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Romans 1:27 NASB

NT

Romans 1:27

nasb

27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, a men with men committing 1 indecent acts and receiving in 2 their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Romans 1:27 Study

Romans 1:26-27

1:18-32

For this reason

God gave them over to degrading passions;

a) for their women exchanged [natural for unnatural]

the natural function (-)

-/+

for that which is unnatural, (+)

Id/Exp

[S] and

Id/Exp

in the same way also

Cf

the men abandoned the natural function of the woman (-)

-/+

b) and [the men] burned in their desire toward one another, (+)

men with men

Id/Exp

committing indecent acts

Ac/Res

and receiving ... the due penalty of their error.

Id/Exp

in their own persons

Ac/Man

mine

phrasing

notes

Study - Romans 1:27

Paul puts men and women on equal grounds in terms of their suppression of God's revealed truth, and the error - the degrading passions and impurity - that comes as result. They both abandon what is clearly revealed as natural, and exchange it for what is equally clearly unnatural. He then makes it clear that the penalty they receive is "due" - the idea being that it is what they deserved. It is not clear what the penalty is that Paul has in mind here - is it the natural and earthly consequences that sin often brings? Is it God's act of Him giving them over to those lustful passions and immorality? Is it the eternal consequences that they will receive when they one day face Him on the day of judgment? Or is it all of those combined? Whichever one it is, it should inspire fear in us, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 9:10). Important to point out, is that people often accuse God of injustice by sending people to hell for all eternity for the "little" or "trivial" sins that they do. The same is often said for homosexuality - "How can an all-loving God send me to hell for ever for just loving another person?" We see here an important principle to keep in mind when it comes to sin and God's judgment of it, and this principle is always at work : While the bible makes it clear that men (and women) will be judged according to their works (deeds) (Rom 2:5-6; Rev 20:11-15), they are ultimately judged according to their acceptance or rejection of Christ as revealed in the Gospel. They are judged on whether they worship God or idols. They sin (unrepented and continual sin) because they ultimately reject one or another non-negotiable truth as it is clearly revealed by God to them, so that they can comfortably continue in their sin instead of forsaking it. They sin, because they still have hearts of stone instead of hearts of flesh, because they do not have the Holy Spirit in them who causes them to walk according to Gods statutes or makes them careful to observe His ordinances (Ezek 36:25-27). They sin, because that is what is in their hearts (Matt 15:19). They sin, because they do not love Christ (John 14:15). They sin because they do not have His seed abiding in them, and they are children of the devil (1 John 3:4-10). And they will be judged according to these sins, but ultimately because of what CAUSES all these sins - an unreprented, unbelieving heart that loves themselves and their sin - idols. Not God. Talk is easy, and talk is cheap. Your verbal profession of Christ means nothing, if the character of your life doesn't back up what your mouth is saying. Remember what Paul said about certain men in Titus 1:16 - " They profess to know God, but by their DEEDS they DENY Him." Beloved, if my life is characterized by ongoing, planned, unconfessed and unrepented sin, this is true of me. It is not by obedience or good works that we RECEIVE justification and eternal life, but be sure that God NEVER only saves a person from the penalty of sin without also saving him from the power of sin. Let us examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.