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. (Romans 1)
Do and Approve. Those two verbs of the last verse jump off the page to me. After this long list of symptoms of sin, some of which one person may never have done them all, it feels more comfortable to condone the whole long list, so that my list is acceptable to others as well. There is along with this ignoring of and rebellion against God, a sense that if I accept and condone others' sins, mine might not look so bad. It's like sitting in the doctor's office with a lot of sickies and saying "at least I don't have that!" That can be a consolation and comfort, and even a sense of gratitute, but the fact is: we're all sitting in the doctor's office sick and needing to be healed. This long list makes us go "wow"; it really is that bad. But in the context here, there is a great God, Savior, and spiritual Doctor who can forgive, cleanse and heal them all. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
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