What We Worship Shapes Us

Romans 1:24 (NLT)

²⁴ So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.

Message

I. God Let Them Follow Their Choices (24^a)

When they worshiped not one true God but idols (Romans 1:21-23), God did not force them to obey but allowed them to experience the full results of their choices (24^a).

Human beings were like sheep short-sighted and easily strayed. See Isaiah 53:6 NLT.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own…

II. They Desired & Did Shameful Things (24^b)

Our bodies are the temple of God and the Spirit of God lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16, See also John 2:21). But we become like what we worship (Psalm 115:4-8). When they worshiped idols, their hearts desired shameful things and did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies (24^b).

When humans left God and worshiped idols, they became like the prodigal son who wasted his inheritance (Luke 15:11-32), showing that turning from the Father leads to emptiness and shame.