Notice the escalation!
Doing things that should never be done:
Paul takes one example, homosexuality.
That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
Romans 1:26-28
Oh yes the experts can condone it all they like and explain why homosexuality is a natural expression of our natural inner tendencies or just the way we are. But it is very clear from the Word of God, the manual for life, that this is not in accord with God’s plan. Oh we can condone it or come up with reasons as why it is not a problem but the fact remains we can’t get past the clarity of the language above. Just a cursory look at the way God designed our bodies it is evident that He meant for male and female to fit together. Not male and male or female and female. Like Mark Twain said: It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.
Inventing new ways of sinning:
The verses before it read like a return to the days before the flood in Genesis. Read verses 29 and 30. “Their lives are full with every kind of wickedness. . . they invent new ways of sinning.” A parallel to the situation in
The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.
Genesis 6:5
There is not much difference between the days of Genesis before the flood and these days. The morning paper these days reads much like Romans 1.
From practising to condoning, consenting, applauding, encouraging, approving, delighting:
They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Romans 1:32
- (ASV) but also consent with them that practise them.
- (CEV) and they even encourage others to do them.
- (ESV) they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
- (ISV) but even applaud others who practice them.
- (KJV) but have pleasure in them that do them.
- (MSG) And they don’t care–worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!
- (NASB) but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
- (NLT) Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
- (YLT) but also have delight with those practising them.
Are you getting the message from the various translations laid out alongside each other? The issue Paul is communicating is that these participants in sin have moved on from just indulging themselves. They are certainly not hiding it. There was a time when sin was a hidden thing. Now it is out there for all to see; indeed flaunted. But these ones are actively encouraging it and applauding and cheering others on in their efforts to descend to a deeper level of depravity. When you behave like this you’ve reached the bottom. The pits! It’s time again for God to bring judgement and say “Away with all of this.”
A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.
Mark Twain
Man – a creature made at the end of the week’s work when God was tired.
Mark Twain