The passage in Romans (1:18–32) is a critically important section in which the Apostle Paul deals with the problem of sin. While the main theme of Romans is the doctrine of salvation, Paul emphasizes that before we can accurately grasp salvation, we must first examine the true nature of sin in depth. If sin is a disease, then salvation is the process of healing that disease. Without thoroughly understanding the reality of this disease called sin, it is hard to fully appreciate salvation with proper gratitude and awe. Jesus’ statement, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17), shows that our fundamental state is that of the sick and that we must know the exact nature of our disease in order to receive treatment. Therefore, Paul’s discourse on sin, which unfolds from Romans 1:18 to 3:20, is the foundation of his teaching on salvation. The opening of this discourse on sin (1:18 and onward) addresses the sins of the Gentiles.
Pastor David Jang underscores Romans 1:18–32, noting that we should pay attention to why Paul begins his main argument with the phrase “the wrath of God.” People often perceive God only as a God of love, but Paul clearly states that God is angry when He looks upon humanity, filled with sin. This shows that the almighty God is not some impassive, transcendent being without emotion but One who desires to make humans His children—only to be rejected and betrayed, thus uttering deep groans and lamentations. In many places in Scripture, God reveals a heart mixed with sorrow and anger toward human unrighteousness and ungodliness. This biblical portrayal of God is entirely different from the emotionless deities described in Greek mythology or worldly philosophies. Pastor David Jang sees Romans 1’s treatment of sin as an unvarnished depiction of “the existential misery of humankind that rejects God.” When human beings forsake God, eventually God must allow them to go their own way. This fact stands as a dark shadow of judgment and at the same time a just outcome for those who reject God’s love.
The flow of Romans 1:18–32 can be divided into three major sections. First is the subject of “God’s wrath and ungodliness,” second is “human unrighteousness and moral depravity,” and third is “eternal judgment and the hope of salvation.” Centering on these three key points, Paul exposes the sins of the Gentiles and further demonstrates that all humanity is inevitably on the path of destruction. He then suggests that the only way of rescue from this doom is Jesus Christ. At this point, Pastor David Jang stresses that we must remember: ungodliness is a vertical sin against God, whereas unrighteousness is a horizontal sin that harms our neighbors. He also points out that if the root problem of ungodliness is not resolved, then any worldly ethics or morals will ultimately collapse. Following this train of thought, Paul systematically presents how lethal sin really is and how it eventually provokes the wrath of God. Let us now examine this text under the three subheadings in more detail.
First Subtopic: The Wrath of God and Ungodliness
Paul declares in Romans 1:18 that “the wrath of God” is being revealed. Generally, people find it easier to think of God only as a God of love, so why did Paul employ such a strong word as “wrath”? The backdrop to this is the serious ungodliness in which “although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him.” The word “ungodliness” here (in English, often translated as “godlessness”) means an attitude of excluding and denying God from one’s life. It signifies a lack of reverence for God, a forgetfulness of God, and an utter lack of gratitude toward Him—this mindset is the very root of sin.
God is almighty and the Creator, yet He does not forcibly impose Himself on humans or compel them into His love. Love must flow from free will for it to have true meaning. But when humankind “did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God” (Rom. 1:28), Paul emphasizes that in the end, God “gave them over.” This is a form of what is sometimes called “reprobation,” meaning God essentially allows them to go their chosen way: “If that is truly what you want, then go ahead.” Pastor David Jang interprets this verse to mean that it is not because God has lost His love or lacks power but because humans persistently reject Him and thereby drive themselves to ruin. In this way, the essence of ungodliness originates in the pride that seeks to live without God.
To explain in more detail where such ungodliness comes from, Paul states that humanity already has enough evidence of God within themselves (Rom. 1:19–20). The human faculties of reason and conscience, as well as the magnificent natural world around us, all bear witness to God. It requires only a bit of careful thought to recognize that this cosmos, so orderly and intricate, could not exist without a Creator. On this point, Pastor David Jang stresses that rejecting God is not so much an issue of lacking knowledge as it is a matter of the heart. That is, people’s statement that “God does not exist because we cannot see Him” is, in reality, closer to a form of self-deception—“I do not want Him to exist; therefore, I will regard Him as nonexistent.”
In Romans 1:21, Paul says, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” The term “futile” refers to a state that is empty and false. Once human beings turn away from the glorious reality that is God, their hearts become filled with emptiness and darkness. In verse 23, Paul continues by declaring that such futile human beings “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.” Idolatry, then, is seen as the representative outcome of ungodliness. Instead of giving to God the honor and worship rightfully due Him, humans bestow it on created things, clinging to them under the delusion that these creatures can solve their problems—a quintessential manifestation of ungodliness. History shows this happening repeatedly: the worship of various superstitions, celestial bodies, or the deification of emperors in place of the one true God. In the Roman Empire, the cult of emperor worship spread widely, and the early Christians who resisted it were persecuted.
Thus, ungodliness is a sin against God in the vertical dimension and the root of all other sins. Pastor David Jang points out that even today, people are prone to idolize money, power, or various material things rather than worship God, treading the path of ungodliness. He remarks that “where there is no true worship and reverence for God, people repeatedly end up enslaved to or dependent on some other object.” If we refuse to acknowledge God and shut Him out of our hearts, we will inevitably put something else in God’s place. That is the consequence of ungodliness and the beginning of idolatry. Paul explains this as the ultimate reason for God’s wrath: God gave His love, but it was thoroughly spurned, and instead creatures have taken the place rightfully occupied by the Creator. How could God feel anything but wrath when He sees such a situation? Hence, the logic stands that judgment and condemnation must necessarily follow.
Second Subtopic: Human Unrighteousness and Moral Depravity
If ungodliness is the sin of turning from God in the vertical relationship, unrighteousness (or injustice) is the sin committed in the horizontal relationship with neighbors and the world. In Romans 1:18, Paul declares that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” The order—first ungodliness, then unrighteousness—is no coincidence. A heart devoid of God readily devolves into ethical and moral collapse, creating a society where various forms of unrighteousness run rampant. As a prime example, Paul cites sexual depravity, especially homosexuality (Rom. 1:26–27). Homosexuality is specifically pointed out because it goes directly against the very order of creation.
According to the biblical creation narrative, mankind was created male and female, and marriage and family are premised on the union of male and female to be fruitful and multiply. But when this order is overturned, and men unite with men, or women with women, engaging in “shameful acts” (Rom. 1:27), the result, warns Paul, is personal and social destruction. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that homosexuality alone is the worst of all sins. Indeed, at the end of Romans 1, Paul lists a multitude of sins—envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, disobedience to parents, heartlessness, ruthlessness, and more—that all fall under the category of unrighteousness. Yet homosexuality is presented as a symbolic example of disorder, demonstrating the depths of moral collapse that result when humanity rejects God.
Pastor David Jang, while examining this text, comments on the moral confusion and ethical relativism plaguing contemporary society. One might espouse an optimistic view that “the world can uphold goodness and admirable values even without God,” but history demonstrates otherwise: whenever the reverence for God dissipated, terrifying moral laxity and chaos rapidly spread. The ancient Roman Empire, at its zenith, maintained a certain level of morality and values, yet gradually, with material wealth and the pursuit of pleasure and sexual depravity, the empire decayed from within and fell into decline. At the core of this downfall was ungodliness, which eventually produced widespread unrighteousness.
In this context, Pastor David Jang underscores what the church and believers must do. If we are to fulfill our role as “light and salt” in the world, we must first restore a “life that fears God.” If God is not in our hearts, no matter how hard we strive to appear morally upright, selfish desires or pleasures will ultimately prevail. What Paul calls God “giving them over” indicates that God allows man’s greed to run unchecked. Thus, people descend deeper into moral depravity, committing all sorts of vile sins. The 21 vices listed in Romans 1:29–31 are not simply distant examples—these are phenomena observable in any godless society. This catalog includes murder, strife, greed, malice, direct violence and evildoing, as well as disobedience to parents, constant slander, arrogance, covenant-breaking, heartlessness, and ruthlessness. Taken together, they serve as evidence that all people stand as sinners before God.
Paul further observes that this spread of sin is not merely a matter of personal lapses; on a collective level, people “not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them” (Rom. 1:32). In other words, the entire community starts tolerating or normalizing such wrongdoing, and even its culture and systems begin to justify it. We might call this the “structuralization” or “institutionalization” of sin, wherein ungodliness and unrighteousness merge to bring down individuals and society alike. No matter how advanced science or civilization becomes, if a fundamental rejection of God undergirds it, ethical standards and moral values cannot stand firm. Even today, rampant corruption, violence, and countless scandals highlight the vulnerability of humanity. We cannot control ourselves; we are too weak.
Pastor David Jang offers a powerful diagnosis of this reality. Sometimes the church faces harsh criticism from the world, and indeed there are times when the church fails in its calling. Yet he suggests that the true problem lies in the church’s compromise with the world, embracing the same ungodliness and unrighteousness. If the church truly feared God and faithfully proclaimed His will, the world might persecute it; nevertheless, the church would maintain its holiness and shine as a light. But if corruption seeps in, the church, like those Paul rebukes, ends up hypocritically condemning others while committing the same sins itself. Ultimately, Paul’s letter asserts that both Gentiles and Jews alike lie under the power of sin; however, in Romans 1, he focuses on the sins of the Gentiles, emphasizing their ungodliness, unrighteousness, and the subsequent sexual perversion that exemplifies the depths of depravity.
Third Subtopic: Eternal Judgment and the Hope of Salvation
In Romans 1:32, Paul says, “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.” Here, “death” refers not merely to physical death but to the eternal punishment pronounced in God’s presence. Paul teaches that the ultimate result of human sin is destruction, which encompasses the dreadful reality of hell. Humankind has chosen this path for itself, stubbornly persisting in ungodliness even after God repeatedly implored them to repent in various ways—thus, doom is the inevitable outcome.
However, it is crucial to note that Paul’s point is not merely “You are all sinners destined for hell, so despair!” Looking at Romans in its entirety, it becomes apparent that, having rigorously demonstrated humanity’s hopeless predicament, Paul introduces Jesus Christ as the one and only solution for salvation. For example, in Romans 3:23, Paul states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and follows it in 3:24 with the proclamation, “and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Commenting on this, Pastor David Jang highlights how Paul carefully and logically unveils humanity’s condition. Romans 1:18–32 demonstrates how tenaciously human beings have rejected God and become corrupt, and how rightful it is that God’s wrath falls upon them. And yet, even for this abandoned humanity, there remains the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ. God hates sin but does not give up His love for the sinner, urging them to turn back and be saved—this is the central message that runs through the entire Book of Romans.
The “wrath of God” and the “love of God” might seem like contradictory ideas, yet Scripture describes both as emanating from God’s holiness and justice. He grows angry when humans betray and turn their backs on Him, but when they repent, He mercifully embraces them in His love. This is the recurring theme proclaimed by the Old Testament prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and others. For instance, in Isaiah 1:2–3, God laments, “Even the ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” We might think that an almighty God has no reason to grieve, but because He regards us as His children, He aches at our betrayal and rejection.
Pastor David Jang explains that “God’s anger toward humans is ultimately intended to prompt them to turn back.” In other words, if we remain in sin, we inevitably head for eternal death, so God uses His wrath as a warning, urging us to abandon sin and return to Him. Yet the human heart, brimming with ungodliness and unrighteousness, often rejects this warning as well, or tries to rationalize its stance. Some say, “God does not exist,” while others, though acknowledging His existence, casually assume that “God is love, so He will ultimately forgive everything.” Paul calls this attitude foolish. On one hand, people claim God does not exist; on the other, they presume “a God of love” will let them off the hook. This is the contradictory thinking that exemplifies the emptiness of fallen human beings.
Therefore, while human sin deserves the penalty of death—that is, eternal punishment—John 3:16 declares the good news that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” This is the essence of the Christian gospel and the fundamental message of Romans. To demonstrate the magnitude of salvation by Christ Jesus, Paul first reveals the depth and thoroughness of our sin. We must face our sinful reality to grasp the enormity of God’s saving grace. Pastor David Jang asserts that “those unaware of their own fatal predicament cannot truly be moved by the good news of salvation.” Yet upon honestly facing Romans 1, we recognize we are effectively “on a train bound for hell,” and we thus realize how precious the grace of Jesus Christ truly is.
Hence, in light of our ungodliness and unrighteousness, facing the threat of eternal condemnation, our only hope lies in the gospel of the cross. Paul more explicitly proclaims this gospel in the later chapters of Romans: through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are justified, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live a renewed life. Even though this door of grace stands open, people still resist keeping God in their hearts. If so, nothing remains for them but enslavement to sin and the judgment that inevitably comes. Therefore, we must not take lightly Paul’s warning in Romans 1:18–32. It applies to every generation, including ours.
In today’s world, one often hears, “If there really is a God, why is there so much suffering and injustice?” But from the biblical perspective, all this suffering and injustice stem from humankind’s decision to live without God. Having lost the God we ought to worship, we fill His place with all manner of desires and false ideologies, leading to all kinds of conflicts, greed, violence, and moral decay. Ultimately, the root problem is “human ungodliness,” and the solution is “repentance and acknowledgement of God’s rule.” Turning back to God is the salvation that the gospel promises, the journey of faith that acknowledges the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Pastor David Jang notes that if we fail to properly understand “the wrath of God,” we risk reducing “the love of God” to a superficial sentimentality. Biblical love is built on justice and righteousness. Taking sin lightly and thinking “God is love, so He’ll just overlook it” is not the biblical concept of love. God hates sin, and Scripture clearly declares that unrepentant sinners face eternal judgment. At the same time, He demonstrated sacrificial love by giving His only begotten Son so that sinners may be saved. In that tension, we stand in reverent fear but also in gratitude and praise. If we only see one side—“God is love, so I can keep sinning”—or the other—“God is angry, so I’m too scared to approach Him”—we lose the true biblical balance.
Romans 1:18–32 helps us perceive this balance. It does not merely emphasize God’s love; it underscores the weight of His holiness and justice in judging sin. No matter how humans try to rationalize or deny God, the Creator has revealed Himself clearly in what has been made. While humans possess intellectual and spiritual faculties that can perceive God, sin has corrupted and darkened those faculties. The result is persistent idolatry, immorality, murder, envy, strife, disobedience to parents, mercilessness—sin saturates all of life. With such grim reality, as Paul says, there is no escaping “the sentence of death.” Yet in that moment, the gospel arrives. Even when humanity sinks to the depths of depravity, God offers the cross of Jesus Christ to those who repent and return. John 3:16 proclaims that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Pastor David Jang emphasizes that this truth stands at the center of our faith. “If we do not recognize we are sinners, the grace of Jesus Christ remains only a doctrine or an abstract idea,” he says. But the more we reflect on our sinful condition through the lens of Romans 1, the more God’s grace incites in us profound gratitude and joy. If we gloss over sin lightly, our perception of the gospel will be shallow, preventing us from fully experiencing its liberating power. That is why Paul devotes substantial attention to explaining sin before he delves into the doctrine of salvation. The same applies in ministry: people must first recognize just how wretched they are without God, then they will cling wholeheartedly to the cross. Without that realization, the gospel can be reduced to a philosophy, cultural phenomenon, or a matter of religious preference.
In sum, the message of Romans 1:18–32 can be outlined as follows: When people reject God and live in ungodliness, it naturally breeds unrighteousness and moral depravity in society. This, in turn, justifies God’s wrath and leads to ultimate judgment and destruction. Yet even in the face of this dire situation, God has opened the path of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in Jesus and repents will be transferred from the path of eternal punishment to the way of eternal life—that is the crux of the gospel. Far from being a merely pessimistic statement, the “heavy truth” of Romans 1 actually urges us to recognize the necessity and preciousness of salvation. If there still lingers in us any stubbornness that resists acknowledging God, we ought to uproot it through this passage and wholeheartedly turn back to Him. In line with Paul’s teaching, if humanity “does not like to retain God in their knowledge,” then God’s “giving them over” will result in spiritual and moral ruin. But once we “keep God in our hearts,” we begin, through the Holy Spirit, to resemble the Lord, bearing fruit in righteousness and holiness.
Accordingly, the teaching on sin in Romans 1:18–32 is not just a historical indictment of Gentile sins; it also reflects our own era and mirrors the darkness within our own hearts. Paul will go on in chapters 2 and 3 to declare that Jews are likewise under sin, ultimately concluding that all humanity lies under God’s judgment. In that sense, Romans 1:18–32 symbolizes “the situation that all people face.” At the end of this discourse on sin, we realize there is no remedy apart from Jesus Christ. Pastor David Jang affirms, “Upon honestly confronting our sin, we can only run to the cross.” There is indeed a terrifying aspect to God’s wrath, yet at the same time, His love beckons us to return. In facing these dual realities of God, we can only repent humbly, clinging to Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Through that sacrifice, we receive forgiveness and the righteousness credited to us by grace, thereby gaining freedom and life everlasting.
Pastor David Jang further suggests that the statements in Romans 1 should inform deeper discussions on the ethical issues facing modern society. Regarding, for example, the heated debates about homosexuality both inside and outside the church, we should not argue merely from a cultural standpoint of “for or against,” but rather carefully revisit God’s intentions in creation as expressed in Scripture. Also, matters such as greed, envy, strife, malice, rebellion against parents, and ruthlessness remain problems we must continually confront today, which means individuals and church communities must regard their gravity with all seriousness. Ultimately, every problem stems from idolatry—placing something other than God in His rightful place. That idol can be wealth, power, or personal desires. The moment we exalt a creature or phenomenon above the Creator, we stand on the threshold of ungodliness, which inevitably gives rise to unrighteousness and ultimately leads to individual destruction and societal chaos.
Viewed this way, Romans 1:18–32 aligns closely with the central message of the entire Bible. From the Old Testament onward, we see how much pain and judgment humanity has suffered for rebelling against the Creator God. Still, God established a covenant with Abraham, promised to raise a Messiah from David’s line, and ultimately fulfilled His plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. In Romans, Paul dramatically unveils the grand conclusion of this redemptive story—first illustrating the utter depravity and helplessness of humanity, and then proclaiming the absolute grace of Jesus Christ’s blood that redeems us from that desperation. Pastor David Jang describes it as “the astonishing story of how the God who created the universe is restoring a humanity tainted by sin.”
Therefore, we must hold together these two truths: how terrible “the wrath of God” is, and yet how immense “the love of God” is. Romans 1:18–32 vividly portrays our desperate situation, but within the broader scope of Romans and the entire Bible, it does not end in despair. We see how everyone, without exception, stands guilty before God, but also how faith in Jesus Christ transfers us from eternal punishment to eternal life. John 3:16’s promise that “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” shines brightly against the backdrop of this dark reality. Likewise, Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” emphasizing both the certainty of judgment and the urgency of salvation through Jesus Christ.
To conclude, Romans 1:18–32 addresses both facets of sin—ungodliness and unrighteousness—and the eternal punishment they bring. Yet it also functions as a “hand of grace” leading us to repentance and salvation. The reason Paul endured arduous missionary travels and wrote this letter to the church in Rome, and why this epistle has stirred hearts for over two millennia, is singular: The gospel contained in these words imparts life, restoration, and eternal salvation. Pastor David Jang advises that we approach this passage by praying, “Let this be a time for me to see my own sins, and also to look toward Jesus Christ.” When we do so, we begin to realize why Paul started his main argument with the weighty topic of “the wrath of God.” His purpose is not to condemn and leave us hopeless, but rather to clarify the ultimate essence of faith—“salvation.”
Although Romans 1 ends with “everyone is bound for hell,” the overarching conclusion of the letter is “yet through Jesus Christ we can be justified and enjoy eternal life.” This remarkable reversal captures the core of Christian faith. We are not righteous in ourselves; we are declared righteous entirely by God’s grace. Thus, there is no course left but to approach God with gratitude, humility, and praise. Pastor David Jang affirms that studying Romans means grasping the totality of this spiritual journey. In essence, though the reality of ungodliness and unrighteousness leads unavoidably to death and damnation, the cross of Jesus Christ washes away all sin and grants life to those who trust in it.
Hence, the message of Romans 1:18–32 sets before us two paths. One is to persist in not acknowledging God in our hearts, ultimately being “given over” to our own ways, bringing us to disgrace and destruction. The other is to take God’s wrath seriously, repent, and remain under the grace of Jesus Christ. Humanity has always faced and still faces this same fork in the road. With free will, we must decide whether we will turn toward God or away from Him. Should we refuse to repent, our end will be the eternal death that Paul describes. But if we repent and accept the gospel, we attain the freedom and life that enable us to say, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
Thus, Romans 1:18–32 declares God’s wrath and judgment, yet simultaneously foreshadows God’s love and salvation. As Pastor David Jang observes, the central lesson is that “ungodliness leads to unrighteousness, which ultimately results in eternal punishment.” Yet even in that darkness, God has opened the way of grace. Humanity faces a fateful choice: to go down the road of rejection, or to turn back in repentance. Romans does not end here; it goes on to delve further into the doctrine of salvation. But the first step is facing the reality of sin, which begins with the sobering topic of God’s wrath. Many people find this uncomfortable, but Scripture does not speak merely what we want to hear. To gain eternal life and know the truth, we must accept even the painful diagnosis.
Finally, Romans 1:18–32 still speaks powerfully to us today. No matter how our civilization advances, no matter how innovative our technologies become, one unchanging issue remains: whether we will acknowledge and serve God or reject Him to pursue our own desires. Pastor David Jang insists that Paul’s warning remains crucial for our time. Beyond the debate over homosexuality or sexual morality, the broader societal ills—materialism, individualism, violence, exploitation—also stem from humanity forsaking God. The only true remedy is to return to Him in repentance and receive the power of the gospel. No other solution exists, since the fundamental issue is spiritual in nature. Though we may appear to do “good things” without God, those efforts will ultimately falter if they do not aim for God’s glory.
Thus, we need to let Romans 1:18–32 examine our hearts and heed the gospel Paul proclaims. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16) contains God’s plan to root out sin entirely and save us. Whoever believes and receives Him will have eternal life and no longer remain a slave to sin. However, whoever refuses will find no escape from eternal punishment. Paul unequivocally urges us to choose the way of the gospel. His exhortation is as relevant now as it was two millennia ago.
Therefore, the point of Romans 1:18–32 is clear. A world filled with ungodliness and unrighteousness rightly incurs God’s wrath, but God has graciously provided a way of salvation through Jesus Christ. Paul portrays humankind’s wretched condition while simultaneously extending a hand of hope to all who will repent and believe. This is the beginning of Paul’s doctrine of sin in Romans and the gateway to his doctrine of salvation. Knowing “how far humanity has fallen” helps us grasp “how far God has reached to save us.” That is why Paul’s decision to begin with “the wrath of God” is no accident. It is an essential stage on the path to grace.
Pastor David Jang greatly appreciates Paul’s intent in Romans, reiterating that “to become true gospel, the message must begin by confronting sin.” If one merely wants to tell people what they like to hear, the gospel ends up a mere emotional comfort or moral exhortation. But Paul openly exposes the reality of sin, inviting everyone to repent and experience genuine saving power. That first step in Romans 1:18–32 is the declaration of “the wrath of God.” Our response can be either scornful rejection or reverent repentance. Choosing the former means persisting in ungodliness, while the latter leads us to embrace the cross of Jesus Christ. Only there do we receive forgiveness of sins, justification, and the certainty of eternal life.