Romans 1

- vs. 3-4 concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh  and who has been declared to be the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness. Notice how Paul writes that Jesus was declared to be the powerful Son of God not by someone's mouth but by the resurrection from the dead.  This reminds me of the words of Jesus from Luke 19:40 - He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!”  God wants to have us proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, but if we won't, God can use any means to do so.  He made a donkey speak and can use any part of creation to speak.
- vs. 5-6 Paul now talks about how he and the other apostles are now being used by God to spread the word around the world.
- vs. 7 is just one example that we are called saints when we are born again, not by man canonizing us.
- vs. 12 it's not only those Paul is speaking or writing to that need encouragement it is "mutual". Sometimes we hold our pastor's in such high esteem, but don't think they need to be encouraged. Hebrews 10:24-25 addresses this.
- vs. 17 "from faith to faith" - what does this mean?  I found an article by John Piper, on the last page he has this explanation: "So here in Romans 1:17 it says, "The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." That is, when the revelation of the gift of righteousness meets with faith it leads to future faith. Faith is the initial window of the soul that lets the light of the revelation of righteousness in. And when the light of God's gift of righteousness comes in by faith, it powerfully works to awaken and sustain and engender more and more faith for the years to come." The link can be found here for that page.
- vs. 18-23 God's invisible attributes are plainly seen by creation.  When you look at a building you know there must have been a builder; the building did not just randomly form from random materials floating in the air.  You know it had a builder, the same thing when you look at the earth and humans, you know that all of these things could not have simply formed over time (who created time) and from random materials (where did the materials come from).  We know that a Boeing 747 couldn't be made by a powerful tornado that randomly put all the pieces together and made this jet.  It says that we are without excuse, and for whatever reason we trade all of the things of God for man made things.
- vs. 24-25 notice how Paul all of a sudden mentions sexual immorality.  The passage wasn't talking about it but all of a sudden he mentions it.  That is how quickly sexual immorality can slip into our lives! This is something I was referring to in my previous post The War At Hand, how we can go from an amazing time of fellowship, worship, prayer, etc. and then when we are back down the temptation is overwhelming!   Look at Jesus, He was baptized and then came the temptation after the glorious experience of the Spirit descending on Him like a dove and the Father saying He is pleased with (who doesn't want their father saying he is pleased with him).  So, Jesus went from a glorious experience into the desert and was hungry and thirsty and tempted.  A bit of a sidetrack, but remember what Satan ultimately wanted? He wanted Jesus' love and affection...he wanted Jesus to worship him, the created, rather than the Creator (who is to be praised forever, amen).
- vs. 26-27 they went from who knows what sort of sexual immorality (maybe constantly looking with lust in their hearts?), to now they have gone to unnatural sexual relations.  So even though the relations they had before, it was immorality because it was outside the bounds of marriage which is what God created and then they, living in their sexual immorality turn to unnatural relations.  This is how it works.  We start off doing something small (so we think) and then that doesn't satisfy anymore, so we need to "upgrade" to something different to find pleasure and than that doesn't satisfy as much, and it keeps going downhill from their and we keep doing worse and worse things in the sight of God and He gives us over to our degrading passions which really are degrading us inside and out.  "Run from sexual immorality! "Every sin a person can commit is outside the body." On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body." 1 Cor. 6:18.  This is something we need to remember like Joseph did and called it a great evil and sin against God, he ran from the situation!  We need to run from it right away when we are tempted.  God help us with this, You are faithful to lead us out of temptation and not let us be tempted more than we can handle, so please help us when we are in a situation to get out of it and give us wisdom to not go into tempting situations or places that would tempt us.
- vs. 28-32 they didn't acknowledge God and then were "given over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong."  I have seen too much when people are totally stuck in their sin and they don't acknowlege God and in their own minds they believe that they are not wrong and that they can and should continue in what they're doing.  Here is the list that Paul adds:
    - Unrighteousness (some manuscripts have sexual immorality) - living blatenly against God
    - Evil - they don't care about other people, their only concern soon becomes themsleves and will 
      do whatever it takes to get their pleasures fulfilled at the expense of others.
    - Greed - this goes along with the last explanation.  The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
      People want and want and want, it is really evident in our society today.  It is also very easy to 
      get caught up in that way of living.
    - Wickedness - Don't care for the things of God, rather the things of darkness.

    -  Full of:

      - Envy - (the sound of a spoiled brat) "I want it" - wanting and wanting

      - Murder - hating others and killing physically as well

      - Quarrels - "I'm always right."

      - Deceit - willing to lie to others to get what you want.

      - Malice - "the intention or desire to do evil; ill will" - the desire is not to do good to others, but

        evil.

    - They are:

      - Gossips - yapping about others issues instead of trying to help the person

      - Slanderers - putting down others

      - God-haters - its not that they just want to live to please their flesh, they actually turn against

        God and His people - oppose/opposition.  Does this sound familiar with athiests these days?

      - Arrogant - thinking they are the world's smartest and wisest, yet the Bible refers to them as fools

      - Proud - they are proud of everything wicked they do.

      - Boastful - they boast in their arrogance, they boast about their sin and how good they think they 

         are.

      - Inventors of Evil - they create new ways that they can go against God.  Brag about this, boast                

        about it, post it on the internet, make movies about it and drag others down with them.

      - Disobedient to Parents - the ones that are to love and care for their children are being  

        disrespected by their children and not showing any care for what their parents are trying to teach 

        them.  At the same time these days, parents are doing the previous things mentioned as well.

      - Undiscerning - ignorant/not knowing what is right or wrong anymore.  If others think its right

        who am I to say its wrong, is what they think and is becoming a popular thought process in our

        culture.

      - Untrustworthy - you just can't trust them...that is a hard for me because I know what its like to 

        not be trusted (as a child this was the case for me) and now that I'm older, I don't like not being 

        able to trust someone.  I'd rather see you as the above and honest...at least I would know where

        you stand, but when you are untrustworthy...

      - Unloving - not patient, kind, gentle - looking for wrong in others, all the opposite of 1 Cor. 13

      - Unmerciful - the One who died to take my place for my sins is a merciful and just God-the Bible

        says that He is love.  I thank God that He is - these traits.  

vs. 32 They know full well God's just sentence - that those who practice such things deserve to die - they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.