24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (Romans 1:24 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. Another infamous sin charged upon the Heathens; namely, the sin of uncleanness; yea, base, unnatural uncleanness, and pollutions of the most odious kinds.
Learn thence, That idolatry and uncleanness often go together. Solomon’s uncleanness led him to idolatry and his idolatry increased his uncleanness. The city of Rome at this time is a grove of idols; the chief seat of idolatry is next to Sodom for uncleanness; witness their allowing of stews by public authority.
Learn, 2. That all kinds and degrees of pollution both natural and unnatural, are to be detested and abhorred, as dishonouring the body. Our bodies are Christ’s members and the Holy Ghost’s temples; therefore, let us glorify God with our bodies on earth, which shall be subjects capable of glory with himself in heaven.
Observe, 2. God’s judiciary tradition of these idolatrous Heathens to the sin of uncleanness. Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness. Almighty God often does, and always righteously may, punish sin with sin: God punished the idolatry of the Heathens here by delivering them up to vile affections, uncleanness, and unnatural lusts.
But how is this consistent with God’s holiness and hatred of sin? Thus, God neither infuses sin into their hearts, nor excites them to sin in their lives, but leaves sinners to themselves to act without restraint according to the inclination of their own lusts and corruptions: And also, gives them up to Satan, that unclean spirit, who will not fail to provoke them to such uncleanness as he knows their inclinations stand ready to comply with.
Lord, keep back thy servants from sinning against the light of nature, against the light of scripture, lest we be judicially darkened and given up to a sottish and injudicious mind, to the hardness of heart, and the vilest of affections.