The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,
"Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
While our country is "evolving" in its views on the social issues of the day, our God is not. I am reminded of the words of the writer of Hebrews, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8. Our Lord doesn't change and our Lord does not "evolve". Social issues may come and go, and certainly this issue of homosexuality is no different.
In the above passage, those who engage in homosexual activity are called "wrongdoers". Further, as with other wrongdoers, no one will enter into eternal life, into the kingdom of God, as a homosexual.
Is God intolerant? Yes! He is the very definition of intolerance. All who engage in homosexual behavior, without finding forgiveness for that behavior, will stand before him at the judgment and will be cast into a lake of fire. You can't get more intolerant than that.
However, homosexuality is not the only sin listed above. We also read of sexual immorality, idolatry, adulterers, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers. These all share in the same plight as homosexuals. None can enter into God's kingdom as any of these. In the end, we all have engaged in sinful thoughts and acts that preclude us from entry into heaven.
"Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
While our country is "evolving" in its views on the social issues of the day, our God is not. I am reminded of the words of the writer of Hebrews, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8. Our Lord doesn't change and our Lord does not "evolve". Social issues may come and go, and certainly this issue of homosexuality is no different.
In the above passage, those who engage in homosexual activity are called "wrongdoers". Further, as with other wrongdoers, no one will enter into eternal life, into the kingdom of God, as a homosexual.
Is God intolerant? Yes! He is the very definition of intolerance. All who engage in homosexual behavior, without finding forgiveness for that behavior, will stand before him at the judgment and will be cast into a lake of fire. You can't get more intolerant than that.
However, homosexuality is not the only sin listed above. We also read of sexual immorality, idolatry, adulterers, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers. These all share in the same plight as homosexuals. None can enter into God's kingdom as any of these. In the end, we all have engaged in sinful thoughts and acts that preclude us from entry into heaven.
But there is good news! As Paul goes on to say in 1 Corinthians 6:11, "That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." We all sin and we all need to be forgiven for the things we say and do, including those who engage in homosexual activity. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, it is always an act of repentance, an act of changing direction in life. Turning to him is a turning away from those things that have marked us as sinners.
It is not that we have to become sinless in order to be accepted into God's kingdom. All we need do is embrace him in faith and we will be forgiven all things, including homosexuality.
Let's not pretend that accepting homosexuality is an act of kindness. This kind of tolerance is the type that would lead others astray, into thinking their behavior as homosexuals is acceptable to God. True kindness is to point to the need of fleeing to the Savior because of the sin in our lives. Let's not mask sin as anything other than what it really is, no matter how our society "evolves".
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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