What are the signs that all is not well between humanity and God? Many would point to ‘earthquake, wind and fire’, ‘pestilence, disease, and economic woe’. The pandemic. But the Apostle Paul goes elsewhere. He sees as inevitable that when men and women suppress the plain truth of the existence of God, men and women will be given over both to heterosexual sexual practice outside of marriage, and to homosexual practice. What are the signs that God’s present indignation is directed against a culture? Heterosexual and homosexual sinful activity. (In this talk the immensely sensitive subject of homosexual desire and practice is tackled with reference both to Paul’s teaching and to those who would wish to argue that Paul is not condemning all homosexual sexual activity).
The present judgement of God
Romans 1:26-32
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
