Given Up to Uncleanness Romans 1:24

Paul the apostle shared with the church members in Rome how there were people who knew God but did not “glorify” or “thank” Him. These people were, “Professing themselves to be wise” however, “they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” In chapter one and verse twenty-four of Romans, Paul told with the church members how because of this, God “gave them up to uncleanness” where we read:

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,

to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

The verse begins, “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, ...” Paul began with the word, “wherefore” or “consequently, for which cause, therefore and on this account” “God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “also” which means “”even and indeed” “gave them up” or “delivered, judged, punished, scourged, tormented, committed and condemned them” “to uncleanness” which means “toward the immoral sense of impurity of lustful, luxurious and profligate living with impure motives” “through” or “by way of and account of” “the lusts” which means “the desires, cravings and longings for what is forbidden” “of their own hearts” which refers to “their own souls or minds as they are the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes and endeavors” . Because people rejected the true and living God and made images or idols instead, God “delivered” them over to their own “soul's” “passions, desires, appetites and affections” which were “forbidden” and against Him.

The verse continues, “... to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:” Paul added the words, “to dishonor” which means “to insult, treat with contempt, despise, suffer shame and entreat shamefully” “their own bodies” or “the people's physical corpses” “between” which means “with and by” “themselves” which refers to “their own selves”. As God “gave these people” over to their “own passions and desires”, they “despised and entreated shamefully” their own “bodies”.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how the rejection of the “invisible God” caused God to “release” or “deliver up” these people to their own “desires”. Though these “passions” would affect their own “bodies”, these people rejected God and “dishonored” themselves through their unbelief. God Almighty desires for everyone to have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and the “sin” that is within every person separates them from that relationship. Jesus came to the earth to “die” for the sins of all mankind, and if a person rejects that provision, God is subject to release them to their own “lusts” which shall eventually lead them to destruction and separation from Him.

Next time Paul tells the church members how people, “changed the truth of God into a lie”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.