A Standing Ovation for Sin

Romans 1:24-32

Observe:
The connects back to the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness. There is a connecting word (therefore) that indicates that what happens next is the result of humans wisdom for foolishness and God's glory for the lesser glory of created things. The main punishment seems to be that God has given humans over to sexual impurity and perversion.
Paul uses the language of exchange or trading again - this time humans traded the truth of God for a lie and the worship of God for the worship and service of created things. The phrase "served created things" struck me - we don't just elevate their importance but we become enslaved to them when we do so.
God also abandoned humans to a sinful way of thinking (a depraved mind). Basically, because we preferred the lesser glory of created things to the greater glory of God, He surrendered us completely to that kind of thinking so that we can't help but prefer those things (apart from his intervention - Paul gets to that later) and suffer all the consequences of that preference.

Interpret:
The main argument of the passage is that because of humanity's choice (specifically Gentiles) to exchange the glory and wisdom of God as seen in creation for the lesser glory of created things (Paul actually says we traded God's glory for the glory of reptiles - good job humans!), God has "honoured" that choice and abandoned us to the consequences of that decision.
Paul's main point in Romans is that the just will live by faith. We are made righteous as a gift from God. He is proving here that we couldn't achieve this righteousness on our own because we have become such victims of our own choices that we have become totally depraved - we can't help but prefer the lesser glory of created things to the glory of God.
Paul is also saying that the pleasures of sin have actually become our punishment. This might not make sense at first glance (God punishes me by giving me over to sexual impurity? Wahoo!) but you don't have to look very far to see the emptiness and destruction that sexual impurity and perversion brings to people, families and society.

Apply:
First, I think that this passage actually settles the debate on homosexuality. It may have been a choice at one point but Paul makes it clear that God has given people over to it. I don't think most people would choose homosexuality - it almost always means secrecy, hardship and loss of relationship.
Second, I can find myself on the list of characteristics of someone who has a depraved mind: greed, envy, deceit, gossip, boastful, disobedient, etc. The words that jump out to me specifically are "they invent ways of doing evil." This is a huge inditement on our society and on me. We are not just content to do evil, we find ways of doing it differently, more and "better".
Third, the people that Paul is talking about know better and know that they deserve punishment but continue in sin anyway. He could be talking about me. How many times have I done something I knew was wrong or not done something I knew was right, regardless of the consequences? Too many to count.
Finally, the ultimate sin according to Paul is applauding the sinfulness of others. This stands as a huge condemnation on our society, on our churches and on myself. We hold up as heroes those who break speed limits - the faster the better! We honour those who find inventive ways of cheating the system or on the test. We listen with rapt attention to those stories about sexual conquest and applaud the conqueror. We applaud, rather than regret, sin.
Lord, have mercy...