Sunday, June 28, 2015

Homosexuality is an Abomination


Absolutely no one should be accepted as a brother of Christ, as a co-heir with Him, as an adopted son or daughter to God the Father, without first accepting the absolute of Jesus being the Christ, the Messiah, one’s Savior.  There is no other way, period.  False teachers of this age teach lies, preaching the doctrine of demons (1 Timothy 4:1-2).  That may sound harsh, but what else would they be teaching when they tickle ears by leading people away from Jesus and straight to hell? They tell people what they want to hear, and people want to hear what makes them feel good.  Consider the following verses.
“For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among (us).  They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord (Jude 1:4).”
“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’  These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage” (Jude1:14-16). 
“In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.  These are the men who will divide you, who follow mere natural instinct and do not have the Spirit” (Jude1:18-19).
Let’s take homosexuality as a prime example.  Many upon many Christians, churches, pastors, and teachers condone what is clearly stated Biblically as an abomination.
“Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22)
“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.  Amen.  Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.  Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.  Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” (Romans 1:24-27)
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived:  Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”(1 Corinthians 6:9)
 If more is needed, then take a look at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis nineteen.  I have heard said, homosexuality was not clearly stated as to the cause of their destruction.  What?  Chapter nineteen verses four and five clearly portray a city ravenous with detestable behavior: “…all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.  They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight?  Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.’”    Little did they know, the men they were seeking to rape, and yes, that is what the context of the passage implies, were two angels sent to destroy them.
But today, homosexuality is accepted as normal behavior, even among throngs of churches.  All such goes back to the “men who will divide you, who follow mere natural instinct and do not have the Spirit” (Jude 1:18-19). What does “mere natural instinct” imply?  So many contort that into, “See, that verifies God created homosexuals, they are born like that.”  Nope.  It means one’s instinct of pleasure has corrupted the soul. 
“These men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them” (Jude 1:10). 

We have free will--to do what we want with the lives God gave us. If people want, or feel intrinsically pulled toward the same sex, they have been given over to their desires or "shameful lusts" (Romans 1:18-23). That doesn't make their lifestyle right and/or pleasing to God.  Homosexuality reverses the order God designed--in the beginning God created woman for man.  People can, have, and will ape the truth to meet their own needs.  God did not send His Son to invalidate His intended order--He sent Jesus to save it (Hebrews 6:16-20). God does not change (Numbers 23:19, Psalm 102:27, Malachi 3:6, James 1:17).   I doubt He would offer up His only Son as a sacrifice for humanity to change His appointed plan.
Today, Christians who stand for Jesus and handle Scripture accurately are labeled bigots.  Bigotry, defined by Random Houses Webster Dictionary, clearly spells it out as an extreme intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own.  It rubbed me the wrong way initially, because I always associated it with racism.  But in taking a closer look at the definition, and its synonyms, if the world wishes to view Christians as bigots, as dogmatic, fanatic doctrinaires of Jesus Christ, then I guess they are right.
 But let’s ask questions of those who vehemently deny our belief—are they any less a bigot toward our right to profess our belief? How can they stand there in hateful opposition, screaming bigotry, when they themselves shower in it every day under the guise of equal rights? They mock that which they do not understand, and the very things they do understand are the very things destroying them.  
Acceptance of falsehood is not anywhere in the inspired scriptures, truth is. The truth hurts, it stings, and yes it angers those who deny it.  And there it is--the source of contention, lack of tolerance for sin against God.  We are to reach out in love to spread the truth, but that does not mean we are to roll over and deny Scripture’s absolutes.
Love should not be sightless.  Love is not weak, but strong in conviction.  Love is a fruit of the Spirit.  However, love doesn't preclude fighting for accuracy, for what is right and true.  Freedom of speech in this case is just a microcosm of this country's angst.  God gave us free will, this country lives under the motto--"In God We Trust;" we should trust in His wisdom and allow citizens freedom of speech, lifestyles, and religion.  It is God’s place to judge and condemn.  In saying this, I can imagine someone asking, “Aren’t Christians judging others saying their lifestyles are sinful?”  Well, no.  Judgment is always linked to condemnation.  Christians are evaluating life in line with the Scripture.  However, if we evaluate others with hate, if Christians evaluate without extending concern for souls, then we are guilty of sin against God.  Sin is sin, no matter the offender.  God shows no favoritism.
“For God does not show favoritism.”  (Romans 2:11)
“Do not threaten them, since you know He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”  (Ephesians 6:9)
“…It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.”  (Colossians 3:25)
“I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.”  (1 Timothy 5:21)
“But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”  (James 2:9)
Sadly, this is not the case among humanity nowadays, nor has it ever been.  Thank the Lord Jesus Christ’s atonement of our sins on the cross.  “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set (us) free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1).  But to those who are not in Christ Jesus, there is nothing but an expectancy of judgment.
The love and peace in this world are fast evaporating and being replaced with apathy, angst, anger, and agitation. I do know things are only going to get worse.  I have no proof of this, other than Scriptural truth.  These are the last times.  Even more reason for Christians to stand for Christ, united together representing God’s grace.
 I know our faith and the world are on opposite sides of the spectrum, but let us not give in to their hate.  Once Satan baits us into fits of rage in hostile arguments over God’s Word, then he has a victory in the minds of those we are to convince.  With some people, we must understand the Truth will never sink in; as pearls before swine, it’s useless to expect them to appreciate the beauty of God’s Truth—they are only concerned with the here and now, unable to contemplate past their own desires.   So, when they continually and aggressively deny Jesus, don’t argue, shake the dust from your feet and move on to a soul who is receptive to God’s love through Christ.
6  NIV Disciple’s Study Bible, p. 1735
7a Erwin W. Lutzer, How to Say No to a Stubborn Habit.  (1979.  SP Publications, Inc. Victor Books, 1989) 16.
7b Lutzer, 21, 22