Written by Paul J Bucknell on March, 11, 2026

Romans 1:22-24 The Three Stages of Moral Decline - Stage 2: Displacement to Decadence

Stage #2 reveals the source of decadence, a rejection of God and truth (Romans 1:22-24). Humanism elevates the creature above the Creator. In response, God gives them over to the lusts of their hearts, leading to impurity and dishonor.

Stage 2: Displacement > Decadence (Romans 1:22-24)

They exchanged God’s glory for created things. God handed them over to their lusts and impurities. Displacement is a defense mechanism in which a repressed emotion or idea is shifted onto a more acceptable target. Decadence involves immoral behavior and a departure from what is considered proper and moral. False thinking leads to immorality.

“Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them.” (Romans 1:22-24).

Departure of Truth - Stage #2

The worship of God has been replaced or swapped with the worship of man and animals. Instead of honoring God and celebrating His wisdom, they lift up the creature. Think of humanism — which elevates man above God — or social evolution. Man is seen as God or is quickly becoming one (e.g., even in groups like Mormonism). “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Ro 1:22).

Mankind believes everything is going well. People can make lots of money selling books about false ideas. They think they are clever, but in reality, they are foolish. They have rejected the truth and try to hide it. We must be very cautious of those who claim any wisdom beyond God. Humanists have claimed, from early times, to have a religion. The phrase “God gave them over” reveals a key to understanding God’s dealings with mankind. Paul openly describes the state of man’s heart. Impurity is already stored within, ready to explode and pour its curse upon mankind. God pulls back the reins of our hearts to prevent us from moving further down the path of destruction.

Reception of Evil - Station #2

Impurity of all kinds follows the elevation of anything above God. Our society is heavily influenced by humanism, whether it leans toward capitalism or socialism. The acceptance of relative ethics and the resulting immoral behaviors—such as sensuous clothing, advertisements that incite greed, nudity, pornography, and abortion—are now widespread. Their hearts also become corrupt. When a person honors something other than the holy God, they end up rejecting God’s holiness and replacing it with a philosophy that justifies their actions and eases their guilt. Avoiding what is natural leads to unnatural thoughts and feelings. This impacts their bodies. The mind makes excuses; the heart develops false affections, and then their bodies act improperly. No wonder there are hundreds of thousands of false religions and philosophies. But if anyone enslaved by these desires expresses a longing for the truth, they can emerge from those dark corridors.

The word ‘lust’ surprisingly does not inherently carry an evil connotation. Translated as ‘desire,’ it can be seen as good or bad. However, in this context, strong desires are considered bad because they lead to impurity and are therefore called “lusts.” The way people treat their bodies reveals a lot about how they view the truth.

The New Age Lie

The New Age promises greater awareness, more control over oneself, and even more freedom as a human. But humanism, by definition, rejects the creator and worships only the creature. This will only lead to a darkened mind, unnatural affections, and immoral lifestyles.

Worship

God expected worship and adoration to follow the revelation and knowledge He provided to mankind. In other words, the knowledge that God made known to man was of such a degree and intensity that He could justly expect man to respond with worship, worshiping Him. Instead, we see man-centered religions where worship reflects the self rather than the transcendent God, for whom there is abundant evidence. Only in this context can we begin to understand the sinfulness of humans when they do not eagerly and enthusiastically worship God, instead worshipping other things. (See Paul’s conclusion in Romans 3).

Romans 1:18-32 Overview | Romans 1:18-21 1rst Stage | Romans 1:22-24 2nd Stage | Romans 1:25-32 3rd Stage

Romans 1:22-24 Bible Study Questions

1. What are two ways human beings need to respond to God, considering who He is (21)? 
2. What did man trade for images in the form of man, birds, animals, or crawling creatures (23)? 
3. From this passage, how should we view men who reject God? In evangelism, we often stress the love of God. Is the subject of God’s wrath taboo? Is it necessary? 
4. How do verses 21–23 describe the internal and external consequences of rejecting God? What role do thankfulness and honor play in maintaining a right relationship with Him?
5. Paul uses the phrase “God gave them over” three times (vv. 24, 26, 28). What does this reveal about God’s judgment and human freedom? Is this passive judgment or active punishment?