Sodomites are coming out of the wood work Pastor, so I wrote this   Sodom and Gomorrah God left Sodom and Gomorrah as an example to the sodomites of today Romans 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Leviticus 18/22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind, it is sin. Romans 2/22 Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools, 23, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Romans 1:26 These people rejected THE TRUTH and embraced THE LIE. They gave up the truth and therefore God gave them up. They abandoned God and God abandoned them (gave them over to their own lusts and passions). "Affections" = passions "Vile" = When you think of this word, think of three words that begin with the letter "D": Dishonorable, Degrading, Disgraceful. "Women" = a specific word meaning "females" "Change" = exchange (they made a bad trade, exchanging the God-given use of their bodies for that which is perverted and "against nature") "Natural use" = natural and normal sex relations, God-ordained sex relations (compare Hebrews 13:4). Only God can define what is normal and what is abnormal, what is moral and what is immoral. "Against nature" = unnatural, abnormal, perverse, improper Romans 1:27 "Men" = a specific word meaning "males" "Natural"-that which is natural, normal, proper and right in God’s sight (God is the One who sets the norms and standards.) "Burned" = they were inflamed sexually, boiling with desire (not love but lust). "Men with men" = homosexuality "Unseemly" = shameful "Receiving" = getting just what they deserve because of what they have done "Recompence" = reward, penalty "Meet" = necessary, inevitable (such sin cannot go unpunished) Romans 1:28 Here we have the third divine "delivery" -- "God gave them over" or "God gave them up". In the Greek there is actually a word play (pun) which in English might be brought out as follows: "They reprobated the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a reprobate mind" or "They cast out the knowledge of God, so God gave them up to a cast-out mind!" They abandoned the knowledge of God and so God abandoned them. This is a terrible judgment: to give men up so that they follow the impulses of their own corrupt minds, and so that they follow the desires of their own depraved hearts! "So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels" (Psalm 81:12). Romans 1:29-31 Paul now gives us (in verses 29-31) one of the most terrible and sobering lists of vices found anywhere in the Bible. He gives us an appalling catalogue of the crimes of these people. What we actually have here is "GOD'S X-RAY of the human heart" (compare Jeremiah 17:9 and the words of Jesus in Mark 7:21-23). As we examine this list, search your own heart. After reading each description ask yourself, "Lord, is it I? Have I been guilty of this? Is this a description of me?" Romans 1:32 "Who knowing" = knowing fully "The judgment of God" = literally "the righteous requirement, the decree, the sentence" THE VERDICT = You are GUILTY! THE SENTENCE = You deserve DEATH! (and they know this!) "They which commit such things" = "those who practice such things." What things? The things that were just listed in verses 29-31. "Worthy" = (think of weighing scales being balanced) The penalty must balance the crime, the penalty must weigh as much as the crime. THE CRIME = see verses 29-31 THE PENALTY = "worthy of DEATH" (verse 32 and see also Romans 5:12 end 6:23) Note: The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ paid this penalty when He died on the cross -- see Romans 5:6-9. Compare Romans 1:18 with Romans 5:6 as you think about the word "ungodly". Compare Romans 1:18 with Romans 5:9 as you think about the word "wrath". PROOF that the heathen KNOW FULLY the judgment of God is found in Acts 28:1-4. These barbarians knew that murderers deserve death! (even though in this case they were mistaken about Paul.) Notice the end of verse 32. They practice these crimes themselves (even though they know it will bring the death penalty) and "have pleasure" or applaud or congratulate others who do these things. They enjoy sin and they enjoy the company of sinners!