Textual Sermon: Romans 1:28-32 - Filled With All Unrighteousness (#3)

1. Paul has charged the Gentile world with being under God's wrath for rejecting God (1:18:21). In turn, God gave them up to uncleanness (1:24), vile passions (1:26) and a depraved mind (1:28).

2. Refusing to know God leads to all manner of sin (1:28-32).

3. In Romans 1:29-30, Paul continues with an extended list of various sins that tear at the social fabric of any people.

I. CHARACTER ASSASSINS.

A. Haters Of Men, Rom. 1:29-30.

1. Whisperers (secret maligners): Reveals the evil motive of hate, Ps. 41:7 (41:4-6, both secret whispers and open lies).

a. Tasty morsel in the mouth but hurtful in the end, Prov. 26:22 ("tasty wounds"). We must refuse to speak and listen to such.

b. Speaking evil of one who is absent yet unwilling to accuse him to his face.

1) Often accompanied by complaining and grumbling, Phil. 2:14.

2) A cowardly, malicious sin, 2 Cor. 12:20 (Matt. 18:15).

3) Whispering: The evil of detracting from others, or exciting suspicion against another by dropping hints that they are evil (cf. the secrecy of Rom. 1:29).[i]

2. Backbiters (open slanderers), Rom. 1:30.

a. To defame, speak evil against.

b. A form of slander, it is bolder than whisperings, yet does not face its object ("back").

c. Backbiting causes anger, Prov. 25:23.

d. Backbiter does not abide with God, Ps. 15:1, 3.

B. Haters of God, Rom. 1:30. (passive voice; Hated by God)

1. "deniers of the being and providence of God, and showed themselves to be enemies to him by their evil works" (Gill).

2. These blasphemy God and His authority, 2 Tim. 3:2; 2 Pet. 2:10.

II. SINS OF SELF-IMPORTANCE.

A. Violently Arrogant, Rom. 1:30.

1. An insulting person: "one who, uplifted with pride, either heaps insulting language upon others or does them some shameful act of wrong" (Thayer).

2. Insolent: "insultingly contemptuous in speech or conduct (rude, impolite)". cf. Saul persecuting, 1 Tim. 1:13; Acts 9:1; 26:11.

3. We must not render evil for evil, Rom. 12:18-21.

B. Boasters, Rom. 1:30.

1. To make more of oneself than is justified by reality.

a. "Empty pretenders, swaggerers, braggarts." (A. T. Robertson)

b. Conceit, Rom. 12:3, 16.

2. Inflated estimation of oneself:

a. Of not needing spiritual help from others, Gal. 6:2-3.

b. Of not falling, 1 Cor. 10:12 (cf. Peter, Matt. 26:33).

III. INVENTORS OF EVIL THINGS, Rom. 1:30.

A. These Go Out Looking for Trouble, cf. Prov. 1:10-16.

1. Resourceful to do evil, cf. Jer. 4:22.

2. Example: The seductress, Prov. 7:5. Many men and women go out looking to satisfy their lusts - they find it! (cf. Prov. 7:6-7)

B. Contrast: Disciples of Christ Must be Harmless as Doves, Matt. 10:16 (innocent); Phil. 2:14-16.

Conclusion

1. We are not to harbor ill-will and contempt for anyone, Rom. 13:8.

2. Those who refuse to retain God in their knowledge invariably fail to properly value others and treat them respectfully because they do not see others as being in the image of God.

3. We were there once: "Hateful and hating one another", Titus 3:3.

4. Gospel delivers us from such sin and death -- Do not refuse God!

[i] “Whisperers are cowardly sneaks who have not the courage to come out in the open and say damaging things about others, but secretly peddle their slanderous statements and insinuations against the object or objects of their campaign of spite. They usually add: ‘Be sure not to use my name in connection with the matter, for I do not want to get mixed up in the mess.’ Such characters have been aptly termed ‘snakes in the grass.’ They would destroy a good name, and then gloat over what they had been able to accomplish. Only the Lord can properly award such characters.” (R. L. Whiteside, Commentary on Romans, 43).