We are now told about three ways that God gave humanity up or handed them over. First, he gave their hearts over to lust (v24), second, he gave them over to “dishonourable passions” . note, it’s their bodies that are given over (v26).[1] Thirdly, he handed over their minds or delivered them to “debased minds” (v28). I don’t think we are meant to see these as three separate activities. Rather, if we are handed over, mind, body and heart then this mirrors the way in which we are meant to love God with heart, mind and strength. It’s about the totality of the person. We are meant to love God but we reject and exchange that love. So, God gives us over the very idols that we love instead of him.
Paul says that the reason that God has handed humans over to their lusts was because they have chosen to exchange worship of him, the creator for worship of the created. “Lust of their hearts” identifies sin as a result of our wills, our hearts’ desires. The desire is corrupted, we long for what is wrong, forbidden and God allows us to follow through on that. In Eden, this is reflected in Adam and Eve recognising their nakedness and experiencing shame (v24-25).
“Dishonourable passions” describes our disordered desires. We look for our needs to be met In the wrong places and so seek sexual pleasure, fulfilment and intimacy in the wrong places. In this case, Paul describes women seeking same sex experiences instead of heterosexual marriage and likewise men. Paul says that they receive the due penalty in their bodies. The penalty for sin of course is death. It is worth exploring what that means in this context but in summation, I would suggest that both Paul is saying that they physically die and that there is something about these decisions that marks them out as “dead” perhaps in that these forms of relationships are sterile, unable to provide the intended fruit of sexual relations (v26-27).
Humans have chosen not to acknowledge God, they refuse the clear and unavoidable revelation of him. So, if they chose not to use their minds to know God, then God allows their minds to be filled up with other things instead. Their minds are debased, instead of dwelling on what is good, their orientation is towards sin (v28). Here, Paul lists the root desires of unrighteousness in terms of coveting, lying, gossiping, boasting etc. If the list is not enough, they manage to invent new and ingenious ways of doing evil. At the heart of it is that instead of fearing God, they hate him (v29-31). They know that these things go against God’s law and that the penalty is death but not only choose to do them but to approve of and encourage others in their sin as well (v32).
[1] See v 24.
Faithroots 