These four words, “He gave them over” are repeated three times in the opening chapter of Romans. They refer to God’s action toward human beings when they deliberately turn their backs on a Creator God whom they instinctively know to be righteous.
What does he give them over to? First, “He gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another" 1:24; second, “He gave them over to shameful lusts. Even the women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones" 1:26; third, “He gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done … filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity”1:28-29.
The consequences outlined so clearly by Paul are the result of a basic denial of God and his restraints in favour of an unfettered pursuit of personal desires. In allowing such consequences God also allows man’s own choices to be his judgement.
Perhaps the most astonishing feature about this analysis of Paul is the marked emphasis of being “given over” to sexual depravity. When humanity turns its back on God there is an explosion of sexual chaos. It is not the only consequence, as verses 29ff make plain, but it is a first and very pronounced consequence. It is an explosion which goes beyond loose and indiscriminate sexual relations and goes into “unnatural relations”. Once the sexual urge is off the lease it goes deeper and deeper into all kinds of aberrations.
Nationally (and generally in the West), since the 1960s we have been witnessing a profound and agonising vindication of this analysis of Paul. Over those last 50 years (a half-century!) we have seen an ever increasing rejection of the Righteous God, an increasing pursuit of personal pleasure, and an ever increasing explosion of sexual chaos (the limits of which, one suspects, have not yet been reached!). If, as the secularists are always reminding us, we need evidence to support Christian analysis, then here is very hard evidence.
For us the challenge is clear – “You are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” Eph 5:8. God in Christ is alone able to keep us from corruption.
Bob
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For us the challenge is clear – “You are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” Eph 5:8. God in Christ is alone able to keep us from corruption.
Bob
To make a comment: click on word “comments” below, write your comment in the white box which appears and add your name and e mail address (if you wish), choose “select profile”, click “anonymous” and then continue.
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