Romans 1:31 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Romans 1:31

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‘Without understanding.’ The translation could be strengthened. The original implies wilfully resistant to truth. I am without understanding, because I will not understand. It means from the Greek having no conscience. It is moral understanding which is referred to. I will not ask or think about spiritual things. You get to the point you do not even feel ashamed of things that once, at least, used to trouble you. The opposite of this is people with very sensitive consciences, and that is what we should be in the church of Christ. ‘Covenantbreakers’ – you cannot rely on people for anything. They are disloyal, untrustworthy, unreliable people. They don't keep agreements; they don't keep promises. But in the church of Christ it should be entirely different. The word of Christians counts for much, and they do not make light promises, easily broken.‘Without natural affection’ – loveless and artificial, because I have learnt the technique of my emotions all being for me. Some people become so hard. Like the showbiz people, they can put on affection. Not natural affection. Malice is underneath it and bitter rivalry, and affection is just an act. This is what is in mind: I will be moved if it suits me to be moved, or to be affected emotionally, or to be excited, but it is all at my bidding. As far as any natural tenderness towards other people is concerned, it is gone. That is what happens, that is what takes place. But after the Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts, it is quite different. Love is a major part of us, tenderness, affection, appreciation. ‘Implacable’, cruel, merciless, unable to forgive, holding resentments for years, and taking no steps to resolve difficulties. It is to be cool and ruthless. Christ’s disciples are instinctively peace makers and bridge builders, who are able to overlook minor problems between them. ‘Unmerciful’, showing no pity, no kindness. Like the Pharisees who watched Christ’s healing miracles, and far from rejoicing at the relief brought to those who were healed, found only cause for criticism of Christ, and in the case of Lazarus came up with a plot to kill him as well as the Lord Jesus. That is the human race. What a miserable list this is! It is God being frank with the human race.

Application

But we may derive some positive encouragement even from this list. The work of Christ, his glorious work in hearts and lives. Let us turn the sin list round. Let us get glory to Christ, who takes wicked sinners such as we are, and recreates us by his grace, and puts new life into us, following repentance and conversion, and begins his work by his Spirit. Our Lord and Saviour, in order to purchase forgiveness for all who trust in Him, had to be clothed in a way we can't understand with all these sins that belong to us. Our sin was put upon on his pure, holy soul. Yours and mine, sexual impurity: he felt it. The filth and the stain laid upon him like filthy, stinking clothing, penetrating through to his soul. And then the punishment laid upon it, so that my guilt for that and the guilt of millions of others who believe in him could be burned, purged away. Wickedness, deliberate wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, all put upon him. Oh, the love of Christ for his people! How far he would go for us! How much he would do for us!

Then we look at the passage again, and say, ‘When I was converted, how much was done for me. It wasn't the entire work, but it was so much of it. We had disdain for the law of God, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, all that unclean thinking, the mastery that it had in our lives, the control. It would come in at all sorts of moments and inevitably occupy us and drive us and rule us. It was broken at conversion. It was smashed. I no longer have to be under its control. When it attacks and it rises and makes its suggestions, I can pray and I can mortify it, and turn my mind from it. Conversion has cracked open the mastery of that sin. I can't plan wickedness anymore. If I slip into it, it's a terrible thing, but I can't sit there in cold blood and think, I will plan to do that. Yes, believers are guilty of some of these things, but to a much smaller degree, and are convicted about it, and repentant, and ever working to please God and to be changed. Covetousness – before conversion, you couldn't stop it. You must have the fame, the notice, the flattery, the respect, the attention. But conversion broke its mastery and its hold, and now you can put it aside and live reasonably and give yourself modest sights. Maliciousness, envy that used to burn, it doesn't have to rule you anymore. You can enjoy seeing others prosper, your friend getting promotion. Give thanks to God that you don't burn anymore. And if you do, you hate it and you can pray and put it away.

A third way that we can use this list in an encouraging manner is to think of the opposite virtue in each case and pray for that. Fornication, what's the opposite? Sexual cleanness to value and respect the opposite sex. And if God has given you a husband or a wife, to love your husband and your wife, to care for her, for him, to think of kindly and good things for her, for him. Every sensual thought: kill it and express love to those you should love. Wickedness? No, I want to do good. Every day, I want to plan some good deed. I want to notice someone who needs my help. I don't want to plan wicked things. Covetousness, I will be reasonable and modest this day. Maliciousness, envy? No, we think well for people. Murder – don't deprive people of their happiness. Help them, provide for them, support them, buttress and assist them. Deceit? No, truth. Think of the opposite in each case and pray for that.

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Romans 1:31 Commentary and Bible Study

The meaning of Romans 1:31 explained