Book of Romans Chp. 1 Pt.6

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Romans 1:29-31

The mental vacuum created by dismissing God was filled (the perf. tense implies filled full) with four forms of active sin: wickedness (adikia; cf. Rom_1:18), evil (ponēria), greed, and depravity (kakia, “badness or malice”). These four in turn express themselves in 17 more specific types of wickedness. The first two, envy and murder, sound much alike in Greek: phthonou and phonou. Also the four vices in Rom_1:31 each begin with the Greek letter alpha (“a” in Eng.). In verse 29 we see where the reprobate mind leads to all unrighteousness. Fornication has to do with sex sin (adultery is one example) and also spiritual adultery (idolatry). Covetousness includes greediness, wanting what others have, and fraud or extortion. Maliciousness means all sorts of evil and meanness. Malignity means bad character. We know that covenant breakers are those who do not honor agreements they have made. Implacable means a truce breaker.

II Timothy 3:1-5 "This knows also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy," "Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good," "Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;" "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

Can't you see our day here? This describes our day perfectly. These verses in 2 Timothy and in the Scriptures of Romans that we have been reading describe a people who are out of fellowship with God. We must repent and change now before God has turned our whole nation over to a reprobate mind. It is time to repent and turn to God.

Drug and alcohol problems will go away when we give our life to God. The answer for all of us is to heed the Scripture in II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Romans 1:32

This whole pattern of evil becomes the lifestyle of people who continue to do (pres. tense implies continuing or habitual action) these very things in open defiance of God, a defiance aggravated (a) by fully knowing (epignontes; cf. Rom_1:28) that such things deserve death and (b) by encouraging others in the same lifestyle. Such extremity of human rebellion against God fully warrants God’s condemnation. This is not just ignorance but blatant rebellion. We know that God is displeased. Just look around you. The weather pattern is messed up. Inflation is great. Earthquakes have increased and in fact all storms have worsened. AIDS and a lot of other incurable diseases have many people frightened. The threat of nuclear war is ever present. The normal life we used to have is now out of control. It seems we cannot depend on anything.

Luke 21:26 "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REPENT AND TURN TO NOW. GOD