The key word in verse 26 and 27 is the word “natural” or “unnatural”. Homosexuality is not natural. Lesbianism is not natural. Just because society, culture had accepted it as a natural way of life does not make it natural. Does not make it right. And note that Paul says, ”even their women” committed the sin of homosexuality, Paul refers first to the degradation of females, because they are always the last to be affected in the decay of morals and their corruption is therefore proof that all virtue is lost.”
1 Comment
The seventh was man rejects God and the truth about God is Inversion.
Romans 1:26 (NKJV) says For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature." Verse 26 takes us farther into the downward spiral of immorality, Rejecting God and His standards ultimately leads to inverting and reversing God’s created order. They turn everything upside down. Good is bad. Right is wrong. Light is dark. It is all inverted. You see God made man and woman. This is the created order and it has never changed. But as our world gets more and more wicked we see the natural order inverted , twisted. We are working our way through Romans 1. We are looking at how man rejects the truth about God. He does so through Irreligion. Ingratitude, Intellectualism, Ignorance, Idolatry and now we see he does :
2 Timothy 2:22 (NKJV) -" Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NKJV) "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body." Man Has Rejected God Through Idolatry
Verse 23 pictures idolatry that comes from when man rejects the true God. Man conceives of his idol and then he is deceived by his idol. Notice carefully that there is a progression even in idolatry. First, they worshipped an image of man, then birds, then four- legged animals, and ultimately reptiles and crawling things. The Psalmist describes the devastating result of idolatry among God’s people:” They mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; They served their idols , which became a snare to them.” (Psalm 106:35-36) If Israel, which had the revealed knowledge of God, fell into idolatry, how much more tempted are the heathen to do the same? Do we have idols? Absolutely, we do What consumes so much of your time , energy, money, and attention?? How does man reject and suppress the knowledge of God?
Man Has Rejected God Through Ignorance The word for “wise” in verse 22 is the Greek expression that describes a cultured and learned man who was skilled in letters. It is the Greek word Sophia. We get our words philosopher, philosophical, and philosophy from that word. We also get the word sophisticated from that word. Someone who is sophisticated is considered to be worldy-wise. So Paul is saying that these heathen men professed themselves to be sophisticated and they became fools. The word for “fool” is the word from which we get our word “moron.” In this context, the word does not mean one who is mentally deficient. It describes someone who has the opportunity to receive the truth about God and has deliberately rejected it. The is the meaning of Psalm 14:1:” The fool has said in his heart,’There is no God.” |
What we Learned on Sunday? Insights, ideas and InspirationWritten by Pastor Chris Hudson Archives
March 2024
Categories |