I. The Gentiles from Noah to Jesus
A. They knew God, but went their own way (Rom. 1:21).
1. All races and nationalities come from Noah’s three sons (Gen. 10).
2. The story of the flood and God’s judgment was passed down by these sons to their children. Everyone knew about this worldwide catastrophe. (This can be seen in the various Flood stories throughout the ancient world.)
3. Man rebelled against God’s command to spread out and replenish the earth (Gen. 9:1). They instead tried to become one people (Gen. 11:6).
4. The Gentile nations quickly became idolatrous (Rom. 1:23). We see how idolatrous Abraham’s family was (Josh. 24:2; Gen. 31:19, 30,32).
B. They were given up to uncleaness and vile affections (Rom. 1:24-26).
1. As we follow the history in Genesis, we now see the first recorded war (Gen. 14:1-4). Gentile history is nothing but killing and warfare.
2. The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezek. 16:49-50)
a. Pride
b. Pleasure
c. Selfishness
Note: The sin of “sodomy” is not listed. That was just a natural outgrowth of thier unrestrained sinful lives. We can see all of these sins repeated by other Gentile nations like the Greeks, Romans, and Americans. Once they get proud, fat, lazy, and self-centered, see how sodomy increases.
C. They didn’t want to retain God in their knowledge (Rom. 1:28).
1. God didn’t measure up to man’s standards; so, they got rid of Him.
2. The more education you have, the more you seek to get get rid of God. The scientist studies to prove God didn’t create life, the psychologist studies to prove that conviction of sin is simply a “guilt complex”, the Bible scholar studies to prove that no Bible is reliable and that he must tell you what God said; and on and on it goes.
D. God gives them up to a reprobate mind.
1. A reprobate is one who does not measure up after being judged. This is similar to a machined part be judged by a gauge, if it doesn’t pass inspection it is scrap.
2. As a whole, God tested the Gentile nations and they failed. He stopped dealing with these nations as a group, although some individuals are called out.
3. Paul lists the sins of the reprobate (Rom. 1:29-32). We are all guilty of many of them.
a. Can a reprobate be saved or is he forever to be left on the scrap heap?
b. Sodomy is a definite mark of a reprobate mind. Can they be saved?
1) I Corinthians 6:9-10 lists the effeminate and abusers with mankind. These are both references to sodomites.
2) I Corinthians 6:11 says that such were some of you before you were saved. One may be given over to a reprobate mind, one may be on the road to destruction, but they are not without hope. Like Ninevah, repentance and belief can change the course.
II. The Gentiles from Jesus to Today (Acts 17:30)
A. The Book of Romans was written to inform these Gentiles (and the Gentiles of today) of the hopeless mess they were/are in, and the good news that repentance and faith are now available to them.
B. Up until Calvary, God winked at the wickedness of the Gentiles. They were given up on. Now, He commands all men everywhere to repent.
