Given Over (Romans 1:21-32, Psalm 2:1-12, Exodus 20:1-11)
Rev. David Huffman, July 7, 2024Part of the Series On Romans series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Twenty years ago an Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) chapter printed up a modern version of today's passage. The IVCF chapter was called in by university authorities to explain itself for publishing such an insensitive piece. The chapter was subsequently censored and commanded to reveal the author. Sinclair Ferguson lamented the lack of recognition among the authorities that the passage came from the Bible. He also pointed out that the gospel is by nature offensive to people. The event is an image of the times in which we find ourselves today. Paul intends to drive home the message that all humans are unrighteous, and people don't want to hear this. This is the natural disposition of man, as haters of God. God's active judgment is being revealed in the world. The message must be proclaimed for the sake of the sweetness of the gospel. The gospel humbles mankind. God gives rebels over as an act of His judgment. Paul is distinguishing the gentiles from the Jews here. While the gentiles didn't have the revelations the Jews had, they had the evidence of creation. What we do with that knowledge is important. We are judged based on what we know of God and what we do with that knowledge. These rebellious gentiles became foolish, lacking wisdom. Fools exchange the glory of God for vain idols. Rebels turn from God to creation and turn creation on its head. In vs. 24, Paul says God gave rebels over to uncleanness. God responds in righteous justice. Paul then spontaneously erupts into praise. We should respond likewise to faithful preaching, teaching and worship. A second exchange takes place (vss. 24-25), exchanging truth for a lie. A third exchange is God giving rebels over to dishonorable passions, meaning same sex sexual relationships. The enjoyment of fellowship with God is turned over to sinful enjoyment. Paul says this is unnatural. Our bodies tell us this way is unnatural. In vss. 28-32, the third giving over is to a debased mind. The list of debasements is long. This is evidence of rebellion against God. In application, if we have family members given over to sexual rebellion, we cannot affirm or approve. We cannot approve with God declares is wicked. We cannot let culture define compassion. We don't hold these rebels in contempt. We strive to see them as made in the image of God. This sexual sin is not the absolute nadir of wickedness. All other sins stem from idolatry. We must examine our own lives. Only God has the right to condemn. We bear the truth of the gospel. God saves people out of this sin as well as other sins. We must reckon with the offense of the gospel. There is a cost in bearing the good news of the gospel. We are to take up the cross of Christ, even if it breaks relationships.
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Romans 1:21–32 (Listen)
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
(ESV)
Psalm 2 (Listen)
2:1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
(ESV)
Exodus 20:1–11 (Listen)
20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
(ESV)