What Man is Like Without God
Romans 1:29-32
February 5, 2023
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction and Review (Romans 1:18-29)
A. We are working our way through the Book of Romans, verse by verse, line by line
B. We are in a portion of Scripture that describes the downward trend of the human race AWAY from God, and its consequences (Romans 1:18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
C. We have learned so far:
1. People have NO excuse rejecting God. They know God in their heart and in their conscience, but reject Him and refuse to honour Him as God
2. By nature, people are unthankful for anything they have – spoiled brats
3. So they grow dark, and foolish in the way they think and live
4. Becoming more and more UNNATURAL in their lifestyles
5. Ending up broken, and reprobate in their minds and hearts
6. And full of every sin imaginable!
7. THAT is the human condition – human nature – the way we are, when we live without God!
D. Therefore, Rejecting God has Consequences
1. There is no neutral space – no fence to walk on
2. Man without God is not a good thing
a. Ask the 30 million slaughtered Chinese after Mao tse Tung took control in 1948
b. Ask the 30 million slaughtered Georgians in southern Russia after Stalin took control in the 1930’s
c. Ask the Jews and Polish after Hitler took over Germany in 1939!
d. These are examples of what educated men do when they get absolute power!
3. Your heart, your mind, your life will always seek to be filled with something – it is designed that way
4. It will either get filled with the Spirit of God, or the spirit of this world
a. 1Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
b. What a promise to the Christian…
1) That we have had the destructive spirit of this world REPLACED with the life-giving Spirit of God
2) So that we would KNOW all the things that have been FREELY given to us from God!
E. So, We need to know both, what is right, and what is wrong
1. Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
2. What we are about to read are things that are wrong – not convenient – sinful
3. I know, this is all negative, but it is so necessary to hear and learn
4. But this is God’s words to all mankind
5. And it is needful, if the Gospel is ever to be appreciated and believed!
6. Listen to this Scripture this morning, and consider where you are headed, and what your life is full of, and know that you do not have to stay that way!
II. Message
A. The Sin List… (Romans 1:29-32)
1. The Apostle Paul puts names to paper of TWENTY-TWO sins that were openly enjoyed back in the first century all over the world, and by the way, are enjoyed still to this day!
a. These are SINS that were unrighteous, ungodly, not good, wrong to do, and wrong to think and feel
b. And are STILL unrighteous, ungodly, not good to do, wrong to think and feel today
c. What you are about to read are the subjects of almost every newspaper in the world, every modern TV programme, every modern book and novel
2. They are what fills the lives of people who reject God (Romans 1:29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, including…
a. Fornication, Wickedness, Covetousness, Maliciousness, Full of envy
b. Murder, Debate, Deceit, Malignity
c. Whisperers, Backbiters, Haters of God
d. Despiteful, Proud, Boasters, Inventors of evil things
e. Disobedient to parents, Without understanding
f. Covenantbreakers, Without natural affection
g. Implacable, Unmerciful
3. The Bible has many lists
a. Started with the list of the Ten Commandments, but didn’t end there
b. 2Timothy 3:1-5
c. Mark 7:21,22
d. Galatians 5:19-21
e. No wonder people don’t like the Bible!
B. Words Have Meaning – let’s go back to Romans 1:29-32
1. Fornication – all sex outside of married sex between a man and a woman
a. It just means, Sex, sex, and more sex
b. Both Heterosexual acts, and homosexual acts… Porn and real
c. Yet, THIS is THE lifestyle of almost every 20 something around the world today
d. Mankind has not evolved
e. As a matter of fact, history proves we have only gotten worse!
f. Our world is a fornicating society!
g. 1Corinthians 6:9,10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
h. No wonder the Bible in 1Corinthians 6:18 screems, Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. [HURTING HIMSELF]
i. If you want sex, become worthy of being married, and then get married and stay married! (1Corinthians 7:2) Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
j. Take this sin seriously ladies and gentlemen
2. Wickedness – wicked means evil, dark acts
a. Just being “evil”, lewd, bad
b. The “Wicked witch of the west” in the wizard of Oz
c. Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
d. Genesis 13:12,13 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
e. The deep character of men and women is wicked – depraved - ruined
3. Covetousness
a. Constantly wanting stuff
b. Greedy - never happy unless constantly getting things
c. Like most children, and young adults! Spoiled brats!
d. A king named Ahab lived in Solomon’s palace, but wanted another man’s garden that was next door
e. ALL advertising today feeds this attitude – makes people think they cannot be happy unless they have the latest shoes, the newest car, the latest hairstyle
f. By the way, it is the Tenth Commandment!
4. Maliciousness
a. Angry, bitter attitude towards people you hate
b. An attitude that seeks revenge, and to hurt other people – malice
c. “It’s just the way I am”
d. No, it is SIN! And needs to be repented of and replaced!
5. Envy
a. A lot like jealously, but worse
b. It is when someone is never satisfied, content, or able to be happy if someone is better off than them
c. When you see someone else happier or more successful, you become depressed!
d. THAT is wrong! That is THEIR life! Live yours!
e. The politics today uses people’s envy to split society against each other – hating those that have a job, or those that own a house, etc
f. And by the way, you do know that the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead because of ENVY!
g. Mark 15:9,10 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
6. Murder
a. Do I have to define this word?
b. Taking another person’s life from them
c. Normal people do not accept murder as right, except the majority who think it is okay to take an innocent child;’ life while in the womb! Abortion
d. And don’t you find it wrong that we watch thousands of murders on TV every year? And think nothing of it? It is part of modern entertainment.
e. How many actual murders have we become used to in society now?
f. It is the result of rejecting God and His words!
7. Debate
a. Debating here is NOT disagreeing, or questioning to better understand something… that’s okay.
b. But the sin is Arguing – it is a sin – it is wrong to do
c. Arguing is always attempting to justify your actions when you are told you have done something wrong
d. Like when pulled over by a Garda
e. Or when corrected by the word of God!
f. That automatic response in you that argues everytime God shows you something in YOUR life that is wrong, is itself sin!
8. Deceit
a. It is wrong, sinful, wicked to tell a lie!
b. Yet people are Fake, constantly lying, even living a lie
c. They are deceivers – lying on application forms, lying to their friends, family
d. And lying doesn’t bother them!
e. So many people may be nice, clean living people, but are LIARS!
9. Malignity – that is a good old word!
a. To malign or speak evil about everything - malicious
b. This word is used only with cancers today – malignant cancer – aggressive cancer
c. It is when you have a hyper-critical / destructive spirit about other people
d. You see ONLY their faults
e. THAT is a sin!
10. Whisperers
a. Gossiper, tale bearer, people who talk about you behind your back
b. It is a sin to gossip!
c. And yet people love reading about what went on in the Windsor palaces
d. People love watching Big Brother and talking about what other people are doing
e. We are way too involved in everyone else’s business!
f. 2Thessalonians 3:11,12 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
11. Backbiters
a. Like whisperers, but worse
b. People who are nice towards your face, but behind your back, bite and tear at you
c. It is a sin to hold grudges, and tear people down with our words behind their backs
d. Christians MUST talk to one another, listen to each other, and respect each other
12. Haters of God
a. It is funny how no one thinks this is a sin!
b. But people hate God! They are the ultimate racists!
c. We can’t hate anybody, except God!
d. If I say I hate Asians, I am a racist.
e. But if someone says they hate God, they are praised and honoured as free thinkers!
13. Despiteful - Full of “spite”
a. An abusive attitude towards other people
b. A way that someone treats other people
c. Rudely, crudely, mean, fierce, harsh, bullying
14. Proud
a. People used to be proud when they measured themselves by their accomplishments and integrity
b. Now, people are proud of their sins, and their weirdness – hence the word Queer
c. The proud are arrogant; haughty; obsessed with themselves, seeing everyone as below them!
d. Like the devil does!
e. Pride is a sin
f. And it is deep in Christianity too!
1) Just try and do my job and correct people
2) It has become nearly impossible to tell people they are doing wrong
3) You find out very quickly how deep their pride goes, instead of their humility
15. Boasters
a. Goes right along with pride
b. A boaster is a bragger who has to tell everyone what they did, and how great or good they are
c. No one likes a bragger, and yet that is what FaceBook is all about, and Instagram, and TikTok
16. Inventors of evil things
a. People used to invent better ways to travel, to communicate, to help heal the body
b. Look at what scientists have given us over the last 50 years - atomic bombs, pesticides that kill humans, nuclear disasters, chemical weapons, computer sex
c. For every good thing that can be done with a smart phone, 1,000 wicked things are done instead by the majority of mankind!
d. The majority of games now are evil! (even board games are adult themed, and filthy).
17. Disobedient to parents
a. THE most fundamental unit of society is the home.
b. In the family unit, there must be respect, trust, and obedience
c. Yet parents no longer are trustworthy, and kids no longer trust anybody!
d. Do you know where disobedience came from?
1) The movies kids watch
2) AND the attitudes of the parents at home
e. It is wrong to disobey your parents – discuss, disagree, but do not disobey
f. In know that is not what you want to hear – I know you want me to preach at your flawed parents and get them to become worthy of obeying
g. But God asks you to do what you are supposed to do
h. And God will work on your parents hearts!
18. Without understanding
a. We live in a society that has all the knowledge, and all the information, but no understanding of what they know
b. People read a headline and think they know and understand a subject
c. They have no wisdom
d. And it has resulted in no one seeking to actually learn and know things anymore
e. They just either trust the government, or they trust their youtube sources
f. NO ONE IS ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN DOING ANY ACTUAL RESEARCH THEMSELVES – they don’t even know how!
g. People just live for the excitement, action instead of truth, and principle!
h. They do not know how to critically think, and question things, and actually LEARN knowledge!
19. Covenantbreakers
a. This is so evil
b. People don’t keep their promises (marriage, friendships)
c. They break their covenants – solom agreements – vows!
d. So divorce is the norm - for better or for worse?
e. We have to have 30 page fine-print legal documents covering every possible angle of a decision signed before people can purchase things and do things
f. All because people don’t keep their promises
g. People who stay in a marriage are seen as bad, and those that have extra-marital affairs are seen as understandable!
20. Without natural affection (as described above in 1:24,26,27)
a. Love is now spelt L.U.S.T.! Not loving the things that people used to naturally love (children are only a bother that can be aborted
b. God is only Someone to be tolerated
c. Friends are only for advantages
d. Bible is only a book that can be dismissed.
e. People substitute natural loves with un-natural loves (they love possessions; the ruin of other people; cruelty; love of self instead of God, and love only people)!
21. Implacable
a. Stubborn, inflexible – not submissive or yielded
b. And we wonder why people refuse to get saved, or to get right with each other
22. Unmerciful
a. What a way to end a list
b. When someone is unmerciful, they have no mercy on other guilty people
c. They exact extreme “justice” against anyone who barely crosses them
d. Ever seen someone freak out when someone else just taps their car in a parking lot?
e. It is wonderful when people are kind to other people
f. But mercy is showing kindness to someone who does not deserve it
23. To top it all off, notice verse 32! Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
a. People love it when OTHER people sin!
b. So that is why so much sin is on your TV set at night! People LOVE to watch OTHER people get into bed with another man’s wife! People LOVE to watch OTHER people murder someone! People LOVE to watch a kid on TV tell his or her parents off! That is their PLEASURE! They think it’s ok because THEY aren’t doing it! But they are! Christ said very clearly, you are what you think!
C. The Truths About This List…
1. This list catches everyone!
a. Now think about it! Can anybody escape this list?
1) NO!
2) Because that is the list describing HUMAN NATURE! Maybe you might slip by Murder, Fornication, Hater of God, but NOT Envy, Lying, Covetousness, Disobedience to parents, Pride!
3) You may not struggle with the desire to murder someone, but you might be struggling with envy, or boasting, or pride
4) You might believe you are loving God with all your heart, but still hate other people, and live a secret life of fornication!
5) James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
b. The truth is, At least one thing in this list is active in everyone alive
c. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
2. Did you notice that half of the sins were ATTITUDES, not actions
a. Do you know how many of those things are actions, and how many are just attitudes? The way we FEEL can be just as sinful as the way we ACT!
b. Envy, covetousness, maliciousness, haters of God, proud, boasters
c. Don’t think just because you don’t murder, or invent evil things that what goes on in your head and heart are not just as wicked!
3. This is not a complete list
a. Only twenty-two sins listed
b. Men never exhaust the possibilities of wrong doing
c. Men and women invent new ways to sin every day
d. As you read through your Bible you will discover more and more sins that are IN our hearts and our words, and our attitudes, and in our actions, like:
1) Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Strife, Drunkenness, and Revellings (riot)
2) Fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God
3) The list could go on and on
4. This is the lifestyle of those that do not fear God.
5. All sin is progressive – spreads, and increases without intervention
6. All sin ends in death – People know full well the judgment of God - but don’t care!
a. Rejecting God has Consequences
b. There is no neutral space
c. Your heart, your mind, your life will seek to be filled with something
d. Either get filled with the Spirit of God, or the spirit of this world
e. Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
f. And we all KNOW all these things are wrong – at least we USED to, before we got so used to rejecting God and this Book!
III. Conclusion
A. We were not designed to live that way
1. None of us like being around anyone else who is...
2. A fornicator, wicked, covetous, malicious, envious, a murderer, a constant debater, a liar, malignant towards people, gossipers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, dim, promise breakers, lustful, inflexible, and unmerciful
3. Why would we think any of that is allowed in heaven?
B. These are what Jesus Christ was punished for, so we could be forgiven, and be free!
C. Amazingly, God has Made a Way for Wicked Men (all men, women, boys, girls) to Repent
D. None of the above things need therapy, or deep counselling – those who do those things need repentance - Deep sorrow, and surrender to the power of God to forgive them!
1. So, start by examining YOURSELF – see if you are still soft, and have a conscience, and care about what direction you are living, and about God’s words!
2. 2Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
3. Turn back to God – That’s called repentance – admit you are wrong!
4. Humble yourself – no one ever comes to God in pride! Only in broken humility!
5. See yourself as a guilty, lost and condemned sinner, in desperate need of a Saviour!
6. And then cry out to Him right now to save your soul!
7. And dear Christian, don’t think you don’t struggle with these as well – be careful lest your life becomes FULL of unrighteousness simply because you continue to play with sin, and ignore the consequences yourself!