Reading for August 18th

Read Romans 1.18-32
In 1.18-8.39: God's purpose and character revealed in Christ.
In 1.18-32: God's wrath against sinful humanity.
Gentiles are not mentioned specifically in 1.18-32, but they appear to be in view (see 1.30, God haters 2.14; 3.9).
Paul thinks humanity can know God through creation.
Yet rather than honoring God properly as creator, people devised inappropriate forms of worship: images of humans and animals (v.23).
Such worship is misguided because it gives honor to mortal things rather than exclusive honor to the immortal God (v. 23).
Worshiping creatures instead of the Creator is here seen as the ultimate lie.
Closely associated with idol worship were sexual practices regarded by Jews as impure and degrading tot he body (vv. 24-25).
Failure to acknowledge God leads to debased thinking and immoral behavior.
The sins listed in vv. 29-31 mainly describe behavior that destroys meaningful relationships among friends and family, leading to chaos within society (1 Cor 6.10-11;Gal 5.19-21).
Paul repeatedly emphasizes that God gave them up ... (v.24, 26, 28), suggesting God's disgust with such arrogant, socially destructive behavior.
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