Romans 1:28 (KJV)

Passage

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;

Nearby Context

Romans 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Romans 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

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;

Romans 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Romans 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "even", "like", "retain", "knowledge", "gave", "over", "reprobate", and "mind". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "even" and "like", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "And likewise also the men leaving the..." into verse 29's "Being filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness...", so "even" and "like" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "even" and "like" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.