BibSacFalseandTrueWorshipinRomans1

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BiBLiOTHECA SACRA 157 (January-March 2000): 26-34

FALSE AND TRUE WORSHIPIN ROMANS 1:18-25

Ronald E. Man

IN ROMANS 1:18-3:20 Paul described the sinful condition of humans in all its darkness.

1He did this so that by contrast the

light of the gospel (in 3:21-5:21) might shine all the more

brightly. In 1:18-32 especially, he portrayed the downward spiral

into succeeding depths of degradation that inevitably accompanies

willful rejection of God. In their blind folly people have "exchanged

the truth of God for a lie" (v. 25), "worshiped and served the crea

ture rather than the Creator" (v. 25), and "suppress [ed] the truth

in unrighteousness" (v. 18). The first part of this section (vv. 18-25)includes powerful statements about the purpose for which hu

manit y was originally crea tedthe worship of the Creatorand

about the potential restoration of that purpose through the grace of

God (v. 7) and the gospel, "the power of God for salvation to every

one who believes" (v. 16). As sin's degradation is universal, so the

offer of salvation and restored worship is universal.

THE FOLLY OF HUMANS

The connecting word "for" at the start of Romans 1:18 introduces

Paul's reason for asserting that the gospel is the only hope of salva

tion for the unregenerate, and that the righteousness of God

through faith is the only remedy for unrighteousness (w. 16-17).2

Ronald E. Man is Pastor of Worship and Music, Fi rst Evangel ical Church, Memphis ,

Tennessee.

1 J h M titl thi ti "Th U i lit f Si d C d ti "


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False and True Worship in Romans 1 18-25 27

The "w rat h of God" is described as alr eady being revealed (v. 18),

which is also t rue of th e "righteousness of God" (v. 17).3

Harrison

states that the present revealing of God's wrath, while not obviat

ing the certainty of ultimate future judgment of sinners, "means

that the unfolding of history involves a disclosure of the wrath ofGod against sin, seen in the terrible corruption and perversion of

human life."4

God's wr at h here speaks of His righteous displeasure

with sinful man's utter and willful rejection of the created order

and of his proper place in it God's wr at h is "against all ungodliness

and unr igh te ous ne ss of men, who supp res s the tr u th in un

righteousness" (v 18)5

The basic issue here is one of worship, for that is at the heart

of the sin problem (which ha s brought God's wr at h) This fact ismade explicit in verse 25, is implicit in verse 21, and plays a major

role in Genesis 3 as well Hooker has demonstrated that there are

close ties between Romans 1 and Genesis 1-3 in both vocabulary6

and structure7

In fact she concludes that "Paul's account of man's

wickedness has been deliberately stated in terms of the Biblical

narrative of Adam's fall."8

Indeed, in Genesis 3 the temptation that

the serpent dangled before Eve was that she could become "like

God" (Gen. 3.5). And that cuts at the very core of worship, for true

0

"With the new subject (wrath) Paul uses the same verb, in the same tense, as with th e subject (righteousness) in 17" (C Barrett , The Epistle to the Romans,Harper's New Te stam en t Comme ntar ies [New York Harp er & Row, 1957], 33)

Everett F Harr ison , "Roman s," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary (GrandRapids, Zondervan, 1976), 10 22

5

Harrison says "ungodliness" is rebellion against God and His ways, and "unrighteousness" is sinful behavior toward other people, th e two encompass "the failure of mankind in terms of the requirements of the two tables of the Decalogue"(ibid )

6

M D Hooker, "Adam in Romans I," New Testament Studies 6 (1960) 300- 301303

7

"The sequence of events outlined in Romans 1 recalls the story of Adam in Gen esis 1-3 God revealed to Adam wh at can be known of Him (Rom 1 19), and thatfrom the creation onward, God's attributes were clearly discernible to him in thethings that had been made and that he was thu s wit hou t excuse (v 20) Though

Adam knew God, he failed to honor him as God, and grew va in in his t hi nk in g andallowed his he ar t to be dar ken ed (v 20) Adam's fall was the resul t of his desir e to


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28 BiBLlOTHECA SACRA / January-March 2000

worship assumes a fundamental distinction between the object of

worship and the worshiper. True worship assumes that only God is

worthy of worship.9 (Even in its most banal use the word "worship"

implies a vast superiority of its objectone might be said to wor

ship a ballplayer or a hero because his capabilities are so far above

one's own. And regarding God and humans the difference is of

course infinite.)

Someone has said, "All mistakes about prayer are mistakes

about God." The same is true of worship: All mistakes about wor

ship are mistakes about God.10 If people would acknowledge God as

God, and recognize that they are His creatures, they would be well

on the way to true worship. But this is the truth that natural man

has suppressed, as Romans 1:19-21 makes clear.

INVITATION TO WORSHIP (1:19-20)

Verses 19-20 comprise what amounts to an invitation from God for

His human creatures to worship Him. Men and women have al

ways known within that God exists, that a supreme Being of im

mense power is responsible for the universe. This knowledge is so

innate, so fundamental to human nature that when a person de

nies it, he is not merely denying something external to himselfhe

is also denying himself and his true nature. God's invitation is pre

sent to worship Him, to acknowledge Him as God and to give Him

what is due, but mankind as a whole rejects it.11

So "they are with

out excuse" (v. 20). They can never plead ignorance of God or of His

majestic power. No, people deliberately turn from true worship of

the true God to false worship.

FALSE WORSHIP (1:21-23)

The attitude of false worship (1:21a). False worship begins with an

attitude, an attitude that responds to the invitation to worship

with a resounding refusal: "Even though they knew God, they did

not honor Him as God, or give thanks" (v. 21a). As Morris puts it,

Paul sees "people, then, as always ready to take up an irreligious

attitude toward the universe in which they live, despite the many

9 B d R 1 20 i i il "Th i h i l l i


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False and True Worship in Romans 1:18-25 29

marks it bears of the Creator's hand." 12 In spite of the innate

(though incomplete)13 knowledge about God that is evident in na

ture, people deliberately refuse to give Him the recognition and

reverence He deserves; they do not honor Him (literally, "glorify"

Him). They do not acknowledge the fact that distinguishes Him

from everyone and everything else: that He is God. This is what

people do not want to acknowledge. The serpent's lie says that peo

ple can be like God, they can usurp His position, they can lift

themselves up by bringing Him down to a more "manageable" level.

As Barrett writes, "Man was unwilling to recognize a Lord; he

chose to be Lord himself, and to glorify himself."14

If people deny who God is, then they thereby presume to exempt themselves from gratefully recognizing all He has given to

them: "They did not . . . give thanks." An attitude of irreverence for

who God is and of ingrat itude for wha t He ha s done typifies false

worship. They "did not acknowledge Him as their God and did not

bestow on Him the honor and praise they owed Him. Nor did they

return thanks to Him for the blessings they were constantly re

ceiving."15

The doctrine of false worship (l:21b-22). The attitude of falseworship leads to what might be called the doctrine of false worship:

People willfully reject God (in spite of the evidence of His existence

that is plainly before them), and then they seek to justify thei r de

cision after the fact by developing a system of beliefs that grow out

of their chosen denial of God's existence and His claims on those

whom He has created. They build their lives and their worship on

principles born out of a prior rejection of the One who gave them

life. They "became futile in their speculations, and their foolishheart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools" (vv.

21b-22). Hendriksen describes the situation this way: "Whenever

people, in their conceit and ingratitude, begin to reason on their

own, without constantly checking the results of their speculations

with God's revelation in nature, history, conscience, and especially,

whenever possible, with the Word of God, their foolish hearts are

darkened."16

Once people reject true meaning and light and wisdom, the


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30 BiBLiOTHECA SACRA / January-March 2000

downward spiral continues in ever worsening rounds of self-

deception, self-justification, and self- aggrandizement. Ba rr et t

maintains that "their idolatrous minds and practices are them

selves a punishment from God."17 The darkn ess of people's h ea rt s

is exemplified in those who in the early years of this century

preached the inherent and progressive goodness of humankind,

only to see that myth exploded by two world wars. And today, in a

remarkable leap of "nonfaith," the most intricate examples of de

sign in the universe are attributed by the unregenerate to freak

biochemical accidents.

There is in natural man a desperate willingness to construct

and live by any kind of belief system except one that requires humbling themselves before their Maker. The fundamental doctrine of

false worship is that humans are the arbiters and the measure of

all things. But no matter how cleverly this idea is packaged, this

so-called wisdom is in reality foolishness, for it denies the most ba

sic factswhere human beings came from, who made men and

women, and that people are not the ultimate measure (Pss. 14:1;

53:1).

The practice of false worship (1:23). The supreme demonstration of foolishness is seen in the transaction described in verse 23.

The glory of God Himself,18

who is "incorruptible" (imperishable,

eternal), is rejected in exchange for mere images of people and

animals, who are corruptible, mortal beings. They "worshiped and

served the creature rather than the Creator," and "they exchanged

the truth of God for a lie" (v. 25). Again this strikes at the heart of

true worship, blurring the fundamental distinction between Crea

tor and created beings; and again this harks back to the deceptionin Eden in Genesis 3, when this most fundamental tr ut h (that God,

and only He, is God) was supplanted by the great lie, which lies at

the root of all sin.19

The gods and goddesses of ancient mythology are noted for all

kinds of intrigue, deception, petty jealousy, and outright animosity.

In fact they act just like people! Made in the image of humans,

these gods could hardly be a source of comfort or security to any

one; they were too busy fighting their own battles.The Scriptures mock the very thought that idols, the products


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False and True Worship in Romans 1:1825 31

of human efforts, should be objects of worship. See, for example,

Isaiah 40:19-20; 42:17; 44:9-19; 46:1-2.

People have exchanged the glory of Godthe all-powerful, all-

knowing, all-loving, all-merciful, sovereign Lordfor manufactured objects. People today may scorn such unenlightened practices

as bowing down before lifeless carved images, but instead they

worship corruptible, fleeting things such as wealth, power, influ

ence, temporal security. So many people cruise along, forgetting

the ultimate source of all their possessions, their health, their

abilities, their very existence. They are dropping their anchor into

shifting sand. How foolish to exchange the glory of God for a vapor!

Though desperate for security, people have rejected God. Theyhave not honored Him as God nor given Him thanks. They have

fallen into futile speculations and vain pursuits. They think they

have constructed an oasis where all will be well, but it is only a

mirage and they are left with a mouthful of sand.

The outcome of the tendency toward false worship is, according

to verse 18, the wr at h of God abiding on unredeemed hu ma ni ty .

Paul showed in 1:24-32 that this wrath has found partial expres

sion in God's allowing people to follow their own course in a downward spiral of hopeless debauchery.

THE GLORY OF GOD

Yet in spite of this dark portrayal of human folly there is hope.

Paul fully expounded that hope later in his epistle, but even chap

ter 1 has a glimmer of the light t hat is to come.

ANOTHER INVITATION TO WORSHIP (1:16-17)

The invitation previously seen in 1:19-20 is insufficient because

people do not and will not respond, because of their fallen nature.

But in verses 16-17 there is an invitation that carries with it the

power to respond positively. Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of

the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who

believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the right

eousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'Butthe righteous man shall live by faith.' "

G d i Hi th h th d th f Hi S id f


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men are left to the consequences of their own freely chosen course

of action, and unless this tendency is reversed by divine grace,

their situation will go from bad to worse."20

Of course (as Bruce

recognizes) divine grace has been made available to make this re

versal possible. The power of the gospel can reverse the downward

spiral seen in Romans 1.

TRUE WORSHIP (1:21-23)

The attitude of true worship (1:21a). A person redeemed by God's

grace and the power of the gospel will have a proper attitude to

ward worship. The true worshiper is able to take the logical step

that the natural man cannot, namely, the logical step from knowing about God to honoring Him as God. If a person has been hum

bled by coming to Chr ist for salvation, he or she has acknowledged

that God is God, and alone is worthy of one's allegiance and wor

ship. Such a person has despaired of the ancient desire to be like

God and has instead joyfully accepted the position of a created be

ing who is loved and cared for by his Creator. And so God can be

honored as God, unique in His holiness and transcendence.

There is no humiliation in taking one's proper place in God'screated order. Tha t is the way to tr ue fulfillment and happi

nessbeing what He made us to be, and allowing Him to be what

He is, and honoring Him as God. The one who honors God as God

will also give Him thanks. An attitude of true worship praises God

for who He is and gives thanks for what He has done, especially for

the gift of His Son. Jesus' death opened the way to life and to true

worship; therefore believers' lives should be characterized by an

attitude of true worship, honoring God as God and giving thanks toHim. To worship "in spirit" (John 4:23-24) is to have an attitude of

true worship that honors Him as God and is grateful to Him.

The doctrine of true worship (l:21b-22). Believers also must

worship "in truth" (John 4:23-24). An attitude of true worship

leads to a doctrine of true worship. True worship is the opposite of

those futile speculations and tha t darkening of the heart , whereby

humans seek to construct any kind of belief system that will not

require them to give allegiance and obedience to God. When a person comes to Christ, he or she is free to learn of what Paul called


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False and True Worship in Romans 1 18-25 33

ceptable to God, which is [their] spiritual service of worship" (Rom.

12:1-2). An attitude of true worship cleanses one's thought pro

cesses and allows one to follow Paul's encouragement to "set your

mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Col.

3:2).

William Temple described worship well: "To worship is to

quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind

with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of

God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the

purpose of God."21

An attitude of true worship can lead to such a

doctrine of true worship.

The practice of true worship (1:23). In the practice of true wor

ship believers by God's grace repudiate the vile substitute of idols,

and they acknowledge and cherish the glory of the incorruptib le

God. They recognize that He alone is unchanging, imperishable,

eternal; He alone possesses glory in and of Himself; He alone is

worthy of worship.

Worship (whether corporately in church, privately in devo

tions, or in one's everyday walk of faith) may seem on the surface

to be an unproductive activity. But that is actually the point. Inworship believers set aside the world's ideas and even their own

ideas about what may be important, and they reorient their priori

ties according to the One to whom they owe everything. They focus

on Him. They honor God as God. They bow as creatures before the

Creator and Sustainer of life, to praise Him for His invisible at

tributes, His eternal power, His divine nature (v. 20)that is, to

praise Him for who He is, to honor God as God. And they give

thanks to Him, for all that He has given to themlife, life moreabundant, life eternal through Jesus Christ the Lord.

The result of true worship. The beauty of true worship is that it

is its own reward. Focusing on God is an end in itself. Honoring

Him and giving th an ks to Him is the highes t huma n endeavor.

Men and women were created for that purpose, namely, to worship

Him. Worship is what one gives to God. That is all He asks for. By

worshiping Him, God's people will find (as William Temple put it)

that their consciences are quickened, their minds are fed, theirimaginations are purged, their hearts are opened, and their wills

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CONCLUSION

Thus the infusion of God's grace can reverse the cycle of decay in

people's lives, described in Romans 1. True worship can rise out of

the ashes of false worship. The downward spiral of human folly canbe transformed into an ascendant testimony to the glory of God.

In light of the power of the gospel to transform sinners into

worshipers, perhaps the message of Romans 1:18-25 could be rev

erently paraphrased as follows:

For the grace of God is revealed from heaven to fallen and sinful people who have accepted the truth of the gospel, to those whom God has

drawn to Himself. For now not only is the power and majesty of Godevident through what has been made, but He has also revealed Hislove, mercy, compassion, and grace through the redemptive work ofJesus Christ His Son, so that people may be saved. And now they notonly know God, but they also honor Him as God and give thanks,their minds filled with thoughts of Him and their hearts filled withdevotion to Him; acknowledging themselves to be fools, they becamewise, and exchanged images and false objects of worship for the gloryof the incorruptible God. Therefore God indwelled their renewed

hearts with His Spirit unto purity, so that they might present theirbodies as living and holy sacrifices unto Him. For they exchanged alie for the truth of God, and now worship and serve the Creator ratherthan the creature, to the glory of His name. Amen.


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