Looking closely again at Romans chapter one, we find these reasons for God’s anger:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him… (1:21).
[They] exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things (1:23).
… they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator… (1:25).
ERV for Romans 1:23, 25: They gave up the glory of God who lives forever. People traded that glory for the worship of idols made to look like earthly people. People traded God’s glory for things that look like birds, animals, and snakes… Those people traded the truth of God for a lie. Those people worshiped and served things that were made. But people did not worship and serve the God who made those things…
We humans treat the very things made by God as if those things can take God’s place! So the things that were meant to help us know and honor God (1:20), are used against God. They become weapons to destroy knowledge about God. Instead of honoring God, people try to cover up and hide (“suppress”) the truth about God (1:18). They turn from God’s truth and accept the lie (1:25).