Written by Paul J Bucknell on March, 11, 2026

Romans 1:25-32 The Three Stages of Moral Decline - Stage 3: Delusion to Deviance and Darkening

Stage 3: Delusion to Deviance and Darkening (Romans 1:25-32)

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. As a result, they became enslaved to degrading passions and received a depraved mind. Delusion is a false or distorted belief firmly maintained, though contradicted by social reality. Deviance is marked divergence from society’s accepted norms.

“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,” (Romans 1:25-26).

Departure of Truth - Stage #3

This third and seemingly final stage is shrouded in darkness. The limited truth they can understand at this stage is minimal. The truth of God exists. They are aware of it but choose a lie instead. They are not satisfied with the guiding truth that shows how to live; instead, they hold on to falsehoods. They become so captivated by these lies that they live out their false beliefs as if they are true.

They exchanged the truth for what they desired more. They held on to what was good, but then they let go. They replaced it with what they preferred. They believed that by dismissing this knowledge of the truth from their minds, they could eliminate God himself, but that was not true. The more they reject the truth, the larger the lie must grow. The battle intensifies.

Abnormal behavior is considered normal today. Divorce, sexual immorality, fraud, and deceit have become commonplace. People do it themselves and encourage others to follow suit. Today, they make the Christian seem like the extremist. What God has labeled as the most deviant now proudly proclaims a new ‘morality.’ The harshest mark of judgment is pride.

Reception of Evil  - Station #3a

The way people treat their bodies reflects how they view the truth (or more precisely, how they don’t think about it). God was not going to allow Himself to be falsely regarded as wise without the evidence of judgment that comes from rejecting Him. Their bodies would bear the consequences. When a man’s affections wander from worshiping God, his heart is said to have gone astray. Their wayward affections make man a rather immoral creature. His unnatural functions serve as clear evidence of their folly. And even though men should see this abnormal behavior as perverse, they do not. Instead, they cling to a lie about God and their own perilous condition.

The diagram above shows how truth relates to normality when someone responds in obedience. Conversely, the more a person moves away from the truth, the darker their mind becomes. They live in defiance of the truth they know and believe in all kinds of things. Women, instead of bearing children, destroy them. Instead of giving life, they take life. Instead of nurturing the young, they seek self-fulfillment. A woman’s body was specifically created to fulfill a beautiful part of God’s plan for creation. Yet, this same body is now often used for nudity, self-admiration, and profit. They have idolized themselves and their bodies.

Men, on the other hand, move away from natural, wholesome sexual desires to behaviors that are most unnatural—homosexual acts. What God intended for creating life is now often used for corrupt and defiling sexual behaviors. Instead of procreation, this results in barrenness and the spread of related diseases. These are serious life abnormalities.

Reception of Evil  - Station #3b

The more the truth is rejected, the larger the lie must become. The more someone denies the truth’s impact on their life, the more they deny and resist God’s ways. The exchange is costly; it only results in the lie. The word for ‘depraved’ refers to a mind that is simply no good. It has failed a test and cannot be used any further.

Perhaps here, Paul is suggesting that when a mind has gone this far in rejecting the truth, it cannot, on its own, open itself to God as it should. It cannot function properly. Arguments for some people’s positions are completely useless because their minds have fallen into such a state. 

Barriers and Doors

Although previously hinted at, God's great grace has provided meaningful ways to prevent man’s waywardness. Barriers are placed to slow man’s rapid descent toward judgment, and doors are opened to help him return to godliness. Let us briefly introduce both of these.

Principle of Barriers

Rejecting God’s truth creates obstacles that prevent individuals or society from continuously falling into decline. At certain moments, God slows people down, giving them a chance to see their situation and respond to His truth. If they do not respond positively, God allows them to fall into a deeper, more degrading stage in His timing. 

Application

The excuse, “I can’t help it,” is avoided by building barriers. God gives people time to evaluate their situation. Humanity is fully responsible for its next step, whether it is upward or downward. 

Principle of Doors

Doors are meant to be entered. God graciously makes it easy to respond positively to Him. Creation daily testifies. The conscience constantly convicts. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. His Word is being translated and spread across the globe.

Opportunities abound to respond positively to God. Are we opening our hearts to the Spirit’s work or grieving His Spirit (Eph 4:30)?

Observing the Decay of a Society (Romans 1:28-32)

“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Romans 1:28).

The more a society allows or promotes this downward spiral, the more quickly the decline becomes immorality, lawlessness, and despair. Our spiritual actions significantly influence our entire lives. If society does not limit these evil tendencies, people will eventually start a social revolution in pursuit of stability and security. Oppression and ungodly behavior are naturally connected.

This final stage reflects those whose hearts are “filled with all sorts of evil things (Romans 1:29). Their hearts are not only partially filled but completely consumed. The word “all” highlights the extreme level of this evil and its impact on humanity. 

“being filled with all” (1:29)

• Unrighteousness: not being righteous; when someone is judged against a standard of righteousness but completely lacks it.
• Wickedness: evil, rather than having one’s way, conform to good, their life tends toward evil.
• Greed: “the insatiable desire to have more even at the expense of harming others.”-Linguistic Key
• Malice: a person who is bad, intending to do wrong and hurt others to get ahead or prove a point.

“full of” (1:29)

• envy: never satisfied; compares oneself to others and focuses on their accomplishments.
• murder: desires and is willing to harm others who frustrate or interfere with personal goals.
• strife: constant arguing and conflict, often pushing others with lies and negativity.
• deceit: being cunning and treacherous; misleading others for personal gain, breaking promises.
• malice: “the tendency to put the worst construction upon everything.” -Linguistic Key

“are” - being (1:29)

• Gossips: tale-bearers, whisperers, pouring poison into a neighbor’s ear, prideful destroyers.
• Slanderers: slanderous, speaking against another, tearing down, more blatant than gossip.
• Haters of God: literally “hated of God,” passive tense, or “haters of God,” active tense. Later preferred.
• Insolent: displaying arrogant insolence and contempt for others through cruelty for mere enjoyment.
• Arrogant: proud, someone who places himself above others, self-sufficient on his pedestal (higher than God).
• Boastful: a bragger, with empty boasts and promises often aimed at gaining something and therefore deceitful.
• Inventors of evil: creative in destruction, malice, and causing harm.
• Disobeying parents: rebellious children who reject their parents’ words and requests.
• Lacking understanding: dull, senseless, the fool; ignores all warning signs and blunders into foolish behavior.
• untrustworthy: faithless, disloyal, “covenant-breaker, faithless to an agreement.”-Linguistic Key
• Unloving: “without tenderness.  It refers to the lack of the feelings of natural tenderness, as seen in a mother who exposes or kills her child, a father who abandons his family, or children who neglect their aged parents (Godet).”-Linguistic Key
• unmerciful: lacking mercy, cruel, harsh; mistreating a person with special needs.

Paul emphasizes that rejecting God’s truth leads to the destruction of all morals. Without the basic trust and support that uphold cooperative actions, individuals, families, societies, and even nations will fall apart. The long list can be divided into three sections: first, describing what they are filled with; second, what they are completely full of; and third, a series of descriptive nouns. This list moves from broad to more specific examples of evil behavior. Overall, we see that evil can worsen over time, filling people with various forms of wickedness. Often, one person does not just have one sin weakness but several. There are cases of family breakdown and societal collapse, but these are always rooted in the unchecked evil actions of those who have rejected the truth.

Application

First, we must accept God’s judgment of His enemies. Some people have become so depraved that they cannot and do not want to think anything good. This significantly impacts evangelism. Proverbs says, “Do not cast your pearls upon the swine.” The depraved of mind do not want to hear the gospel. Don’t feel obligated to force-share it with them; only share when they are inclined to learn from it.

Second, we must reach out to those around us. Remember, God designed different stations. Someone might be falling down another rung. Pray and share. God wants us to respond with His marvelous strength. No pit is too deep for God’s grace. The difference will be seen in our willingness to admit our problems and see God as our hope - not just some counselor, experience, or philosophy, but God’s truth (1 Pet 4:3). 

Third, we need to discern how much we’ve been listening to the world. Has the world been so deceptive that you are convinced your way is the best way? We must understand the overall pattern of decay so that, at least within our sphere of influence, we can hold back (be salt). Fourth, God is calling us to stop treating what is abnormal as normal. The secular life is not the least prejudiced position but the most rebellious one possible. We need to stop living passively with secularists, materialists, and others. We must recognize they are falling fast. They are somewhere on the way down, and as much as they influence society, society itself is decaying.

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

Romans 1:25-32 Bible Study Questions

1. What is a clear sign of a decadent and self-worshiping society (26-27)?        
2. How does God judge them (26-27)? What does this refer to?
3. Does the passage state whether homosexuality is a sin (26-27)? Explain. What truths have they rejected?
4. Paul first speaks of sexual sins and later provides a long list of other wicked acts. If God deals with people this way, how are we to respond to them? (e.g., HIV positive, divorced, rebellious son, prideful leader, etc.)
5. In what ways does society today reflect the behaviors listed in verses 29–32? How should Christians respond to this moral decline with both truth and grace?