Romans 1 is painting a bleak picture of the state of the human condition before Jesus came along bringing hope. But the end of the chapter introduces an idea of humanity being given over to a debased mind.
Romans 1:28-32, “Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. . . .”
So Adam and Eve had a mind that saw God and the spiritual, they were what God wanted us to be. And in our liberty of being free people, humanity went on a path to wanting to decipher what is good and evil based on our own experience and understanding not base on looking to the Father who knows all and yielding to His ways.
Even after the fall he did not take back the revelation of peoples ability to see and communicate clearly with God. Genesis 4 is an example of God dialoguing with Cain and warning him of what would happen if he gave into his sinful thoughts. Then Cain walked away from God’s presence. It doesn’t say that God sent him away or took back his presence, but that Cain walked away.
Back to Romans 1 where God gave humanity up to a debased mind. In my understanding a debased mind is humanity with the veil. Humanity not understanding the things of God. Humanity living according to the flesh only. Which brings us to the conversation with Nicodemus. (John 3:4)
Here we have a man who has dedicated himself to the study and teaching of the scriptures feeling a draw to Jesus but not having the breakthrough of really “getting it” or maybe he didn’t want to give up his way of life and follow Jesus’ way. Maybe Nicodemus had a pretty good set up and Jesus’ way would wreck his good life.
And we have Jesus saying things to his followers like, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?”
Jesus explained to Nicodemus that he needed to be born of the Spirit. There is an element of believing that Jesus is Lord, and then there is Knowing that Jesus is Lord!” There is a step of being born of Spirit. Even his disciples were not getting it. Maybe not getting it until Acts 2 when the Spirit finally came on them. (but at least if they did not get it, they were still willing to follow Him) But when Jesus had his moment of seeming frustrations that his disciples were not getting it, he seemed like it was obtainable for them. And maybe some could have undying faith in him without the spirit, (I don’t know) But Nicodemus shows us who many of us are in the church. Studiers but we all need to take the step of giving our all in order for the Spirit to start afresh with us in our understanding of His Kingdom and reality and Truth.
My conclusion is this, most people have a debased mind. And Following Jesus example will help us to start to have the veil removed from our eyes. Jesus backward ways or his ways that are contrary to worldly reason, are the secret to seeing and understanding his Ways. There is blindly following him, like a child into a world that doesn’t make sense. Or there is the Holy Spirit coming over a person and opening their eyes to understand the ways of God. Or maybe we all have the gift of the Holy Spirit siting beside us hoping to lead us, but we have to lay down our worldly understanding in order to look His way and walk.