Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
This phrase highlights a deliberate action of substitution, where humanity has chosen to replace divine truth with falsehood. The Greek word for "exchanged" (μετήλλαξαν, metēllaxan) suggests a conscious decision to trade something valuable for something worthless. Historically, this reflects the human tendency to abandon the worship of the one true God for idolatry, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament. The "truth of God" refers to the inherent knowledge of God's existence and His divine nature, which is evident in creation (Romans 1:20). The "lie" represents idolatry and false beliefs that deviate from God's revealed truth. This exchange is a fundamental error that leads to spiritual and moral decay.

and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator
"Worshiped" (ἐσεβάσθησαν, esebasthēsan) and "served" (ἐλάτρευσαν, elatreusan) indicate acts of reverence and devotion that are due only to God. The historical context of this phrase can be seen in the ancient world, where people often worshiped idols made of wood, stone, or metal, representing various aspects of creation like the sun, moon, animals, or human figures. This idolatry is a direct violation of the first two commandments given to Moses (Exodus 20:3-4). The phrase "created things" underscores the absurdity of worshiping the creation rather than the Creator, who is the source of all life and existence. This misdirection of worship is a profound theological error, as it attributes divine qualities to finite and dependent entities.

rather than the Creator
The term "Creator" (κτίστης, ktistēs) emphasizes God's role as the sovereign originator of all that exists. This distinction between Creator and creation is foundational to a biblical worldview. The Creator is eternal, self-sufficient, and worthy of all honor and glory, whereas creation is temporal and dependent. The failure to recognize and honor this distinction leads to a distorted understanding of reality and one's place within it. Historically, this has been a central issue in the fall of humanity, as seen in the narrative of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) and the repeated idolatry of Israel.

who is forever worthy of praise! Amen
This doxology affirms the eternal worthiness of God to receive praise and worship. The phrase "forever worthy of praise" (εὐλογητός, eulogētos) reflects the unchanging and everlasting nature of God's glory and majesty. The use of "Amen" (ἀμήν, amēn) is a declaration of affirmation and truth, often used in Jewish and Christian liturgies to express agreement with what has been said. This closing statement serves as a reminder of the proper response to God's revelation: worship and adoration directed solely to Him. It calls believers to reject idolatry and to acknowledge God's rightful place as the supreme object of devotion and praise. This perspective aligns with the conservative Christian emphasis on the authority of Scripture and the necessity of worshiping God in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the Book of Romans, Paul is writing to the believers in Rome to explain the gospel and its implications for both Jews and Gentiles.

2. The Roman Church
The recipients of the letter, consisting of both Jewish and Gentile Christians, living in a city known for its diverse religious practices and idolatry.

3. God the Creator
The one true God who is worthy of worship and praise, in contrast to the created things that people were worshiping.

4. Idolaters
Those who have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, choosing to worship created things rather than the Creator.

5. The Lie
The falsehood that leads people away from the truth of God, resulting in idolatry and the worship of creation.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Idolatry
Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can include anything that takes the place of God in our lives. We must examine our hearts to ensure that we are not prioritizing anything above God.

The Exchange of Truth for a Lie
This exchange is a deliberate choice that leads to spiritual blindness. We must be vigilant in holding onto the truth of God's Word and not be swayed by cultural or personal lies.

Worship the Creator, Not the Creation
True worship is directed towards God, the Creator, and not towards His creation. We should appreciate creation but reserve our worship for God alone.

The Eternal Worthiness of God
God is forever worthy of praise, and our lives should reflect this truth in our worship, actions, and priorities.

The Role of Scripture in Guarding Against Lies
Regular engagement with Scripture helps us discern truth from lies and strengthens our faith against the temptations of idolatry.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day "idols" that people might worship instead of God, and how can we guard against them?

2. How does the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 illustrate the exchange of truth for a lie?

3. In what ways can we ensure that our worship is directed towards the Creator and not His creation?

4. How can regular Bible study and prayer help us discern truth from lies in our daily lives?

5. Reflect on a time when you prioritized something over God. What steps did you take to realign your focus on Him?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 3
The original exchange of truth for a lie, where Adam and Eve believed the serpent's deception over God's command.

Exodus 20:3-4
The commandment against idolatry, emphasizing the importance of worshiping God alone.

Isaiah 44:9-20
A critique of idolatry, highlighting the futility of worshiping man-made objects.

1 Thessalonians 1:9
A positive example of turning from idols to serve the living and true God.

John 14:6
Jesus as the truth, contrasting with the lie that leads people away from God.
God's Wrath as Revealed Among the GentilesR.M. Edgar Romans 1:18-32
The Inexcusableness of the HeathenC.H. Irwin Romans 1:18-32
The Revelation of WrathT.F. Lockyer Romans 1:18-32
Downward EvolutionS.F. Aldridge Romans 1:22-25
The Consequences of the Divine AbandonmentC. Neil, M. A.Romans 1:24-25
The Divine Penalty Attached to SinProf. Godet.Romans 1:24-25
People
David, Paul, Romans
Places
Rome
Topics
FALSE, Amen, Bartered, Blessed, Blessing, Change, Changed, Created, Creator, Creature, Divine, Exchanged, Falsehood, Forever, Honour, Honoured, Honours, Lie, Offered, Praised, Rather, Reality, Religious, Serve, Served, Service, Truth, Unreal, Worship, Worshiped, Worshipped
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Romans 1:25

     1150   God, truth of
     1461   truth, nature of
     4114   angels, and praise
     7942   ministry
     8341   separation
     8345   servanthood, and worship
     8710   atheism
     8741   failure

Romans 1:18-32

     1025   God, anger of
     1441   revelation, necessity
     5004   human race, and sin
     5541   society, negative
     6023   sin, universality
     6155   fall, of Adam and Eve
     6750   sin-bearer

Romans 1:19-25

     5038   mind, the human

Romans 1:20-25

     5003   human race, and God
     5263   communication

Romans 1:21-27

     6238   homosexuality
     8777   lust

Romans 1:21-32

     6024   sin, effects of
     8136   knowing God, effects

Romans 1:23-31

     8748   false religion

Romans 1:24-25

     5946   sensitivity

Romans 1:24-26

     5219   authority, human institutions

Romans 1:24-27

     6188   immorality, sexual

Romans 1:24-28

     8847   vulgarity

Romans 1:24-31

     8339   self-control

Library
Beautiful Thoughts
"Beautiful Thoughts" From Henry Drummond Arranged by Elizabeth Cureton {Project Gutenberg Editorial note: Many quotes from "The Greatest Thing in the World" did not provide a page number.} 1892 The invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.--Rom. i. 20. To My Dear Friend Helen M. Archibald This Book Is Affectionately Inscribed.
Henry Drummond—Beautiful Thoughts

February 19. "As Much as in Me is I am Ready" (Rom. I. 15).
"As much as in me is I am ready" (Rom. i. 15). Be earnest. Intense earnestness, a whole heart for Christ, the passion sign of the cross, the enthusiasm of our whole being for our Master and humanity--this is what the Lord expects, this is what His cross deserves, this is what the world needs, this is what the age has a right to look for. Everything around us is intensely alive. Life is earnest, death is earnest, sin is earnest, men are earnest, business is earnest, knowledge is earnest, the age is
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Third Sunday after Easter
Text: First Peter 2, 11-20. 11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Nineteenth Day. Holiness and Resurrection.
The Son of God, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead.'--Rom. i. 4. These words speak of a twofold birth of Christ. According to the flesh, He was born of the seed of David. According to the Spirit, He was the first begotten from the dead. As He was a Son of David in virtue of His birth through the flesh, so He was declared to be the Son of God with power,
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

First Day. God's Call to Holiness.
Like as He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy, for I am holy.'--1 Pet. i. 15, 16. The call of God is the manifestation in time of the purpose of eternity: 'Whom He predestinated, them He also called.' Believers are 'the called according to His purpose.' In His call He reveals to us what His thoughts and His will concerning us are, and what the life to which He invites us. In His call He makes clear to
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Gospel the Power of God
'I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.'--ROMANS i. 16. To preach the Gospel in Rome had long been the goal of Paul's hopes. He wished to do in the centre of power what he had done in Athens, the home of wisdom; and with superb confidence, not in himself, but in his message, to try conclusions with the strongest thing in the world. He knew its power well, and was not appalled. The danger was an attraction to his chivalrous
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

The Witness of the Resurrection
'Declared to be the Son of God with power, ... by the resurrection of the dead.'--ROMANS i. 4 (R.V.). It is a great mistake to treat Paul's writings, and especially this Epistle, as mere theology. They are the transcript of his life's experience. As has been well said, the gospel of Paul is an interpretation of the significance of the life and work of Jesus based upon the revelation to him of Jesus as the risen Christ. He believed that he had seen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and it was that appearance
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

Privilege and Obligation
'To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints.'--ROMANS i. 7. This is the address of the Epistle. The first thing to be noticed about it, by way of introduction, is the universality of this designation of Christians. Paul had never been in Rome, and knew very little about the religious stature of the converts there. But he has no hesitation in declaring that they are all 'beloved of God' and 'saints.' There were plenty of imperfect Christians amongst them; many things to rebuke; much
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

Paul's Longing
'I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me.'--ROMANS i. 11, 12. I am not wont to indulge in personal references in the pulpit, but I cannot but yield to the impulse to make an exception now, and to let our happy circumstances mould my remarks. I speak mainly to mine own people, and I must trust that other friends who may hear or read my words will
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

Sin in the Heart the Source of Error in the Head
ROMANS i. 28.--"As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." In the opening of the most logical and systematic treatise in the New Testament, the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul enters upon a line of argument to demonstrate the ill-desert of every human creature without exception. In order to this, he shows that no excuse can be urged upon the ground of moral ignorance. He explicitly teaches that the pagan knows that there is one Supreme
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man

All Mankind Guilty; Or, Every Man Knows More than He Practises.
ROMANS i. 24.--"When they knew God, they glorified him not as God." The idea of God is the most important and comprehensive of all the ideas of which the human mind is possessed. It is the foundation of religion; of all right doctrine, and all right conduct. A correct intuition of it leads to correct religious theories and practice; while any erroneous or defective view of the Supreme Being will pervade the whole province of religion, and exert a most pernicious influence upon the entire character
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man

Knowledge. Worship. Gratitude.
The people mentioned by Paul in our text fell into two great evils, or rather into two forms of one great evil--atheism: the atheism of the heart, and the atheism of the life. They knew God, but they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful. We will first consider the first sin mentioned here, and then the second. I shall not look at these two evils as if you were Romans, because I know that you are not, but I shall adapt the text to your own case, and speak of these sins, as Englishmen
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 30: 1884

Inexcusable Irreverence and Ingratitude
"They are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful."--Romans 1:20-21. This first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans is a dreadful portion of the Word of God. I should hardly like to read it all through aloud; it is not intended to be so used. Read it at home, and be startled at the awful vices of the Gentile world. Unmentionable crimes were the common pleasures of those wicked ages; but the chapter is also a striking picture of heathenism
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

The Beloved Pastor's Plea for Unity
"To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."--Romans 1:7. IN A FEW MINUTES we shall gather together as members of the Church of Christ to celebrate the memorial of his death. It is a memorable sight to see so many Christian people sitting together with the object of observing this ordinance. Frequently as I have seen it, I must confess that, when sitting in the chair at the head of the table, I often feel overawed
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 39: 1893

Sources of Our Knowledge of Jesus
20. The earliest existing record of events in the life of Jesus is given to us in the epistles of Paul. His account of the appearances of the Lord after his death and resurrection (I. Cor. xv. 3-8) was written within thirty years of these events. The date of the testimony, however, is much earlier, since Paul refers to the experience which transformed his own life, and so carries us back to within a few years of the crucifixion. Other facts from Jesus' life may be gathered from Paul, as his descent
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

The Holy Spirit in the Glorified Christ.
"Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."--Rom. i. 4. From the foregoing studies it appears that the Holy Spirit performed a work in the human nature of Christ as He descended the several steps of His humiliation to the death of the cross. The question now arises, whether He had also a work in the several steps of Christ's exaltation to the excellent glory, i.e., in His resurrection, ascension, royal dignity, and second coming.
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Proposition Though the Necessity and Indispensableness of all the Great and Moral Obligations of Natural Religion,
and also the certainty of a future state of rewards and punishments, be thus in general deducible, even demonstrably, by a chain of clear and undeniable reasoning; yet (in the present state of the world, by what means soever it came originally to be so corrupted, the particular circumstances whereof could not now be certainly known but by revelation,) such is the carelessness, inconsiderateness, and want of attention of the greater part of mankind; so many the prejudices and false notions taken up
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God

Rome and Ephesus
Corinth as portrayed in the Epistles of Paul gives us our simplest and least contaminated picture of the Hellenic Christianity which regarded itself as the cult of the Lord Jesus, who offered salvation--immortality--to those initiated in his mysteries. It had obvious weaknesses in the eyes of Jewish Christians, even when they were as Hellenised as Paul, since it offered little reason for a higher standard of conduct than heathenism, and its personal eschatology left no real place for the resurrection
Kirsopp Lake—Landmarks in the History of Early Christianity

With the Opening of this ChapterWe Come to Quite a Different Theme. ...
With the opening of this chapter we come to quite a different theme. Like a fever-tossed patient, Ecclesiastes has turned from side to side for relief and rest; but each new change of posture has only brought him face to face with some other evil "under the sun" that has again and again pressed from him the bitter groan of "Vanity." But now, for a moment, he takes his eyes from the disappointments, the evil workings, and the sorrows, that everywhere prevail in that scene, and lifts them up to see
F. C. Jennings—Old Groans and New Songs

Here Some Man Shall Say; "If the Concupiscence of the Bad...
16. Here some man shall say; "If the concupiscence of the bad, whereby it comes that they bear all evils for that which they lust after, be of the world, how is it said to be of their will?" As if, truly, they were not themselves also of the world, when they love the world, forsaking Him by Whom the world was made. For "they serve the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever." [2670] Whether then by the word "world," the Apostle John signifies lovers of the world, the will, as it is
St. Augustine—On Patience

On the Symbols of the Essence' and Coessential. '
We must look at the sense not the wording. The offence excited is at the sense; meaning of the Symbols; the question of their not being in Scripture. Those who hesitate only at coessential,' not to be considered Arians. Reasons why coessential' is better than like-in-essence,' yet the latter may be interpreted in a good sense. Explanation of the rejection of coessential' by the Council which condemned the Samosatene; use of the word by Dionysius of Alexandria; parallel variation in the use of Unoriginate;
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Fundamental Ideas of Man and his Redemption.
To Athanasius the Incarnation of the Son of God, and especially his Death on the Cross, is the centre of faith and theology (Incar. 19, kephalaion tes pisteos, cf. 9. 1 and 2, 20. 2, &c.). For our salvation' (Incar. 1) the Word became Man and died. But how did Athanasius conceive of salvation'? from what are we saved, to what destiny does salvation bring us, and what idea does he form of the efficacy of the Saviour's death? Now it is not too much to say that no one age of the Church's existence has
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Letter Xlv (Circa A. D. 1120) to a Youth Named Fulk, who Afterwards was Archdeacon of Langres
To a Youth Named Fulk, Who Afterwards Was Archdeacon of Langres He gravely warns Fulk, a Canon Regular, whom an uncle had by persuasions and promises drawn back to the world, to obey God and be faithful to Him rather than to his uncle. To the honourable young man Fulk, Brother Bernard, a sinner, wishes such joy in youth as in old age he will not regret. 1. I do not wonder at your surprise; I should wonder if you were not suprised [sic] that I should write to you, a countryman to a citizen, a monk
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Letter vi (Circa A. D. 1127) to the Same
To the Same He protests against the reputation for holiness which is attributed to him, and promises to communicate the treatises which he has written. I. Even if I should give myself to you entirely that would be too little a thing still in my eyes, to have recompensed towards you even the half of the kindly feeling which you express towards my humility. I congratulate myself, indeed, on the honour which you have done me; but my joy, I confess, is tempered by the thought that it is not anything
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Links
Romans 1:25 NIV
Romans 1:25 NLT
Romans 1:25 ESV
Romans 1:25 NASB
Romans 1:25 KJV

Romans 1:25 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Romans 1:24
Top of Page
Top of Page