HOLD TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

Passage: Romans 1:26-32

Key verse: 28a

NIV

26 Because of this, God gave them over(A) to shameful lusts.(B) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.(C) 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.(D)

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over(E) to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,(F) 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;(G) 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,(H) no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,(I) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve(J) of those who practice them.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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ESV

26 For this reason (A)God gave them up to (B)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, (C)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, (D)God gave them up to (E)a debased mind to do (F)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 (G)God's righteous decree that those who practice such things (H)deserve to die, they not only do them but (I)give approval to those who practice them.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Misuse of sex (26-27)

'God created them male and female...' (Ge 1:27) He created sex to bind a man and woman into one, to make a family to glorify God. Physical union represents the joining together of mind and heart. God blessed man and woman to live joyfully and fruitfully as stewards of his world. When people rebel against God's laws and seek meaning and temporary pleasure in the misuse of sex, they cannot escape the consequences of broken creation order. They must live as slaves of their sinful natures.

2. A depraved mind (28-32)

When people do not retain the knowledge of God in their hearts they lose life's meaning. When people are not slaves of God, but slaves of sinful desires, their minds become depraved. Human relations become loveless, filled with hatred and distrust. The role models of society teach that right is wrong and wrong is right--to justify themselves. Moral anarchy and chaos is the result.

Prayer: Lord, come and dwell in my heart and rule my thoughts and actions.

One Word: Retain the knowledge of God