Sermon Text
Romans 1
The Guilt of the Gentile World
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known[m] about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
From Idolatry to Depravity
26 For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women[n] exchanged natural sexual relations[o] for unnatural ones. 27 The men[p] in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons[q] the appropriate penalty of their error.
28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness,[r] evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, untrustworthy, unloving,[s] and unmerciful. 32 Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die[t]—they not only do them, but even applaud[u] others who practice them.
Footnotes
- 1:1 Or Jesus, a called apostle
- 1:3 Lit was of the seed of David
- 1:4 Or the spirit of holiness, or the Holy Spirit
- 1:5 Or him for; lit him into
- 1:5 Or nations, also in v. 13
- 1:8 Or because your faith
- 1:13 Lit have some fruit
- 1:14 Or non-Greeks
- 1:16 Other mss add of Christ
- 1:17 Or revealed out of faith into faith
- 1:17 Or The one who is righteous by faith will live
- 1:17 Hab 2:4
- 1:19 Or what is known
- 1:26 Lit females, also in v. 27
- 1:26 Lit natural use, also in v. 27
- 1:27 Lit males, also later in v.
- 1:27 Or in themselves
- 1:29 Other mss add sexual immorality
- 1:31 Other mss add unforgiving
- 1:32 Lit things are worthy of death
- 1:32 Lit even take pleasure in
Weekly Prayer
Matthew 6:5-14
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the glory forever. Amen.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, bbut if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
From "Daily prayer for Baptists"
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords, mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under His most gracious rule, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.