“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature” (Romans 1:26).
Whenever we remove God from the position of highest priority in life, the resulting consequences will inevitably permeate every aspect of our lives. To illustrate that reality, Paul the Apostle turns to the impact of that decision in the realm of sexual expression. From a physiological perspective, male and female anatomies are naturally designed for physical compatibility. But when we are untethered from an acknowledgment of God and His blueprint for human relationships, we may choose to express our natural physical desires in ways that go beyond that natural design.
“Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:27).
We can begin our consideration of these verses with a look at God’s intent for intimate relationships. That discussion begins with the first two members of the human family…
“Then the Lord God formed a woman from the rib that he had taken from the man. He brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be named woman because she was taken from man.’ That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:22-24).
While many dismiss this portion of Scripture as nothing more than a fantasy, myth, or legend, Jesus accepted the historic truth of this account (Matthew 19:4-6). Therefore, we can make use of this passage to inform our discussion of this topic based on His authority.
Our text from Genesis chapter two identifies God’s intent for human sexual expression: one man and one woman. If God instilled a different orientation within some members of His human creation, it would conflict with the precedent He set forth here in the book of Genesis.
Nevertheless, proponents of same-sex relationships may seek to validate that position by highlighting the natural attraction that frequently exists between such couples. While this argument seems valid, it’s important to remember that “natural” doesn’t always mean permissible or right. In fact, a natural inclination that “feels right” may be far removed from God’s intent for humanity. For example, a heterosexual person might naturally feel a desire to engage in multiple physical relationships with the opposite sex. However, the Scriptures condemn such conduct as well.