Proper 7 (NTA)

Romans 1:18-32

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷ and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

The world around me, has exchanged truth for a lie. They have exchanged the worship of God for the worship of self or creatures. St Paul uses the perfect example of the most basic understanding of all creation. The relation between a male and a female. Nature explicitly shows that there is a proper relationship between the two sexes.

In the story of Jurassic Park, the scientist created clones of only ?Female dinosaurs. They used frog DNA to fill in the gaps. But Nature demands these animals to have Males and Females. Thus, the park developed both sexes. This allowed for the dinosaurs to be able to do the most basic function of every living organism: procreate.

St Paul says that people have exchanged truth about God for a lie. They have exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. St Paul equates Homosexuality with Lies about God. I am not going to disagree with St Paul, nor with God.

But St Paul does this to point people to the wrath of God. God hands these sinful people over to their own passions. He hands them over to their sinful desires and allows them to pave their road to HELL. But God does not desire for anyone to go to HELL. He desires to save you from your sins.

God has revealed his holiness. God has revealed the Righteous One. God has shown his people the Holy One of Israel. God has offer the perfect sacrifice for you and for me. God has paid the cost for your sins. He sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ for your forgiveness.

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not be done." God is Truth. God is Love.  Jesus Christ is God.