1. Romans 1:21-250 by Eric Douma Gospel of Grace Fellowship October 11, 2015

2. Romans 1:21-251 Three Reversals 1.Vss. 21-23 Exchanging of God for idols = People exchange knowledge for foolishness 2.Vss. 25-26 Dishonoring of God = People dishonor their own bodies. 3.Vs. 28 Not approving of God = People are given an unapproved mind. Three “Handing Overs” 1.Vs. 24 People are handed over to lust of their hearts. 2.Vs. 26 People are handed over to degrading passions. 3.Vs. 28 People are handed over to a depraved mind.

3. Romans 1:21-252 Romans 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  “For” = gives the reason why people have no excuse (vs. 20)  “speculations” = thinking  “heart” = the center of a person’s will, emotions, and intellect Jeremiah 2:5 Thus says the LORD: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?”

4. Romans 1:21-253 Romans 1:22-23 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.  “exchanged” = allasso – used three times in vss. 23-26  Mankind has the proclivity to be “god makers.”  Every god outside of the God revealed in the Bible is an idol.

5. Romans 1:21-254 Romans 1:24-25 NET Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  Deuteronomy 32:30 How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?  “a lie” = literally is “the lie” (Eph. 4:25; 2 Thess. 2:11)  People want a different god = God “hands them over!”

6. Romans 1:21-255 1.God deserves to be honored and thanked by mankind. 2.We must repent and flee from the “wicked exchange.”

7. Romans 1:21-256 Leviticus 10:1-3 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.’ ” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

8. Romans 1:21-257 Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Revelation 5:13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

9. Romans 1:21-258 THE LIE: Genesis 3:4-5 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 NKJV …with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

10. Romans 1:21-259 Biblical Repentance: 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.