Rom 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
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:
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.
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;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
KJV
This section of Scripture is a powerful indictment against, as Paul states in vs. 18 “
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men”. To fully understand this teaching we need to break it into sections. The preamble is verses 18-23 where Paul describes an idolatrous society. The next three sections are preceded with the phrase “God game them over” or “God gave them up” so lets look at these individually.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Why did God give them up” to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts; because of verses 18-23. At this period of Roman history Roman matrons who had more freedom than most cultures were divorcing and remarrying as their desires dictated. Roman men were engaging in all forms sexual immorality. Rome as a republic was a moral although idolatrous society. As Rome became a world power, imported foreign gods, philosophies, and slaves to run their homes and educate their children they lost their moral values. In other words, heterosexual morality was tossed out the window in favor of “what feels good do it.”
The next section is:
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:
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.
For what cause did God give them up to homosexuality? Because Rome at the time of Paul had abandoned all morality, had allowed foreigners to educate their children using foreign philosophies, and because they worshipped a pantheon of gods that promoted sexual perversions.
The next section is:
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;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
This section applies to
all who would live ungodly and unrighteous lives denying God as creator.
You can see this same progression in America today. Daytime soap operas introduced “free sex” into our living rooms in the 1950’s; the 60’s generation threw morality out the window in favor of “free love” or “drugs, sex, and rock and roll”; in the 19 70’s the Supreme Court legalized abortion, the APA declared homosexuality a viable alternate lifestyle; in the 1990’s we had a President who legitimized gay theology by honoring the founders of the UFMCC and Soul Force by inviting them to the White House; lied about an affair with an intern; a congress who has allowed the Supreme Court to make laws they don’t have the guts to oppose; and in the 21st century gay marriage is being legalized and promoted by heterosexuals in nations worldwide and within the Christian Church.
So whom did God give over to a reprobate mind? “All ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
But Paul does not stop with the unsaved, he continues with:
Rom 2:1-4
2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? KJV
The church has capped the salt shaker and put their light under a bushel for decades and then wonder why political power in this country has shifted to the liberal left. Churches are building Christian life centers so their members “won’t be contaminated by the world”. Well, we are to “contaminate” the world with the gospel, but we can’t do that when we sit in our pews and Christian life centers complaining about a world going to hell in a hand basket. Evangelical churches have ignored Jesus’ teaching on divorce by solemnizing second, third, even fourth marriages after a “no fault” divorce.
We preach “repent” to the unsaved when Paul states “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”. How can the unsaved repent until they know of and accept the fact of the “goodness of God”? They can’t! So we judge those who don’t accept the Bible by using the Bible as an offensive weapon. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God and is a defensive weapon to protect believers against the wiles of Satan.
The Greek word translated “reprobate” actually means “counterfiet, depraved, unapproved, or rejected”. We live in a society that is depraved in many aspects of life not the least of which is “not feeding the poor and needy” and promoting sexual immorality through TV, movies, and music, no fault divorce, significant others in lieu of spouses, and promoting homosexuality as a viable alternate lifestyle.
The acceptance even promotion of homosexuality is always the death knell of any society. This trend is moving from Europe to Canada and now into the United States as churches deny the authority, supremacy and sovereignty of God and have started to worship the “creature” (human philosophy and psychology, animals rights, etc.) in lieu of the Creator. France is moving to make being an evangelical Christian and teaching Christianity a criminal offense. So pray the “Lord of the harvest will send laborers in the field” as the time is ripe to reap the last harvest.