Bill Acton :: Romans 1:18-32 - The Gentile's Need of By-Faith Salvation

Sermon Outline for Romans 1:18-32

The Gentiles’ Need of “By-Faith” Salvation

1. The Gentiles Need Salvation Because They Are under the Wrath of God – Rom 1:18
   1. God’s wrath is contemporary – “The wrath of God is (right now) revealed from heaven” – Rom 5:18
   2. God’s wrath is inclusive – “…against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…”
   3. God’s wrath is inescapable – “The wrath of God is a horrible thing” – Heb 10:26-31
   4. God’s wrath is justifiable – “…against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…”
2. The Gentiles’ Need of Salvation Because of Their Complete Depravity
   We learn in these verses, first, the inexcusableness of man’s sin, and, secondly, the progressive character of man’s sin – Rom 1:19-32
   1. The inexcusableness of man’s sin – Rom 1:19-20
      1. This was an inner or subjective revelation – “That which may be known of God is manifest in them…” – Rom 1:19
      2. This was an outer or objective revelation – “The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen…” – Rom 1:20
      3. This was an adequate revelation, “…are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…” – Rom 1:20
   2. The progressiveness of man’s sin – Rom 1:21-23. Here are the steps downward which plunged mankind into spiritual and moral ruin
      1. Impiety – “they glorified Him not as God” – Rom 1:21
      2. Ingratitude – “neither were thankful… ” – Rom 1:21
      3. Vanity – they “became vain in their imaginations (reasonings)” – Rom 1:21
      4. Idolatry – “…changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man…” – Rom 1:23
   3. The consequences of man’s sin – Rom 1:24-32. The law of spiritual harvest is given in Gal 6:7 and reads thus: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
      1. Sexual lust and license – “God gave them up to uncleanness” – Rom 1:24-25. When the light of God burns out in a man’s mind and heart, he reverts to a bestial state. His chief concern is the gratification of his passions. The perversion and prostitution of the God-given power of procreation is one of the marks of human depravity.
      2. Homosexuality – “God gave them up unto vile affections….” – Rom 1:26-27. Illicit sexual relations between men and women is dreadful enough but the depraved heart is not satisfied even with this, but must go the limit in practicing that which is contrary to nature.
      3. A reprobate mind – “God gave them over to a reprobate mind” – Rom 1:28-32. A God-abandoned mind is a mind unfit to decide between right and wrong, a mind of warped moral judgment! When a man is born again by the Holy Spirit the faculty of his mind is renewed – 1Co 2:12-14; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 4:17-24
         1. The content of a God-forsaken mind – Rom 1:29
            1. All unrighteousness – Rom 1:29. This is the violation of justice among men
            2. All wickedness – Rom 1:29. This is the active practice of evil, the spirit of maliciousness, or the disposition to inflict evil
            3. All covetousness – Rom 1:29. This is avarice or greed, the insatiable lust to have at any cost
            4. All maliciousness – Rom 1:29. This is a depravity of mind that leads to the doing of harm to one’s neighbor willfully and deliberately
            5. All envy – Rom 1:29. This is the sister to jealousy and the foul fiend of hell, the robber of every spiritual blessing, the parasite of usefulness
            6. All murder – Rom 1:29. The above permanent traits of unregenerate nature are potential murder: if let loose without re­straint they would result in cold-blooded premeditated killing
            7. All strife – Rom 1:29. This is a spirit of dissatisfaction, contention, quarrelling, fighting, sedition, the resistance to lawful authority
            8. All deceit – Rom 1:29. This is treacherous deception, being unreal, shifty, not transparent, hypocritical
            9. All malignity – Rom 1:29. This is an under working spirit of rebellion, ugly and deadly, like a cancer, throwing off vile excretions
         2. The activity of the man who has a God-forsaken mind – Rom 1:29b-32. In these verses the Holy Spirit lists thirteen evil characteristics of the man who has been delivered over to a reprobate mind
            1. He is a whisperer – Rom 1:29. This means that he is a stirrer-up of trouble; a character defamer, a despicable gossip
            2. He is a backbiter – Rom 1:30. This means that he slanders another’s character under cover, secretly
            3. He is a God hater – Rom 1:30. This means that he despises and scorns the living God. He may not do it vocally, but by his life. He may even pretend to “believe in God”, but deep in his heart he wants nothing to do with God at all – Psa 14:1
            4. He is insolent – Rom 1:30. This means that he is brutal and overbearing
            5. He is haughty – Rom 1:30. This means that that he swells with the empty wind of pride
            6. He is boastful – Rom 1:30. This means that he is a vain braggart
            7. He is an inventor of evil things – Rom 1:30. The unregenerate are always coming up with some new crime against their fellows
            8. He is disobedient to parents – Rom 1:30. This tendency which crops up even in little children is indicative of the in­born hatred of lawful authority; it speaks of the revolt against God that shows itself in anarchy against parents, against the Bible, against the Church and against civil law
            9. He is a covenant breaker – Rom 1:30. This means that he is faithless, a liar, unreliable and undependable
            10. He is void of natural affection – Rom 1:31. This means that he has a tendency to act contrary to nature – Rom 1:26-27
            11. He is unmerciful – Rom 1:31. This means that he is heartless, pitiless
            12. He is confirmed in unholiness – Rom 1:32. This means that, although he knows the judgment of God, he recklessly casts caution to the winds and goes all out, bent for hell. He prides himself on his iniquity, boasts about, revels in it, glories in it, and encourages others on to their mutual destruction!