thoughts and activities that fill our days. Think about the way we invest our time, talents, and capabilities in the various affairs of life. There are many ideologies, beliefs, and philosophies that allow us to indulge in the belief that we are pursuing “the important things in life.” But apart from a genuine relationship with God in Christ, those pursuits ultimately lead to futility.

No reasonable person should choose to live a life of futility. No rational individual should approach the twilight years of life with the realization that he or she has failed to produce anything of lasting significance. Yet Romans 1:21 tells us that a refusal to act on what we know about God ultimately leads to that end.

(1) “Objections to Apologetics” Geisler, N. L. 1999. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker Reference library. Baker Books: Grand Rapids, Mich

“because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).

Our discussion of general revelation is important in light of what follows here in Romans 1:21. This portion of Scripture tells us that a single motivating factor underlies the denial of God’s existence as revealed in nature: people don’t acknowledge God because they are unwilling to do so. In other words, their rejection is volitional, not evidential.

While we may seek to insulate our decision to reject God’s existence with layers of justifications and/or rationalizations, the issue ultimately comes down to a matter of preference: we prefer to do what we wish rather than subject ourselves to God and His agenda for our lives. But if we decline to acknowledge the only One who is good, that leaves us with one alternative. The New Testament Gospel of John employs the metaphors of light and darkness to illustrate that alternative…

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19 NIV).

For example, if we were to accept the premise that God does not exist, then we would no longer face an obligation to conduct ourselves in a manner that is acceptable to Him. However, there is a problem with that approach: it compels us to suppress the testimony of a creation that affirms God’s existence in order to live in a manner that presumes He doesn’t exist. This is what ultimately prompts us to “suppress the truth is unrighteousness” according to Romans 1:18.

Romans 1:21 thus alludes to a potentially uncomfortable truth for many: the acknowledgment of God carries an obligation to honor Him and give Him thanks. When faced with that obligation, some respond by taking the evidence of God’s existence as it is revealed in nature and placing that evidence in a box, so to speak. We subsequently place that box in a remote corner of our mental closet where we won’t have to think about it any further. Then we live out the remainder of our lives in the hope that everything will turn out for the best when we pass from this life.

In the meantime, we proceed to serve ourselves instead of God in whatever indulgences we desire (and can afford). Thus, the words of Romans 1:21 (and the following verses) come to pass: “…they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (ESV).

“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. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 ESV).

In addition to what we read here in Romans 1:19-20, the Old Testament book of Psalms addresses the subject of general revelation…

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork. Day after day it speaks out; night after night it reveals his greatness. There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth; its words carry to the distant horizon…” (Psalm 19:1-4 NET).

This portion of Scripture offers several pieces of information that relate to our text from the book of Romans…

• First, the stellar heavens showcase the magnificence of God and serve as a testament to His existence.
• Next, they serve as a continual witness. This revelation concerning God’s power and majesty literally takes place day and night and offers a constant reminder of His reality.
• Furthermore, this revelation extends to every corner of the earth. There are no geographic barriers to this form of God’s revelation.
• Finally, the language of God’s revelation in the natural realm is a universal language that anyone can understand.

We can illustrate this function of the celestial heavens with the image of a train that is traveling down a flat set of railroad tracks. The last car of our hypothetical train is moving because it is coupled to the car ahead of it. The same is true of every other railroad car in that sequence; the motion of each individual car is explained by the action of the car that precedes it.

However, that chain of causality ends when we reach the engine. The engine explains why the first car is moving and why the remaining cars are moving by extension. In our analogy, the engine serves as a “first cause,” or the ultimate reason why our train is proceeding from point A to point B.

In a similar manner, the heavens and earth are much like individual segments in a series of moving railroad cars. They each point to the definite existence of an “engine” or an explanatory cause, even if we cannot see that cause. Here in Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:19-20, the existence of God and the reality of His creative work represents the “engine” that explains the presence of the stellar heavens and the world we inhabit.

Image Attribution: Karora, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Our text from Romans 1:20 tells us that God has disclosed the reality of His existence to humanity. One way God communicates that reality is through general revelation, or the natural world around us. A good working definition of general (or natural) revelation might be this: “The knowledge of God’s existence that comes through creation to every member of the human family.”

General revelation is “general” for two reasons:

(1) It is general in content.
(2) It is revealed to a general audience.

For instance, the visible world is like a mirror that reflects the existence and power of its Creator. The natural world offers a means of verifying God’s reality and a way to understand some of His attributes. Anyone with the gift of sight may enter the theater of nature and observe the glory of God through creation. That theater encompasses the world we inhabit along with the observable universe.

At a minimum, the natural world makes the following declaration: if a finite universe exists, then something other than itself must have caused it. This causal relationship requires that a “Beginner” of the universe must exist by necessity. In other words, we can’t have a creation without a Creator. The natural world also tells us that this Beginner must possess certain attributes such as power, intelligence, and wisdom.

While countless individuals have neither seen a Bible nor heard the Word of God, they have been immersed in a natural theater where God reveals His divine presence. General revelation doesn’t tell us everything there is to know about God, but it does tell there is a Creator who is worthy of respect and honor. One scholar ties these elements together…

“Does this manifest revelation ‘get through’ to us and yield any knowledge of God? Paul does not leave us in doubt. He says this divine revelation is ‘seen’ and ‘understood.’ To see and understand something is to have some kind of knowledge about it…

God’s wrath is present, not because men fail to receive his natural revelation, but because, after receiving this knowledge, mankind fails to act appropriately… People reject the natural knowledge they have of God. This rejection, however, does not annihilate either the revelation or the knowledge itself. The sin of mankind is in refusing to acknowledge the knowledge they have. They act against the truth that God reveals and they clearly receive.” ₍₁₎

Image Attribution: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

(1) Sproul, R. C. (1997). Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books

“because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:19).

We can always learn something about a person from the presence of his or her work. At a minimum, we can know that someone lived to create that work, even if he or she remains unseen. For instance, we might associate a high-quality piece of handiwork with the efforts of a skilled craftsman. In a similar manner, sculptures imply sculptors, paintings imply painters, and buildings imply builders.

Just as we can tell the existence of a worker by the presence of his or her work, the world we inhabit also demonstrates the presence of a divine architect. We can associate that architectural evidence with a philosophical assertion known as the teleological argument for God’s existence,. The word “telos” means “end” or “purpose,” and the teleological argument can be stated in three points…

1.) A design implies a designer.
2.) Creation shows evidence of design.
3.) Therefore, there is evidence of a Designer of creation.

The teleological argument says that Creation offers a kind of window through which we can see the reality of God’s existence. In other words, “…what is known about God should be plain to them because God made it plain to them” through the existence of His work. One source expands upon this idea with a readily understandable example…

“…when a rockhound sees small round rocks in a stream, it doesn’t surprise him because natural erosion rounds them that way. But when he finds an arrowhead he realizes that some intelligent being has deliberately altered the natural form of the rock. He sees complexity here that cannot be explained by natural forces. Now the design that we are talking about in this argument is complex design, not simple patterns; the more complex that design is, the greater the intelligence required to produce it…

The design we see in the universe is complex. The universe is a very intricate system of forces that work together for the mutual benefit of the whole. Life is a very complex development. A single DNA molecule, the building block of all life, carries the same amount of information as one volume of an encyclopedia. No one seeing an encyclopedia lying in the forest would hesitate to think that it had an intelligent cause; so when we find a living creature composed of millions of DNA-based cells, we ought to assume that it likewise has an intelligent cause.” ₍₁₎

Image Attribution: Burst , CC0 1.0 Universal, via NegativeSpace.co

(1) Geisler, N. L., & Brooks, R. M. (1990). When Skeptics Ask (p. 21). Victor Books.