ArchivedRomans 1, the ONLY biblical text with a reference to gay sexDo you think you can make one post without being insulting. You remind me of a person devoted to a cult that cannot abide those who disagree with him. Anyway, there is another way to view Romans. This section of Scripture is a powerful indictment against, as Paul states in vs. 18 “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men”. To fully understand this teaching we need to break it into sections. The preamble is verses 18-23 where Paul describes an idolatrous society. The next three sections are preceded with the phrase “God gave them over” or “God gave them up” so lets look at these individually. Why did God give them up” to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts; because of verses 18-23. At this period of Roman history Roman matrons who had more freedom than most cultures were divorcing and remarrying as their desires dictated. Roman men were engaging in all forms sexual immorality. Rome as a republic was a moral although idolatrous society. As Rome became a world power, imported foreign gods, philosophies, and slaves to run their homes and educate their children they lost their moral values. In other words, heterosexual morality was tossed out the window in favor of “what feels good do it.” The next section is: For what cause did God give them up to homosexuality? Because Rome at the time of Paul had abandoned all morality, had allowed foreigners to educate their children using foreign philosophies, and because they worshipped a pantheon of gods that promoted sexual perversions. The next section is: This section applies to all who would live ungodly and unrighteous lives denying God as creator. You can see this same progression in America today. Daytime soap operas introduced “free sex” into our living rooms in the 1950’s; the 60’s generation threw morality out the window in favor of “free love” or “drugs, sex, and rock and roll”; in the 19 70’s the Supreme Court legalized abortion, the APA declared homosexuality a viable alternate lifestyle; in the 1990’s we had a President who legitimized gay theology by honoring the founders of the UFMCC and Soul Force by inviting them to the White House; lied about an affair with an intern; a congress who has allowed the Supreme Court to make laws they don’t have the guts to oppose; and in the 21st century gay marriage is being legalized and promoted by heterosexuals in nations worldwide and within the Christian Church. So whom did God give over to a reprobate mind? “All ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” But Paul does not stop with the unsaved, he continues with: The church has capped the salt shaker and put their light under a bushel for decades and then wonder why political power in this country has shifted to the liberal left. Churches are building Christian life centers so their members “won’t be contaminated by the world”. Well, we are to “contaminate” the world with the gospel, but we can’t do that when we sit in our pews and Christian life centers complaining about a world going to hell in a hand basket. Evangelical churches have ignored Jesus’ teaching on divorce by solemnizing second, third, even fourth marriages after a “no fault” divorce. We preach “repent” to the unsaved when Paul states “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”. How can the unsaved repent until they know of and accept the fact of the “goodness of God”? They can’t! So we judge those who don’t accept the Bible by using the Bible as an offensive weapon. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God and is a defensive weapon to protect believers against the wiles of Satan. The Greek word translated “reprobate” actually means “counterfeit, depraved, unapproved, or rejected”. We live in a society that is depraved in many aspects of life not the least of which is “not feeding the poor and needy” and promoting sexual immorality through TV, movies, and music, no fault divorce, significant others in lieu of spouses, and promoting homosexuality as a viable alternate lifestyle. The acceptance even promotion of homosexuality is always the death knell of any society. This trend is moving from Europe to Canada and now into the United States as churches deny the authority, supremacy and sovereignty of God and have started to worship the “creature” (human philosophy and psychology, animals rights, etc.) in lieu of the Creator. France is moving to make being an evangelical Christian and teaching Christianity a criminal offense. So pray the “Lord of the harvest will send laborers in the field” (Matthew 9:38 ) as the time is ripe to reap the last harvest I have heard Christians say that since homosexuals have been given over to a “reprobate mind” it is useless to preach the gospel to them. Why? Lets get real folks, all unbelievers have a unapproved or reprobate mind, which is why Jesus commands us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Homosexuality is not the unforgivable sin and the gay community needs the gospel as much as the rest of the world. In Matthew Jesus instruction to the apostles is to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). How do you disciple an individual? You teach them the word of God. Where many churches and Christians fail is being mentors or teachers of God’s word. I was saved at the age of 10. I became a new creation since my past became null and void and in a sense I became a newborn babe. But, the denomination I was raised in did not teach doctrine, or the word of God they taught church history and simple Bible stories. They gave me pabulum not meat and I was never equipped (discipled) to face life with the full armor of God, so I strayed for 28 years. It took the Holy Spirit to do what the church failed to do and He did His job. The institutional church has not learned much over the last 50 years since most people who fill pews are taught a social gospel that does not equip them to be effective ministers of the gospel. Even evangelical churches emphasize their traditional doctrine in lieu of full Biblical truth. Is it any wonder that God will soon call 144,000 messianic Jews to finish the job the church has failed to do over the last 2,000 years? |
🌈Pride🌈 goeth before Destruction
When 🌈Pride🌈 cometh, then cometh Shame