Useful Bible Studies > Romans Commentary > chapter 1

God’s attitude when people follow their own desires

Romans 1:24-27

Paul’s next subject is people who carry out certain sex acts. These acts are against God’s law (Leviticus chapter 18). However, Paul does not say that these people are worse than other people. In fact, many of them are sincere, honest people. Paul mentions them because everybody can learn an important lesson from their lives.

It should be clear to everyone that God made people to be male or female (Genesis 1:27; Mark 10:6). Therefore, God has a plan for how he wants men and women to behave. So, people should have tried to learn what God wants them to do. However, in this and many other matters, that is not what people usually do. Instead, people usually do whatever pleases them. They do not even think about how God wants them to live.

God is good and perfect (James 1:17). Therefore he cannot approve of any wrong behaviour. However, God does not often stop people when they want to do wrong things. Instead, as Paul says, God gives them up to the desires of their own hearts (1:24). In other words, he allows people to do even the wrong things that his judgement is against.

God may allow people to do such things but, of course, these things are still wrong. So, people must not imagine that they will not suffer because of their wrong acts. The natural result of our wrong and evil acts is that, one day, we all shall die (6:23). God wants to forgive us and to save (rescue) us; and that is possible because of Christ’s death. If we invite Christ into our lives, God can change us completely (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is interesting that many of Corinth’s Christians were formerly carrying out wrong sex acts (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). God’s message of good news, called the gospel, is for all people.

Next part: The most wicked behaviour (Romans 1:28-32)

 

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