He Gave Them Over to Their Shameful Desires

Upon those who knew God and still rejected him, God revealed his wrath. He neither punished them outright nor brought them to repentance; instead he gave them over to their shameful desires. Sodom and Gomorrah, the decadence of Rome and the sexual immorality of our own day all bear witness to this.

Even rebuke and anger show that love lies beneath them. To be left alone, with no response at all, is the more fearful punishment. Without the Holy Spirit at work to bring a person to repentance, no one can walk away from sin by their own strength.

Because God’s people know the Kingdom of Heaven, they must be more watchful than the world around them. Satan labors without ceasing to make them stumble, yet those who rely on the Holy Spirit are well able to resist his temptations. Fixing one’s eyes on the world and on other people leads to a fall, but looking to Jesus Christ reveals how little that world is worth.