Understanding Romans 1:26-28: God Gives Them Over

Understanding the Bigger Picture

This passage is part of Paul’s argument in Romans 1 that everyone, including those who are not obvious sinners, has turned away from God.

Paul is writing to Christians in Rome, both Jewish and Gentile, and he’s building a case that all people are guilty before God, whether they had the Jewish law or not. He starts by showing how even those without the law know something about God from creation itself - 'For what can be known about God is plain… because God has shown it to them' (Romans 1:19). But instead of honoring Him, people traded the truth for lies, worshipping created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:21-23). This rejection of God affected their beliefs and warped their behavior.

So when Paul says 'for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions,' he’s showing the consequence of that initial choice to ignore God. It’s not that God actively makes people sinful; rather, He removes His restraining hand and lets them follow the path they’ve chosen. The phrase 'God gave them up' appears three times in these verses (Romans 1:24, 26, 28), showing a divine response to human rebellion: allowing people to experience the brokenness of life without Him.

The mention of unnatural relations among women and men is about more than sexual behavior; it signals how deeply idolatry corrupts society. Paul sees this as evidence of a mind that has become debased, unable to discern right from wrong. Since they 'did not see fit to acknowledge God,' God allowed them to spiral into confusion and moral chaos - exactly what he describes in Romans 1:28.

What 'Against Nature' Really Means

To grasp the weight of Paul’s words in Romans 1:26-28, we need to understand what he means by 'natural relations' and 'contrary to nature.'

The phrase 'contrary to nature' (Greek: para physin) was used in ancient thought to describe actions that went against the created order - how things were intended to function. Paul is not merely expressing a cultural opinion. He is pointing to a deeper disorder in human life that begins when people reject God. This idea connects with Romans 1:20, where Paul says God’s design can be seen in creation, so people are 'without excuse.' When they ignore that truth, their desires become distorted.

The terms 'dishonorable passions' (atimēs pathē) and 'debased mind' (adokimos nous) carry strong moral and spiritual weight. 'Debased mind' means a mind that has failed its purpose - like a coin that no longer bears the right image. This echoes Jeremiah 4:23, which describes a world turned chaotic because of rebellion against God. The verse says, 'I looked on the earth, and behold, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.' Paul sees a similar collapse in moral reasoning when people refuse to honor God.

When people reject the truth about God, their sense of right and wrong begins to unravel - starting with how they relate to one another.

It’s important to note that Paul isn’t singling out certain sins as worse than others. He’s showing how all kinds of brokenness - idolatry, pride, greed, and sexual confusion - flow from the same root: refusing to acknowledge God. The downward spiral in Romans 1 is not merely about behavior. It concerns the mind becoming unfit for truth. This prepares the way for Paul’s conclusion in Romans 2:1 - that everyone stands guilty, so no one can point fingers.

God’s Response to Rejected Truth

The real issue in Romans 1:26-28 isn’t only what people did, but what they refused to do: acknowledge God.

Paul makes it clear that God’s judgment begins not with a thunderbolt from heaven, but with a quiet withdrawal - 'God gave them up' - three times in these verses, showing a pattern of divine surrender to human rebellion. This is His wrath in action: not arbitrary anger, but a holy decision to let people experience the full weight of life without Him. As Romans 1:18 says, 'For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.'

When people suppress the truth about God, their minds become unfit to discern right from wrong. This is why Paul speaks of a 'debased mind' - a mind that no longer functions as it was designed. It is like a lamp that has been turned off. Without the light of God’s presence, darkness fills the soul. Compare with Jeremiah 4:23, which paints a world in chaos. The verse says, 'I looked on the earth, and behold, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.' This is the spiritual condition Paul sees in Romans 1:28 - a mind given over to confusion because it refused the Giver of light.

God’s wrath isn’t just a future punishment - it’s already revealed in the present when He steps back and lets people live without His guidance.

To the first readers in Rome, this would not have been a surprise; many saw moral decay all around them. Paul shows that everyone is guilty, not only the obviously immoral. This sets the stage for the good news: if all have fallen into this broken state, then all need the grace that comes through Jesus. The very judgment Paul describes makes the gospel urgent - because only Christ can restore the mind, heal the passions, and bring us back into right relationship with God.

Living in Light of the Whole Bible’s Witness

To grasp the full weight of Romans 1:26-28, we must read it alongside the entire Bible’s teaching on sexuality and holiness.

The Old Testament is clear: Leviticus 18:22 says, 'You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination,' and Leviticus 20:13 repeats this with strong language about consequences. These verses reflect a consistent standard of sexual purity rooted in God’s created order.

In the New Testament, Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: 'Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.' Yet he immediately adds hope - 'and such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.'

Jude 1:7 also warns about Sodom and Gomorrah, saying they 'indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire,' linking back to the idea of going against God’s design. These passages together show a consistent biblical concern for behavior and for the heart’s posture toward God’s order. When we ignore this, we unravel not only morally but spiritually.

The Bible’s call to sexual holiness isn’t about shame - it’s about returning to the way we were designed to live, in step with God’s good purposes.

For everyday life, this means followers of Jesus are called to honor God with their bodies, not out of legalism but gratitude. Church communities should be places where people find grace to turn from brokenness, not judgment. And as we live this out, we reflect a God who calls us out of chaos into restoration - preparing the way for the next truth Paul unfolds: that in Christ, there is hope for every heart turned toward Him.

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