Gay: Pathway to Hell or Closer to God?

Paving a pathway to hell doesn’t move you closer to God

In a year when it seems like anyone with a pulse and a few crazy ideas is running for president, Pete Buttigieg has taken center stage. Pete Buttigieg is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. But that is not why he is frequently a guest on Sunday morning press shows and what is keeping him in the headlines. Mayor Buttigieg has taken up a war of words with Vice-President Mike Pence about being gay, and has boldly declared, being married to his partner Chasten “has moved me closer to God.”

God desires all people to follow His Word.

God desires all people to follow His Word.

Buttigieg is a democrat, and I admittedly have not studied much about his political views, however, I do want to address two of his theological statements that he has recently made. Doing his best to assume moral high ground Buttigieg declared that being gay was not a choice but was given to him by his Creator. “If me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade…And that’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand. That if you got a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me—your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.” (see USA Today’s piece here).

While I do not know your pay grade Mr. Buttigieg, I do know science and God are not the reason you are gay. Yes, there were several studies published in the early 1990s (and a few in 2000s) that diligently tried to assert a genetic cause for homosexuality. (e.g., Simon LeVay, 1991; Bailey and Pillard, 1991; Dean Hamer, 1993). However, science has a way of “self-correcting” itself and all of those studies were shown to be poorly conducted and other scientists could not replicate the original findings. In other words, the studies were false. Simply put, science doesn’t support the notion that homosexuals were “born that way.” Again, I recognize saying such in modern times is to beg to be labeled a hatemonger or homophobe. However, my conclusion comes from the scientific evidence—not emotion.

It makes logical sense if one were to set aside the hyperbole, political spin, and passion for just a moment. If homosexuality were genetic, then if an identical twin were homosexual then his twin would have to be as well—because they share the same genes. Yet, this is not what we see in reality. Also, if it were genetic then we would eventually see this gene disappear from the human population—as homosexual couples can’t reproduce.

Mr. Buttigieg is desperately trying to ride in on the coattails of true civil rights issues, but the scientific evidence does not support that he was born that way. If it is not genetic, then that makes it a choice. It also takes the “quarrel” about his behavior and who “he is” away from the Creator, and directly to Mr. Buttigieg’s own doorstep.

The second statement I want to examine is when Buttigieg indicated that being involved in a same-sex marriage has brought him closer to God. “Being married to Chasten has made me a better human being because it has made me more compassionate, more understanding, more self-aware and more decent,” he said at the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s annual brunch. “My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man. And yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God,” he added, prompting applause (story here).

How does a homosexual marriage bring someone closer to God? There is only one way—and that is if Mayor Buttigieg has recast God into a god that is not found in the Scriptures. In other words, Buttigieg has recast God in an image that he desires—which is idolatry.

God instituted marriage between a man and a woman, (Genesis 2:24). All throughout the Bible marriage is referred to in terms of a man and a woman—even when Jesus speaks of marriage. Homosexuality, on the other hand, is condemned all throughout God’s Word. Whether we are talking about the patriarchal age with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), or the Mosaic Age (Leviticus 18:22-23; 20:13), or in the New Testament (Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 21:8) God views this behavior as an abomination.

Mr. Buttigieg must have skipped over the Scriptures that declare God as holy (1 Peter 1:16) and that sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). The holiness of God is frequently referenced in the Bible. The inspired psalmist observed, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (22:3). Additionally, we read, “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool—He is holy” (Psalm 99:3). The prophet Isaiah noted: “But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness” (Isaiah 5:16).

Paul revealed in 1 Corinthians 6 that individuals involved in the type of behavior that Mayor Buttigieg and his husband Chasten are involved in will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. In Revelation 21:8 we read that people who practice sexually immoral behavior shall “shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Does this sound like someone who is getting closer to God?

1 John 5:3 declares, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Therefore, to “love” is to do what God says in the way he says to do it. In other words, to be loving is to be lawful; to obey God’s commands. The real question is not whether Mayor Buttigieg “feels” closer to God, the real question is whether or not this presidential candidate is willing to humble himself, repent of his sins, and obey God’s commands.

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Lessons from 2 Corinthians

Lessons from 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians is a book every preacher and teacher needs to read at least once a quarter.  It is interesting to see how God inspired Paul to both encourage and rebuke the church at Corinth in a balanced way.  Paul would acknowledge and show appreciation for the good the Corinthians were doing, continually state and affirm the great love he and God have for them and the love they have for each other, while also repeatedly bringing up in very blunt and sometimes sarcastic ways their shortcomings while admonishing them to repent.

There are many lessons to be learned from 2 Corinthians.

There are many lessons to be learned from 2 Corinthians.

There’s a lesson in this for us, preachers.  Spiritually building up and edifying fellow Christians to help them become closer to God and overcome sin in their life requires more than telling them what they need to work on.  It equally requires open acknowledgment and appreciation of what we are doing right, and encouragement to keep it up.  I encourage my fellow preachers and teachers in the church, especially those of us who regularly post religious articles on social media, to remember that.  As someone who regularly reads the writings of my fellow Christians, I am struck by the higher ratio of critical articles of brethren and the church there are versus the number of articles which openly thank brethren and the church for the good they do and acknowledge it.  Yes, the articles which bring out what Christians and the church need to do better are more times than not correct and they are sure to get numerous “likes” and comments like “Amen!” and “Preach it, brother!”  However, after a while of being regularly saturated with articles that repeatedly say, “We have this problem”, “We’re not doing what we need to here in this area”, and “We could do better here”, a lot of us will get discouraged and begin to wonder if we can do anything right in the sight of God (or the preacher or teacher who regularly blogs and preaches these messages).

Consider the following examples from Paul and his second inspired letter to Corinth:

  1. He starts by openly wishing upon them grace and peace from God and Christ (1:2).  My fellow preaching and teaching bloggers, how often in our writings to Christians do we openly wish God’s grace and peace upon them, even while we “let them have it”?  I know this is something I need to work on.
  2. He then gives them a very uplifting message about comfort (1:3-5).  He also informs them that they are the reason he and his fellow apostles suffer (1:6) and that his hope in them is unshaken (1:7), before requesting their prayers (1:11).  A stark contrast from sermons and articles I and others have written which simply say to Christians, “Shape up!” without also comforting them and telling them, “I care so much about you, and here’s what I’m willing to do to show it.  I hope in you.  I believe in you, so much so that I’m asking you to pray for me.”
  3. Paul then speaks bluntly to them about their need to forgive the penitent among them (1:23-2:11).  Yet, even while doing so he goes out of his way to tell them that he didn’t think he was better than them (1:24a), acknowledge that they stand firm in their faith (1:24b), inform them that it tore him up to have to rebuke them (2:4a), and make sure they knew that he didn’t want to hurt them because he loved them very much (2:4b).  Again, we preachers can learn from this.  Rebuking people requires more than telling them to repent while specifying their errors.  It also requires telling them that you love them while acknowledging what they are doing right.
  4. Even while defending himself and his companions from the accusation of being “peddlers of God’s word” (2:12-3:1), he tells the Corinthians that their walk with Christ is such that he could use them as a “letter of recommendation” (3:2-3).  What a great example for us, brethren!
  5. Paul then speaks positively about the terrible ordeals he and his companions went through rather than complaining about it (4:8-11) before informing the Christians at Corinth that he willingly went through these trials for their sake (4:12-15).  Preachers, let’s be honest.  We tend to complain to each other about the problems brought upon us due to preaching the gospel, problems which are quite small when compared to Paul’s (see 11:23-27).  Why not speak of how God upholds us even in the midst of our sufferings as Paul did, before informing the church that we would go through it all over again if it would help just one soul in that congregation get closer to God?
  6. Notice how Paul says to the church, “We IMPLORE you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (5:20b) and “we APPEAL to you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (6:1).  Preachers and fellow teachers and bloggers, let’s try IMPLORING brethren to repent and APPEALING to them rather than beating them up over the head about it.  Pleading rather than lecturing might produce better results.
  7. Before admonishing them to be different from unbelievers rather than unequally yoking themselves to them (6:14-7:1), notice how Paul went out of his way to tell these Christians that his heart was wide open for them while encouraging them to widen their hearts also (6:11-13).  Notice also that while he ends his admonishment for them to cleanse themselves from defilement, he calls them “beloved” (7:1) and urges them again, “Make room in your hearts for us” (7:2a).  Parents who effectively discipline their children know that their children need to be reminded of their love for them both before and after the spanking.  In like manner, Christians need to know how much we care for them and love them while we rebuke them from the pulpit, in articles, and face to face.
  8. Paul then acknowledged that his previous letter brought them grief which led them to repent (7:8-10).  He then went out of his way to let them know that they were doing a great job repenting (7:11), and that their repentance and subsequent encouraging of Titus comforted Paul and his companions (7:13).  Notice how Paul told them that he had been boasting about them, and that their actions proved his boasts to be well-founded (7:14).  See how he told them that Titus’ affection for them was growing and that Titus remembered how obedient they were (7:15).  Paul then told them about his joy over them and that he had “perfect confidence” in them (7:16).  This is the same church 1 Corinthians was written to, remember.  These are the same people who were very divided, suing each other over trivial matters, openly and arrogantly tolerating extreme fornication among them, arguing over where their brethren bought meat, defiling the Lord’s Supper, childishly wanting the “cool” spiritual gifts rather than the ones most profitable for helping the church grow, and even denying that there would be a resurrection of the dead on Judgment Day…and yet look how Paul is speaking positively of them here.  My fellow preachers, the church in America overall has a lot of problems…but she has a lot of good in her too.  We can take a page from Paul’s book here and acknowledge that.  It might just help our brethren to become better.
  9. While talking up the Macedonian brethren, Paul told Corinth – Corinth, of all people! – that they “excel in everything” while encouraging them to excel in their giving also (8:7).  He then acknowledged that they had in fact excelled in helping their needy brethren and others before urging them to keep it up (8:10-11) and thus prove to others that Paul was right to boast about them (8:24).  He then acknowledged their readiness to participate in this good work and informed them that he was boasting about them to others, who in turn were inspired by them (9:2), all before exhorting them to be ready to give more and give in the right way (9:3-11).  He then told them about how others were glorifying God because of their generosity (9:12-15).  What a great example for us in how to stir up brethren to get more involved in church work!
  10. Take note of how Paul, even while defending himself against his detractors at Corinth, again “entreated” and “begged” Corinth to repent (10:1-2).  Notice also how even in the midst of his sarcastic rebuke of them recorded all throughout chapters 10 through 12, he talks of his hope that their faith would increase (10:15), his fear that Satan would lead them astray (11:3), his love for them (11:11), and his anxiety for them and all other churches (11:28), before informing them that he would “most gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (12:15a) that it was “all for your upbuilding, beloved” (12:19b), that he was praying for them (13:7, 9), and that they were more important than him (13:9).  He then ended his letter to them in a very positive note (13:11-14).  What a great example of balance that shows us how to rebuke with love and encourage even while admonishing!

Preachers, teachers, and fellow religious bloggers, we can definitely learn from this.  I know I can.  The brethren need more from us than constant rebukes.  They need expressed love, comfort, concern, and encouragement.  We need to brag on them even though they’re not perfect.  Guess what?  We’re not either.  We need to truly love them, and God shows us how to do so in 2 Corinthians.  May we all work harder to preach the Word like Paul!

Proclaiming God’s truth is a blessing, and those of us who proclaim it from the pulpit and through our writings have the highest privilege bestowed to man other than being a child of God and approaching his throne in prayer. Men of God, thank you for the hard work you put in for the kingdom. I love each of you and keep you in my prayers. We are all imperfect beings made complete by his Son’s blood. Let’s keep striving to do what is right. God bless you for the work you do, preachers.

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Leadership by Power and Control?

Leadership by Power and Control?

Worldly leadership emphasizes power and control. God does not think like that. Just the opposite – God tells us that our ways are not His ways, and we need to make His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8)! In 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, Paul writes that God chose “foolish,” “weak,” and “low” things that no person should glory in His Presence. Consider David’s statement in Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Isaiah 57:15 states, “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

The Lord does not lead by power and control.

The Lord does not lead by power and control.

It should not surprise us that God became the Son of a carpenter’s wife, and lived a relatively ordinary life (for the most part). He truly humbled Himself (Philippians 2:7-8). He rebuked His disciples for having the attitude of a world that desired power above all (Mark 10:35-45) concluding that, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” The image of Jesus as a lamb that has been slain comes from the first Passover in Exodus 12:1-13. John uses this image repeatedly in the book of Revelation. It is most striking, however, when he draws upon it in Revelation 7:17 to highlight the fact that Jesus is our Shepherd and fulfilled prophecy in Isaiah 49:9-10. Only God could make a Lamb the Shepherd! This is the leadership that describes who God is—the kind we must practice as His people.

 

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A Bridge Between Two Eternities

A Bridge Between Two Eternities

One of the mistakes we so often make is that we read the Bible too fast. Divine truths are so profound that as we read the Bible we overlook eternal truths which could change our lives. Consider these words from Solomon. “He has made everything beautiful in its times. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (Ecc. 3:11). Every phrase in this verse should be considered, but let’s focus on one of them. “He has put eternity in their hearts.” Read it slowly and think about it.

Consider for a moment the breadth of eternity.

Consider for a moment the breadth of eternity.

“Eternity Past” in the heart of mankind. We tend to think of eternity only in the future, but the Bible also indicates the widest aspect of eternity also has to do with its existence forever—both past and present. David spoke of our eternal God in this way. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or every You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psa. 90:1). There it is. Eternity reaches back before the beginning and extends beyond the end.

Consider the fact that in the heart of man is the ability to know that there is a past—an eternal one. It is so logical to conclude that if there ever was a time when there was nothing, there would be nothing now. Something has eternally existed. Thus, in the heart of man there is a burning question, “Where did I come from?” There are only two possibilities—eternal Mind or an eternal blob of matter. God has placed eternity in the heart of mankind, and we seek the answer as to the origin of man. Only a fool could believe we came from “mindless mud” (Psa. 14:1).

“Eternity Future” in the heart of man. As a mortal stands beside the grave of a loved one, one thought comes to his mind. Is this the end? Is there life beyond the grave? Apart from God, he will never find the answer, but He placed in our hearts an awareness of eternity. Hardened hearts may ignore it, but it is there. Have you ever considered that there are few who are truly atheists as they take their last breath?

“Eternity Present” in the heart of man. If there is an eternal past and an eternal future, then the present time is simply the bridge between the two. Three great questions confront us all. Where did I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? We can easily harden our hearts, but in those quiet private moments we all have, the knowledge of eternity can so readily demand that we seek the reason for our existence.

Now make the application. Based on our knowledge of eternity, all that really matters is how I deal with that which is eternal. Are you doing this?

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Malachi and Robbing God

Malachi and Robbing God

The book of Malachi is written to the Israelites who have returned from captivity in Babylon.  Israel had been taken into captivity around 586 BC by the Babylonians as punishment from God for their disobedience to His law given at Sinai.  As prophesied, after 70 years, the Medo-Persians allowed Israel to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple.  They completed this with God’s blessing and then rebuilt Jerusalem as well.  The writing of Malachi occurs approximately 75-100 years after the initiation of the aforementioned rebuilding.

In chapter one, the prophet Malachi declared God had shown Israel His love by favoring them since the time of their forefather Jacob.  Sadly, Israel did not honor God and could not acknowledge their ungrateful behaviors.  Their sacrifices to God were blind, sick, and lame beasts unacceptable even to earthly officials.  They were weary of properly reverencing the God of heaven who had returned them to the Promised Land.  Perhaps they believed worship and service to God was simply a matter of convenience? They overlooked God’s loving commands and viewed their actions as right in their own eyes.

Does your life show reverence to God?

Does your life show reverence to God?

In chapter 2, Malachi condemned the priests and people of Israel for failing to preserve the word of God, teach the Law, and keep His commandments (vs. 7-9).  The prophet declared they were married to worldliness.  A Godly marriage seeks Godly offspring and this is produced by two Godly parents, not a union of one serving worldliness and the other devoted to holiness. The Bible never speaks well of marriage between believers and unbelievers (Genesis 6, Exodus 34, I Kings 10, Ezra 10, 2 Corinthians 6).  Israel had been commanded to not take foreign wives.  The spiritual understanding is: Do not associate with that in opposition to God.  In the Christian Dispensation, God has sanctified the union of a believer and unbeliever (I Corinthians 7:12-14), but he does not authorize or accept worldliness in service to Him (Colossians 3:17).

Chapter 3 (with the previous atrocities in view) discusses the prophecy of John the immerser, the coming of Christ, the establishment of spiritual Judah and Jerusalem (the Church), and the ultimate destruction of those who were behaving in the manner of physical Israel.  Therefore, God through Malachi called Israel to repent and stop robbing Him.  Israel failed to recognize their sin and questioned a need to return to God.  Of course, the robbing occurred through Israel not giving the Lord what He had commanded in the form of spiritual and physical service as required by the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 10:12).  It the idea of “robbing God” that we want to now take a moment to consider and apply to our lives today.

While it would be easy to focus upon how the world is robbing God, they are a secondary concern for the moment.  1. They are not as likely to be reading these words, 2. It is improper service by those recognized as God’s people that is in view with the concept of robbery in Malachi.  Are Churches robbing God today?  As with physical Israel it is certain most Christians would respond in the negative.  How could a person be condemned by declaring Christ, assembling, singing, giving, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, praying, and listening to His Word?  The answer is broken up into two aspects:  Spirit and Truth (John 4:24).  God has always desired that worship and service to him be from the heart and according to His command.  Herein is where failure to adhere to God’s authority is found.

Perhaps the “truth” of our service to God is easiest to determine as to whether or not it is seen as robbery.  Regarding assembled worship: Is it occurring when and how God has directed (Acts 20:7)?  Is there reverence or a visible lack of honor that would be frowned upon by even a man expecting something above what is common (I Peter 1:16)?  Is there singing or playing (Ephesians 5:19)?  Is a component of assembly missing altogether (such as intermittent partaking of the Lord’s Supper rather than each first day of the week – I Corinthians 11:26)?  Is prayer focused upon God or upon man (Luke 18:11)?  Is it God’s Word being shared or the teachings and traditions of man (Galatians 1:6-10)?  These behaviors can be keenly addressed and examined against the scriptures to determine if the offering will be considered acceptable or robbery in God’s eyes.

The state of our “spirit” in serving God is more difficult to ascertain.  Man is not God who can read the heart (Jeremiah 17:10).  However, it is true actions and words are a good indicator of what is in the heart (Luke 6:45).  If one finds worship “boring”, then we have a warning sign.  If the individual embraces sinful activities or promotes sinful activity as acceptable, there is likely a heart problem (I Corinthians 15:33).  If the commands of God are suggested to be too restrictive or legalistic, the spirit may likely not be engaged.  If what is good and holy is belittled or mocked, then the soul of that individual is probably not tuned to following God, but instead is seeking out the desires of the flesh.  When a person comes to God and is transformed, it is because there has been a mental change and he desires to follow Christ (Romans 12:1-2).  The old man has died.  The new man is a possession of Christ.  Not being a living sacrifice to Him is robbery.

The final portion of Malachi Chapter 3 and then Chapter 4, affirms that those who have “discerned between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not” will be cared for by God.  However, those who do not turn to God will be tread down.  Extended from physical Israel to the whole world, this is a promise that God, who is faithful, considers those who rob Him and fail to honor him as He is due shall be held accountable.

 

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