Romans 1:24-32 THE WORLD’S TAILSPIN SPIRAL HITS ROCK BOTTOM. WHAT IS THAT? WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL WITH HOMOSEXUALITY? – Romans Message 4
This message in Romans continues from last time where we looked at the path man has taken away from God and it goes down and down. Step by step, as he went His own way, the way ahead became darker and darker. This time we will see where the freefall stops and nothing but judgement awaits.
[F]. THE NEXT STEP IN MAN’S DOWNWARD SPIRAL – STEP 4 – HUMAN BODIES BECAME DISHONOURED IN LUST AND IMPURITY
{{Romans 1:24 “Therefore GOD GAVE THEM OVER in the LUSTS of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonoured among them”}} The “Therefore” starting the verse is important. In scripture, these adverbs should be noticed. This verse begins with a “therefore”, and as someone has said, “When you encounter a “therefore” always ask what it is there for.” Here it captures all that we have done so far, to draw a conclusion, which is now, the rest of the chapter.
Remember there are 3 “God gave them overs” in this chapter. The first of these in verse 24 is allowing the human heart to follow the natural, sinful lusts. That led to impurity and the dishonouring of their bodies. The latter part of Romans 1 is outlining the downward spiral of the human race. Down, down, and down.
“God gave them over” means God withdrew and let them pursue their own desires. Man’s natural desires are always down. His nature hates God but loves moral darkness. It is a very sorry state for an individual or a nation when “God gives them over” but, we are living in times where we see the outcome of all this. The downward spiral of western nations has seen a great increase in drug taking, in Satanism, in crime and violence, and in hatred for God and Christians. Violence is everywhere, crime is out of control in a number of lands, and Governments are weak, meaningless and downright Marxist. The world is being brought into one by the WEF and the WHO, cemented each to the other by the delusion of climate change.
[G]. THE NEXT STEP IN MAN’S DOWNWARD SPIRAL – STEP 5 – HUMAN REJECTION OF GOD MEANS SATANISM
{{Romans 1:25 “for they EXCHANGED the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the CREATURE rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen.”}} This is a further regression. Remember the hearts are becoming darker, so deeds are darker too. This next move is into paganism and idolatry. God’s revealed truth was exchanged for a lie. It is the Creator who is blessed forever, but natural man has moved so far away from that. He worships creation including the creations of his own hands, and has adopted aspects of paganism into society.
We looked at primitive societies in the last message in regard to paganism and the worship of man-made deities, but in more recent times in western culture there is increasing worship of Satan. The occult is everywhere inspired through rock music and drugs, books, technology and media. Drugs are the portal Satan uses to take over minds where control has been relinquished through the taken drug, or role-playing in gaming. Homosexuality plays a large part but we reserve that for later.
The rainbow serpent is a Satanist spiritism, the worship of the Australian aborigines, and it is being forced on to Australians and kids at school. The aborigines have a “smoking ceremony” where they invoke the evil spirits with the wafting of smoke, and depraved Australian governments have opened Parliament with this ceremony bringing the nation under spiritism and further into darkness.
Not just in Australia and the United States, but the dark forces of the creature who was exchanged for the Creator are in control. Satan has replaced the truth of God. That is why the world heads downwards and pursues lies.
[H]. THE NEXT STEP IN MAN’S DOWNWARD SPIRAL – STEP 6 – ONCE A NATION ADOPTS HOMOSEXUALITY AND LEGISLATES IN ITS FAVOUR, THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL HAS HIT ROCK BOTTOM
{{Romans 1:26 “For this reason GOD GAVE THEM OVER to DEGRADING PASSIONS, for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is UNNATURAL, Romans 1:27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and BURNED IN THEIR DESIRE toward one another, men with men committing INDECENT ACTS and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”}}
I am keeping these two verses together because they are together. We are at the bottom because Paul has no more points (I called them “steps”) in this descending darkness. Once a nation corrupts its morals to the extent that it legislates to enshrine perversion and debauchery and immorality, then the nation can descend no further. The verses which follow in this chapter, merely outline some of the characteristics of sin at its worse.
I just noticed that I have here the six steps of decline that Romans gives us. That is interesting. Six is the number of a man and we all know about 666 (six hundred and sixty-six). Six is fallen man’s number, the number that can’t attain seven which is God’s number of perfection. It is also most significant that the homosexual flag called “the Pride Flag” has six colours. Fallen man, and how very fallen!
Before we progress to look at homosexuality that I wish to do, we have to be sure we link these verses correctly. Verse 26 begins with “For this reason” so we must look back to see what that reason is. Here it is – {{“for they EXCHANGED the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the CREATURE rather than the Creator}}
The truth of God was exchanged for the lie of Satan. The human race threw God out so He “gave them over” meaning God allowed the wickedness in man’s soul to be owned by Satan so that the human race slipped further and further into iniquity of the worst kind. That would mean all sorts of foul deeds multiplying over time.
Deception and delusion mark our present age so it is no surprise to see the power of the delusion of climate change with its wicked agenda for the world; and the distortion of gender and sexuality; and governments who govern without aim or conviction; the increasing lawlessness; and the draconian way Covid management was handled to beat people into submission. We live in the last days of the Church age, the very last days, so it is no surprise to see all these things wrecking our societies.
Lesbianism and homosexuality I put together under “homosexuality” but understand that term means both when I use it.
When homosexuality has become the accepted norm in a nation, and worst of all, the government passes laws to support and promote it, we are in a very foul, black area indeed. It is like the pit of hell has been emptied on earth. That has happened in Australia throughout, and in some of the American States.
Homosexuality and associated gross immoralities will be as low as a nation can fall (the last of the 6 Steps of decline in Romans 1) and when the nation adopts and supports it, then there is no more hope for that nation from that point onwards. All it can do is look forward to its own destruction. The hand of God is withdrawn and God gives then over.
In Revelation chapter 13 we have the account of the coming Antichrist and the False Prophet who rule and control the whole world in the Tribulation. This is where the mark of the beast is taught in that chapter - {{Revelation 13:16-18 “and he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man, and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”}}
He who receives the mark of the beast is doomed with no hope of redemption. I would not categorically say our societies are utterly lost because I won’t limit the hand of God, but I feel in my soul that these western nations are now locked away in such vileness that we will see barely a few coming to the Lord.
It is a sad thing when you hear of a plane crash, but this world has crashed. The bible is clear about this. When a nation reaches the point where it promotes the homosexual lifestyle, makes laws to support it; uses taxpayers’ money to promote it, slowly infuses it into the education curriculum into schools – them that nation has crashed because Romans 1 verses 26 and 27 are the last step in the downward progression of sinful man. So, what happens at this stage? What is next?
That is clearly answered by God’s word. Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns of the plain had degenerated to that critical point, and once God removed Lot and His family, then judgement reigned down. We are at that point and it is only a matter of time. The world is primed. It is now waiting. As Lot was removed before judgement; as Noah was removed to the ark before the flood, then the very next step is the removal of the Church before God’s wrath falls.
The removal of the Church is the Rapture and that now is imminent. It will happen very, very soon. Everything is set in its place. The Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout and call His Bride home to heaven – {{1Thessalonians 4:16-17 “for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”}}
After that God’s wrath will fall in seven seal judgements, seven trumpet judgements and seven bowl judgements. Read it for yourself in Revelation chapters 6 to the end of the book.
There is a comment you occasionally hear – “One thing we learn from history is that people never learn from history”. We have learnt nothing from Sodom; nothing from the fall of the Roman Empire. Once a nation reaches the point of promoting and approving homosexuality then it has reached rock bottom and judgement will be inevitable. If you are reading this and have never given your life to the Lord Jesus, then don’t go on any longer in your sins because the sword of the Lord is hovering. Any day now the Church will be taken and those who remain will enter the Tribulation and you do not want to be there – {{Revelation 6:14-17 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. (and all the mountains and islands were moved out of their places.) The kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and FROM THE WRATH OF THE LAMB for THE GREAT DAY OF THEIR WRATH has come, and who is able to stand?”}}
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL WITH HOMOSEXUALITY?
(a). Before we attempt to answer that question something must be said. What is the worst sin – homosexuality or lying or pride? Well pride was the very first sin because it caused the fall of Lucifer from heaven. Lying is when you deny the truth of God and reject His truth. And we all know what homosexuality is. One simple answer is that they are all the same in effect because they all cut one off from the righteousness of God. In that, there is no difference. All sin is sin and all sin separates from a righteous God.
(b). It is not up to human beings to decide what is right or wrong. That is God’s prerogative alone but we are guided by the bible and that is God’s standard and therefore must be ours. The pendulum of the gravity of sin lies with God alone. He is the moral compass of right and wrong. With the matter of homosexuality God has given very clear pronouncements on this and they are contained in His inspired word.
* * * {{Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female. It is an ABOMINATION.” Leviticus 18:24 “Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.”}}
* * * {{Leviticus 20:13 “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a DETESTABLE act. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood-guiltiness is upon them.”}}
* * * Then we have the two Romans verses we are considering right now.
* * * {{1Corinthians 6:9-10 “or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”}} (No particular sin is singled out. They will all keep the doers out of the kingdom of God.)
* * * {{1Timothy 1:9-11 “realising the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”}} (Again homosexuality is in a list.)
* * * Of course, do not forget Sodom and Gomorrah.
(c). The bottom line. Here is a passage spoken by Jesus that is irrevocable – {{Matthew 19:4-6 He answered and said, “Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘For this cause a MAN shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his WIFE and THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH?’ Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”}} That is the bottom line. The Creator and Sustainer of all men, back in the Genesis creation established this principle of a man and woman relationship. THERE IS NO OTHER.
Homosexuals speak of “love” but it is an impossibility because that was not ordained by God. It is lust. It can be nothing other than lust. This is how the word love is distorted in this world. Homosexual “marriage” is an abomination and is Satan’s attack against the true marriage union God has given. Homosexuality and ALL OTHER GENDER DISTORTIONS fly in the face of God the Creator and it is to Him account must be given.
(d). Christians must NEVER GO ON A WITCH HUNT against homosexuals. It is very wrong. We can not be responsible for the way others live their lives and the whole matter must rest in God’s hands. Make sure you yourselves, live your lives to glorify the Lord. Leave the rest to God. We have no more time to examine further issues.
[I]. THIS NOW IS THE OUTFLOW FROM THE SIX STEPS OF DECLINE AND IS THE SUMMARY
{{Romans 1:28 “Just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, GOD GAVE THEM OVER to a DEPRAVED MIND to do those things which are not proper.”}}
Here we have the third and last “God gave them over,” where God is saying that on the bottom level, or rock bottom, the human race is there because it pursued its own sin and became so depraved that God gave the people over. The world does not like the bible using words like abomination, depraved, detestable, indecent, detestable, unnatural,” but it is God’s pronouncement on homosexuality, and is fitting for all other sins that happen when a person or nation does not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, as our western nations have already done. The homosexual community, especially the activists and promoters, hate the bible and Christians who support the bible but that is something the child of God will have to endure more and more in these dark, closing days of the Church age.
[J]. LISTS AND MORE LISTS OF SINS – GOD’S WARNING TO REPENT TO TURN TO JESUS AND BE CONVERTED
{{Romans 1:29-32 “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practise such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practise them.”}}
The chapter ends with a list of sins and human behaviour. Remember we are at rock bottom so all these sins are now manifest. The human race won’t go further down as it is at Step 6, rock bottom. However, what we might see if the Rapture is delayed for a little time, is the intensity of the sins Paul lists above as they will get worse and more blatant and more hostile.
One could also add the following list that Paul wrote of what would be present at the end of the Church age (right now) – {{2Timothy 3:2-4 “for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,”}}
* * * One last comment. In Romans 1:32 – {{and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practise such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, BUT ALSO GIVE HEARTY APPROVAL TO THOSE WHO PRACTISE THEM,”}} we have a vile attitude stated in that verse where society will give hearty approval to those who do such terrible sins. That is real debauchery. It is bad enough doing these wicked things, but when you support those who do them, you are far away from God. The Australian Prime Minister, not only legislated for homosexuality but attended the world’s biggest Mardi Gras in Sydney and marched in support of the homosexual community. Mr Albanese, the bible says that is worthy of death, but you must repent and turn to God for the time is short! Sudden destruction is about to burst onto the world.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
