For this reason, God gave them over to dishonorable passions; for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way the males also abandoned the natural function of the female and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.     Romans 1:26-27 LSB

Have you ever met someone who seems to have an attitude of “anything goes”. I think this is the best way to explain what Paul is talking about here. We have been talking about God giving us over to our sinful desires or the lusts of our hearts. We have heard of gateway drugs. These are drugs like alcohol and marijuana that may lead to using drugs like crack, methamphetamine or heroine. Well, our repeated sin or repeatedly rejecting God leads to a worsening of behavior. Sin leads to more sin if we don’t repent and get right with God.

Sexual sin is no different from drug abuse. Sexual sin or immorality can lead to more sin. David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Once he found out she was pregnant, he ended up murdering her husband to cover up the adultery.

What we see in our Scripture passage today is God giving them over to an “anything goes” mentality.

Sin takes one of two paths. Either the sinner is struck with their conscience or conviction through the Holy Spirit and they become remorseful and repent of their sin, or they continue in their sin and go deeper and deeper until God finally gives them over. When God gives us over to sin, we are on our own walking in the dark. We are spiritually blinded, and this leads to spiritual death.

I find it interesting that many people say they don’t want to die, but yet they live in their sin oblivious to the fact that they are suffering a spiritual death. When Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden, the serpent lied to Eve to get her to eat the forbidden fruit. In Genesis 3:4, the serpent told Eve, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened,, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Adam and Eve didn’t physically die that day, but they died spiritually. They suffered for the rest of their lives. They were banished from the Garden of Eden. They had to work the land to get food. Eve suffered pain during childbearing. One son killed the other. We mentioned Galatians 6:7 yesterday which says, “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

We cannot hide from God, and we can’t escape His punishment. If you have unrepented sin in your life, now is the time to get rid of it and start fresh. Turn to God, admit to Him that you are a sinner, repent of your sin and ask Him to help you get rid of the sin in your life. Trust me, He will be glad to do that. Believe in Him and commit to Him.

We are either living and walking with Him or we are suffering spiritual death. We suffer spiritual death when we become so entangled in our sin that we can’t get out of it. He will gladly untangle any mess you have made if you only ask. I am living proof of this.

We suffer spiritual death when we reject God. If you choose to continue in your sin, you are rejecting God and accepting the ways of the devil. There is no middle ground.

Don’t suffer spiritual death but be alive in your Lord and Savior. He wants to love you and take good care of you, but He never forces His love on you, you have to accept it. There is no sin in your life that feel better or will be better for you than God’s love and protection. Trust in Him today.

Turn from your sin and accept all the goodness God has to offer you.

Have a great day!