The Process of Sin in Romans 1:21-23

²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

To study this process, read Romans 1:21-23 a few times, with meditation and prayer, to prepare your heart. Examine it for the steps describing when a man goes down the path of self-exaltation, rather than walking by faith. This process seems to be general steps taken whenever a man departs from a godly response, going the way of sin, and yielding unto his own understanding. This is vanity. Verse 20 provides historical insight as to man’s accountability; Creation itself reveals much about God: “His eternal power and Godhead.” Thus, man has no excuse; God deserves all glory.

Verses 21-23:  The Process of Sin and Vanity: Self-Exaltation

Step One: Man knows God deserves all exaltation, yet will choose to “glorified him not as God.” This is sin and begins in the mind, sometimes with limited awareness.

Step Two: Mankind then advances in his evil way, “neither were thankful.” It still may be unconsciously done, but sin progresses in the mind, building momentum.

Step Three: Man will become “vain in their imaginations,” (empty self-centeredness) “and their foolish heart was darkened.”  A religious system forms, exalting his own ideas. Man becomes his own god as described in Genesis 3. His thoughts/imagin-ations are exalted, creating his own truth; his unwise, sin perspective advances.

Step Four: Sin’s progression exalts self, producing a fool, and unrighteous fruit: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”  They’re blind and ignorant.

Step Five: The basic characteristic and summary of this way is that man changes “the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man…” The inevitable end: foolish man exalts self as his own god in his imaginary world.

Prove all things: Sin usually fits into this process. Instead of exalting God’s way, we basically do what Adam did in the garden: devalue God’s Truth to exalt our own ideas and views. We become a god who rules ‘our world,’ determining right-wrong, falling into Satan’s trap: “ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5b) Everything is defined and reframed to fit our perspective and personal religious system to keep a bubble of our own reality alive. What we want and how we view things is paramount. Think on a sin in your past, considering the path your mind took. How did it follow this basic process? Knowing ‘the way’ that all flesh takes, helps us to increase self-awareness and enables us to yield unto God.