The Path to Degeneracy

Romans 1:20-23

20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

While reading this passage, I was struck by something interesting. The latter half of Romans 1 describes the path to degeneracy–the downward spiral of inherently depraved humankind as people fall deeper into sin and further from our holy God. It goes from idolatry to gross sexual sin, to an extensive list of sinful practices and attitudes.

But what is the beginning of this dark, awful spiral? “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful.” The root of all these atrocious wicked behaviors? Knowing God, but not glorifying Him, and being unthankful.

That is a sharp rebuke. How many of us as believers in Christ know God but do not glorify Him as such, and further, are unthankful for all His many blessings and benefits that He so graciously bestows on us every day? It is so easy to say “Oh, well those people who are in all that sin act that way.” But from my experience, these are common failings for Christians as well, myself included. If that is the case, we must truly guard against these two sins from which spring a whole multitude and host of evils.

I truly believe that those whom God has sovereignly elected as His children will never be cast out of His presence–that He will keep them safe in the palm of His hand forever. However, as believers, we must, with the help of His Holy Spirit, follow His ways and obey His Word. Let’s dive into the two issues at the root of all other sins that Paul describes in Romans 1.

—although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God… It is fully possible for one to know God and not glorify Him as such. A person can grow up learning all about God, and even reading and studying the Bible, and yet not glorify Him as God in their life. What does it mean to glorify God? It means, for one thing, to honor Him as Lord and God in every single area of our lives, honoring Him as God and King in our hearts, and surrendering control entirely to Him. According to the Strong’s definition of δοξάζω (doxazo–the Greek word used for glorify in the original language of this sentence), glorify means “to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate…to honour, do honour to, hold in honour…to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour…to impart glory to something, render it excellent…to make renowned, render illustrious…to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.” We do this by praising God, obeying His Word, exalting Him before others…and most of all, by extoling Him as Lord over every aspect and area of our lives. Not doing so is pride, humanism, and in fact, self-exaltation, and the first stronghold of degeneracy in a person’s life.

—…nor were thankful. This one is hard. How many of us struggle to be thankful? Yet Scripture clearly tells us, “in everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18). In fact, how can we struggle to be grateful to the One who “daily loads us with benefits” (Ps. 68:18)? Our amazing God has saved and redeemed us…has sacrificed His own Son, God very God, for our sins…has given us, undeserving sinners, eternal life…He provides for our needs and withholds nothing good from us (Ps. 84:11, Ps. 34:10)…He is good, faithful, trustworthy, gentle, kind, longsuffering, and so much more! He gives us every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Who are we to be discontented and unthankful? Truly, unthankfulness is an insult to our loving Father God.

What happens when people do not glorify God and are unthankful? They become “futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened…and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man…” Those two issues are the first stop on the path to degeneracy–sinners, already depraved from birth, succumbing to sin deeper and darker. If one does not acknowledge, thank, and glorify God, one is close to replacing God with self-worship or other forms of idolatry.

Perhaps this post is not a cheery New Year’s greeting, but I think it is very appropriate to examine our hearts as a new year dawns. Perhaps we should resolve this year to renew our commitments to glorify our amazing, Triune God and practice thankfulness and gratitude to Him. He is so good and so worthy of all our praise! May the Lord bless you this new year, and may you draw closer to Him!