What exactly Is a reprobate mind? It’s a term found in the KJV Bible, Romans 1:28:
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”
But what does this mean? And why would God allow people to be given over to any sort of sinful state? In this article, we’ll explore the phrase “reprobate mind” and all its implications and consequences. We’ll also lightly touch on divine sovereignty and human free will when it comes to our choices with sin.
The definition of reprobate as an adjective is "morally depraved; unprincipled; bad." Therefore, a "reprobate mind" is the loss of logic and morality in a person's reasoning. A reprobate mind is given over to irrational pursuits of sin that are destructive to their soul and body and the people around them.
We don’t really see the term reprobate in English translations of the Bible outside of Romans 1. To dive further into this meaning, we’ll have to uncover the Greek word adokimos. A negative word that, in addition to meaning reprobate, also means “cast away,” “reject,” “notwithstanding a test,” or “unfit.”
Essentially, when humans sin, sin separates them from God. They are not what they should be, not what they’re created to be. As implied by Romans 1, the more a human gives into sin—the more God will allow them to face the consequences of their actions (more on this later).
The term adokimos shows up in a few other passages. We won’t paste the passages in here, the links should take you there. But we’ll explore more usages of the word.
1 Corinthians 9:27: Paul talks about the importance of discipline here. If we don’t continue on the path of godliness, we could become “castaway” or reprobate.
Titus 1:16 Says that even though some people will claim to know God in their actions, it’s clear that they are making themselves adokimos.
Hebrews 6:8 Describes a reprobate person on judgment day. God himself will reject them.
You can find more instances of this word here.
So adokimos, or reprobate minds, are serious business. In the next few sections, we’ll show you how you can know if someone has one of these and why God can allow us to be given over to one.
So, how do we define a reprobate mind? I think it would first help to analyze the passages linked above, with direct usage of the word Adokimos. When we do so, we can show the characteristics of such a person below.
Reprobate People Bear Bad or No Fruit
The link between justification and sanctification gets tricky. We are saved through Christ alone. We definitely aren’t spouting off any Pelagius heresies (sorry, folks, we can’t get salvation on our own). With that said, I think of the song, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” If we have the love of Christ dwelling in us, there will be an outpouring of love in our actions. We cannot help but bear fruit because of Christ’s work in us. Therefore, we pursue Christ wholly through sanctification. As Paul says, we discipline ourselves and our minds. Reprobate people, on the other way, can claim to be Christians. But their actions speak clearly. They do not know the Lord similarly, in a saving way.
Reprobate People Oppose the Truth
2 Timothy 3:8. People with minds like this do not like the truth. Scripture constantly talks about the link between believers and truth. The Bible should cut us deep, expose the worst parts of us, and bring us back to repentance and restoration with the Lord. Reprobate people hate this. They do not like the truth, so they will oppose it. Twist it. Do whatever they can to avoid it. That same 2 Timothy passage explains several characteristics of unbelievers in the End Times, and one with a reprobate mind is among them.
Reprobate People Indulge in Sin
Circling back to the Romans 1 passage, someone with a reprobate mind will willingly and knowingly engage in things they know they ought not to do. The list in the passage includes the following: being filled with every kind of wickedness, including greed, envy, murder, deceit, gossip, hatred of God, arrogance, etc. The passage goes on to say the same people are without mercy, love, or faithfulness.
Speaking of the Romans 1 passage, why would God allow someone to be given over to such a mindset in the first place?
I have no intention of settling the debate of free will and God’s sovereignty. That would play into millennia of debate. However, there is something to be said about someone giving into sin time and time again.
Let’s break down that Romans 1 passage to understand better why God would allow a person to give into their most wicked passions.
Romans 1:18-20: The passage kicks off by saying that wicked people suppress the truth. They know the right thing to do, but their sin forces them to keep coming back to temptation. This is why we’ll often see people try to argue against the truth when they keep ignoring it.
Romans 1:21-23: Even though God makes himself obvious to them, they ignore him. Instead, they turn to idols. In our culture, this could be sex, money, power, etc. They decide to replace God.
Romans 1:24: Therefore, God gives them over to their reprobate minds and desires.
The logical progression makes sense. People know the truth → People ignore the truth → People dwell in lies to satisfy their sinful desires → God, being Truth, casts them away and allows them to go with what they choose.
If we tell God that we don’t need him, ignore him, choose sin over him, and embrace a reprobate mind, it makes sense that God would allow us to go with what we pick. He can’t force us to love him. That would negate our free will in this situation.
If anyone asks, “Why would a loving God send someone to hell?” It may be best to answer, “He doesn’t. We send ourselves.”
Speaking of, let’s explore the consequences of a reprobate mind.
Yes, Scripture makes it obvious that if a person dwells in sin and lies, the eventual consequence is hell—eternal suffering, an existence away from the presence of the Almighty.
But what about the day-to-day consequences? What happens when someone gives into sin repeatedly and denies the truth?
Consequence #1: Isolation from God
There’s a reason hell is torment: because it separates humans (dependent beings) from their Creator (independent being). But Satan tends to bring hell on earth. When someone gives into sin, they will feel separated from God. Until they repent, they will not feel close to him again.
Consequence #2: Isolation from Truth
The truth will sound like an offense to someone with a reprobate mind. You can have the world’s best apologist giving the most sound arguments to someone like this, and they will create straw men. They will scoff. They will laugh because the truth burns their ears like hot coals. This may mean that it can take a lot of time to bring someone with a mind like this back to the truth. And that only happens when the Spirit softens their hearts and makes them open to hearing the truth.
Consequence #3: Isolation from Christian Friends
Although Christians can have non-Christian friends, someone with a reprobate mind will tend to push away Christian friends. Christians cannot help but shine the truth if the truth lives within them. Truth, being offensive to the reprobate mind, will cause them to want to escape its grasp. Sadly, many Christians have stories of friends or family members who wanted nothing to do with them once they came to saving faith.
Reprobate minds are serious business. Only the power of Christ can compel someone back. If you know someone with a heart like this, pray for them. Pray that the Spirit will intercede, soften their hearts, and prepare them for truth.
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This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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