What is the meaning of Romans 1:29? every kind of wickedness Romans 1:29 opens by saying, “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness.” This describes a heart so saturated with sin that it overflows in varied forms of rebellion against God. • Mark 7:21-23 lists similar behaviors that “come from within and defile a man.” • Genesis 6:5 shows the pre-Flood world, where “every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was altogether evil all the time.” The picture is comprehensive corruption—nothing left untouched by sin’s influence. evil “Evil” highlights active opposition to God’s character. • Psalm 34:16 reminds us, “The face of the LORD is against evildoers.” • Romans 12:9 calls believers to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Paul contrasts the unbeliever’s embrace of evil with the believer’s charge to reject it. greed Greed is an insatiable appetite for more, often at others’ expense. • Luke 12:15: “Watch out! Be on guard against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” • Ephesians 5:5 equates a greedy person with an idolater. Greed dethrones God, replacing Him with self-centered desire. depravity “Depravity” speaks of moral decay—wrong celebrated as right. • Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” • 2 Timothy 3:2-4 portrays end-times people as “lovers of self… without self-control, brutal, haters of good.” Unchecked sin produces a downward moral spiral. envy Envy resents others’ blessings. • James 3:16: “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.” • Galatians 5:21 lists envy among “acts of the flesh.” Instead of rejoicing with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15), envy breeds bitterness. murder The ultimate outward act of hate. • Exodus 20:13 commands, “You shall not murder.” • 1 John 3:15 equates hatred with murder in the heart. Life is God-given; taking it violates His image in humanity. strife Strife is contentious division. • Proverbs 6:16-19 lists “one who sows discord among brothers” among the seven things God hates. • James 4:1 asks, “What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?” Strife exposes self-centeredness that refuses to yield. deceit Deceit manipulates truth for personal gain. • Psalm 32:2 blesses “the man in whose spirit there is no deceit.” • 1 Peter 2:1 tells believers to rid themselves of “all malice and all deceit.” God values truth; deceit aligns with “the father of lies” (John 8:44). malice Malice is ill-will that desires harm. • Titus 3:3 admits we once lived “in malice and envy, hateful and detesting one another.” • 1 Corinthians 5:8 urges us to keep the feast “with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” rather than “with the leaven of malice.” Malice poisons relationships and contradicts love of neighbor. gossips Gossip spreads harmful talk. • Proverbs 18:8 says, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they sink into the inmost parts.” • 1 Timothy 5:13 warns against becoming “idle, going from house to house… talking nonsense.” Gossip erodes trust and unity, revealing hearts indifferent to the command to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). summary Romans 1:29 catalogs the visible fruit of hearts estranged from God. Wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity describe inward corruption; envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, and gossip reveal how that corruption spills into relationships. Each trait violates God’s righteous standards, confirming humanity’s need for the gospel Paul unfolds in Romans. Only through Christ’s redemption and the Spirit’s transforming power can we move from this list of sins to a life that reflects God’s holiness and love. |
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