VILE AFFECTIONS

As we live day by day, month by month, and year by year it is easy to miss the gradual changes that have occurred around us. Have you recognized the following?

Romans 1:24 – 25 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

When in history has there been a time that these verses describe better than today? Everywhere there are people worshipping the earth and its creation more than God. While conservation and protection of the environment should be important, the extremes we see of valuing the earth more than people are misguided. For what some say is abuse to an animal we are sending people to prison, while unborn babies have been killed by the millions. In the name of the earth people are vandalizing, burning, and bombing; protesting to restore the earth to what they perceive to be its past glory. Many are calling for world population control by genocidal means. Because of this, the Word says God gave them up to uncleanness, and dishonouring their own bodies. Fornication, adultery, and all manner of excesses are rampant. Then, in verse 26, the Word says they were given to vile affections;

Romans 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

What are vile affections? The Greek word translated for vile is number 819 in the Strong’s concordance, atimia. It means infamy, i.e. comparative indignity, disgrace. The word for affections is number 3806 in the Strong’s, pathos, which means (properly) suffering, i.e. (subjectively) a passion (especially concupiscence). Thus it means infamous and disgraceful suffering and/or passion.

We also need to take a closer look at the meaning of the phrase “… women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:” The key English words, their numbers from the Strong’s concordance, the corresponding Greek words, and their definitions are on the attached page. While each of these will give you a clearer understanding of the scripture, the emphasis here is on the word “against”.

In today’s world of sports and politics we see the word “against” and think opposite to. We have lost some of the definition; if we say “against the wall”, we mean as close as you can get to it. The Greek word para is predominately that meaning; it is more a synonym than an antonym. It means something is close to, or almost the same as, another thing; it is a close second. So in our scriptures the women changed the natural instinctive action into that which is close to it. We will not discuss what the many actions could be, because the Word of God says that it is a shame to even speak of them;

Ephesians 5:11 – 12 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

We will not, therefore, get into discussions of the possibilities, other than to say that the actions are so rampant today that the actions are no longer in secret. Because of the wickedness of these individuals (verse 28 later says they become reprobate), these actions have been accepted by the populace, and have even deceived some of the Godly, due to their lack of knowledge. It is the actions that are vile affections, or sin, and they will never be justified or excused by God, even in marriage. If you have not become reprobate, God will deliver you if you repent.

It doesn’t matter the reason; whether for birth control, or if the enemy has deceived you that those actions can let you remain pure, or if you have a fleshly lust; the actions are vile affections. If you have been involved in any vile affections, repent and let God deliver you. Teach your daughters that these actions are sin, and they should not do them. Start early with your sons teaching them righteousness and truth, or the world will deceive them in these actions.

Bill Clinton, a brilliant and well liked man in the worldly, in his fleshly lust and spiritual ignorance, did much despite unto the people, and especially to our youth. They have been told that only the natural is “sex”, somehow trying to justify away the sin. It would not have mattered if it was his wife, the action he was involved in still would have been a vile affection.

Sin did not stop there, but men used those vile affections to further pervert their ways;

Romans 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

“Likewise” in verse 27 means men used the actions of the women in verse 26. The verse literally says that men used those same actions of the women in verse 26 to become homosexuals. It does not work in reverse, as some say, and imply that the women in verse 26 are homosexuals. Let us try an example; I invested money; likewise Warren Buffet invested money and made billions; does it mean I am a billionaire? Of course it does not.

The verses do bring up an interesting point; as Adam followed Eve into sin, these men followed the lead of these women. Ladies, you have power you do not realize; strive to become a Godly woman, and see the lives you effect!

God has been leading me to even stop watching the news, but prior to that I recently saw a young contributor on a major Fox News program state that the younger generation was “enlightened” and tolerant about people’s personal choices. She has no clue that she is spiritually blind, and has been deceived by the enemy, Satan, to walk in sin and iniquity. We are losing an entire generation because, in the name of “political correctness”, we refused to stand against sin. Forty to fifty years ago the sodomy statutes were in force nearly everywhere; today many people do not know what a sodomite is. The discussions today about same-sex marriage are only occurring because we long ago have stopped calling vile affections and homosexuality the sin that they are.

You do not have to be, and should not be, militant to take a stand for truth. Send this paper to Christian friends; print this paper and post it somewhere anonymously; be prepared to give an answer when/if the matter comes up; let the truth be your guide when you vote, and not other reasons; love the individual, but hate the sin. The reprobate will be militant, and will fight you, but be a spiritual warrior and stand for the truth.

Key words from Romans 1:26;

Change 3337, metallasso; to exchange

Natural 5446, phusikos; “Physical”, i.e. (by impl.) instinctive

Use 5540, chresis; employment, i.e. (spec.) sexual intercourse (as an occupation of the body)

Against 3844, para; prop. near, i.e. (with gen.) from beside (lit. or fig.) (with dat.) at (or in) the vicinity of (obj. or sub.), (with acc.) to the proximity with (local [espec. Beyond or opposed to] or causal (on account of)

Nature 5449, phusis; growth, (by germination or expansion), i.e. (by impl.) natural production (lineal descent), by extens. A genus or sort, fig. native disposition, constitution or usage