Rom 1:16 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.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 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:
Rom 1:21 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.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 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.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 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:
Rom 1:27 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.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
In reading this Scripture, I am struck that the debauchery mentioned herein is correlated to the culture of the pagan Romans. They practiced emperor worship, exalting Caesar to godhood. Homosexuality was rampant in that society. Holidays occurred 2 to 3 times per week. For every citizen, there were 2 servants. The Roman army was cruel beyond imagination. Their instruments of death and torture were inventions of depraved minds. They thought they were so brilliant, but they were mere fools.
Rome crumbled from within because of the cancer of iniquity which ravaged its culture.
America’s sins are beginning to rival the debauchery seen in Rome. Most of the sins listed in Romans, chapter one, mirror the litany of iniquity found in our society today. Just as Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, we remind the Christians in America to not be conformed this culture, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
America will, no doubt, find itself on the ash heap of history someday soon, taken down by sin. We are told that the nations that forget God will be turned into hell.
Our nation, founded on the principles of the Word of God, has, for the most part, forgotten God. It has a form of godliness, but has denied the power thereof.
Let this be a wake-up call to pray, live righteously and to preach the gospel, unashamedly, for it is the power of God unto salvation. Lest we find ourselves fiddling while our nation burns.
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