Compare Jeremiah 6:15 with Romans 1:28. How do both passages address moral decline? Setting the Scene “Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they are not at all ashamed; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD.” — Jeremiah 6:15 “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” — Romans 1:28 Jeremiah’s Snapshot of Judah • Public shamelessness: “they do not even know how to blush.” • Sin normalized: abominations have become routine, with no pang of conscience. • Inevitable collapse: divine judgment is certain—“they will fall among the fallen.” Paul’s Diagnosis of the Gentile World • Deliberate God-forgetting: “they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God.” • Judicial abandonment: God “gave them over” to the consequences of their choice. • Depraved practice: a mind twisted so people “do what ought not to be done.” Common Threads • Loss of shame: both texts highlight a conscience that has stopped registering moral pain (cf. Ephesians 4:19). • Rejection of truth: a willful turning away from God’s revealed standard (Hosea 4:6; John 3:19). • Divine response: not passive but active—judgment in Jeremiah, handing over in Romans. • Downward spiral: moral decline is portrayed as progressive, not static (Proverbs 14:12; 2 Timothy 3:13). How Moral Decline Unfolds 1. Suppression of truth (Romans 1:18; Jeremiah 6:10). 2. Seared conscience—no blush, no regret (1 Timothy 4:2). 3. Celebration of evil as good (Isaiah 5:20). 4. Societal breakdown and divine reckoning (Psalm 9:17; Romans 6:23). Signs of the Same Drift Today • Entertainment that normalizes immorality. • Legislation formed without reference to God’s moral order. • Collective outrage at biblical standards rather than at sin itself. • Increasing inability to feel shame over what Scripture calls evil. The Call to Response • Rediscover the knowledge of God: immerse in His Word (Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16). • Cultivate a tender conscience: allow the Spirit to convict (John 16:8). • Stand as watchmen: warn lovingly, as Jeremiah did (Jeremiah 6:17; Ephesians 5:11). • Live counter-culturally: refuse conformity to a depraved mind (Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:15). Closing Reflection When shame disappears and minds grow depraved, collapse is near. Yet the Lord still calls His people to shine as lights, holding fast to the authoritative, unchanging Word that rescues from the downward spiral. |
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