Romans 1:26-27

Passage

Because of this, God handed them over into the strong physical desires of dishonor.  For even their women exchanged sexual functions according to their nature for relations that are contrary to their natural development.  And likewise, even the men who departed from sexual functions with women according to their nature were themselves inflamed with passion for each other.  Men were in men while committing indecent behavior and while receiving into themselves the recompense that is necessary according to their deviant behavior.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Once more we hear the Greek word “paradidomi” (παραδίδωμι).  God handed them over to the strong passion.  God handed them over to their dishonor.  The people desired to be in relationship with something other than Him and He was unwilling to force them to do anything against their free will.  God allowed them to walk away under their own power.  This is a fundamental truth that we must understand about God.  He desperately desires relationship with us, but He seeks genuine relationship.  He will not force us to love Him; He will call us to love Him while giving us the ability to walk away if we desire to do so.

Why is it important for you to understand that you have the power to walk away from God?  Why might it be important for you to own that you have walked away from God from time to time?

Second Thought:

In this section, Paul specifically illustrates a truth that we need to hear.  One of the most profound truths is that sexual deviance is one of the largest areas into which people fall when they are no longer focused on God.  We are sensual beings; some would even say that we are sexual beings.  It is clear from our design how things are supposed to function.  However, when we adopt a spirit of rebellion we tend to rebel against the natural design.  God has created us to mate for life.  Yet in our rebellion we learn to mate with many.  Or we learn to mate in ways that God hasn’t created for us to mate.  Perhaps we learn to value sexuality over relationship.  We exchange our natural function of mating male and female for life and instead adopt a lifestyle of deviant sexual pursuit.  When a person – and especially a society – turns in rebellion against God we should expect sexual deviance to be not too far behind.

Can you say that this is true in your life?  In those moments when you turned from God, did you also become more sexually deviant – or at least find yourself prone to sexual urges that are not what God would desire for you?  If this is true, how can our sexuality help us evaluate our closeness to God?

Third Thought:

Paul speaks about recompense.  Deviant behavior brings consequence.  When we pursue deviance with our heart, we get the fruit of the act.  What’s interesting is that typically God doesn’t have to “punish us.”  We usually create our own circumstance of punishment.  We literally get what we’ve made.  To quote a cliché, in deviant behavior we make the bed in which we then need to lie.

When in your life have you rebelled from God and created a circumstance of getting what you deserve?  Why is it important to have an understanding of repentance and forgiveness when we are people who have sinful and deviant hearts?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 1:28-32