When God Gives Up

Introduction

There is much about the direction of the country to give us optimism.

Our unemployment numbers and economic productivity are the rise, the stock market is somewhere above the stratosphere, and ISIS is nearly totally destroyed, at least their landholdings.

Technology holds out such hope and promise as well to do away with common dangers, such as automobile accidents, making now dangerous surgeries commonplace, and to ease the burden of the overall cost of living.

Yet, there are signs that our society is in serious trouble, not with a foreign power, but with God.

24 Διὸ ⸆ παρέδωκεν* αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν* ⸀αὐτοῖς·

God’s judgment corresponds to man’s rejection. What is the evidence of his judgment?

God’s act of “giving over” is a response to man’s act of “exchanging” the truth in the lie.

While men have disregarded the true God and acted in rebellion against him, God has not sat idly by without some response. The term "gave them up" cannot be viewed as a passive act by God whereby he cleared out of the way to let men engage in the most debasing acts.

Instead, this has to mean that God actively and intentionally sentenced man to dishonor himself in the desires of his own flesh.

God will sentence man to live in a world that man thinks is best. Relativism, therefore, goes hand-in-hand with God’s judgment.

Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, 28th Edition Chapter 1

24 Διὸ ⸆ παρέδωκεν* αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν* ⸀αὐτοῖς·* 25 οἵτινες μετήλλαξαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ψεύδει καὶ ἐσεβάσθησαν καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα*, ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν*. 26 Διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας*, αἵ τε γὰρ θήλειαι αὐτῶν μετήλλαξαν τὴν φυσικὴν ⸀χρῆσιν εἰς τὴν παρὰ φύσιν⸆, 27 ὁμοίως ⸀τε καὶ οἱ ἄρσενες ἀφέντες τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν τῆς θηλείας ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργαζόμενοι καὶ τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν ἣν ἔδει τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν ἐν ⸁ἑαυτοῖς ⸀1ἀπολαμβάνοντες*. 28 Καὶ καθὼς οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν τὸν θεὸν ἔχειν ἐν ἐπιγνώσει, παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ⸋ὁ θεὸς⸌ εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν*, ποιεῖν τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα*, 29 πεπληρωμένους πάσῃ ἀδικίᾳ ⸂πονηρίᾳ πλεονεξίᾳ κακίᾳ⸃, μεστοὺς φθόνου φόνου ἔριδος °δόλου κακοηθείας, ψιθυριστὰς 30 ⸀καταλάλους θεοστυγεῖς ὑβριστὰς ὑπερηφάνους ἀλαζόνας, ἐφευρετὰς κακῶν, γονεῦσιν ἀπειθεῖς, 31 ἀσυνέτους ἀσυνθέτους ἀστόργους ⸆ ἀνελεήμονας·* 32 οἵτινες τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ θεοῦ ⸀ἐπιγνόντες ⸆ ὅτι οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες ἄξιοι θανάτου εἰσίν, οὐ μόνον ⸇ ⸂αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοκοῦσιν⸃ τοῖς πράσσουσιν*.

26 Διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας*, αἵ τε γὰρ θήλειαι αὐτῶν μετήλλαξαν τὴν φυσικὴν ⸀χρῆσιν εἰς τὴν παρὰ φύσιν⸆, 27 ὁμοίως ⸀τε καὶ οἱ ἄρσενες ἀφέντες τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν τῆς θηλείας ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργαζόμενοι καὶ τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν ἣν ἔδει τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν ἐν ⸁ἑαυτοῖς ⸀1ἀπολαμβάνοντες

Human sexual confusion reflects man’s rebellion against God as creator and what He has created. How?

God’s actions are not the cause but a response to man’s willful rejection of Him.

His judgment upon man is to permit Him to live in a society that reflects the full depravity of what man already has in his heart and what he already wants to do.

28 Καὶ καθὼς οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν τὸν θεὸν ἔχειν ἐν ἐπιγνώσει, παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ⸋ὁ θεὸς⸌ εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν*, ποιεῖν τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα*, 29 πεπληρωμένους πάσῃ ἀδικίᾳ ⸂πονηρίᾳ πλεονεξίᾳ κακίᾳ⸃, μεστοὺς φθόνου φόνου ἔριδος °δόλου κακοηθείας, ψιθυριστὰς 30 ⸀καταλάλους θεοστυγεῖς ὑβριστὰς ὑπερηφάνους ἀλαζόνας, ἐφευρετὰς κακῶν, γονεῦσιν ἀπειθεῖς, 31 ἀσυνέτους ἀσυνθέτους ἀστόργους ⸆ ἀνελεήμονας·* 32 οἵτινες τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ θεοῦ ⸀ἐπιγνόντες ⸆ ὅτι οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες ἄξιοι θανάτου εἰσίν, οὐ μόνον ⸇ ⸂αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοκοῦσιν⸃ τοῖς πράσσουσιν*.

Sexual sins are not the only barometers of God’s judgment. What are some of the other moral vices?

We cannot forget that Paul’s purpose here is to establish that all are under sin and to explain why he was so eager to preach the gospel at Rome.

The only answer to God’s wrath is full acceptance of the gospel.