Romans 1 reminds me of a pivotal moment in my life. I was in emotional survival mode, and I knew something needed to change. I decided to see for myself if there was anything useful in the Bible for normal people. The young pastor sat on a stool, and read this chapter. He carefully explained many unfamiliar words. We begin with a simple introduction of the author; “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus”. Paul’s greeting was also simple, “Grace and peace to you”. Peace with God is the theme of the entire letter. I remember him saying “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes”. That sounded very specific to each individual. I had a reverence for God, but from a distance. He said “the righteousness of God is revealed… by faith from first to last”. I wondered how one could become righteous by faith. Next he read a verse that got my attention, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against… [those] who suppress the truth… so that people are without excuse”. I believed he was talking about the real bad guys, until he perfectly described my life, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him”. I certainly knew of God, but gave no thought to Him except maybe in crisis. I considered myself to be a decent enough person, but it continued; “their foolish hearts were darkened… Therefore God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts”. If we continue to reject God’s truth, He eventually lets us follow our own desires, and those desires are mostly self-centered and self-gratifying. That frightened me a little. I knew I was in a dark place. Maybe God allows us to choose to ignore Him, but that separation seems to come at a price.
I had studied psychology and the wisdom of mankind. I had also spent several years looking inward, examining myself. Something in me clicked when the Pastor read, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie… so God gave them over to a depraved mind”. What if there was an order to the universe, and a standard for good and evil? He continued, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools”. I dismissed those “Jesus people” as unenlightened. “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts”. I had some close calls, and knew I had made some foolish decisions. Then, as he read the results of rejecting God’s wisdom, it sounded like the evening news: “greed and depravity… envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice… slanderers, God-haters… arrogant and boastful… they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy”. Most of that did not apply to me I thought. I had never killed anyone. I was okay, right?
As the pastor continued reading, another of my internal arguments was eroded away. He explained that under Jewish Law, “Those who do such things deserve death”. That sounded pretty harsh. I understood a brutal murder perhaps qualified for a death sentence, but some of those behaviors were not so terrible. But this punishment was for those that “continue to do these very things”. This seemed to be talking about repeat offenders. Maybe there should be a stiffer punishment for those without remorse? The last verse caused me to stop and think about my own goodness. The list of offenders includes those who “approve of those who practice them”. In other words, callously observing evil without getting involved makes us an accomplice. I was certainly not standing in anyone’s way. Maybe I was not so decent after all? This was a stunningly new way to look at my life and I wanted to know his solution. Through the next few chapters, Paul will reveal how “normal people” are part of God’s restoration plan. My friend, do you see yourself in these words? Please read on to hear Paul’s solution for you.