The Generation of Oholah & Oholibah

There are few places in the Bible I have missed but today I rediscovered a not so hidden corner of God’s Word that shocked me back to the reality of my own life, society, nation and world.

Oholah and Oholibah were the two beautiful sisters whose story comes to us from the prophet Ezekiel. Their beauty, station in life and privilege is unparalleled and yet the prophet uses their account to uncover an unfaithful history / nature, legacy and eventual judgment. While some readers may dismiss this story as an allegory that deals exclusively with the nations of Israel and Judah their journey, and end, remains as a stark warning to today’s modern reader and Christ follower.

If you had to put a rating on the life of Oholah and Oholibah it would certainly be XXX. Their tale is graphic, extremely uncomfortable and throughout the entire 23rd chapter of Ezekiel (see below) you hope their lives will turn for the better….but they never do. Their story is like so many accounts of a proud, blessed and set apart people who manage to trade their love for God for the lusts and illusions of this world.

At first glance the portrayals of Assyria / Babylon are similar to the descriptions we read of God. Both Assyria and Babylon are portrayed as handsome, regal, powerful, enticing and safe. However, where God is always the faithful, forgiving and compassionate Assyria and Babylon are revealed as unforgiving oppressors with a lust for brutality, hate, destruction, shame and death.

There is no mercy for the generation of Oholah and Oholibah as God not only stands back but allows the full might of these two empires to grind these ancient sisters down. Doom and gloom should never be associated with the character of God but we cannot continue to ignore the fact that Yahweh is a faithful God who will not compromise with an unfaithful bride.

Presently our personal and cultural affairs with “Assyria and Babylon” have given us exactly what we desire. The global community has, in large part, rejected the compassion, love and blessing of a faithful God and continue to celebrate drunk on the world’s wine, wealth and security. Sadly, we have become the generation of Oholah and Oholibah continuing to play the role of the unfaithful only to stumble back to God without shame or remembering our privileged place to be called His bride.

WAKE UP! There is nothing  to be discovered in the riches of Babylon, the glory of empire or the regal nature of Assyria but slavery, shame and eventually death. Some of us are racing toward a divorce, with God, of epic proportions and at some point He will allow us to have exactly what we think we desire. If we believe some type of buyers remorse will save us in the nick of time it won’t; because the degrading conditions of Oholah and Oholibah didn’t even shock them back to their only hope for salvation.

Individually and corporately we still have time! There is time to love the Lord our God will all your heart, soul and being. We still have time to stop the affairs and those not-so-innnocent flirtations, and lusts, for this world. We all have places we need to address, clean up and be able to present to God as holy and acceptable; and so the purpose of today’s post is not to scare anyone but to wake all of us up! Time is short, life is fleeting and all you have promised to you is today! 
Make the most of today, fall in love with Jesus and remain committed to Him! Most of us need to dump the world’s lovers and trust God for our security and peace. He is the only one who loves us with a deep love that WILL protect and keep us even in the hardest of times. Let us all learn from Ohloah and Oholibah so as to never make their story our own.

Blessings – JOSHUA

The capsules increase cialis price http://raindogscine.com/?attachment_id=15 ejaculation force and volume, and the power of the Amazon. The online retailers will also female viagra pill offer free home delivery along with heavy discount for kamagra jelly. The basic definition of Hypnosis is an altered state of awareness. viagra sans prescription canada Boosting the fertility is one of the most affordable medicines formulated as an alternative to discount pharmacy viagra raindogscine.com, an extremely potent anti-aging product, an energy-booster,a weight loss product and as a Natural Aphrodisiac.

A Warning to the Unfaithful who Lust for Security and Peace Apart from God. (Ezekiel 23:1-21)

23:1–14 The parable of the two sisters, Israel and Judah, is comparable to the parable of chapter 16. While that passage was about the seduction of Canaanite religion, this stressed the political alliances that excluded God from their national life. Oholah (Hb “my tent”) represented Israel and Oholibah (Hb “my tent is in her”) represented Judah (see Jr 3:6–12). Ezk 23:22–35 contain four messages of judgment directed at Judah, and verses 36–42 make up a list of crimes similar to the list in 22:1–12 and 18:5–9, 10–13.

24:1–14 The parable of the boiling pot is a poetic story that expands on 11:3. In that passage and here, Jerusalem was the pot, the people were the meat, and Babylon was the fire.

Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J. P., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (pp. 1222–1224). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

(Samaria and Jerusalem Acted Like Prostitutes)

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Son of man, there were once two women, daughters of the same mother. 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt when they were young. There men fondled and caressed their breasts. 4 “The older girl was named Oholah, and the younger girl was named Oholibah. I married them, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem. 5 Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby. 6 They were governors and commanders clothed in purple. They were all handsome young men who rode on horses. 7 She became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria. She dishonored herself with the idols of all those with whom she fell in love. 8 She continued the prostitution that she started in Egypt. When she was young, men went to bed with her, caressed her breasts, and treated her like a prostitute. 9 “That is why I handed her over to her lovers, to the Assyrians whom she lusted after. 10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and killed her with a sword. Women gossiped about how she was punished. 11 “Even though her younger sister Oholibah saw this, Oholibah lusted after men more than her sister did. Oholibah’s prostitution became worse than her sister’s prostitution. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians who were nearby. They were governors and commanders in full dress. They were mounted horsemen, all of them desirable young men. 13 I saw that she was dishonoring herself. Both sisters acted the same way. 14 Yet, she carried her prostitution even further. She saw pictures of men carved on walls. They were figures of Babylonian men, painted in bright red. 15 The men had belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian officers who were born in Babylon. 16 She fell in love with them at first sight and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17 So these men came from Babylon, went to bed with her, and dishonored her with their lust. After they had dishonored her, she turned away from them in disgust. 18 “She carried out her prostitution openly, and she lay around naked. I turned away from her in disgust as I had turned away from her sister. 19 She remembered how she had been a prostitute in Egypt when she was young. So she took part in even more prostitution. 20 She lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses. 21 So she longed to do the sinful things she did when she was young in Egypt, when young men caressed and fondled her breasts.

GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Eze 23:1–21). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

TRUTH, SEX and the CULTURE

The fear of skeletons in the closet make the conversations that surround adultery and sexual practices off limits for most. For a variety of different reasons many people, especially within the Christian culture, either choose to ignore the dangers of an over-sexualized society or embrace it as normal and necessary.

Culture is culture, for better or for worse, and when the culture is divided among so many rules, regulations, opinions and acceptances the sacrificial lamb ends up being truth. Since the concepts and practices of truth have become relative everything from business to family and even the most intimate places of a person are shielded behind the rights of individual philosophy.

This, in part, is why the culture is what it is. For generations the belief, practice and acceptance of a Biblical world-view used the source material of the Bible. Sadly, as we have embraced alternative facts we have allowed our culture to be re-platformed on other truths with devestating consequences. Our business practices have become more corrupt, politics more divisive, families more divided and intolerance combined with hate have become the new normal.

Unfortunately a Biblical world-view is not enough to maintain the personal integrity of an individual. Even Scripture reveals our greatest hero’s of faith were deeply flawed in keeping their lives consistent with the Word of God. The Bible, and a Biblical world-view, is the GOLD STANDARD for life, blessing, success, fulfillment, joy, purpose, etc…and anything less is fools gold. The challenge remains, from Biblical times to today, every individual must choose to accept God’s best or man’s alternative.

A Biblical world-view never tells the reader you can’t rather it instructs us to incorporate a lifestyle of ‘best practices’  and the consequences of ignoring truth. Likewise the Biblical world-view provides ample evidences, backed by the character of God, of what a life will look like IF we follow the Word of the Lord consistently and practically.

As I am studying truth, and the dangers of lust, I am drawn to a passage from Proverbs (see below). Before Solomon even discusses the dangers of adultery he opens with the wise counsel that comes from Godly parents. Scripture reminds us to honor our parents; but for some their parents refused to live an honorable and Godly life.

So, should you take advice from you parents? Here again Solomon addresses from whom you take your advice: Parents who believe and live in the TRUTH of GOD’S WORD.

It is possible to honor the place and position / authority of your parents without incorporating their misplaced truth when it does not line up with Scripture. However, when your parent(s) have demonstrated a lifestyle of honoring God by living according to His Truth, and they share with you wisdom on any issue, you are best to listen carefully.

The individual that falls into sexual error is one who first ignores the truth that was imparted to them from Godly counsel; as a result of ignoring truth they have lost their foundation and drifted into dangerous waters of error that will eventually destroy everything.

I believe we must have an open and honest conversation about sex and culture but it must begin with an understanding of God’s Truth. Thankfully there are still many people who can attest to living a Godly lifestyle and it’s time we listen so we can pass on God’s Truth to the next generation without fear or shame!

The herb helps to widen the blood vessels and surging the blood devensec.com purchase levitra online flow to penis, thereby providing body with energy & stamina for healthier and long-lasting erections during the sexual activity. These can be ordered buy cheap cialis devensec.com online from various websites at discounted rates. This is not a regular occurence yet needs to be remembered. devensec.com commander levitra is a pharmaceutical that you take just when required, by and large men should utilize the drug thirty minutes or one prior hour a sex. Men sexual incapability causes the un-satisfactory intercourse which viagra sale canada disappoint the men and his partner too but what should they do; a big question for impotency sufferers. If we want to reclaim lost ground in a culture war we need to embrace God’s Truth, demonstrate God’s Truth, live God’s Truth and share His Truth with our seeking and searching world.

Grace and Peace – JOSHUA

More Advice About Avoiding Adultery

My son, obey the command of your father, and do not disregard the teachings of your mother. Fasten them on your heart forever.
Hang them around your neck. When you walk around, they will lead you. When you lie down, they will watch over you. When you wake up, they will talk to you because the command is a lamp,
the teachings are a light, and the warnings from discipline are the path of life to keep you from an evil woman and from the smooth talk of a loose woman.

Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her catch you with her eyes. A prostitute’s price is ⌊only⌋ a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts for ⌊your⌋ life itself. Can a man carry fire in his lap without burning his clothes?

Can anyone walk on red-hot coals without burning his feet?
So it is with a man who has sex with his neighbor’s wife.
None who touch her will escape punishment.
People do not despise a thief who is hungry when he steals to satisfy his appetite, but when he is caught, he has to repay it seven times. He must give up all the possessions in his house.

Whoever commits adultery with a woman has no sense.
Whoever does this destroys himself. An adulterous man will find disease and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be blotted out,
because jealousy arouses a husband’s fury. The husband will show no mercy when he takes revenge. No amount of money will change his mind. The largest bribe will not satisfy him.

GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Pr 6:20–35). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

The Principle of Put Off and Put On

Have you found yourself watching TV and a commercial will air that is advertising a new medicine or item? Every type of these commercials use the same formula:

1. There is a pending or present problem.
2. The ‘item or medicine” is the solution. And,
3. the disclaimers, at the end of the commercial, remind you of additional problems that may occur.

A simplified formula is: negative, positive and possible negative.

We are often told never use a negative to try to reinforce a positive; however from your kitchen cleaner to a cholesterol medicine we are daily reminded of potential problems that require solutions.

Most people try to avoid any negatives; but such an approach only results in a problem that becomes less manageable over time. Of course there are also people who ONLY focus on the negatives, and never consider a solution, so their condition persists. 

In matters of every day life, medical concerns, truth and faith there is a principle we are challenged to embrace in every season. The Principle is: Put Off and Put On.

In his letter to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul is writing to a young church that is still wrestling with the old way of living, thinking and expecting while also trying to embrace the truth and reality of Jesus. It is obvious the clash of cultures are causing ripples throughout their routines. The frequent bouts of conflict with each other, their work and world require a choice to be made: Either embrace a new new lifestyle, in Christ, or remain the “old way.” The church of Ephesus is akin to a new patient, with pre-existing conditions, and Paul is performing the role of doctor by informing them they have a sickness that needs to be addressed NOW and the medicine is the Truth of Jesus!

In order to stress the importance of immediate change, Paul prescribes a series of “Put Off and Put On” examples to instruct them how to embrace this new lifestyle practically. The challenge for the Ephesians is, do they want to get better? Thankfully for any Christian the prescription of Jesus’ Truth never has harmful side-effects, like a trail medicine,  or the need for a 30-day money back guaranteed because it may not work for you. Jesus works all the time, every time and without fail a daily dose of Jesus’ Word will change our harmful behaviors, attitudes and physical and mental health if we will only taste and see the Lord is good!

Paul’s words challenge the Christian, for every generation, to “put off and put on” so we can get healthier in mind, body and spirit. While the process begins with me and you it is also a process that is meant to be replicated in the lives of the seeking, searching, hurting and lost. Only a healthy individual can treat an unhealthy person accurately. Only a spiritually mature Christian can identify the spiritual void in another. Only a person who has lived, and continues to practice, “put off and put on” can instruct others how such a decision will free them, heal them and equip them to fulfill their Kingdom purpose and live in their God given identity.

So, put off and put on…..first for yourself and then for others. There is a big world of need out there and we have the only solution: Jesus!

Blessings – JOSHUA

Among all the countries, Brazil and America is leading in terms of volume in the global acai berry market followed by Asia Pacific, North America & it is the best chemical constituent that manages the tadalafil buy cheap awful stress of impotence. Sex therapy is another remedial measure one would find it suitable because depression or anxiety may also trigger impotency. levitra sale Additionally they increase the sperm fertility and helps with heavy climax of sperms throughout a sexual intercourse. viagra sale without prescription Above all, if order viagra online you want to cure irregular menstruation that affected by pelvic inflammatory disease, you should treat the pelvic infection first.

Walk In Purity (Ephesians 4:17–32)

The first part of this chapter described the believer’s relationship to the church; now Paul deals with the believer’s relationship to the world. Certainly we are “in Christ” and a part of the body; but we are also in the world, where there is temptation and defilement. We cannot depart from the world because we have a responsibility to witness to it; but we must walk in purity and not allow the world to defile us.

Paul starts with the negative: do not walk the way the unsaved heathen walk. He explains the reasons for their godless walk: (1) their minds are darkened because they believe lies and have not received the truth; (2) they are spiritually dead; (3) they have surrendered themselves to do all kinds of sin. Compare this description with 2:1–3 and 2 Cor. 4. We might summarize their plight by saying they were walking in the wrong way because they did not know the truth and had never received the life. Only the Christ of John 14:6 could meet their spiritual needs.

The Christian life must be radically different from the old life. Paul expected the Ephesians to experience changes, and he gave three admonitions: “put off” (vv. 22–23), “put on” (v. 24), and “put away” (vv. 25ff). Romans 6 teaches us that the old self has been crucified and buried, and that, as we reckon this to be true, we “put off” the old man. God has done His part; it remains for us to believe what He has said and “change clothes.” The instruction Jesus gave concerning Lazarus applies to each believer: “Loose him—take off the grave clothes—and let him go!” But it is not enough simply to die to the old life; there must also be resurrection and the manifestation of the new life.

We put off the “grave clothes” of the old life and put on the “grace clothes” of the new life. We are a part of God’s new creation (v. 24 and 2:10) and therefore we walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4).
We must “put away” (once-for-all) certain sins, and he names these in 25ff. Note how Paul ties each commandment to a spiritual truth: we are members of each other (v. 25); we are sealed until the day of redemption (v. 30); God has forgiven us (v. 32). Doctrine and duty are twin blessings in the Bible, both the Christian’s wealth and his walk in Christ.

If we belong to the truth, how can we indulge in lies? Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44); his spirits tell lies (1 John 2:21, 27); one day the whole world will believe “The Lie” (2 Thes. 2:9–11).
There is an anger that is not sinful (Mark 3:5). If we are angry at persons, then sin will come along; if we are angry at sin and sinful principles, we can maintain a holy walk. How easy it is for Christians to call their tempers “righteous indignation”! The wrath of man never brings about the righteousness of God (James 1:20).
Giving place to the devil (v. 27) involves both lying and anger; for Satan is a liar and a murderer. Do we realize that lies and hypocrisy and anger give Satan a foothold in our lives? Cain’s lies and anger led to murder (Gen. 4).

Verse 25 ties in with 1 Thes. 4:11 and 2 Thes. 3:6–12. The unsaved thief used to rob to please himself; now that he is saved, he should work to be able to give to others. This is the wonderful change grace makes in the heart of a person.

Our lips should speak that which builds up (Col. 4:6; Ps. 141:3). Corruption from the lips only means that there is corruption in the heart. The Spirit has sealed us (1:13–14); we should not grieve Him by allowing these sins of action and attitude to be in our lives. In Scripture, the Spirit is pictured as a dove (John 1:32), and a dove is a clean bird that loves peace. Anger and clamor should be done away with by means of forgiveness and Christian love.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (pp. 548–550). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

“17 So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord’s name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things. 18 They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. 19 Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more.
20 But that is not what you learned from Christ’s teachings. 21 You have certainly heard his message and have been taught his ways. The truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. 23 However, you were taught to have a new attitude. 24 You were also taught to become a new person created to be like God, truly righteous and holy.
25 So then, get rid of lies. Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body.
26 Be angry without sinning. Don’t go to bed angry. 27 Don’t give the devil any opportunity ⌊to work⌋.
28 Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they’ll have something to share with those in need.
29 Don’t say anything that would hurt ⌊another person⌋. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. 30 Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free ⌊from the world of sin⌋.
31 Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. 32 Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.

GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Eph 4:17–32). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

The Darkening

Have you ever found yourself saying, What is happening to our world? Or, Things are not like when I was growing up? 

From popular culture, to education and even in the church I am amazed by the collective “darkening” of understanding and truth. On the one hand we see the economy roaring back, more liberties and freedoms of expression than ever before and churches growing by rapid numbers. Some might say such signs are indications that the good old days are back!!! But are they? In this very same moment in time we can watch entire TV shows dedicated to people living according to their selfish desires, celebrities promoting lifestyles of greed and lust and “liberty” that has bred intolerance all while the church is largely absent as a spiritual voice for the culture….that doesn’t sound like the good old days to me.

Some might say we are loosing common-sense but the Apostle Paul tells us we have lost that and so much more. For all of humanities advancements we are actually becoming less-intelligent in both the things of the Spirit and in the matters of our world. We may believe we are smarter, and more evolved, because we have made life easier; but all of “our easiness” has created endless diversities that make life more confusing, uncertain and divisive. Since we have misplaced our dedicated learning from history with “learning from the here and now” we forget the Apostle Paul lived in a world much like our own. Daily he encountered competing philosophies, a variety of worship practices, shady business deals and even a divided church. Nevertheless Paul understood, in a time of darkening, there was a true light that has always been present and now revealed through Jesus. Paul’s desperate apologetic to share the truth of Jesus’ words are timeless because he experienced, first hand, a darkening that turned to light on the Damascus road.

Paul knew, and therefore had to share, that only the truth of Jesus was capable of illuminating the dense understanding of his / our world. It was not coincidental that Paul was writing his letter to Christians living in Rome at such a time. Daily, these brave men and women of the Christian faith faced unbearable adversities within the “belly of the beast” as the contended for truth in an time of darkness. Paul’s letter to the Romans shows us from creation, to today, we are darkening more and more in our understanding of the spirit and culture and the only solution can be the Truth of Jesus’ Word….the same yesterday, today and forever!

If you pause to consider if we living in a darkening or awakening  you need only look to history, and creation, to reveal Romans 1 is true. So, in an age of increased darkness how do we recapture our understanding? BIBLICAL TRUTH! The age long philosophical question of, What is truth can only be answered through the lens of faith and the with a revelation there can only be ONE TRUTH that holds everyone, from every age, accountable. Many ask, others claim and even more make it up as they go along life’s way; but Paul brings us back to why we are here, how we got here and the only way to get back. We can, and should, engage our culture in the debate of truth; but any discussion, with a darkening world, will prove ineffective if we cannot speak with the authority of Jesus’ Name and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Such a bold apologetic doesn’t need to look like some backwoods church house and is often on display in universities, college campus’ and even in some dedicated churches and ministries. What is missing in the age of darkening is commitment to not just speak the truth but life is consistently and practically in the ordinary of life.

What our world desperately needs is a solid dose of TRUTH and that can ONLY be discovered through Jesus. More on this to follow but I want to leave you with a great commentary note on Romans (see below) and the passage itself. For today, remember to Remain and truth bearer and speaker!

Blessings – JOSHUA

Apart from that viagra ordering on line if a person is a patient of certain heart disease or a kidney disorder then he must ask the pharmacist. It is a product of well-known Ajanta Pharma and available in generic forms like kamagra, cipla viagra generic click to find out more professional, Eriacta etc. viagra is widely recommended erection-helping medicine which trigger the male organ and provide renew energy to a patient for achieving satisfactory erection. Lyons reported that the 27 year old marathon runner underwent a serious musculoskeletal injury that didn’t resolve despite various medical interventions acquired by athletes. http://raindogscine.com/?attachment_id=69 cialis prescription One of the best examples of peptides in our daily life buying tadalafil online are quite painful.
 

Commentary by WW Wiersbe on Romans 1:18-25

A. They knew God (vv. 18–20).
God had given them a twofold revelation of Himself “in them” (conscience) and “unto them” (creation), v. 19. Man did not begin with ignorance and gradually work his way up to intelligence; he began with a blazing revelation of the power and wisdom of God and turned his back on it. God had revealed Himself from the very time of creation, so that people who have never heard the Gospel are still without excuse. (How God judges such people will be taken up in chap. 2.)

B. They glorified Him not as God (vv. 21–23).
Vain thinking and foolish reasoning turned men from the truth to lies. We see indifference leading to ingratitude, resulting in ignorance. People today bow before the Greek and Roman philosophers and honor their words above the Word of God; but Paul calls all of these philosophies “empty imaginations” and “times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30)! The next step was idolatry, honoring the creature (including man) rather than the Creator.

C. They changed the truth of God (vv. 24–25).
This word “changed” should really read “exchanged.” People replaced God’s truth with Satan’s lie! What is Satan’s lie? Worshiping the creature and not the Creator; worshiping man instead of God; worshiping things instead of Christ. Satan tempted Christ to do this (Matt. 4:8–11). Note that in Rom. 1:18, the Gentiles “held down the truth,” and now they “exchange the truth” for a lie! The truth believed and obeyed sets us free (John 8:31–32); the truth rejected and disobeyed makes us slaves.

D. They rejected the knowledge of God (vv. 26–32).
These people had begun with a clear knowledge of God (vv. 19, 21) and His judgment against sin (v. 32); but now they reached the lowest level of their downward fall: they did not even want to have knowledge of God! “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Ps. 14:1, NKJV).
It is sad to see the tragic results of this decline. Evolutionists want us to believe that humans have “evolved” from primitive, ignorant, beast-like forms into the marvelous creature they are today. Paul says just the opposite: man began the highest of God’s creatures, but he made himself into a beast! Note the three judgments of God:
God gave them up to uncleanness and idolatry, vv. 24–25.
God gave them over to vile passions, vv. 26–27.
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, vv. 28ff.
God gave them up! This is the revelation of the wrath of God (v. 18).

The sins listed here are too vile to define or discuss, yet they are practiced today around the world with the approval of society. People know that sin will be judged, yet they take pleasure in it anyway. Were it not for the Gospel of Christ, we would be in this slavery to sin ourselves. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (pp. 364–365). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

“18 God’s anger is revealed from heaven against every ungodly and immoral thing people do as they try to suppress the truth by their immoral living. 19 What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them. 20 From the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse. 21 They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were total nonsense, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness. 22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools. 23 They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes.

24 For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other. 25 These people have exchanged God’s truth for a lie. So they have become ungodly and serve what is created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen!”

GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Ro 1:18–25). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.