People Focused Christ Centered

Romans 1: A Wicked Heart This Way Comes!

Romans

Summary:

The first chapter of Romans I  believe is the heaviest chapter in the entire Book. Revealing my sin in my life. The letter is written to the “born-again” believers of the Romans according to Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul has the desire to be in Rome to visit the believers. Paul explains righteousness is living by faith according to Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  He explains the wrath of God on the unrighteous from verses 18 – 32. There are many words that show up in this chapter.  Many heavy words that talk about my sin!  Words that talk about Paul’s character!

 

Words Looked Up

Verse WordDefinition
1ServantA slave
1ApostleAmbassador of the Gospel.  Commissioner of Christ. Messenger.
1SeparatedDivided, exclude, appoint.
5ApostleshipCommission.  In other words.  I am commissioned for obedience to the faith among all nations for His Name!
6, 7CalledAppointed.  I am CALLED of Jesus Christ!  Called to be what?  a Saint/Christian/born-again believer
16AshamedFeel guilty, convicted.  Confused by a consciousness of guilt or of inferiority; by the mortification of pride; by failure or disappointment.
17JustSuitable. Proper. True.  i.e. The just shall live by faith.
18WrathViolent anger.  Violent passion. Punishment.
18UngodlinessWickedness. Disregard of God and his commands and neglect of his worship.
18UnrighteousnessInjustice; a violation of the divine law, or of the plain principles of justice and equity; moral wrongfulness (of character, life or act)  NOTE:  This word is mentioned TWICE in the verse. 1. The wrath of God from heaven is revealed to ALL unrighteousness of men.  2.  The wrath of God from heaven is revealed to those who “hold the truth” in unrighteousness! (In other word’s DISOBEDIENT born-again believers!
19Manifest Clearly visible to the eye or obvious to the understanding.  Appear. Apparent.
21VainEmpty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. “vain in their imaginations”
21DarkenedDeprived of light; obscured; rendered dim; made black; made ignorant. “Their foolish heart was darkened.”
22ProfessingOpenly declaring; avowing; acknowledging. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”
23Corruptible That which may decay and perish; the human body. That may be corrupted; that may become putrid; subject to decay and destruction. Our bodies are corruptible. “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,”
24UncleannessFoulness; dirtiness; filthiness. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts”  Eventually God will just let me go!  Why? “to dishonour their own bodies between themselves”  In other words.  God says, “Ok, if that is the way you want to act, go ahead, but you will reap the consequences!  Romans says, For the wages of sin is DEATH!
26VileDisgrace, dishonour, reproach, shame. “”For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:”
26AffectionsLust, passion. Desire; inclination; propensity, good or evil.  In this verse the vile affection is lesbianism/homosexuality.  The natural use of the woman is to procreate. “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature”
27UnseemlyNot fit or becoming; uncomely; unbecoming; indecent. In this particular verse is talking about gay/homosexuality.  “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”
27RecompenceTo give something to by way of compensation. “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”
28ReprobateAbandoned in sin; lost to virtue or grace. “God gave them over to a reprobate mind”  In other words God abandoned them to their sin!
29FornicationThe incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman. Adultery. Idolatry; a forsaking of the true God, and worshipping of idols.
29CovetousnessA strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; usually in a bad sense, and applied to an inordinate desire of wealth or avarice.  In other words I covet after the things that I don’t have!  I should covet after GOD!
29MaliciousnessNaughtiness, evil, badness, trouble.  I need to stay away from it!
29EnvyJealousy. To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another’s prosperity; to fret or grieve one’s self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.  I need to be CONTENT in EVERYTHING!
29MurderTo slay. The act of unlawfully killing a human being with premeditated malice, by a person of sound mind.
29DebateContention in words or arguments; discussion for elucidating truth; strife in argument or reasoning, between persons of different opinions, each endeavoring to prove his own opinion right, and that of his opposer wrong; dispute; controversy; as the debates in parliament or in congress.
29DeceitLiterally, a catching or ensnaring. Hence, the misleading of a person; the leading of another person to believe what is false, or not to believe what is true, and thus to ensnare him; fraud; fallacy; cheat; any declaration, artifice or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false.  I need to stop being deceitful to accomplish my own agenda!  It is God’s agenda not mine!
29MalignityExtreme sinfulness; enormity or heinousness; as the malignity of sin.  Oh how wicked and perverse my mind and my heart is at times!  I need to RENEW my mind DAILY and be not conformed to this world as Romans 12:1-2 say!
29WhispererOne who slanders; one who falsely and knowingly accuses another of a crime or offense, or maliciously propagates false accusations or reports. Who am I talking about?  Unless I know what is REALLY going on, I should never assume what I see or hear is truth!
30BackbiterTalkative against, that is, a slanderer: – backbiter  Stay away from this!  I am called to love the unlovable to give grace and mercy when it is not warranted!
30DespitefulAn insulter, that is, maltreater: – de-spiteful, injurious.  Insults hurt.  Think before I speak!
31CovenantbreakersA covenant is a contract. Marriage is a covenant with God!

Application:

Romans chapter one starts off with the realization of my sin! So many words of truth.  Word after word reveals a sinful heart, mind and soul!  This chapter is filled with conviction! The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharp! This chapter points me to Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  This chapter points me to Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  This chapter is almost overwhelming with truth!  To take this in all at once can be very heavy!  How can I apply this chapter to my life? I need to be aware of what I say, what I think, what I do! Only through prayer and the power of the Lord in my life can I accomplish this!  Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Obedience is a start!  Having a vertical focus to my Lord and Savior changes my perspective!  Vertical focus changes me from me and I to You Lord!  My relationship with the Lord should be a priority! Loving the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength!  Living a repentant lifestyle is the key and making things right immediately based on 1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I am called to be a Christian (little Christ) I am called to share the Gospel!  I am called to be obedient to the Word and to the Lord!  I am called to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do! My prayer is that God would make me aware of what I think about, what I say, what I do and that the Lord will help me to “think”  BEFORE I act!  I have the power to lift up or tear down and there is consequences for my actions, good or bad!  As a man of God in the midst of a wicked and perverse world, it is my duty to be the minority!  It is my duty to represent Christ in a positive way!

Carrying the Bible

2 Responses to Romans 1: A Wicked Heart This Way Comes!

  1. This is a very insightful exposition of this chapter. Looking forward to future posts.

    • Praise the Lord! Thank you! Will be doing the entire book of Romans. Have to get a video presentation done from our youth camp this past week and should have chapter 2 posted soon!

Leave a Reply