For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Romans 1:26-27

Anytime that we have the choice between siding with God or fallen humanity, we would  do well to choose God. As difficult as this may be in light of knowing someone who is living apart from Christ or watching a family member engaging in a lifestyle contrary to what God would desire for them, it is still imperative that we stay on the right side of the truth and boldly and unapologetically uphold that which God has already said regarding human behavior. It’s actually the most loving thing that we can do for an unbeliever or that loved one who has found his/her way into a life of depravity. 

Today, we see the second of three (3) statements in which God has given a group of people “over to their own devices.” Today, we see that “God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural.” We’ll get to “degrading” in a moment but first, let’s define the word natural. When the question comes up, “What is natural?”, the answer is always: “As God has designed it to be.” Likewise, someone could ask the question, “What is normal?” Again, the answer: “Normal is as God has intended for it to be.” When we move God out of the equation when it comes to defining terms such as “natural” and “normal,” we put fallen mankind in the driver’s seat to come up with his own definitions. A fatal mistake when looking at morality and godliness.

So what do we see happening in the first portion of this passage? “Women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural.” The natural function is sexual activity between a man and a woman in a marital setting. For clarification, let’s remember two eternal truths, things that were true yesterday, are still true today, and will forever be true. 

(1) God created mankind. He created man from the dust of the ground and He created woman from the man. 

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

    Genesis 1:26

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

      Genesis 2:18, 21-22

We even see this in our English language…man and woman…male and female. God created two genders and only two genders (this is actually debated as society moves further and further from God). 

(2) God created marriage. 

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:24-25

Marriage is defined as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman. The marriage vows are sacred and are to be kept by both parties to the exclusion of pursuing any other person for as long as the married couple live. Fallen mankind, in his depravity, can attempt to redefine normal, natural, and marriage as much as he likes. But just like jumping off of a building in an effort to debunk gravity, by living in our own definitions for things that have their origin from God and are rooted in God, we deceive ourselves and the end result will be as tragic as it would be for the jumper who denies gravity. 

So back to “natural” and this idea of “degradation. “God gave them over to degrading passions.” Degradation is debasement. And what is debasement? It is “the process of reducing the quality or value of something.” And what “degrading passions” are being referred to in this passage? “Their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural.” To begin, the women were rejecting sexual activity with a man in a marital relationship and turning to sexual acts with one another. In essence, trading the natural for that which is unnatural. Notice that when God “gives someone over to a lifestyle,” He is giving these people what they want. As they reject God’s design on marriage and human sexual activity, He let’s them have what they want. Of course this comes with earthly and, if not repented of, eternal consequences. 

Likewise, the men were doing the same thing. “And in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts.” Like the women, who were exchanging the natural for the unnatural, the men were abandoning the natural function of being with a woman, by taking a wife, and living in a marital context, and began to burn in their sexual desire for other men. And if we needed any clarification, here is the description, “men with men committing indecent acts.” Rejecting the Word of God, living in the futility of convoluted thinking, and possessing a darkened heart and we have a recipe for the demise of society and an inability to disseminate between decency and indecency. 

“Indecent,” by definition, is “not conforming to generally accepted standards of behavior and propriety.” Indecency is that which is vulgar, filthy, and obscene. And from where do these “standards” for decency come? They come from the truth of God’s Word, the Bible, and the presence of God living within the hearts of those who belong to Christ. They are fixed, definable, and eternal truths. 

So what is the outcome for such behavior? “Their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” Sin has consequences in this life. Unrepentant sin brings with it eternal consequences as well. We would do well to remember what the Word of God says, knowing that some will ignore, reject, and despise such things, living as they please. But we do not have to do the same. Through a transformed life in Jesus Christ, receiving the Holy Spirit of God living on the inside of our hearts, and a devotion to studying and living out the truths found in the Word of God and we will find ourselves well equipped to handle the ever changing cultural landscape. And not only will we find ourselves protected from the depravity of such behavior but we might even be able to assist someone else who is caught in such an exchange. 

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 

      1 Corinthians 6:9-11