What does Romans 1:29 reveal about the nature of sin in humanity? The Verse at a Glance “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,” (Romans 1:29) Sin’s Total Saturation - “Filled” and “full” picture a heart saturated to capacity. - No part of human nature escapes; sin permeates thoughts, motives, words, and deeds. - Echoes Genesis 6:5—“every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was altogether evil all the time.” Inside-Out Corruption Paul moves from broad terms to specific behaviors: • Wickedness / evil / depravity – the moral climate of a life apart from God. • Greed (covetousness) – an internal craving that can never be satisfied. • Envy – the heart resenting another’s blessing. • Deceit – calculated distortion of truth. • Malice – a settled intention to harm. • Gossip – the tongue spreading character-assassinating whispers. • Murder & strife – the outward fallout when inward desires boil over. Mark 7:20-23 confirms the same inside-out trajectory: “From within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts….” Relational Wreckage - Most sins listed shatter community—envy, strife, deceit, gossip. - Sin is never a private matter; it poisons families, churches, entire cultures (James 3:5-6). Rooted in Rejection of God • Romans 1:21-25 shows humanity first exchanged God’s glory for idols; moral collapse follows spiritual rebellion. • Sin’s breadth in v. 29 is the fruit of turning from the Creator to created things. Universal Verdict of Scripture - Romans 3:10-18 strings OT passages to declare “there is no one righteous.” - Galatians 5:19-21 lists similar works of the flesh. - 2 Timothy 3:2-4 describes end-times people with the same traits—proving the problem is timeless. Implications for Us • We cannot self-reform; our very hearts are “full.” We need new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26). • The gospel doesn’t merely restrain sin—it replaces it with the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). • Honest acknowledgment of sin’s scope readies us to receive Christ’s complete salvation (Romans 5:20-21). |
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