Romans 1:18-32 Sin is a Religious Act

Our personal sins are not the cause of God's judgment - they are the result of his present ("is," v.18) judgment!

This seems counter-intuitive because we have a tendency to view God as a cosmic judge whose role it is to punish sin. And, we believe, that left to ourselves we are basically decent people.

Observation: repetition of "Therfore, God gave them up...", vv. 24, 26, 28

Because they did not honor God or give him thanks... [this is the essential SIN]

God gave them up to... [the judment of SIN]

• impurity, dishonouring of their bodies [sins]
• dishonourable passions [sins]
• a base mind and improper conduct [sins]

Sin is a religious issue not a moral or ethical issue.

THEREFORE, the solution to sin must be "religious" - a relationship with the living God. This relationship is not "theological" (a statement of belief about God) but religious (a way of life with God, i.e., honour + thanksgiving).