In Romans 1, 'God gave them up' means God judicially allowed humanity to descend into deeper and deeper levels of sin as judgment for rejecting and dishonoring Him.
The phrase appears three times: God gave them up to uncleanness (v. 24), to vile affections (v. 26), and gave them over to a reprobate mind (v. 28). Les Feldick emphasizes this is not God lifting people up but a judicial act of removing restraints and letting them go to a lower lifestyle (Clips 1–4).
Romans 1:24 — The first 'God gave them up' statement, showing the transition from idolatry to uncleanness.
Romans 1:26 — The second 'gave them up,' this time to vile affections, identifying the next lower level of sin.
Romans 1:28 — The final giving over to a reprobate mind for refusing to retain God in knowledge.
Romans 1:21–23 sets the setting: 'Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened... And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.' Then the three 'gave them up' statements follow. Verse 24: 'Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.' Verse 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.' Verse 28: 'And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.' The passage does not say God forces anyone; it says because of their exchange of truth for a lie (v. 25) and refusal to retain God in knowledge, God judicially lets them experience the consequences of their rejection.
Les Feldick teaches that 'God gave them up' is a judicial act of the sovereign God. It is a response to the human race's rejection of the witness of creation (Clip 0). Each stage is a 'progression downwards' (Clip 0): idolatry leads to uncleanness (Clip 7), then to vile affections (Clips 1, 6), and finally to a reprobate mind (Clip 2). Les says God is 'judicially causing mankind to even go deeper into his sin' (Clip 4) and describes it as God saying 'if you want to live at that level, then go down one level lower' (Clip 3). He also uses Israel's blindness in Romans 11 to show the same principle (Clip 3). He warns believers not to look down on those trapped in this progression, because 'but for the grace of God' we would be no different (Clip 5).
No. Les presents it as a judicial act, not God being the author of sin. God allowed the consequences of their choices. Because they chose idolatry, He gave them up to uncleanness (v. 24); because they continued, He gave them up to vile affections (v. 26); and because they refused to retain Him in their knowledge, He gave them over to a reprobate mind (v. 28). Les says God 'judicially caused' them to go deeper into sin, meaning He stepped back and removed restraints (Clips 2, 4).
Les traces it in sequence: first mankind knew God but did not glorify Him (v. 21), became vain and darkened (v. 21), professed themselves wise but became fools (v. 22), made idols (v. 23), were given up to uncleanness (v. 24), exchanged truth for a lie and served the creature (v. 25), were given up to vile affections (vv. 26–27), and finally to a reprobate mind (v. 28). Each step is a lower level (Clips 0, 1, 4).
Yes. Les points out that verse 26 starts with women who 'did change the natural use into that which is against nature,' and verse 27 says men 'leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men.' Les calls this the 'vile affections' stage and references Genesis 19 as the first time Scripture calls it an abomination (Clip 6).
Les emphatically warns: 'Don't look down your nose at these people, because but for the grace of God, you and I would be no different.' He says even if a person is in these situations, he is not looking down at them, and 'by the grace of God, they can also be where I am.' The purpose is not self-righteousness but recognizing sin while extending grace (Clip 5).
Progression Downward from Idolatry
Les shows Romans 1:21–23 sets the downward track record of mankind: knowing God but failing to glorify Him leads to vain imaginations and darkened hearts, so the following 'God gave them up' is part of a descending progression.
Giving Up to a Lower Level
Les explains that after people exchange God's truth for a lie and serve the creature, God gives them up to a yet lower level of lifestyle, namely vile affections.
Reprobate Mind as Judicial Act
Les teaches that when people refuse to retain God in their knowledge, God judicially gives them over to a reprobate mind, removing restraints so they no longer care what man or God thinks, citing Pharaoh as an example.
Judicial Descent to a Lower Level
Les interprets 'God gave them up to vile affections' as a sovereign judicial act: if a person insists on living at a sinful level, God lets them go down one level lower, paralleling Israel's blindness in Romans 11.
Idolatry Leading to Uncleanness
Les shows that because of man-made idolatry, God judicially gave mankind up to uncleanness, causing them to go even deeper into sin, and then later to an even lower level.
Grace and Compassion
Les urges readers not to look down on those described in Romans 1, because but for God's grace every believer would be in the same place; God gave them up to uncleanness, yet grace offers another way.
Vile Affections and Homosexuality
Les applies 'vile affections' to Romans 1:26–27: women changed the natural use and men burned in lust toward men, which he calls plainly homosexualism and an abomination.
Idolatry Has No Moral Code
Les explains that idolatry (verse 23) has no moral code, so when people are under idolatry it naturally leads to the uncleanness of verse 24; pagan religions were at their core immoral.
Romans 1:21: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
This verse sets the turning point: knowing God but refusing to glorify Him leads to darkness.
Romans 1:23: And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
The idolatry described here is the root cause of God's judicial giving up.
Romans 1:24: Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
The first explicit 'gave them up' statement, moving from idolatry to uncleanness.
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:
The second 'gave them up' shows the next, lower level of sin: vile affections.
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.
This verse describes the homosexual behavior included in the 'vile affections' stage.
Romans 1:28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
The final giving over is to a reprobate mind because they refused to retain God in their knowledge.
Les Feldick explains it as a judicial act of God, not God making them sin. When people reject God and choose idolatry, God removes His restraints and allows them to go deeper into the sin they have already chosen (Clips 2, 4).
Verse 24 gives them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts; verse 26 gives them up to vile affections; and verse 28 gives them over to a reprobate mind (Clips 1, 2, 6).
Les says it is the track record of mankind, the human race (Clip 0). He also applies the same principle to Israel in Romans 11 (Clip 3).
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Says About Sodom, Lot, and Judgment (Romans 1)