Romans 1:1-32
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 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,
21 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.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Though there is no lack of evidence of the “unseen” God, there is yet a consistent digression into the darkness for those who have yet to encounter the Light of the gospel. Every breathing person continually experiences the faithfulness of the sun, the painting of the skies, and touches to the heart. Yet, we willfully turn from His Lordship to follow after other mindless persuasions. The fruit of that digression is evident across the most egregious acts to less evident dark thoughts taken and embraced. It’s what all the religions and ideologies of the world attempt to address, as, just like the evidence of God in nature, the negative repercussions of sin are devastating at every level. From the smallest to the greatest of us, there is only one real solution for this. As there is a power of darkness to incessantly deceive and draw all into a great dark chasm of eternal damnation, so there has been given us the power of the Gospel, God’s personal intervention, and disruption of the dark deception. It’s an actual encounter with so much more than just a system or practice. Everything will be completely transformed with the simple reception of the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All the needed adjustments will be made when all of our beings are submitted completely to what is found in His love, truth, and Spirit.
There is no end to the list of transgressions that disrupt any experience of eternal life. It’s not God’s heart to magnify what is inevitable for those unwittingly choosing the world and its ways, though. That power to deliver from the darkness will take over every other pursuit in the heart of the one who has experienced its fullness in the face of Christ. This same Power that changed Paul from a murderer into a minister is making that same transformation in every heart that receives Christ and becomes His child. The list of darkness’s fruit all around us will not inspire condemnation of transgressors, but rather the telling of a personal testimony of a possible destination change. While those yet bound will find reason for offense when their fruit is locating their lineage, those who are free will not join in the fray, but keep to the purpose they’ve received in the Light, the simple telling of Good News with an anointing that will deliver them with good.