Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
The verse names five condemned traits: want of understanding, breaking of covenants, want of natural love and affection, stubborn refusal to be reconciled, and showing no mercy. Those traits stand in the same sinful class as hating God, inventing evil things, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, and backbiting, and all who do such things are declared worthy of death and subject to God's judgment of death. Backbiting here means misrepresenting motives, blackening reputation, and dissecting character. This conduct stands in direct contrast to the citizen of Zion, who speaks truth in the heart, does not backbite with the tongue, and does not take up a reproach against a neighbor.
The verse shows the condition of those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge and are given over to a reprobate mind. Like the Jewish nation they advance step by step almost imperceptibly in resistance to the Spirit until spiritual blindness takes the place of light once enjoyed, and under unbelief, envy, and criticism former evidences become questioning and doubt while the word spoken is misapplied, perverted, suspected, and distrusted. Those who resist and provoke the Spirit to depart do unperceptively what they once correctly saw as decided sin, following step by step in Satan's footsteps with Satan as chosen companion. Every appeal then becomes meaningless idle tales, every word is misconstrued in a perverted light, the most solemn warnings are laughed at and ridiculed, reproof and counsel and entreaties are refused and despised, and commandments of God once vindicated and exalted are disobeyed, while knowing the judgment of God that such things are worthy of death they not only do the same but have pleasure in those who do them.
It belongs to the account of people who reject God's rule, commands, and precepts and give themselves to sin and moral depravity. When those commands are rejected, sin no longer appears sinful and righteousness no longer appears desirable, those who reject them become unfit to govern themselves, and lawlessness, immorality, lust, and other sins associated with judgment on the heathen follow. It belongs also to the picture of human society corrupted after people cease to recognize God and forget Him. Then truth, honor, integrity, confidence, and compassion depart, while greed and ambition produce distrust and disregard for human dignity and rights; forgetting God inclines people more strongly to evil, and a heart shaped by sin projects its own qualities onto God, a distorted view that strengthens sin. It shows the condition produced by holding communion with evil spirits, seen in the Canaanites who were without natural affection, idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and abominable by every corrupt thought and revolting practice. God set this result before Israel as an example and warning, lest though privileged to behold His glory and power they fall into the same errors and die under similar judgments as Sodom and Canaan.
The passage of Romans 1:18-32 gives a true description of the world just before the second appearing of Christ, particularly those who practice vile, corrupt habits of self-indulgence. The only hope for those who practice such habits, if they place any value on health here and salvation hereafter, is to leave them forever, and after long indulgence it requires a determined effort to resist temptation and refuse the corrupt indulgence. Long practice brings body and mind into subjection to Satan and consumes their powers upon his altar with loss of self-control, and those who ask God to do for them what is in their power to do for themselves, who vow time and again and as often break their vows and give themselves to corrupt lust, are left to work their own ruin and their prayers are not heard. Those who destroy themselves by their own acts are self-murderers who will never have eternal life, for those who continue to abuse health and life here would not rightly use health and immortal life in God's everlasting kingdom, and heaven's purity will never be marred by their society.
The whole first chapter sets out a true experience applying to fathers and mothers and all families claiming to be sons and daughters of God, especially those having names on the church record who are not laborers together with God and fail their accountability as faithful, exemplary believers. The verse names part of every species of iniquity from which this class must become cleansed, showing that mere knowledge of the truth will not cleanse them without the sanctifying grace of God at work in the home. Claiming to believe the truth while denying it in works and strangely neglecting home religion leaves the solemn work neglected and guilt remaining. To be without natural affection is to have heart and mind filled with prejudice that sees and represents the people of God in a perverted light. The verse describes a professed Christian who leaves his wife and children, returns home only when convenient for his own interest, withholds respect, love, and kindly consideration from his wife, acts tyrannically and unkindly in the home, and has no affection for fellow believers, while flattering himself that he could improve the church even as he tears it limb from limb. The verse is one of the things specified in the first chapter of Romans that must be weighed, particularly noticed, and read until its particular meaning is grasped. It is to be given in its full force to ministers, churches, and every family as a call to be sanctified through belief of the truth and to be converted, because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and women who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
The verse names five condemned traits: want of understanding, breaking of covenants, want of natural love and affection, stubborn refusal to be reconciled, and showing no mercy. Those traits stand in the same sinful class as hating God, inventing evil things, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, and backbiting, and all who do such things are declared worthy of death and subject to God's judgment of death. Backbiting here means misrepresenting motives, blackening reputation, and dissecting character. This conduct stands in direct contrast to the citizen of Zion, who speaks truth in the heart, does not backbite with the tongue, and does not take up a reproach against a neighbor.
The verse shows the condition of those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge and are given over to a reprobate mind. Like the Jewish nation they advance step by step almost imperceptibly in resistance to the Spirit until spiritual blindness takes the place of light once enjoyed, and under unbelief, envy, and criticism former evidences become questioning and doubt while the word spoken is misapplied, perverted, suspected, and distrusted. Those who resist and provoke the Spirit to depart do unperceptively what they once correctly saw as decided sin, following step by step in Satan's footsteps with Satan as chosen companion. Every appeal then becomes meaningless idle tales, every word is misconstrued in a perverted light, the most solemn warnings are laughed at and ridiculed, reproof and counsel and entreaties are refused and despised, and commandments of God once vindicated and exalted are disobeyed, while knowing the judgment of God that such things are worthy of death they not only do the same but have pleasure in those who do them.
It belongs to the account of people who reject God's rule, commands, and precepts and give themselves to sin and moral depravity. When those commands are rejected, sin no longer appears sinful and righteousness no longer appears desirable, those who reject them become unfit to govern themselves, and lawlessness, immorality, lust, and other sins associated with judgment on the heathen follow. It belongs also to the picture of human society corrupted after people cease to recognize God and forget Him. Then truth, honor, integrity, confidence, and compassion depart, while greed and ambition produce distrust and disregard for human dignity and rights; forgetting God inclines people more strongly to evil, and a heart shaped by sin projects its own qualities onto God, a distorted view that strengthens sin. It shows the condition produced by holding communion with evil spirits, seen in the Canaanites who were without natural affection, idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and abominable by every corrupt thought and revolting practice. God set this result before Israel as an example and warning, lest though privileged to behold His glory and power they fall into the same errors and die under similar judgments as Sodom and Canaan.
The passage of Romans 1:18-32 gives a true description of the world just before the second appearing of Christ, particularly those who practice vile, corrupt habits of self-indulgence. The only hope for those who practice such habits, if they place any value on health here and salvation hereafter, is to leave them forever, and after long indulgence it requires a determined effort to resist temptation and refuse the corrupt indulgence. Long practice brings body and mind into subjection to Satan and consumes their powers upon his altar with loss of self-control, and those who ask God to do for them what is in their power to do for themselves, who vow time and again and as often break their vows and give themselves to corrupt lust, are left to work their own ruin and their prayers are not heard. Those who destroy themselves by their own acts are self-murderers who will never have eternal life, for those who continue to abuse health and life here would not rightly use health and immortal life in God's everlasting kingdom, and heaven's purity will never be marred by their society.
The whole first chapter sets out a true experience applying to fathers and mothers and all families claiming to be sons and daughters of God, especially those having names on the church record who are not laborers together with God and fail their accountability as faithful, exemplary believers. The verse names part of every species of iniquity from which this class must become cleansed, showing that mere knowledge of the truth will not cleanse them without the sanctifying grace of God at work in the home. Claiming to believe the truth while denying it in works and strangely neglecting home religion leaves the solemn work neglected and guilt remaining. To be without natural affection is to have heart and mind filled with prejudice that sees and represents the people of God in a perverted light. The verse describes a professed Christian who leaves his wife and children, returns home only when convenient for his own interest, withholds respect, love, and kindly consideration from his wife, acts tyrannically and unkindly in the home, and has no affection for fellow believers, while flattering himself that he could improve the church even as he tears it limb from limb. The verse is one of the things specified in the first chapter of Romans that must be weighed, particularly noticed, and read until its particular meaning is grasped. It is to be given in its full force to ministers, churches, and every family as a call to be sanctified through belief of the truth and to be converted, because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and women who hold the truth in unrighteousness.