19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Gentiles abandoned themselves to three iniquities: (1) lewdness, (2) uncleanness, and (3) greed.
to lewdness [depravity],
Gentiles abandon themselves to “lewdness” or debauchery. “Lewdness” is reckless behavior. They have a readiness to delve into it. They do not care who knows about their debauchery, having no sense of shame. There is no sense of indecency in them because their conscience has reached a point of cauterization. They run through all of God’s warnings and stop lights without any sense of conscience.
PRINCIPLE:
Non-Christians are characterized by a debauchery that has lost a sense of shame.
APPLICATION:
“Lewdness” is licentiousness. This word carries the idea of no shame whatsoever (Mr 7:22; Ro 13:13; 2 Co 12:21 Ga 5:19; 1 Pe 4:3; 2 Pe 2:2, 7, 18, Jude 4). This individual has no standards for his life. A lewd person does not concern himself with what others think of him. Gratification is all that matters to him.
Most people try to cover their immorality and depravity. That is why they sin in the dark; they do not sin in the light were others can see the extent of their depravity. However, there is a stage where they do not care what others think about them. They come to the place of abandonment of all moral restraint. These people are undisciplined and unbridled in their sin.
