Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

        Romans 1:24-25

Anytime that we take look at the issue of human depravity, we need to make sure that we completely understand the depth of this word. Depravity, by definition, is “moral corruption and wickedness.” There is just no way around that. Some people may deny such spiritual truth while others just ignore or simply don’t care. But the truth is that all of us need to be transformed and this spiritual rebirth only comes when we give our lives to Jesus Christ, the only One who has accomplished what is necessary for us to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). 

When looking at today’a passage, we need to begin with “therefore.” This verse begins as such because of everything that was presented to us previously. In order to get the complete picture, we should go back to verse 18 of this passage and read it all the way through to the end of the chapter (verse 32). Because of mankind’s depravity, God has given these unbelieving, rebellious hearts over to their own devices. This is most assuredly what God is willing to do in the life of anyone who rejects the gospel, is unrepentant, and refuses the salvation offered them through faith in Jesus Christ. When God “gives someone over” to their own devices, He is allowing them to live on their terms. God doesn’t force Himself on anyone yet is willing to receive everyone, if we would only come and ask (Acts 16:30-31, 1 Timothy 2:4). 

So, we see that because of everything mentioned in the previous verses, God “gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.” We will discuss more specifically about this issue of lust and impurity in the next installment of “observable truth.” But for now, we see that sinful, depraved mankind can have his way if that is what he wants. God “giving someone over” is much like a final judgment on that life (although it is not actually the final judgment at the end of our lives). Unlike in the final judgment, while we are alive, repentance is still available. But for God to give these people over to their own lusts and desires is simply saying that they have moved so far away from God and any semblance of spiritual understanding that this is the only response that God can give. And it is completely just for Him to do this because these individuals are hard-hearted, rebellious, and are unwilling to repent (Luke 13:1-5). 

Let’s take an important pause here. This passage is not referring to born again believers in Jesus. If we have given our lives to Christ, are saved, and are now filled with the Holy Spirit, we have abundant, eternal life living within our hearts. This passage is a general indictment on the whole of humanity outside of Christ. It would be a mistake for us to believe that, as Christians, we can make a mistake or a bad decision and consequently be placed in the category of those described in this passage. We have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), all gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6), and have all broken all of God’s laws (James 2:10)…this is the human condition. But as born again believers in Jesus, even though we will make mistakes, fall to temptation, and find ourselves battling the flesh in which we still live, none of these things move us into the category of the unsaved, unrepentant, and those void of the Holy Spirit. We must understand that this passage is a reminder that all of mankind needs redemption and that redemption only comes through faith in Jesus. So, as Christians, we will not find ourselves in this category any longer in that we have been delivered from the wrath of God through faith in what Jesus has already accomplished for us on the cross. 

With that being said, let’s continue to look at how God responds to those who reject the gospel and insist on living in their depravity. “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” These people do not live in the truth or in the Light of Christ. Their minds and hearts are being guided by lies, deception, and spiritual darkness. This is the activity of the enemy, the devil. All of us, before giving our lives to Christ, were caught in this same depravity. No one can boast that they have not broken God’s law because, if we have broken one, we are guilty of breaking all of them (James 2:10). This should put an end to the seemingly endless comparisons that people make with others (but sadly it doesn’t, 2 Corinthians 10:12). But the truth is that we are all in need of salvation and that salvation only comes through the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). 

So God has given these people over to lies and deception because that is what they prefer (John 3:19). They do not want to live in the truth, in fact, the truth is what they find foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14-15). Consider the following:

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

        John 8:12

…to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.

        Acts 26:18

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

            2 Corinthians 4:6

Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

Isaiah 50:10

All of these verses reference the difference between light and darkness. When we are saved, light becomes the reality for our minds and hearts. When we remain apart from Christ, darkness, lies, and deception continue to be our spiritual reality. Even in the face of worldly success, that often acts as a deceptive weapon of the enemy, we can find ourselves empty and apart from the truth. In other words, we can have everything in this life and still lose it all in eternity (Luke 9:25). The people that Paul is referring to in our passage today are those who know about the Light, have heard the Word of God, and have decided to reject it and pursue life on their own terms. And with every decision to say, “no” to God and we can find ourselves moving ever farther and farther away from Him. It’s not that He has moved rather it is our hearts and minds that we have removed from Him, His presence, and His Word. 

So how do we correctly assess all of this? Consider two things: the Spirit of God and the Word of God. When we live apart from Christ and the salvation offered in Him, effectively remaining in spiritual darkness, we are void of the presence of God in our lives (Acts 2:38). And if the presence of God does not live within us, we will not understand, pursue, or value the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). Secondly, if we ignore, reject, or fail to build our lives on the Word of God (the Bible), we are effectively turning off the ability for us to hear the truth. Only when we are filled with the Spirit of God and find ourselves regularly in the Bible, will we see the transforming power of God in our lives. In other words, show me someone who hasn’t been saved or claims salvation but is not consistently in the Word of God and I will show you someone who is living life on a foundation of their own doctrine, beliefs, and philosophies. Let’s live our lives in the very power of the presence of God within our hearts and build our lives on the foundation of the Word of God, even as the world continues to reject its power!

Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 

      John 8:43-45