What is the meaning of Romans 1:28? Furthermore Paul is adding weight to an argument already in motion. He has just shown that people traded the glory of God for idols (Romans 1:23-27). “Furthermore” signals a deepening judgment—God’s response escalates because human rebellion keeps escalating. The same pattern appears in Judges 2:11-15: as Israel slides deeper into idolatry, the Lord “hands them over.” since they did not see fit to acknowledge God • The choice is deliberate. They “did not see fit”—they evaluated God and decided He wasn’t worth retaining. • Proverbs 1:29-31 describes this willful neglect: “Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD… they shall eat the fruit of their own way.” • Hosea 4:6 echoes the consequence of rejecting knowledge: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you.” • In John 3:19 people “loved darkness rather than light,” confirming that ignorance of God is not passive but chosen. He gave them up to a depraved mind God’s judgment is to let them have what they insisted on—a mind twisted away from truth. • Psalm 81:12 illustrates the principle: “So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.” • Ephesians 4:17-19 explains the futility that results: “They are darkened in their understanding… because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.” • 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 shows God sending “a powerful delusion” so that those who refuse truth will embrace lies. The surrender of restraint is itself a divine act of justice. to do what ought not to be done Once the mind is corrupted, conduct follows. • Verses 29-31 list the visible outworking: “all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, malice…”. • Galatians 5:19-21 contains a similar catalog, underscoring that such deeds flow from the flesh, not the Spirit. • Isaiah 5:20 warns of the moral inversion that occurs: calling evil good and good evil. A depraved mind normalizes what God forbids. summary Romans 1:28 portrays a sobering cycle: people reject the knowledge of God; in righteous response, God withdraws restraining grace; their thinking becomes warped; warped thinking produces warped living. Far from being passive, this “giving up” is an active judgment that mirrors the choices people have made. Yet the passage also clarifies why the gospel is so urgent (Romans 1:16-17): only the revealed righteousness of God in Christ can interrupt the downward spiral, renew the mind (Romans 12:2), and restore people to lives that “ought” to be lived. |
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