Romans 1:28-32 - Misperceiving God leads us to misperceive everything, especially ourselves, even believers seeing God for Who He is, can, if they persist in sin, lose sight and not see God, rightly Galatians 5
Romans 1:18-20
His eternal power - as Creator - Eternal, everlasting, power, and its ability to perform powerful deeds - marvelous works - revealing the achievements by the Lord’s inherent abilities. This same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now in us by His Spirit of power - His great achievement by that power is our changed nature, our being converted to Jesus’ likeness, which reveals to us and the world, God’s divine power to achieve redemption and life in Him by grace (Eph 1)
His divine nature - that is of being “other” than man, though man is made in His likeness, their nature is not the same - the revelation of God and his attributes which reveals Himself for people to know Him - showing Himself to be different from His creation, or, other.
It is here that God expresses the difference between Himself – as other – and man, as Likeness, but not the same - Genesis 2:18 “18The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”
God IS other than US - In spite of God giving the gift of light and life to everything (Jn 1:1-2) - so that He can be seen by what He’s made (mankind) man has chosen to suppress these truths, and in so, their minds have further degraded into deeper and more futile thinking - or “worthless” thinking. And, now, in their “stupidity” they claim their “new knowing” makes them wise, yet they have become fools - exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man, birds, animals, and reptiles. Having been shown the superior nature of God AND the inferior nature of animals, man still chooses to exchange the glory of God for lesser glories, creatures that are lesser glory…
Romans 1:21-23
Genesis 2:19-20 “19Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. “
“…But for Adam no suitable helper was found.”
Romans 1:24-25 Made in the image and likeness of God has in it our diverse and complimentary making – as He is 3-in-1, so we are diverse to reflect this truth and to enjoy one another as God enjoys Himself – as “us and ours” - Themselves
God’s original and good intent: Genesis 2:21-25 “21So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib h he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
Not retaining, even suppressing and rebelling against, the knowledge of God - their Maker/Creator, man tumbles deeper into sin, deprivation of mind, so that they not only do not understand rightly, God and His good intentions for them – but, completely disregard God and those good intentions for their being like Him in their coming together and bringing life forward in and through the marriage relationship, and the privilege and responsibility of bearing the fruit of new life, as designed by God and also the light of God, in Christ, that is in us by faith, that leads a person back to God.
Romans 1:26-27
God’s original and good intent: Genesis 2:21-25 “21So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs g and then closed up the place with flesh. 22Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib h he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
Romans 1:28-32 falling further and further, we invent ways of doing evil… of putting ourselves and others in peril
“…32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
God’s original and good intent: Genesis 2:15-17 “15The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Why we, as believers, must be careful to live a life of repentance and not judge the world for their lostness… as even we, God’s redeemed and regenerate children, must be continually admonished to not live according the old way but to “...live a life worthy of the calling… and live a life of love…”
Romans 12:2 “2Do not conform to the pattern of this world…” (Rom 13:13; Gal 2:20; Eph 4:22,25; Col 3:8-9)
Galatians 5:13-21
Let us be careful to not judge, but to be in view of Gods’ merciful love for us and grieve those still where we were and share with them hope of the gospel… they are acting according to their nature – sin and unrighteousness. The question we need to ask is “are we living according to our nature and the measure of Jesus we have so far attained?” That is what we are to judge – our self and among ourselves – and then live that gracious righteousness with one another In front of the unrighteous that they may see that we ARE disciples of Jesus and ask us the reason for our hope. (Jn 3:17-18; 12:47; 13:34-35; 15:12-13; Luke 6:36-38; Rom 12:10; 1Co 5:11-13; Phil 3:16; 1Pet 1:22; 3; 1Jn 4:7,12)
Romans 2:1-4 God’s mercy displayed in His kindness – expressed by His patient and tolerant love for His making… to bring them home…
Romans 12:2 “…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Rom 13:14; Gal 3:27; Col 3:10-14)
