A surprising way in which God shows his wrath
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Note the sequence: Many Gentiles had a knowledge of God that they didn’t consider worthwhile to retain, so they refused God’s guidance and struck out on their own evil course of action. In response God “gave them over to a depraved mind.” What their depraved minds thereupon proceeded to do is then outlined in the devastating list that follows.
But it wasn’t bad enough for these people to do these things themselves. They compounded their wickedness by propagandizing for their sin and recruiting others to join them. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
The practice of homosexuality served as Exhibit A for Paul in his case against the Gentiles (1:26,27). Certainly, homosexuality is not the only sin, nor before an impartial God necessarily the worst sin, but it still today serves as a graphic example of the wicked and perverse mind-set that Paul is describing in writing to the Romans.
We live in an age when many people are no longer content to live an “alternative” lifestyle quietly. Rather, they openly advocate and promote it. We see organized marches and campaigns for “gay rights” as though that were something they are entitled to. In all of this, it’s perfectly clear that those clamoring for change are not merely seeking acceptance for themselves but are trying to gain advocates for their perversion. They “not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
Whether the focus is on ancient gentile libertines or their modern counterparts, Paul’s point stands: Don’t look for any righteousness before God from this group.