God gave them up to uncleanness #1110

24  Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25  who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:24–25, NKJV)

Mankind is under the wrath of God, and for good reason (Rom. 1:18-21). The refusal to honor and thank God plunged humanity into the darkness of pride and the foolishness of elevating human wisdom above God and His truth (Rom. 1:21-22). This led to idolatry – the corruption of true worship (Rom. 1:23). Idolatry (false worship) feeds on fleshly lusts. Impure worship opens the door to immoral living. When God is ignored and His truth is devalued, the boundaries of moral restraint (that are set by divine truth) are increasingly ignored. Just as false worship abandons truth for lies, immorality abandons the moral restraints of truth. Instead of honoring God with the body, it is used to fulfill the sinful lusts of the heart (1 Cor. 6:13, 15, 19). One must not think he is honoring God while using his body to fulfill the dishonorable lusts of immorality. When the truth of God is exchanged for the lie of idolatry, immorality follows. God allows it to happen, but His wrath is revealed against it. You cannot serve the god of self, and expect to be blessed by God our Creator.

A Good Moral Man, Lost in Sin #575

1  There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2  a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. (Acts 10:1–2, NKJV)

Cornelius was a good man. He was a man of devotion, integrity, generosity and reverence. Yet, for all this, he was a man lost in sin. He needed to hear the gospel – words from the apostle Peter by which he and all his household would be saved (Acts 10:22; 11:14). His need for salvation illustrates an important lesson for all who wish to go to heaven: A good moral life does not save a sinner from his or her sins. Only the blood of Jesus does that (Eph. 1:7). Since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” we all need to be saved from our sin. A good moral life will not do that. Only Christ, through His gospel, saves sinners (Acts 4:12). The gospel that the apostles preached to everybody, including Cornelius, is summarized in this: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16; see Acts 10:43-48).