Romans

Greeting; The desire to visit Rome; The just shall live by faith; God's wrath on unrighteousness.
2014 revision.

Romans 1:1-7

Toward the end of his second Missionary Journey, Paul was in Corinth where he met Aquila and Priscilla who had been commanded to leave Rome by Claudius.  From them he would have heard about Rome and the church there.  They traveled with Paul for a while, later returning to Rome.  It was a few years later, after leaving Ephesus and making his way through Macedonia on his third journey, Paul returned to Corinth.  Remembering Aquila and Priscilla had returned to Rome, may have been what moved him to write.  He greeted them at the end of the letter.

Paul was in Corinth where there was so much work to do.  It was toward the end of what we refer to as his third missionary journey.  A large part of this third journey was spent at Ephesus.  Having arrived there, he met Apollos and some other believers who had not heard of the Holy Spirit.  He began to teach at the synagogue, this lasted for 3 months before he was forced to step away.  He then began to teach at the school of Tyrannus.  This school was probably a lecture hall where, for two years, Paul spoke and taught.  One historical account outside the bible said Paul taught 5 hours a day.   It is during this time and teaching in Ephesus that Paul developed his thoughts and words to teach the doctrines of Christ.  From Corinth, Paul was moved to write to the Christians in Rome.  The book of Romans likely resembles the teaching curriculum from his teaching days in Tyrannus.

Most of Paul's letters were written to people or fellowships of people he knew.  They were greetings, encouragements or corrections to those churches he had planted along his journeys.  Since the church at Rome didn't know Paul, he had to introduce himself.  However, even though they had not met, they had surely heard of Paul, if not by reputation, by Aquila and Priscilla.

In Paul's introduction, he introduces himself as a bondslave.  This Greek word connects to the Old Testament idea of a 'Servant of Yahweh'.  The Greek word is 'doulos' and means a bond slave.  A Hebrew bond slave is bound to a house forever.  In the Hebrew culture this was done by piercing his ear to the doorpost with an awl; it was a symbolic fastening of the person to the house.  This was making a lifetime commitment to the master of the house.  Normally, a Hebrew could only be a slave for 6 years and then you were freed.  If you liked where you were, had become attached to the family, had found a home, you could become a doulos.  The people Paul was writing to in Rome understood slavery; yet while Paul said he was a slave to Christ; they were slaves to men.  As a doulos, Paul was saying he willingly served Christ.  In one sense Paul is saying I'm a slave, just like you, but a slave of another kind.  He is a slave bound to Jesus.  He's making a connection with them – saying, I'm very much like you.

On the other hand, Paul said his master sent him with a message.  He had authority from his master to deliver this message.  Paul didn't grasp the label of apostleship in any prideful way, as if he was better than any other believer.  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  He was just a messenger that was charged with delivering a message.  Of course, we know it was so much more than that.  The life of an apostle was not glamorous in any way, shape or form. He said he was separated to the gospel of God.  This was not just his message but his life.  He was set apart for this.

The message he brought was not his own, but the good news of salvation provided by God through His Son.  Paul said this good news was promised before it happened by the Prophets in the Holy Scriptures.  God spoke through other men set apart by God; Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others all speaking of a coming judgment, of sin and righteousness in obedience to God. 

The Gospel was not Paul's but the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For He is the fulfillment of the scriptures.  This was important since there were rumors at the time that Paul spoke against the law and words of Moses.  Jesus fulfilled the law.  The scriptures speak of Jesus Christ as the seed of David.  Jesus had an earthly mother so He was fully man.  That is important to us because he had to be man to identify us and pay for our sin.  This testifies to His humanity, which qualifies Him to stand in our place.  Yet He was declared to also be the Son of God.  This testifies of His Deity.  His identity is testified to by the Holy Spirit and by the Resurrection of the dead.  He showed his power over death by overcoming death. 

John said, "Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

Jesus was both human and divine.  He lived and died as a man to be the perfect sacrifice for men.  He was resurrected by His deity to overcome death, the penalty of sin.  Paul will expand on this later.

It is by Jesus and the work he did that we have grace and apostleship.  Grace is an undeserved privilege.  We don't want what we deserve, we want grace.  Each of us wants the 'undeserved privilege' that comes from Jesus.  Grace is one of the basic tenets of our faith.  It is by grace we are saved.  Paul begins all his letters speaking of grace.  It was never far from the front of his thoughts and it shouldn't be from ours.  Our whole life as a Christian is an undeserved privilege.

Paul said he had received these things for obedience to the faith.  Faith will yield obedience but obedience will not yield faith.   Paul said he has received this grace and apostleship to act in obedience of faith.  That action - or act of obedience – was to take the message to the world.  This is how Paul's faith brought about obedience.  He took his message on the road and he paid a price to do so.

In this greeting we see that Paul is speaking to believers only.  "Peace be unto you" was the Old Testament greeting – Grace is now added as a prefix: Grace and Peace be unto you.

 

Romans 1:8-15

Paul continues in the opening of his letter by making it personal, to both him and them.  He thanked God for them but didn't say it in a way that they might become prideful of their accomplishments.  He wasn't thankful to them, but to God, for them.  For they were also a product of the gospel.  Had he told them how awesome they were and that they had a reputation all over the world he would be instilling pride.  What were these people doing that made them so faithful?  Why were people talking about them?  They were ministering to people, working within their spiritual gifts; Teaching the word, praying for each other, worshiping God and growing in holiness and righteousness every day in a dark world and a difficult setting.

Paul not only said the Lord was 'My God' but he also said He was "My Witness".  Even though they didn't really know him, nor did he know most of them, he was praying for them.  Paul's life was full of pain and difficulty also, as a bondservant.  Yet, his eyes were not on himself but always looking outward.  His prayers weren't just his list of needs and wants, but he prayed outward investing his prayers in the church and God's people.  The word 'serve' in verse 9 is a word used in the Septuagint (Greek Translation of the Old Testament) to speak of priestly service to Yahweh.  Paul's life was a priestly service, not just a few hours a week, or a day, but that's who he was all the time. 

The believers in Rome had a reputation of faith.  Paul wanted to further encourage them and get encouragement from them.  Paul wanted to impart his spiritual gift of faith, and in doing so encourage and further establish them.  Then, in their encouragement, Paul would be encouraged.  When each of us use our spiritual gift, we encourage and build up the body.  God's given each of us some gift.  It's given to you to minister to other believers within the church and minister to the lost outside the church.  Together, as a body, we operate as a whole.  When someone, or several people, aren't using their gift, we don't function properly.  We have missing pieces.

Paul felt he was not just called but also obligated.  His obligation was to bring the love and understanding to everyone.  It was his life now – to spread the good news.  He'll tell us later about being a living sacrifice.  This was Paul, it was his reasonable service.

 

Romans 1:16-17

This is the theme of the whole book of Romans.  Rome thought they knew power.  But as a culture they knew nothing of this power Paul spoke of.  Rome was a city full of pride.  They saw themselves sophisticated and advanced beyond the rest of the world. 

• The culture taught: rise to authority, influence and affluence; become the master of many.  Pride and arrogance flourished around accomplishment, education, namesake.
• The gospel taught: humble yourself before God, become the servant of all.  Through God, we experience the power of the gospel to change the hearts of men.

Would a Roman Christian be able to speak openly about a savior that was a crucified Jew?  Would they be embarrassed if they were already part of a lower class and now claimed this Jesus as their savior?  As a slave, they were a nobody among the elite of Rome.  It might be difficult to proclaim faith in Christ.  They might be looked down on when they called Him Lord.  After all, they were already among the least with no hope of rising out of their caste.  To this thought Process

The righteousness of God isn't offered as an accessory to life.

• You don't take it on as a little adder to your life. 
• It's not an insurance policy against hard times or life enhancement. 
• It's not a buffet to pick what you want, when you want it. 
• God didn't impart righteousness to make you feel good about yourself. 

The righteousness of God is revealed in this gospel message.  He imparts that righteousness to those with faith, faith in Jesus Christ.  Christ didn't come to impart righteousness and make bad people good, but to offer dead men life.  Because of sin, we are all dead men unless we trust in Jesus.  Paul quoted Habukuk 2:4 that the righteous live by faith.  Faith is not a one-time decision. It's a way of life.  It is betting your life, committing your life to the unseen realities; it is giving your life back to the one who created you, renewed and restored you to what was lost in sin.  No one was ever justified (or called righteous) by their works, but by faith alone.  You can't work your way to righteousness.  You can only have it imputed to you by Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:37-39

Our faith should carry us to the end.

There are many thoughts about the meaning of 'from faith to faith'.  The meaning must be closely related to the gospel being the power of God for salvation.  Some thoughts include:

• Faith from Old Testament to New Testament.
• Faith from first to last, beginning to end, all the way through to the end.
• Faith from weakness to faith in strength
• Faith for the Jew and faith for the Gentile.

Can it be that our faith, as it is walked out in our life begets the seeds of faith in another?  In the context of the Habakkuk quote, the first faith is trust that brings salvation.  That brings the righteousness of God and a walk of faith visible to the world.  Our life puts God on display from faith to faith.  It is quite possible several of these ideas are true of the idea of faith to faith.  Even though the world will shame us for our beliefs, we walk in faith; in doing so, others see the power of God in us and their faith is strengthened to belief, renewal or restoration.

Paul said he wasn't ashamed, there's power in his message.  That power is the righteousness revealed in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

 

Romans 1:18-19

Righteousness before God is accomplished only by faith.  Faith leads to trust and submission; a yielding to the Lord.  The gospel is the power of God for salvation. Two things are revealed through the gospel and the God's power to save:

1. The righteousness of God is revealed through faith. 
2. The wrath of God is revealed against unrighteousness.

We can't fully grasp salvation without understanding what we are being saved from.   If God is righteous then He must be a just judge.  To be just, is to punish all sin.  It is by faith we trust that when Jesus was on the cross, He took the wrath that was stored up against us. 

If the just live by faith, then the unjust die for lack of it. 

Definition:  Just – either righteous, or seen as righteous,

God's wrath is directed to ungodliness and unrighteousness.  This happens because men have no faith and, in fact, suppress the very truth they should respond to and knowledge of God in order to live life on their own terms. 

Definition: Wrath – the emotion of God's inability to abide with sin.  One commentator defined it as God's 'annihilating reaction' against sin.  Martin Luther struggled with understanding it, calling it a strange work.  It is this same wrath that came upon Christ on the cross, ultimately leading to our salvation.  The righteousness of God is revealed through faith.  The wrath of God is revealed through unfaithfulness.

God's wrath.

⁵ For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:5-6)

The sinful disobedience of man brings God's wrath.  This is expected behavior for the godless but not to be named among believers. 

⁹ For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

(1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

The real wrath is yet to come. 

¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15)

 

God is revealed to men; holy, just and righteous.  The gospel is unveiled in Christ. 

He who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:6)

As the gospel reveals a plan of salvation for those justified, it also reveals God's wrath to those who are still in their sin.  That wrath is satisfied when we are in Christ.  Outside of Christ, sinful man is on a collision course with wrath.  Some would say God's wrath is in pursuit of you, but there is more indication that sinful man is in pursuit of God's wrath; you can ignore it, suppress it, color it, spin it and even not believe in it.  It doesn't matter.  It's still very real and it will be poured out on the sons of disobedience.

 

Romans 1:20-23

From the beginning of time, God's invisible attributes have been clearly seen and understood by 'the things that are made'.  These things is the word Poima.  Our word poem comes from this word.  Harry Ironside put it this way:

"Creation is God's great epic poem, every part fitted together like the lines and verses of a majestic hymn." 

Poema is used only in one other place, Ephesians 2 where it says we are God's poema.  Man is God's created work that can clearly see and understand the attributes of their maker. 

What are these invisible attributes Paul speaks of?  As his creation and workmanship, we are accountable to clearly see and understand these attributes of God that are right before us.  The truth is manifest in every man.  Anyone, from the beginning of time, can look at the creation and know something of the creator. 

Job spoke of this common knowledge as he corrected his counselors. 

⁷           "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

The Psalmist David knew these invisible attibutes:

Jeremiah prophesied the words of the Lord where the sea shore reveals the invisible attributes of God.

We see His eternal power and divine nature.  Our planet is balanced on the head of a pin.  If the moon we a little closer or a little further away.  If our orbit were to change or the axis were to shift our climate would all be in a shambles.  He holds us in the palm of His hand as He always has.  We see He is a God of beauty and intricacy; of grand design but also minute detail.  His fingerprints are reveals in cell structures and outer space; in the ocean depths and depths of our deepest thoughts and finest science.   The term 'Follow the science' has become popular in this season of Covid; yet, to follow the science in truth would reveal the glory of God. 

The Godhead is another invisible attribute of which Paul speaks.  This is a call to see the triune being of God as well as the work and plan for these Persons of our One God.  His holiness and just nature are revealed; but also the faithfulness, graciousness and kindness of God.  He is also unchanging; the same yesterday, today and forever. 

These Attributes are:

• Seen
• Understood

This leaves man without excuse!!  There will be many unrighteous person who can offer a legitimate excuse.  In fact, all those excuses will seem so lame and without merit when standing before Almighty God.

God's wrath isn't like a father scolding a child over something the child knew nothing of.  God doesn't send men to hell because they didn't figure out who He was.  God's wrath is like a loving tather who pleaded, warned, put up billboards, street signs, phone messages, text message, tweets, emails, infomercials, banners behind airplanes, signs on busses, bumper stickers and much more to convey his message and expectations.  That is how plainly God has made knowledge of himself available to us. 

³⁶ He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)

God signified Himself to His creation in these external ways, but we can also look inside to see the God's attributes within our moral being.  We could speak of the knowledge that honesty, integrity and responsibility are inherently right.  We know there is a right and a wrong.  Apart from God, there is no right or wrong, only what people agree to accept.  However, deep down, we know what's right and what pleases God.  We know what obedience looks like.  All excuse is removed.  A righteous father and judge has no choice but to punish the sin of their child.  Failure to do so would make them unrighteous.   

Our culture is masterful at creating explanations to replace God or ignore the obvious.  We call the work of God time and chance, coincidence or the big bang.  The unrighteous refuse to glorify or give thanks and their hearts get darker and darker.  Once of my favorite examples is the science community refer to something called 'atomic glue' to explain the forces that hold together the nucleus of an atom. 

All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  (Colossians 1:16b-17)

Is it not God who holds it all together?  Is not our very life continually at His mercy?  Are we not at the mercy of a merciful God?  Would it not have been perfectly just and right to strike us down for all our sins?  Yet He loves us; He is for us.

"But when you glorify God as God, and are thankful for everything - when you can take up a bit of bread and a cup of cold water, and say with the poor Puritan, 'What, all this, and Christ too?' - then are you happy, and you make others happy. A godly preacher, finding that all that there was for dinner was a potato and a herring, thanked God that he had ransacked sea and land to find food for his children. Such a sweet spirit breeds love to everybody, and makes a man go through the world cheerfully." (Spurgeon)

The result of His attributes being seen, understood and known but not responding to glorify Him or even be thankful has its work in our life.  Just like recognizing the gospel and seeing His attributes does a work, so does ignoring them, rejecting and rebelling against them. 

• Man becomes futile in his thoughts.
• Man's heart becomes foolish and dark. 

Dark hearts don't understand the darkness they stand in.  They proclaim themselves to be wise, but they are just the opposite.  They scoff at the wise and claim to be enlightened or progressive, as though they advanced past any group of people who chase after God.  They create wild and vast manmade theories and ideas to explain away God, desiring explanations that man can comprehend, take apart and put together or recreate.   Then they call it science and treat the wisdom of God with disdain.  They have no real understanding of their plight.  If the thought process is futile then every conclusion, they arrive at is meaningless.  Its futile thinking; with God missing from the equation no meaningful conclusion can be arrived at.  The word 'futile' means they are incapable of producing useful results.

They trade the amazing, incredible glory of Almighty God for something puny, broken, phony and explainable.  This trade off of the incorruptible truth for the corruption will lead to belief in all kinds of strange things.  They exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man.  This is idolatry in its purest form.  I think it was the late Chuck Misler who said, "God made man in His own image and man has been returning the favor ever since!"  In their futility, they create a god of their own understanding. 

In our day, are we not seeing this become pervasive in our culture?  What used to be unheard of is now becoming normal.  I saw a story where students called out college professor for his language.  The professor said that only women can have children.  He later apologized for saying so.   Another professor was scolded for using the term 'breast feeding' because it implied only women can do so.  The correct term is chest feeding.  A religious studies major was kicked out of an Indiana University for saying there is only two genders.  For thousands of years, we've only had two genders and we all understood that certain things had to happen and certain specific parts are required for reproducing.  Now, in the current wisdom, our culture seems to need to create more genders.  Yet, claiming it so, does not make it truth.  Professing to be wise, they became fools. 

(Folks of my generation don't want to talk about Woodstock or what happened there.  They don't want to talk about their hippie days or Vietnam or any number of things.  They look back and say, "What was I thinking?"  Will these people claiming men can have babies and that there are numerous genders look back and see their foolishness someday?)

 

Romans 1:24-25

The unjust flounder about for lack of faith.  They are controlled by fear, by politics, by agendas of the powerful.  With no point of reference, no anchor from which everything in life is referenced, they are blown off course by every cultural wind that blows. 

The first step of construction is to have a reference point, a benchmark or monument.  This is the unchanging reference used to establish everything else on the land.  Land is nice, plans are necessary, but where do you lay the cornerstone?  Where do you start digging?  How can a person build a life without the unchanging truth of God as the reference for life? 

The 'therefore' of verse 24 is a frightening thought.  The rejection of the gospel; ignoring what is plainly known and idolatry leads to God giving them over to their desire.  The wrath of God is often seen as violent bursts of judgment when in this case, God simply allows them to pursue the desire of their heart.  God gave them up to uncleanness.  This 'uncleanness' of verse 24 speaks of illicit sexual activity.  He said if they want unclean, He would give it to them.  They can have all the lusts of their hearts. 

The people Paul is talking about were consumed with their lusts.  They dishonored their bodies in ways that the Romans were known for.  The Greek culture was still very prevalent in Roman society.  Rome was wicked and dark and many documented this.

"A cesspool of iniquity".   (Seneca)

" A Filthy sewer into which the dregs of the empire flood."  (Juvenal)

The earlier Greek culture had great philosophers.  Philosophers knew that man was sick and needed help.  

• Epictetus called his lecture room "the hospital for the sick soul."   
• Epicurus called his teaching "the medicine of salvation."  
• Seneca said that because men were so conscious of "their weakness and their inefficiency in necessary things" that all men were looking "towards salvation."   
• Epictetus said that men were looking for a peace "not of Caesar's proclamation, but of God's."   

These men asked hard questions about life.  However, in their pursuit of answers many got it wrong.  However, they seemed to understand the basic need which is far more than our world does today.  Many philosophers thought you could do nothing better than to pursue happiness.  The Greeks thought happiness was found in poetry, high thinking, and good food.  But the Romans came along and perverted that into happiness found in extreme drunkenness and orgies.  And then they created things to worship rather than worshipping the creator. 

What do you worship?  It's an easy test.  Where do we spend your time, money, and efforts?  What are you committed to?  We've brought up a generation that is committed only to themselves, their entertainment and present gratification or happiness.    

The truth has been traded away.  A lie has been embraced.

 

Romans 1:26-27

The 'for this reason' phrase is very similar to the 'therefore' of verse 24.  The exact same phrase is repeated, 'God gave them up'.  The vile passions rule the life of the Gospel rejecting world.  Therefore, they are being given up to their vile passions.  The word 'vile' is things that are shameful and disgraceful.  We are a culture that no longer feels shame or grace. 

Paul was speaking specifically of homosexuality to a city where homosexuality was accepted as a part of life for both men and women.  For some 200 years the emperors, the senate and leaders of Rome openly practiced homosexuality, many times with young boys.  They were known to brag and tells stories of their exploits with young boys.  At the very time Paul was writing, Nero was emperor.  He took a boy named Sporus and had him castrated, then married him.  He brought him to the palace with a great procession, and made the boy his "wife."  Later, Nero lived with another man, and Nero was the "wife."

Paul documents that this is not natural.  It is a rejection of the plan given by the creator.  It is shameful and they'll be 'receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.'  This lifestyle is a penalty in and of itself.  The sin itself has a self-destructive nature.  An extremely high suicide rate among those in gay lifestyle is a sad reality.  A culture that accepts this behavior will suffer the consequences.  Homosexuality is its own judgment on those that live that life but it's also a judgment on our culture and nation.  This is a natural progression when a nation turns its back on God.

Is this the worse sin?  Is it a sin worse than any other?  Well, we can know that sin is sin.  But this sin seems to be indicative of a people who've abandoned God; they've even

 

Romans 1:28-32

Even thought they didn't believe in God, He gave them over.  So many young folks are confused into thinking if they don't believe it something that it becomes their reality.  It's like a child covering their eyes to hide from mom and dad.  The child sincerely believes it can't be seen because it can't see.  People used to outgrow this deception.

The word 'debased' is translated to 'reprobate' in the KJV, giving us a clearer understanding.  It means "that which has not stood the test'   It was used of coins that were substandard and subsequently rejected.  The thought is since man did not "approve" to know God; He gave them an "unapproved" mind.  It is a mind that is incapable or moral or ethical discernment.  Paul further implies the reprobate is hostile to God and unable to submit to His ways. 

Paul told Timothy this would happen in the last days as men became lovers of themselves of money and much more.  They would have a religious form way without God.  They would lack self control and despise good.  Then he used the same term (translated 'disapproved').

Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; (2 Timothy 3:8)

Paul was a list-maker and he listed all that he considered unfitting. 

Five general terms to describe those who reject God.

• Filled with Unrighteousness
• Filled with Sexual Immorality
• Filled with Wickedness
• Filled with Covetousness
• Filled with Maliciousness

Five terms describing a Christ rejecting people's attitude or actions toward others.

• Full of envy
• Full of Murder
• Full of Strife
• Full of Deceit
• Evil minded

Thirteen specific characteristics of unrighteousness.

• Whisperers
• Backbiters
• Haters of God
• Violent
• Proud
• Boasters
• Inventors of evil things
• Disobedient to parents
• Undiscerning
• Untrustworthy
• Unloving
• Unforgiving
• Unmerciful

Right in the middle of the list he throws in that they invent ways of doing evil.  This shows the energy exerted to use God-given creativity to find new ways to sin.   They knew God's decree and that they deserve death but they continue.  As if that weren't enough, as they continue, they approve of those who practice them.  In fact, in our days, they insist that you join them and accept their perversity.  Not only do we keep this list alive our culture celebrates many of these things.

They are:

• Knowing Righteous
• Aware they deserve death
• Do it anyway and approve others who do the same

 

Doesn't this all sound very familiar?  It's reminiscent of the days of Noah.

 "Every inclination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil all the time" (Gen. 6:5).

What is most worrisome of this entire chapter, is man's ability to deceive himself.  He thinks he can reject God as a single life decision, not knowing or realizing the repercussions.  As we are dead in our sin, so is our ability to reason and to comprehend all that God has for us.  There is a moral order to God's creation and life.  Our sin brings death; our moral failings bring consequence.  It is by faith that Jesus lifts us from the morass of our sin and delivers us from wrath. 

One historian wrote about this time in Rome, saying it was an age of moral suicide.  This is what it feels like in our age, that we are committing moral suicide or suicide by immorality.  The moral decline of our world coincides with the spiritual decline.  As we moved further from God, he gave this culture over to their desires.  Our world is a godless mess.  We need to cry out to God.