Romans 1:19

When God Gives them up #

Romans 1:19-21

I would remind us that last week we were able to see that God Revealed Righteousness, Punishment and Himself to man kind. They are without excuse.(19) There are certainly many points to be drawn from this passage. So I don’t want you to think we are getting everything out of this passage that we can. There are so many truths contained in this passage we could draw it out for quite some time.

In our text you can find 6 steps descending into complete insanity of sin listed in verses 29-32 ending with the fact that they “have pleasure in them that do them.”

  1. The glorified Him not as God
  1. They were not thankful
  1. Became vain in their imaginations
  1. the foolish heart was darkened
  1. The professed themselves wise, they became fools
  1. changed the glory of God into an image!

In our text we can also find:

  1. Wickedness of their Intellect
  1. Wickedness of their Idolatry
  1. Wickedness of their Interest

Both of these are good outlines. However, I want us to see three areas that God gave then up to their own way. Since the garden of Eden, and with the help and push of Satan, man has been running away from God and righteousness on a path for destruction. God sees it, however God created man with a free will.

I. God gave them up to their Lusts (24) #

  • “Wherefore God also gave them up…” - from the preceding verses.

A. Dishonored God (21) #

1. They glorified him not as God #

  • This is the first step in a steep downward spiral.

1Cor. 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1Cor. 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

2. They were unthankful (21) #

B. Distinguished themselves (21-22) #

1. Vain in their imaginations (Eph 4:17-18) #

2. Foolish heart was darkened #

3. Professed themselves wise #

C. Downgraded God (idol) (23) #

1. Qualities of God #

  • Uncorruptible (Holy, righteous), Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent

2. Qualities of idols #

Psa. 115:2-8

II. God gave them up to their Love (26) #

  • “For this cause…” - once again from the preceding verses.
  • 10 Commandments are divided into two groups, God and man, and then Man and man. We see the same idea here.
  • Matt 22:36-40 – (37) …Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and will all thy soul and will all thy mind. (39) … Love thy neighbour as thyself.

A. Dishonored mankind (24) #

1. Man has defiled mankind #

  • Our text is talking about a perversion of intimate relationships.

    • This is NOT NEW!

      • 1 Sam 2:12 - Eli’s sons made the people of Israel to abhor the Temple of God, because they were perverse in sexual sins.
      • Judges 19:22 tells us of men that came looking for another man in Israel! -
      • Sodom & Gomorra – Gen 19

  • Sexual perversity is a sin against God, someone else and your own body!

B. Dishonored the Truth of God (25-27) #

1. Changed the truth of God #

  • This is one of the devils old tricks since the garden of Eden!

2. Served the sensuality “burned in their lust” (27) #

  • They caused this desire to become a passion.
  • It is not natural, it is learned!

III. God gave them up to their Lost mind (28) #

A. Dismissed the thought of God! (28) #

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

1. Jesus came… He revealed righteousness! #

  • There was once a very expensive and rare vase that had been purchased. After they purchased it, they placed it in a beautiful well lit display case. Shortly after, there was an earthquake that caused that beautiful vase to fall. It shattered on the floor. Being such and expensive and rare item, they hired people to come and put it all back together. The workers did a fabulous job! Matter of fact, when it was placed back in the well lit display, not a single flaw could be detected in the vase. However, it was soon discovered, while the light was shining on the outside of the vase, it was beautiful, but if light were placed on the inside of the vase, the lighting revealed all the broken places and lines that had been glued back together.
  • Man may look good on the outside, but when you put God on the inside… it shows all our wickedness. Men don’t like that!

B. Descended into utter debauchery (29-32) #

1. What an incredible list (29-31) #

  • Fornication is listed with murder, deceit, whisperers, disobedient to parents
  • implacable – not able to be pleased (not happy).
  • Whisper – tattler, gossip

VS 32 – have pleasure in them

Tags: Sin Romans Outlines Preaching Homosexual Lust