us if you have your Bibles tonight if you could turn to the book of Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1. Been praying a lot where we're going to go next. And we will get on into 2nd and 3rd John starting next week. We'll start our study through those two short books, which are really letters that are written to individuals. One was to a lady, the other is to a gentleman. And man, they are packed full. of truth. These two letters are all about truth. So at the end of that study, we will know truth. We will know a lot of it. We will know the substance of truth and it is going to be a great study. I've had a message on the back burner for some time now in Romans chapter one. Just everything that's going on in the world, especially with our students, our children and the school systems and things that they face. I think this passage will speak to a lot of situations that we may face as we walk through this vile and this unruly world. So in Romans chapter 1, let's pick up our reading in verse 18 and we will read through the rest of the chapter. Romans 1 and verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power in Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise, They became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and forfeited beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections, for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, maligny, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affections, implacable, unmerciful, who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only to do the same but have pleasure in them that do them. What an eye-opening passage. We're speaking on this subject tonight. Biblical truth about sexual immorality. Biblical truth about sexual immorality. Bow with me as we pray. Father, Lord, we come to you once again tonight, and we are so grateful for everything that you are. Father, we do acknowledge that you are Creator God. Father, we acknowledge that you are holy. You are just. We acknowledge, Father, that you are wrathful, and you are loving, and you are merciful. Father, we praise you for everything that you are. And now as we enter into a special time of worship, from which we open up your word and we study it. We pray that your spirit would be our teacher. We pray that we have come into this building tonight with repentant hearts. We pray that you would soften our hearts and make us ready to receive what you would have us receive tonight through the study of your word. It's in your son's name we pray. Amen. biblical truth about sexual immorality. The first thing I would like for us to look at from our passage is I think it's important to get a clear definition of sexual immorality. It's very pertinent right out of the gate as we look at a passage like we have looked at tonight that we define Sexual immorality, how the Bible defines it. We're talking about sexual sins. The world has taken a gift that God has given us and has perverted it down to a level something like gender. But what is it that the Bible says about sexual immorality? Well, first of all, to be clear, sexual acts outside of marriage is sin. It's sin. There's two quick scriptures we can use to point this out. First Corinthians chapter 7 and verses 1 through 5. It says, Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me, It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband. And likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourself to fasting and prayer, and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontency. Sexual relations are reserved for the wife and her own husband. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 4 says marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. So those that commit sexual acts outside of the marriage bed, they're committing adultery. Sexual acts are a gift given by God as an expression of love to be shared and enjoyed between the sacred union of the husband and wife. Anything outside of that definition The Bible clearly defines as sin. Secondly, we could define homosexuality as sin. The Bible is crystal clear in this area. The Old Testament defines homosexuality as sin. In some well-known verses, Leviticus 18, 22 says, Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is abomination. Leviticus 20, in verse 13. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death, their blood shall be upon them. And not only in the Old Testament is homosexuality defined as a sin, but in the New Testament, Paul defines homosexuality as a sin. In 1 Corinthians 6, Verses 9 through 10. Paul says, That's a man having feminine qualities or acting like a woman. We're talking about homosexuals. nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God." Christ himself, he did not specifically address homosexuality, but what Christ did do is clearly define marriage. And in Mark 10, verses 6-9, Christ said, from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. So then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God had joined together, let no man put aside." asunder. So Christ clearly defines marriage as one man and one woman joined together for life. Not two men or two women. It's one man, one woman forever. And anything outside of that is sin. So sexual acts outside of marriage is sin. Homosexuality is sin. And thirdly, we must define or we must state that transgenderism is sin. A person that claims to be transgender identifies with the opposite sex that they were born Friends, this is sin no matter how you look at it. The Bible only gives two clear gender categories, and it's male and female. You know the verses as well as I do, Genesis 127. So God created man in his own image, and the image of God created he him. Male and female created he them. Genesis 2 verses 21 and 22 And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs It closed up his flesh instead thereof and the rear which the Lord God had taken from man Made he a woman brought her unto the man. Jesus affirmed this very truth in Mark chapter 10 and verse 6 when Jesus said himself but from the beginning of creation God made them male and Female. The Bible even goes as far as condemning males dressing as women and women dressing as males in Deuteronomy chapter 22 and verse 5. It says, The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment. For all they do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God. This is disgusting unto God. Friends, no matter how much the world tries to weave in and out of scripture, and no matter how many scriptures that the world takes out of context, transgenderism is sin. Fourthly, bisexualism is Again, we must be clear, God designed marriage, one man, one woman, for life. And God designed all sexual acts to be confined or reserved for that biblical union of marriage. So any sexual act, any dating, any attraction to the same sex is sin. Now you might be thinking, why in the world would we be talking about this, and I'll give you just a few reasons why. Number one, we must address this issue as a church because the world is teaching our children that sexual immorality is okay. Listen to what TikTok, which for those of you that don't know, is full of highly clickable videos that are extremely popular for, listen to this, for children ages 4 through 15. These videos are full of what the Christian Post says the hashtag trans has been viewed over 26 billion times on the app. Now this is the same app that ages 4 to 15 spend an average of 69 minutes a day looking at. 69 minutes a day. Children ages 4 to 15 spend a day looking at TikTok which has over 26 billion videos supporting sexual immorality. A lot of these videos will feature young people documenting in a fun and light-hearted way the various stages of undergoing these experimental hormone therapy treatments and irreversible body-altering surgeries, making them to be more like the opposite sex. Gender is seen for this age group, ages 4 through 15, as the new rebellion. Just last month, if you keep up with what's going on with Disney, they just recently restored a same-sex kiss in the movie Lightyear. And they did it because of an uproar from within the community, within the company. And they promised the employees to take the content in family movies, to make that content more LGBTQ community-friendly. In layman's terms, that means that Disney made a company-wide priority to indoctrinate our children with sexual immorality. In Florida, if you've been keeping up with what's going on with Governor Ron DeSantis, the governor recently signed a bill into law that prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for grades kindergarten through third grade, and most of us are thinking, well, the teachers shouldn't be teaching anything about gender identity anyway in the public school system, and we're thinking correctly about that. But that didn't set right with those in the community, and with those in the multimedia group. Did you know that over 150 companies, companies including Marriott and American Airlines, signed a human rights campaign letter opposing the bill? For those of us that watch ESPN, did you know that the announcers of ESPN actually protested this law with an on-air silence during the women's NCAA basketball tournament? The world thinks teaching our children sexual immorality is okay. Number two of this list of reasons why we must, as a church, address this issue is the government is passing laws making it illegal to speak out against sexual immorality. A lot of you know about the Bill C-4 that was drafted and passed in December 2021 in Canada, signed into law on January 8th. This bill directly comes against parents and counselors who would seek to offer biblical counsel with respect to sexual immorality and gender. This new law actually criminalizes evangelism. It was passed through the House and Senate in Canada, listen to this, without a single dissenting vote from the supposedly conservative party of Canada. In the preamble of the veil, it makes this statement, and I quote, it says, heterosexuality, cisgender, gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions is a myth. Which means, according to Canadian law, the belief in God's design for marriage and the belief in God's design in sexual orientation is seen as a myth. And this law took effect on January 8th. It is now against the law to preach and teach or counsel anyone regarding God's design for marriage and sexuality. And if you break this law, it's punishable for up to two to five years in prison. But we must not point fingers too much at Canada. Because in our own home state, we are in our own nation, not our home state, but in our own nation, we are heading down the same path. In 2012, California, California Senate passed a bill, 1172, banning gay conversion. alongside New York, New Jersey, and Nevada. In doing this, the Californian government sought to prohibit any correction of an unbiblical view of sexual identity because they said they had compelling... interest in protecting the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. In 2020, in August, the Democratic Party declared at the Democratic Natural Convention that it would ban harmful conversion therapy practices. would just share in the gospel with somebody who is struggling with a sexual sin or is struggling with transgenderism would fall into that conversion therapy practice category. The Obama administration appointed over 250 LGBTQ people to serve in the government and the Biden administration has promised to double that number and they are on track to doing that. And then the third reason we must address this as a church is professing Christian denominations through accepting sexually immoral people as members and allowing some of them in the pulpit. It's happening in some so-called Baptist churches, in the Methodist churches, and even some Presbyterian churches, Evangelical Lutheran churches, United Church of Christ and many others. And these churches claim to be Christian churches that teach and preach the same word of God that we do. So yes, if we think about sexual immorality, it's a far worse pandemic. than any pandemic that we are in. Sexual immorality in all forms is sin. So the clear definition of sexual immorality. And then let's consider the root sin. The root sin of sexual immoralities. Because if you consider this big umbrella of sexual immoralities and all the categories of sexual immorality that falls under it, it's easy to focus on the exterior sins, but yet forget the root And that root sin is exactly what Paul addresses in our passage. He addresses it in verse 18. He says, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Look to verse 25 of Romans 1. It says, who change the truth of God into a lie. So the root sin of sexual immorality is holding the truth in unrighteousness. The root sin of sexual immorality is changing the truth of God into a lie, which interpreted the root sin of sexual immorality, it's an outright and blatant rejection of the truth. The Greek word used for truth, we're familiar with this word because it was used multiple times in the book of 1 John chapter 5, was aletheia. This is speaking of divine truth that is clearly revealed to man. and is open to human reason without God's supernatural intervention. Paul gives us examples or ways that this truth that we're talking about is revealed. In verses 19 through 23, the first way that we see is the truth is revealed in the heart. It is revealed in the heart. We go back to verse 19. He says, because that which may be known of God is manifest or revealed in them for God hath showed it unto them. You see, every human being has an awareness of God from within. It has been recorded by many historians that even before Moses penned the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, mankind knew about God. And one of the reasons that mankind knew about God is that God reveals himself within the inside of each and every one of us. of us. Every human being has a conscience that God has pre-programmed with His law. And this law does not promote sexual immorality. You are not born with a God-placed inward desire to be attracted to the same sex or with a God-placed inward desire to change your gender. Those are learned desires. The truth is first of all revealed in the heart. The second way we see that truth is revealed is it is revealed in creation. It's revealed in the heart and God reveals truth in creation. Look at verse 20. I love this verse. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power in Godhead, so that they are without excuse." We don't have to do much explaining here. When we walk out of the door at night and we look up and we see the stars shining in the sky, when we see the moons, when we get a telescope out and we look at the planets, we know without a shadow of a doubt that somebody place those stars there, that somebody placed those planets there, we know that there is a creator. When we look at our body and see how intricately designed our body is and how did our organs work together with each other and how our systems We're together and our bodies function as one organism. That's amazing. We know that there had to have been a powerful creator to put us together. Every human, everywhere, are left without excuse when it comes to knowing that there is a creator, God. The truth about God is revealed in our hearts and is revealed in creation. Thirdly, the truth is revealed in the scriptures. When you look back at this passage, we clearly see how God has revealed Himself in our hearts and creation. But the vast majority of the world has access to something that is far greater than that. We have access to the Bible. Did you know that the Bible is the number one best-selling book of all times? To date, over 5 billion copies have been printed and sold. No other book even comes close to selling as many copies as the Bible. And did you also know that in America, over 85% of families living in America not only have one copy of the Bible, they have four? four copies of the Bible for 85% of those families living in America. So that means that five billion copies of the Word of God are out in God's creation. American families, most of them, have four copies at home. That's amazing to me, four copies at home. The point I'm trying to make is this, mankind generally stands without excuse that there is a God. God has revealed himself to them in one way or another. And more specifically, no American, with the freedoms that we have, and the access that we have to the Internet, and the access we have to apps, the Bible app, and all these different apps, no American will be able to stand before God on Judgment Day and say that they did not have an opportunity to know His truth. And what have most of those who are living a sexually immoral life done with this revealed truth? They have rejected it. They have suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. They have changed the truth of God into a lie. They have outright, blatantly rejected the revealed truth about God. The root sin of sexual immorality is the rejection of the truth that God has revealed in our hearts, that he has revealed in creation, and that he has revealed in this divinely inspired word. The clear definition, the root sin. Thirdly, let's consider the abandoning cause of sexual immorality. The abandoning cause. We as Christians, we must change our thinking. When we look at those who are eyeball deep in these sexual immoral lifestyles, we must realize that the root problem is not on the exterior. The root problem is on the inside. interior. The root problem is the heart. There is a cause that is rather shocking to some Christians. And some Christians will even deny the truth that we are getting ready to consider. But if you look back to our passage and you look at verses 24 26 and 28. There's a repeated phrase that we must not miss and that we must correctly interpret to understand this passage. Look at verse 24. It says, Wherefore God also gave them up. Look at verse 26. For this cause God gave them Now look at verse 28, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over. In each one of these verses, them is the direct object. We're saying that the them is receiving the action of the verb, and the noun in all three of these sentences is God. God's doing the action, and the them is receiving this action. Understanding this phrase is of the utmost importance. If you go back to the original Greek text, you will find that gave up, or gave over, in the original Greek text is paridomi. And peritome means to literally hand over, or to deliver, or to abandon with a sense of close personal involvement. In the New Testament, you will find the word gave over, the same Greek verb used in many different ways in an extreme sense. Every time you find it, it's used like that. In 1 Corinthians 13, 3, paradidomi, gave over, is used to describe the giving of one's body to be burned. In Galatians chapter 2 20, Ephesians 5 2 and verse 25 of Ephesians chapter 5 as well, that gave over is used to describe Christ giving himself over for death. Peter uses paradidomi in this way in 2 Peter 2 in verse 4. He describes the rebellious angels being delivered to the pits of darkness. In our passage in Romans 1, paradidomi is used both in a direct and an indirect sense. It is used directly to describe the simple withdrawal of God's restraining power and his protective hand from the affairs of man, which allows the consequences of sin to take over. And in an indirect sense, or a direct sense, it is used for God literally giving them over. And I think it was Stephen Lawson that used this explanation. I heard this some time ago about this passage. He said, God, giving them over is like this. You have a boat that God is holding from dock. And there is a strong current in a river that is tugging that boat away. And those that are stuck in this sexually immoral life, they are paddling away from God. They are paddling away from that dock. And when they reach that point, God not only lets go of that rope, but God kicks the boat out into the current so they can go where they want to go. That's the abandoning wrath. of God. That's God giving them over. So with that in mind, the first way we see that God delivers the unrighteous is He delivers them unto uncleanness. Unto uncleanness. Look back to verse 24. It says, wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. That phrase uncleanness, it can be interpreted as impurity and probably is in some of your translations. This is talking about sexual indulgences. Pornography, molestation, fornication, all those words is what this phrase impurity entails. And all of these ways are ways that the body is used, the body that is supposed to glorify God, to use your body in this impure way is to dishonor it. An example of this that we see in the scriptures is what was going on in the church of Corinth in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. This church had committed sins of impurity and had not repented of them. And Paul says this, For I fear less when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as you would not. Lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults. And lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you that I shall be well many of you, many which have sinned already and have not repented of uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. You see, the Apostle Paul did not want to come back to the Corinthians while they were unrepentant of their sins of impurities. That uncleanness, fornication, and lasciviousness is just another way to describe crude sexual behavior or conduct. So with that in mind, I ask, why is it that the U.S. is the global leader in the porn industry with over two-thirds of it based in California? Again, verse 25 tells us that who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the Creator, more the creation, more than the Creator. Friends, God has given us over as a nation to impurities. We have exchanged the truth as a nation for a lie and have worshipped ourselves more than our Creator. God delivers the unrighteous unto uncleanness. The second way we see that God delivers the unrighteous is He delivers them over to vile affections. To vile affections. Look back to verse 26. of our passage. We'll actually read 26 and 27. For this cause God gave them up, there's our phrase, unto vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts toward one another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error, which was meat." That phrase, vile affections, it can be interpreted as degrading passions. It's defined by Paul himself in verses 26 and 27 of our passage. It is men and women exchanging the natural use That's a sexual term translated as function. The natural function of one another. And just to be clear, the natural function of one another as defined in the Bible is one man and one woman in the unity, under the umbrella of marriage. And they exchange that natural function for that which is unnatural. Men working that which is unseemly with another man. Women working that which is unseemly with another woman. woman. Paul is directly referring to what we have titled homosexuality. Homosexuality is a sin and there is a direct result of God, it is a direct result of God giving them over, giving the unrighteous over because they have suppressed his divine truth in their own unrighteousness they rejected his truth so God rejects them and pushes them into their own vile affections God delivers the unrighteous into vile affections so he delivers the unrighteous into uncleanness he delivers them into vile affections and there's a third way or third way that we see that God delivers the unrighteous and it is to a reprobate mind, a reprobate mind. In this downward spiral, this abandoning wrath of God that is unleashed on the unrighteous, we find a phrase that we might use often but it's commonly misunderstood. Look at verse 28. It said, even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. That word reprobate in some translations is depraved. And it comes from the Greek word that means an all-out rejection. So God gives the unrighteous, those who have suppressed the truth in unrighteous, over to a mind that flat out rejects Him. And look at what this reprobate mind does. Look at verse 29 through 32. Paul says being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, that's malicious behavior, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, Proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affections. That's a big one. That means that it's unloving, specifically in the family. So those that have been given over to this depraved mind, there's no love in that family. The parents don't love the children, the children don't love the parents. The list goes on. Implacable, that means not able to be appeased. Unmerciful. who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." The unrighteous, who has suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. They encompass all of these sins. They commit all of these sins. And the scary thing is, is they have pleasure in them that do them. We see this in this gender identity crisis that is really sweeping the world. Gender transformation, it's encouraged, it is taught, and it is even worshipped by what it seems like is the vast majority of humanity. Why is that? It is because the unrighteous that have suppressed the truth in unrighteousness have been given over to a mind that tells God, I don't care what gender you have created me, I am my own God, I will make my own decisions, and I will change the immutable characteristics that you gave me at birth. That's that reprobate mind. And when somebody like Ron DeSantis signs legislation into law, banning the encouragement of gender transformation being taught in our public school systems, people like that are looked down upon. They are hated and they are considered scum of the earth. Why? Because pushing gender transformation has been given over because those pushing this gender transformation have been given over to this reprobate God delivers the unrighteous into a reprobate mind. The abandoning cause of sexual immorality is God giving those who have rejected him over to their own uncleanliness. He gives them over to their own vile affections. He gives them over to their own reprobate mind. He pushes that boat into the current that they are currently paddling in. the clear definition, the root sin, the abandoning cause, and we must not miss the just results of sexual immorality. If we look back to two verses specifically, verse 27 and 32, we've read those several times, but we must key in on a few terms. First, look at verse 27. It says, and likewise also the men. leaving the natural use of a woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meat. That phrase, receiving in themselves that recompense of their error, which was meat, shows just how much that God abhors sexual immorality. And in verse 27, specifically, the sexual immorality, immoral sin of homosexuality. And the direct result of homosexuality is receiving in themselves the recompense of their error. And you know where I'm going here. This phrase speaks to the physical consequence of homosexuality, which is directly manifested in the AIDS. pandemic and not only the AIDS pandemic but in the many other STDs they are acquired from sexual immoral lifestyles which did you know in America alone one in five people are said to have an STD people can call us haters all they want to but you don't get an STD for being sexually moral Sadly, there are rare cases where an undeserving baby or people get an STD from something that was not their fault. But speaking to the majority of STD cases, you don't get STDs by being sexually moral. So STDs, they're a direct result of sexual immorality. Now look at verse 32. It says, who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do. them. Verse 32 is speaking directly about those who commit sexual immoralities and also those who encourage sexual immoralities. And what does it say that the result of them committing such acts is? They that commit such things are worthy of death. That word death in the Greek is thanatos. And as used here it speaks of the miserable state of the wicked as they burn in hell. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 6 uses the same word when it says blessed and holy is he. that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God in Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." In verse 8 of Revelation 21, John goes on to define what this death is. In Revelation 21.8, we heard this verse read this morning, But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and the murderers, and the whoremongers, and the sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." The death that John is speaking of is the same death that the Apostle Paul is speaking of back in Romans chapter 1 and verse 32. This is the second death. Death. It is the miserable state of the wicked suffering for all eternity in the lake of fire. There's both a present and a future result of sexual immorality. And all those who partake in sexual immorality and encourage the gross sins of sexual immorality will justifiably receive the results of it. Can they still be saved? Of course. Might they have to suffer the present consequences of things like STDs? Yes. But if they truly turn from their sin and unto the Lord in genuine God-ordained faith and repentance, they will receive eternal protection from that second death. hell. The just results of sexual immorality. We've clearly defined what sexual immorality is. We've looked at the root sin and that is changing the truth of God into a lie of sexual immorality. We've looked at the abandoning cause, the just results. Now let's close this message out by considering the praiseful application. The praiseful application. If you go back to verse 18. Let's read through verse 18. I want you to pay close attention to how verse 25 finishes up. This is rather amazing to me when you look at it. Look back at verse 18 of our passage. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power, in Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. It changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and forfeited beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Verse 25 continues, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator. And pay attention to how the apostle Paul finishes verse twenty-five. More than the Creator who is blessed forever, amen. John MacArthur on his commentary on verse twenty-five says that that last phrase, who is blessed forever, amen, is a refreshing thought in a sea of filth. And that is exactly what that is. Right in the middle of this continual flow of man's wickedness that is packed full of this sexual immorality, we find a doxology. It's like Paul couldn't contain himself from any longer from praising God, Creator God, in the midst of talking about such gross and immoral sins. And that, my friends, is our application for the passage tonight and really for our whole entire lives. We must never cease to praise God for all that He is. Here's three ways that I believe that we must never cease to praise God, even if we're surrounded in the sea of filth, as John MacArthur put it. First of all, we must praise God for His justice. We must praise God for His justice. God is a God of justice, and He justly punishes sin, Colossians 3. 25, the apostle Paul reminds us, but he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done. And there is no respect of persons. Paul in this same book that we're in Romans chapter 2 and verse 11, Paul says, for there is no respect of persons with God. Friends, God will justly and impartially punish sins, all sin, and especially those sins of sexual immorality, either presently or in the future through the second death. And we as Christians must praise Him for it. We must praise Him that He is a just God. The second way that we must never cease to praise him, we must not only praise him because he is just, we must praise him because he is merciful. We must praise God for his mercy. I mean, just think about it. He mercifully gave us the truth. And He didn't just give us the truth through the gospel. He gave us the understanding of the truth so that we can come to the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. That's mercy. We did not deserve that. Look back to our passage. It clearly lays this out. Starting in verse 18, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness they have the truth but they held it in unrighteousness because that which may be made known of God is revealed or manifest in them for God hath showed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, and not only clearly seen, they are being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because that when they knew God, knew God in their head, they had the knowledge of God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful. We must never forget that God mercifully gave us the truth. And He not only gave us the truth, He revealed it to us. And not only that, He sent truth itself in a way that was never done before through His Son, Jesus Christ. Thomas Goodwin, He was an English Puritan born in the year 1600. He said this about the mercy of God. He said, and I quote, it is the highest subject, the richest text, and the most renowned description of the nature of God. And he finishes a quote with this. The Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding and loving kindness." We should never cease to praise God even in the midst of this filth. We must never cease to praise God for His mercy. We must never cease to praise God for His justice. And number three, we must never cease to praise God for our commission. For our commission. We must never forget that those who are eyeball deep in the LGBTQ community, they are not the enemy. They are our mission field. All hope for them or any other sinner is not lost. Look back to our passage in verse 16. This is the context from which verses 18 through 22 is built. Look at what Paul says in verse 16, a well-known verse, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believeth to the Jew first. and to also the Greek. That includes everyone, everyone that believe it. The gospel is a power unto God and to salvation to all those who believe. And that everyone includes everyone that is entrenched in these sexual and moral sins. Listen to what Christ told his disciples in John chapter four. Christ said, say ye not there are yet four months and then cometh the harvest? Because I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. Friends, we as Christians, we must lift up our eyes and be ready to go into the fields that are white for harvest. We must go into the fields with the gospel. We must be witnesses in our Jerusalem and in our Judea and in our Samaria and in our world that God has placed us in. We must go, therefore, teaching all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things which he has commanded us. We must never cease to see the preordained mission field that God has placed in front of us, that God has called us to serve in. We must never cease to praise God. because he's a just God. We must never cease to praise God because God is merciful. And we must never cease to praise God because God has given us an all-important Great Commission. He's given us a job to do. I got to studying about Thomas Goodwin ever since I did a study on the Reformation. It's been so life-altering for me to see these men of God stand up for their faith. And as I studied about Thomas Goodwin, I ran across his dying words. I think he lived to be a little older than 80. And I love what he said. These are his last recorded dying words, this great Puritan. And there may be some here tonight that are struggling with sexual immorality or some other sin. It could be that you're struggling with a recent loss or some tragedy in your life. It may be that some may have a close friend that have forsaken them. We may have family members or even some in our church family that have left. But listen to what Thomas Goodwin says on his deathbed. Last recorded words. Thomas Goodwin, who spent most of his life serving the Lord. I think he started preaching at the age of 20. Age of 20. And he died a little older than 80. Over 60 years. And this is how he ended his life here on earth. He says, and I'll quote, I am going to the three persons with whom I have had communion. My bow abides in strength. Is Christ divided? No, I have the whole of His righteousness. I am found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Christ cannot love me better than He doth. I think I cannot love Christ better than I do. I am swallowed up in God. Now I shall be ever with the Lord." I ask each one of us, even in the midst of this sexually immoral world, are we found in Christ? having his righteousness imputed unto us through salvation. And not only are we found in Christ, but are we serving Christ? You know, they go hand in hand. If we're truly found in Christ, we will serve Christ. Bow with me as we pray, Father. Lord, we come to a to an eye-opening passage like Romans chapter one. And Lord, it's easy to get sidetracked and the sins of the world, especially these sexual sins that some way we make higher than others or worse than others or in some kind of wild concept of different categories of sin that we make in our minds. But Father, I pray that what we have seen in your word tonight is the root sin of all sins is suppressing the truth and unrighteousness. It's simply rejecting what you have said in your word. And Father, it's my prayer that each and every one of us would not do that, would not do that with anything that we read in your Word. I pray that we would take your Word, we would take the Bible at face value, that we would dig into the Scriptures, that we would find the literal, historical interpretation of every passage that we find. Lord, help us to be saints that search the scriptures daily like those Bereans did. Help us to be ministers of your gospel, Lord, into a field that is white with harvest. Lord, help us to not see those who are living in sin, those specifically of the LGBTQ community, as enemies. But Father, I pray that we would see them as a mission field from which we must share the gospel with. Lord, help us. to be the Christians that you have called us to be. Lord, have your way with this time of invitation as always. We promise to give you all the glory for anything that is accomplished in the hearts of your people here tonight. It's in your son's name we pray.