A Study of the Book of Romans

Lesson # 4 

“The Sinfulness of Man”

Romans 1:24-32 

          In last week’s lesson we looked at “The Wrath of God” as it is revealed from heaven against the exceeding sinfulness of man. We looked at four ways in which the wrath of God was justified by the ungodly actions of man. Now we turn to an even more in-depth analysis of man’s sinfulness. 

First, The Essence of Man’s Sinfulness (vv. 22-25)

“Professing to be wise, they became fools, (23) and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (24) Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, (25) who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

       Since it is man’s desire to be rid of God, he finally grants their wish, he abandons them. This is what the word in the Greek denotes. It could literally be translated “give up” or “give over.” We will see it occur three times in these verses (vv. 24, 26, 28).

       It ironic to think that God is giving man exactly what he thinks he wants. This has been man contention since Adam’s first rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden. Man has wanted to get God out of his life, to get God to leave him alone, and let him live his life as he saw fit. Man has in the past and continues to see God as the one restraining him from really having a good time. He thinks by running away from God and his influence he can be happy and wild and free.    

However he discovers as Stuart Briscoe says, that God “.. gave man the absolute right to choose his course of actions and then he gave him the perfect freedom to live with the consequences.” [D. Stuart Briscoe. Mastering the New Testament – Romans. Originally titled The Communicator’s Commentary Series. (Word, 1982) p. 48] 

Second, The Expression of Man’s Sinfulness.  (vv. 26-27) 

Our culture insists that:

(1) Homosexuals are born that way.

       We are lead to believe that homo-sexuality is genetic. It's like another gender. But there is no solid scientific evidence exists to indicate that there is a homosexual gene. The complex causes of homosexuality occur over the period of time from birth through adolescence. Later in life, as these factors converge, they play a strategic role in the choices people make involving their sexual relations.

The popular view is that homosexuality is just as natural for the homosexual as hetero-sexuality is for the rest of us, and that it is actually harmful for one to suppress his natural sexual inclinations. There may be physical or sociological factors which make the temptation to be homosexual stronger for some people, but there is nothing natural about it! If someone convinces us that there is, it becomes easier to accept the sin. 

(2) It is an acceptable sexual preference.

       But the question that begs to be answered is, “Is homosexuality just another expression of human sexuality.” We are told homosexuality is just another alternative lifestyle. That it is a good, healthy choice for some people. The truth however, is that the homosexual lifestyle is not a safe alternative. It involves physical, emotional and spiritual dangers, such as decreased life expectancy, disease, and high suicide rates.

            Homosexual advocates want their relationships to be treated the same as heterosexual ones. But are homosexual relationships any different than heterosexual ones? You’d be surprised. In a  report entitled Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women, written by A.P Bell and S. H Weinberg, (a study of the 1969 San Francisco population, published by (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978)  found that the most active 28% of men had 51 or more partners ‘‘in the past year.’’ In addition they stated that,

…70% of homosexuals admit to having sex only one time with 50% of their partners
…79% admitted that these persons were often total strangers.
…74% of male homosexuals had more than 100 partners in lifetime
…43% had more than 500 partners
…28% had more than 1000 partners(the average heterosexual has 8 partners in a lifetime)
…78% at any given time are affected by an sexually transmitted disease
…over 80% had a history of sexually transmitted diseases 

(2) They deserve civil rights.

       Homosexual activists currently pushing for gay "marriage" argue they are only seeking equal treatment under the law. Homosexuals and lesbians are seen as a minority whose rights have been discrimin-ated against and as a result deserve preferential treatment. Homosexuals in our country are not only living their lives openly but they demanding that society accept them and affirm them by conferring upon them minority status. If accepted it would mean that homosexuals would have to be treated as every other minority in this country. It would mean that you as an employer could be legally required to have a certain percentage of homosexuals working for you. 

The group cloaks its sin by claiming the issue is a civil rights issue very similar to the way the blacks were at one time treated. African-Americans are quite naturally offended that homosexual activists are drawing parallels between their current agenda and civil rights struggles of the past.

    (3) Anyone who disagrees is intolerant, and a bigot.

       But the intolerance for different opinions lies on the other side of the issue. For if homosexual activists succeed in their agenda, I believe that you will soon see that the next step will be to define as a “hate crime” speaking God's truth about homo-sexuality. The day is coming when being labeled “intolerant” will result in a conviction for a crime.  

The Bible Teaches that;

(1) Homosexuality is a sin.

In recent years, several mainline denominations have abandoned traditional interpretations of Scripture and have embraced the "Gay-Christian" movement. Similarly, people claim that Paul’s statements were only addressed to believers back then and are not relevant today. But God’s Word—which is unchanging and stands forever (Isaiah 40:8) gives us a different story.

In the Old Testament, the sin of homo-sexuality is condemned by the Law of Moses (Leviticus 18:22). In Matthew, male and female relationships are the only sexual relationships allowed by Jesus (Matthew 19:4-6). And our text tonight (Romans 1:23-32) is usually considered the most thorough and clear condemnation of homosexuality in the Bible, which includes a specific reference to lesbianism.  

(2) Homosexuality is a choice.  

Everything the Bible has to say about homosexuality begins with the fact that it is a choice, a learned behavior, a chosen path. Notice how Paul puts it in verse twenty-six,

“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. (27) Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”  

       The issue of whether or not to condemn homosexuality is up for debate in the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church, the Methodist Church and the Episcopal Church. It tells us something about ourselves and our country that homosexuality used to be a clear-cut issue among Christians. The sin of homosexuality, and I do call it that unreservedly, is clearly condemned in Scripture. However, now we have theologians and church officials who are willing to stand in front of a Television camera and explain it away and all it anything but sinful! Isaiah 5:20, states “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil.”  The highest evil in our land seems to be the man or woman who is intolerant enough to call homosexuality a sin!

Homosexuals denounce the church as unloving and unwilling to accept them. The church is accused of singling out homosexuality as the worst of sins. That is just not true. The fact is that homosexuals are the only group which demands that the church accept them and their sin without asking them to repent.

       Turn to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and I want to show you another reference which seems to verify that homosexuality is a sin and that those caught up in it can find forgiveness and recovery. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,(10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Paul says, “Such were some of you.” Meaning, some of you were homosexuals. The past tense here is crucial. He is saying, “You were” not “you are.” The entire difference between Heaven and Hell is found in the difference between “were” and “are.” This former homosexuals had been “washed” by the blood of Jesus. They stand forgiven, changed by the Holy Spirit from the inside out.

       “To call homosexuality a sickness does not raise the client’s hope. But to call it sin, as the Bible does, offers hope. Probably there is not a more important factor in the work of helping homosexual sinners than hope… One is not a homosexual constitutionally any more than one is an adulterer constitutionally… Precisely because homosexuality, like adultery is a learned behavior, into which men and women with sinful natures are prone to wonder, it can be forgiven in Christ.” [As quoted by Charles Swindoll. Focus on the Family Magazine. “Sinnerama in Panorama.” p. 6]

       If homosexuality were some kind of genetic, inborn tendency within a person, then there would be no hope for change. If homosexuality were some kind of sickness then again there would be no hope for change because there is no pill or treatment for such a sickness. But if homosexuality is a sin, then there is hope, because there is a cure for sin, the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ!

       The last part of verse twenty–seven states, “…and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” Is that a reference to the penalty of AIDS? Hardly, likely since AIDS did not exist when this was written.

       The finding of Dr. E. Fields, from Maretta GA, are worthy of note, he wrote a paper entitled “Is Homosexuality Normal?”
In doing the research, he found that the median age of death of homosexuals is 42 (with only 9% living past the age of 65). This drops to only 39 if the cause of death is AIDS, while the median age of death of a married heterosexual man is 75.
       He also found that the median age death of lesbians is 45 (only 24% live past age 65). The median age of death of a married heterosexual woman is 79. 

Third, The Extent of Man’s Sinfulness (vv. 28-32)

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; (29) being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, (30) backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) undiscerning, untrustworthy unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;

       As terrible as this list of sins is it only a foretaste of what hell will be like. Hell is only what is described in these verses going on an on for all of eternity.

       The end result of man’s slide into sin is a “debased” or depraved mind. It is a mind that is so depraved that it begins to think that what is bad is actually good and what is good is actually bad. Verse thirty-two addresses the three things that happen when men completely and decisively turned away from God. “Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

·        They know they are doing wrong.

·        They do wrong anyway.

·        They praise others who are doing wrong.