VILE PASSIONS DEGRADED MEN AND WOMEN WITH UNNATURAL BEHAVIOUR

When man fell from his God, ‘He changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man- and birds, four-footed beasts, and creeping things. ‘ ( v23)

Man was ungrateful. When Moses came down from the mount, where he had communed with the eternal ONE, he saw the golden calf, crafted under Aaron‘s direction, the high Priest. Fuming, Moses shattered the tables of stone with the eternal law of God written on them.

They were rebellious in their hearts for ‘When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain ( Sinai ) the people said to him,’ Come, make us gods that shall go before us, for as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become him.’ ( Exodus 32:1 ) Inexplicably, Aaron, the high priest, goaded them ‘ Break off the golden ear rings in the ears of your wives, sons and daughters, and bring them to me. The people did so and brought them to Aaron. Disregarding the instruction of the Lord, ‘He received the gold from their hand, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a moulded calf.’ Heaven was incredulous. Extolling a mineral from a corrupt earth!

They worshipped this pathetic metal image, ‘This is your god that brought you out of the land of Egypt. ; Aaron exaggerated the stupidity by ‘building an altar before it.’ They robbed God of His right of worship by ‘Rising early next day , offering burnt offerings, bringing peace offerings, sitting down to eat and drink (and rising up to play( promiscuous godless living).

An angry Lord said to Moses, ‘ Go get down. For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.’ Just like Paul had said. Communing with Moses, God said, ‘ They have turned aside quickly out of the way I have commanded them. They have made themselves a moulded calf, and (unbelievably have worshipped it, and sacrificed to it) robbing the dear Lord of sacrifices, pointing to Calvary ) and said, ’This is your god, O Israel that brought you out of the land of Israel.’ They had forgotten the eternal worth of the blood sprinkling of the Passover Lamb, on the eve of refuge from Egypt. Shame on them!

God intervened, ‘Giving them up also to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves.’ (v24) Remember that our bodies, marvellously designed by our God and preserved heart beat by heart beat for His glory , were intended as a home for the Holy Spirit. God gave them over to unholiness or uncleanness, and their bodies embraced destructive life styles. My medical practice gave countless examples of the personal aftermath.

For the rebel, truth dies, replaced by a lie. While Christ, the unchangeable truth of God, can never perish, satan is the father of lies, having deceived from the beginning. Paul wrote,

’ They exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.’ (v25 ) Fancy swopping imperishable truth for an impertinent fib .The Creator was robbed of the worship due to HIM, while the lifeless dummy was exalted. Such denunciation was distasteful to God. And still is.

The emotional life became chaotic, ‘For this cause God gave them up to vile passions.’ Deep emotions and holy passion are proper in a godly, married union, where man and woman have a blessed, spiritual, emotional and physical oneness. No money can purchase this sweetness, for it is a gift of our dear Father in heaven. In this dreadful downgrading of marriage, ’Even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. (v26 )

I often explained in my family medical practice, the astounding physiological and anatomical provision God had made for man and women to be united, with the miracle of a living child from that union. Woman was never intended to meet the emotional and love needs of another woman. The truth also applies to man with man. God’s order was perfect- and there is no substitute. Malcolm’s family , husband, sweet daughter and teenage son, was stunned when wife and mother chose a woman to live together ’after the unholy unnatural relationship’. I prayed for Malcolm that the Lord would keep him. God warns trenchantly.

‘Likewise the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.(v27) Leaders in high offices proudly declare their sexual preference, (of the will nor genetic ) as though they had changed their football or cricket allegiance.

The Archbishop of the Anglican church in England contends he will ordain homosexual priests, regardless of the outcry of offended parishioners. Today, the leader of the Uniting church of Australia has announced that ’gay’ pastors will be ordained . Disillusioned, many will abandon their old church links. Thank God that the Archbishop of Sydney stands firmly for the truth of God’s Word, supported by Bible -believing bishops. Nigeria with 15 million believers may secede from the Anglican church, preferring to heed the warnings of God’s precious Word. I could not avoid this contemporary, spiritual and moral degradation.

Something perishes in the man conspiring to capture his next male victim, or living with one of his own sex. The HIV + ve is climaxing, an outcome of abnormal male physical relationship, in our present generation. Shame is the outcome of this deviant behaviour.

This conduct may infect an entire city as in Sodom. ( Genesis 19 ) When Lot entertained a visitor, ’The men of the city called to Lot, ’Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know them carnally.’ (v5) ’They pressed hard against the man Lot , and came near to break down the door.’ God solemnly protected the men who visited Lot by ’striking the men with blindness who were at the door, both small and great .’

Solemn stuff! The men said to Lot, ’We will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. ’Lot pleaded with his own flesh and blood, ’Get up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.’ How can men practice unnatural sexual acts as though a funny story ? ‘When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying ‘Arise, take your wife, and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ (v15)

The command became more urgent, ‘Escape for your life. Do not look behind nor stay anywhere in the plain. God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, when ‘The Lord rained fire and brimstone, from the Lord out of heaven.’ (v24 ) God preserved in the depths of the Dead Sea remains of the fire and brimstone extermination, once called Sodom and Gomorrah.

‘Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge (especially in sexual union) God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things that are not fitting. ( Rom 1:28) Many have turned from this abhorrent life-style, found the Lord Jesus as Saviour- and were born again.

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