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Date Posted: 10:24:45 09/24/04 Fri
Author: www.ChristianGay.com
Subject: Romans 1: 24-32

ROMANS

Romans 1: 26, 27

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

After having read the section on False Gods of Biblical Times, you have an idea of the cultural and religious setting of Paul's day. Many like to take Romans 1:26, 27 out of the book of Romans and hang it in space. These two verses are set within a passage. To understand what the God-breathed Word of God says, we must read His word in context rather than take a verse out of the Bible and look at it by itself.

This scripture starts with the linking phrase: because of this. Because of what? Lets work backward until we get to the beginning of the thought so we can get to the beginning of the passage. In studying Romans chapter 1 one can see that the beginning of this passage starts in Romans 1:16.

Romans 1:16-32

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

In verses 16 and 17 Paul describes the Gospel: "it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes". Then he gives us the reason for that. He says in verse 17 that in the Gospel a righteousness FROM God is revealed and that this righteousness comes by FAITH in the Gospel. Righteousness comes from God down. It does not come from humans and offered up to God. Righteousness means being right with God because you have faith in the Gospel (That Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead on the third day.) Righteousness does not come by heterosexuality nor is it prevented by homosexuality. Righteousness is a gift. It is not earned. It is not gained nor lost by your genetic code. ( I firmly believe most of us that are gay are born that way.)

The next thing Paul does is to describe people who have no faith in God. These are people who reject the Creator for a lie. Are you in the process of rejecting God? I don't think so. The very reason you are reading this is because you are seeking answers from Him.

Interestingly, Paul was speaking of men AND women in verse 18 in the phrase; godlessness and wickedness of men-(anthropos) They chose to worship and serve created things rather than the Creator. They exchanged the glory of God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. This very clearly describes the idols made by the people of ancient times who worshiped the gods of the day as described in the previous section on 'False Gods of Biblical Times.' Here Paul is speaking of the associated temple prostitution. It is very clear that Paul is speaking about both men and women in verses 18-24. In verse 24 he refers to the temple prostitution acts between men and women: them- the godless; they were given to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with ONE ANOTHER. Well, based on the fact that this describes heterosexual acts should we condemn heterosexuality also? In verse 26 he links to the one another with Even the women. This refers to temple prostitution between women as part of their worship of false gods In verse 27 he refers to temple prostitution between men and links it to the one another with ALSO. Paul specifically referred to all sexual acts between people in the context of religious worship of false gods. His main point is NOT homosexuality. His main point is the Gospel of Christ and the condition of people who don't believe. NOTICE that this description continues! Look at verses 28-32:

28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

In verse 28, Paul uses the word furthermore. This means that there's more. God gave them over. He gave up. He allowed them to do what ought not to be done. Paul describes these things in verses 29-32.

29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Those things describe a lot of heterosexuals. Some homosexuals also fit that description, however, not all homosexuals do those things just like not all heterosexuals do them. These verses describe nothing about homosexuality. They describe things that violate the three principles God insists upon: loving God, loving your neighbor and loving yourself.

Paul's thought does not finish there. It continues into the next chapter of Romans. Most Christian gay-bashers don't like to read the next 5 verses. Paul is speaking to the judgmental Christians:

Romans 2:1-5

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

A judgmental Christian is just as without excuse as an unbelieving, false-god worshiper.

As for me, I love and choose to worship Jesus in spirit and in truth. I live with His Spirit and His Truth within me. God wants you to know that you can live with His Spirit and Truth also. The truth is that He loves you no matter what a gay-basher may tell you. I challenge you to give Jesus a chance. Ask Him into your heart today. If you have no one to help you with that, email me at Earias777@yahoo.com

(This article is copied from www.ChristianGay.com)

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