For many people the opening chapter of Romans has appeared to be Paul

having a judgmental screaming rant against the terrible disgusting

immorality of people. And people have often written themselves into it as

objects of his, and therefore God’s, disgust. But rather than Paul’s

primary purpose being to beat up on pagan idolaters, ultimately his goal is

to expose more pressing issues of judgmental attitudes amongst those he

is writing to. Paul’s point is not to shame anyone. Rather he is simply but

deftly exposing a universal truth: all of us have varying degrees of

brokenness at our heart, and none of us is immune. Jesus, gloriously,

wonderfully, kindly, lovingly, and powerfully has come to set us free from

it all. He’s the only one who can do it. And he has done it. This is

the extraordinary good news of the gospel.