Romans 1:11-17:11 -For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 - That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 - Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 - I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 - So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 - For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

q I am a debtor - He was a man under conscription.

q I am willing and eager - He was a man under compulsion.

q I am not ashamed - He was a man under conviction.

Romans 1:18-20: 18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 - Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

• God's revelation is compelling.
• He has made the invisible visible (20).
• People really do know the truth (v. 18).

• Our rebellion is considerable.
• We are ungodly.
• We are unrighteous.

• God's righteousness is consistent.
• God is God
• God manifests Himself.

The Bogus Exchange - Romans 1:21-23: ²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

q It is DECEITFUL.

o The fear of the Lord is the begininng of knowledge. To reject Him is to reject truth.

o We make the exchange knowingly and deliberately. We buy into a lie because we want what we want.

o When we get what we want we find that we haven't really gotten anything.

q It is DARK. Darkness exists where light is excluded.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. - John 3:19

o We really need to see darkness for what it is - dark.

o The only way to expose the darkness is to turn on the light.

o Jesus is the light of the world.

q It is DECAYING.. What do we do?

o First we Wake Up. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. - Ephesians 5:14

o Then we Rise Up to worship Him as God and acknowledge Him as Lord.

o Then we Give Up the praise and gratitude that is due Him which we have foolishly withheld.

God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

What would be left if God gave up on us? To the extent that we refuse Him, He has given us over to these, but there is still hope:

q Sinful desires and Sexual Impurity.

q Shameful lusts that lead to unrestrained indulgence.

q Sick minds that produce bad behavior.

q Stubborn persistence and silent approval.

We need help. We need to return to verses 16-17