“…as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
as Sodom and Gomorrah,
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities located on the plain of Jordan. They were probably located near the southern end of the Dead Sea. These cities were places full of sexual sin, with people in stark cohabitation with animals engaging in homosexual and lesbian relationships.
and the cities around them
There were five other cities on the plain of Jordan, in addition to Sodom and Gomorrah.
in a similar manner to these,
“Similar manner to these” refers to fallen angels of the previous verse. Sodom and Gomorrah committed sins of sexual perversion similar to the fallen angels.
having given themselves over to sexual immorality
These cities gave themselves over to the principle of degeneracy. The words “having given” mean to pursue vigorously. They were very aggressive in their negative volition toward God. This degeneracy came from distortion of doctrine, the doctrine of divine categories, or order. These were the sins of homosexuality and lesbianism—a mixture of categories. Such sins always result in the destruction of the national entity where they gain prominence (La 4:6 Amos 4:11; Je 49:18; 2 Pe 2:6). That is why God extinguished the entire culture of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ge 19:24-26).
The phrase “having given themselves over to sexual immorality” comes from two Greek words: out and give over to sexual immorality. They gave themselves over to a form of sexuality outside of God’s norms. They gave themselves lock, stock, and barrel to perversion. They devoted themselves to homosexuality.
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Eph 4:17-19
And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” Ge 18:20-21
PRINCIPLE:
Degeneracy comes as a result of a process of thinking.
APPLICATION:
Degeneracy does not come overnight, for it comes as a result of a process. It starts with rebellion to God’s authority in mind, and then, after enough practice, it transitions into degeneracy. One day, it’s simply that we are not nice people, and the next day, we fornicate with the cow’s calf. It is a process that ends in full-blown degeneracy. There is a transition period. Distortion of thinking God’s thoughts after Him transitions into thinking our thoughts after ourselves.
The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves. Is 3:9
The devil always uses legitimate things, good things, nice things to pervert. By perversion, he twists people after his own making. He is the great counterfeiter, altering truth into something not black or white. This satanic philosophy has invaded the church. We are not quite as sure that homosexuality is a sin anymore. To us, it is more a problem of a disease or culture than sin. However, there is a clear distinction in the Word of God.
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Is 8:20
