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- Preaching
the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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THE JUDICIAL HANDING-OVER
PROCESS BY GOD (Rom 1:24-28) Pastor Daryl Hilbert I.
GOD JUDICIALLY HANDED MAN OVER TO
HIS OWN DEPRAVITY (24, 26, 28) A. In His Will (24) 1.
In response to man’s sin, his
suppression of the truth (vs. 18), his dishonoring of God (vs. 21), his
idolatry (vs. 23), God has handed man over to his own sinfulness. 2.
“Handing over” (paradidōmi) has the basic meaning
of giving over from one's hand to someone or something. a)
Among various other meanings,
the word can refer to the legal technical term for passing someone along in
the judicial process (Mt 11:27; Mt 25:20). b)
In Rom 1:24, 26, 28, paradidōmai is emphasized and
clearly means, God's judicial act of handing someone over to suffer the
consequences of his wrongdoing. (1)
[God hands over men...] 1) indirectly and immediately, by
removing His restraint and allowing their sin to run its inevitable course,
and 2) directly and eventually, by specific acts of divine judgment and
punishment. The (MacArthur Study Bible) (2)
Alford says, “not merely permissive, but judicial, God
delivered them over. As sin begets sin, and darkness of mind, deeper
darkness, grace gives place to judgment, and the divine wrath hardens men,
and hurries them on to more fearful degrees of depravity.” (3)
Examples in Scripture (Jud
10:13; 2Chr 24:20; Ps 81:11-12; Josh 24:20). 3. Man willfully rejected God and worshipped idols (vs. 23). For this
reason (dio - therefore), God
handed man over to the lusts in his heart (kardia - seat of functions of the soul and spirit; i.e. volition
(Rom 10:10) and emotions). 4. Man’s lusts (epithumia
- unrestrained desire for something forbidden, Jas 1:14-15; 1Pe 4:2; 2Pe 1:4;
1Jo 2:16-17) lead him to impurity (akatharsia
- moral uncleanness and sexual impurity, Eph 5:13; B. In His Exchange Of The Truth (25) 1.
In a summation, sinful man
settled fully in his exchange (metallassō
- stronger form of allassō cp.
vs. 23) of the truth for a lie. 2.
Man fully accepted (lit.) “the
lie” that God and His truth no longer existed but that some created thing was
now his God. 3.
Man had turned a full 180
degrees by foolishly worshipping a created thing rather than the Creator (Jer
10:14-15; Jer 13:25 cp. Ps 14:1; Ps 53:1). 4.
In the middle of Paul’s
discourse, he gives a benediction and the proper blessing (“blessed forever”)
to the Creator who is to be honored as God. C. In His Emotions (26a) 1.
The downward progression
continues. Because God has been completely replaced by idol worship, God once
again judicially handed man over (paradidōmai)
to even more degrading passions (pathos
- strong emotion, in Rom 1:26 of uncontrolled sexual desire, 1Th 4:4-5). 2.
As a result of being handed
over to sinful passions and emotions, indecent acts of immorality were next
to follow. D. In His Indecent Acts (26b-27) 1.
Women pursued and settled fully
in their exchange (metallassō)
of a sinful lesbian lifestyle. 2.
In so doing, they exchanged the
natural (phusikos - according to
nature; i.e. the Creator’s design) sexual function (chrêsis - sexual use, sexual relations) for that which is
unnatural (prep para with phusis) and contrary to God’s design. 3.
However, it was not just the
women but in the same manner (homoiōs)
the men degraded into indecent acts of immorality. a)
Men (arsên - male gender distinction) abandoned the natural sexual
function (same word as in 26) of women (thêlus
- female gender distinction). b)
They had intense (ekkaiō - burn or kindle) sinful
homosexual cravings. c)
Paul explicitly says that it is
“males with males” (arsên en arsên)
that are committing (katergazomai -
working out) shameful acts (aschêmosunê). 4.
Such sinful behavior receives (apolambanō - receive what is due,
pres act part, emphatic) the righteous indignation of God (Rom 1:18). They
will receive the appropriate punishment (antimisthia
- reward or recompense) for their particular error (planê - wandering from God’s righteous standards). 5.
Sinful man has been handed over
to his own depravity, which in itself is a judgment from God. But sinful man
has also been handed over to his own sin in order to receive the penalty and
consequences for his own sin. E. In His Mind (28) 1.
In recompense of man’s decision
not to hold onto (exō) the
knowledge of God, God judicially handed man over (paradidōmai) to the depravity in his own mind. 2.
Depraved (adokimos) means not standing the test and therefore being
rejected. Even man’s thought and intentions are found wanting when compared
to God’s righteous standard. 3.
When man rejects God, not only
does he become foolish, but his foolish and depraved mind is bent on doing
things which are not morally proper; things which will bring the judgment of
God. II. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS A. Homosexuality Is A Judgment By God 1.
In today’s contemporary
thought, homosexuality is an alternative lifestyle that must not only be
tolerated but be embraced by all. 2.
However, the Scriptures make it
clear that far from being an alternative lifestyle, homosexuality is a sin
(Gen 19; Lev 18:22; 1Co 6:9-11; 1Ti 1:9-10; Jude 7; See comments on the “The
Biblical Truth About Homosexuality”) and
is a result of being judged by God (Rom 1:18, 26-27) because they have
rejected God and His truth. B. Sin Begets More Gross Sin 1.
What man needs to understand
about the nature of sin is that when an individual sins, he is drawn into a
deeper lifestyle of sin. 2.
Only those who come to Christ
receive forgiveness and the power to keep from falling down the spiral of sin
(Rom 5:20-21). C. Culture Does Not Dictate God’s Truth 1.
Paul made a stand in his day in
light of rampant homosexuality. In the same way believers are not to allow
culture to dictate their morality. 2.
Believers must remain firm on
God’s truth regardless what culture views as acceptable. |
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