24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.

25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

— Romans 1:24-25

He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

— Proverbs 6:32

1 Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”

5 Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.

— Hosea 3:1, 5

31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

32 This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

— Ephesians 5:31-32

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

Paul in Romans 1:24-25 pointed out that God gave people over to sexual impurity. Paul encountered depraved sexual activity at the temples of Greek and Roman gods. Their use of sex in worship practices drew people away from the true God, not toward Him. When God releases sinners, false worship turns to degrading cravings. Outside of marriage sex becomes distorted and breaks God’s moral law.

Any sex outside the godly covenant of marriage is adultery. Sex within marriage is God’s gift to humanity. In the Old Testament, God used marriage to illustrate His covenant relationship with Israel. This intimate, mysterious union pictures the purity and beauty of Christ’s oneness with His Church. People willingly exchange God’s truth for the lie that God does not exist or deserve their worship and obedience. (Inspired by BSF’s Study of Romans)