Part 2 – Same Sex Marriage

Sexual Relations and Marriage

When God created the institution of marriage (Gen. 2:18-25), the sexual relation was a built-in feature.While the expression, “the two shall become oneflesh” (Mk 10:7-8) may be understood in reference to the marital union itself, it is clearly an expression that references the most physically intimate relationship that a husband and wife can have. However, man is often dissatisfied with what God has provided for him, and, as a result, he abuses and perverts what was once wholesome and pure.  The question is: where does homosexuality place in all of this?

Is same sex marriage authorized by God?

Is same sex marriage authorized by God?

The term “homosexual” is defined as “feeling or involving sexual attraction only to persons of the same sex” (Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder). A homosexual person is often referred to as “a lesbian” (if it is a woman) or “a gay” (if it is a man). Being that homosexuality is documented in the Bible as early as the book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible) we come to the realization that homosexuality is not something that is new to the world.

Throughout human history mankind has engaged in various forms of sexual relations (whether good or evil): such as the heterosexual relations (male with female), the homosexual relations (male with male; female with female), bestial relations (man or woman with an animal), etc.  But which does God approve of?  One of them?  All of them?

In the beginning God created a man and He created a woman to be the man’s wife (Gen. 2:7,18-25; Matt. 19: 4-5).  Let the evidence show as “Exhibit A” that by God’s design a marriage was to be between a man and a woman from the beginning of creation (otherwise, why did He not make a man for the man or a woman for the woman?)  In the New Testament the inspired apostle Paul said of marriage: “…It is good for a man not to touch a woman.  Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:1-2).  If God had intended this to include same-sex marriages, why did the Scripture not allow for a man to have his own man or a woman to have her own woman?  These questions need to be answered.

Throughout Scripture one can find ample evidence that God approves of a heterosexual marriage, but nowhere in Scripture does God speak approvingly of a homosexual marriage.  In light of this evidence, let us consider Hebrews 13:4, which says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

According to the Bible marriage is to be between a husband (man) and a wife (woman). According to Hebrews 13:4 any sexual relationship outside of that union is “adultery” or “fornication” (which is sin – Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10), regardless of whether it is heterosexual, homosexual, bestial (etc.).  Honestly, friends, this biblical evidence is sufficient to settle the entire issue.  However, in the spirit of a fair and just examination, we shall evaluate some other arguments and thoughts in future articles as we continue to answer the important question: “Is homosexuality really a sin?”

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Homosexuality Sin? 1

Homosexuality Part 1 – Introduction

For many years now the debate has raged between those in favor of homosexual relationships and those opposed to them.  Those in favor of same-sex relationships accuse their opposition of being bigoted, prejudiced, “homophobic” (etc.), but is that really true? Oh, I’m certain that there are those opposed to a “gay” lifestyle just because it bothers them personally, however, not everyone who is opposed to homosexuality is opposed to it merely for personal reasons; rather, they are opposed to it because of what they believe the Bible says about such relationships.

What does the Bible Teach about Homosexuality?

What does the Bible Teach about Homosexuality?

So what is the answer regarding homosexuality?  Is it simply misunderstood?  Is “homosexuality” the victim of unfair bias, or is it an abominable sin?  What has God said on the subject?  This article is the first in a series of articles that I plan to write addressing the question: “Is homosexuality really a sin?”  That is a fair question – and it needs to be answered from God’s inspired Word (for it makes no difference what man personally thinks about it).  We will not stand before the judgment seat of man in the judgment, but we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).  Therefore, we better be sure we understand what He says about homosexuality, not what man says about it.

As it would be impossible to address every important point on this subject in one small writing, I felt it best to address this in specific parts (I ask for your patience with this effort).  I realize that this topic is a very sensitive one with many people, and I will do my very best to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), for inasmuch as God loves you, friends, so do I. Therefore, I encourage you to look for the upcoming articles in this series, and may we together come to understand what the will of God is on this very important subject (Eph. 5:17).

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God, Our Father

God, Our Father

The first thing that Jesus gave to His disciples as a model for their prayers is a portrait of God. John records, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). The ability to understand completely the concept of God is impossible, because we are finite beings who cannot fathom the infinite. Theologians and philosophers have tried to define God with huge definitions that really do nothing but leave us empty. Nevertheless, Jesus did not come to this earth with a definition, but He chose to represent God by using a figure drawn from the family relationship—God, our Father.

There is no Father like our Heavenly Father.

There is no Father like our Heavenly Father.

There is a sense in which God is the universal Father of all humanity, since He is the creator of all humanity (cf. Acts 17:28). Yet, Jesus emphasizes in His model prayer and in other New Testament passages a spiritual relationship with His people, beginning with the nation of Israel and continuing today through the church, the spiritual family of God (1 Tim. 3:15). Thus, as Christians, we are more than just His family by creation—we are His family by grace through faith (Gal. 3:26-27; 2 Cor. 6:17-18). What attributes of a father demonstrate that of the character of our heavenly Father?

First, a father shows relationship. Just as a father is related to his child, I am related to God, and He is related to me. Through the grace of God and His gospel, I can be “born again” (John 3:3-5) by faith into the family of God, which is a spiritual new birth. Therefore, I am related to God. With Him as my Father, I am able to come into close personal relations with Him just as my human father. When we look at a newborn baby, we cannot really tell whether he looks like anyone in particular. If we lined up all the babies in a nursery of a hospital, they would look alike to me—red-faced, some with more hair, some with less. Possibly mothers and grandmothers can see little things, but as the child grows a little older, then we really can see the resemblances—father’s eyes, mother’s chin, father’s toes, grandmother’s hands, and such like. If I am a child of God, our Father, then I should look like God. When I begin my spiritual life, I will naturally not resemble Him very much, but the more I grow spiritually, the more I will become like him. Because I am a child of God, I am to think as God thinks. I am to love my enemies (Matt. 5:44) because God loves His enemies (Rom. 5:10). I am to do good things and pray for those who despise me so that I may be as my Father in heaven (Matt. 5:45). We will grow into this likeness just as a baby grows to become more and more mature and resemble his parents. Therefore, I am related to the infinite God of heaven as His spiritual child.

Second, a father is one who infinitely cares about his children. It is natural for a father to be concerned about the welfare of his children (cf. 1 Pet. 5:6-7). Our heavenly Father is a Father who cares. To show His care for us, He sent His Son into this world to die on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21). God, our Father, loves us with a love we cannot fathom. If we are lost, the reason will not be a reflection on the love of God, but it will be because of our own rebellion and hardness of heart. Yet, when we leave him, keep in mind that we do not leave him without breaking His heart. Because He made us as free moral agents, we can either reject what God wants us to do or accept in glad surrender and know the joy that comes from serving him.

Third, a father is one who assumes responsibility to provide for the physical care, health, education and development of the child. Therefore, Paul addresses this fact to fathers in Ephesians 6:4. In like manner, when God adds me to His family (Acts 2:47), then He does not leave me to starve and shiver through neglect. He demonstrates responsibility by providing for all of my spiritual needs so that I may be ready to live with Him in eternity (Eph. 1:3; 1 John 2:25). When I confront problems in my personal life, I can talk to my heavenly Father about them, because He has provided us with the avenue of prayer so that our fellowship together can provide strength (Heb. 4:16). Through the provision of the Bible, He can feed and nourish my spiritual life. In this great wide world, He presents me with countless opportunities to exercise godliness. He has provided me with an example of Jesus Christ, my Savior, so that I can grow more and more like Him every day. Upon the shoulders of His children, He has given us the responsibility of communicating His great love to all men and bringing others to Him.

Fourth, a father disciplines. I cannot think about a “father” without thinking about discipline, because this word implies authority. As our Father, God has authority because He created us, because He sustains us every day and because we surrendered our will to Him. Therefore, because He is our spiritual Father, the Bible emphasizes that discipline comes from God (Heb. 12:6-11). If our earthly fathers disciplined us, and we gave them respect, then should we not do the same for our spiritual Father? Our earthly fathers might have made mistakes in discipline, but our heavenly Father does not make mistakes. The problem today, though, is that many fathers leave their children to make their own choices without discipline. Our children need guidance, and they expect such from those of us who are experienced. Therefore, God our Father guides us in the way we should go and disciplines us so we can be stronger. Rookies are not fit to go to the battlefield to fight. The military knows this, and provides a period of basic and advanced training to discipline soldiers to the conditions of the battlefield. In like manner, God is preparing us for eternity. His purpose is high and His desire is to make us the best men and women that He can with the material with which He has to work.

The big difference between an earthly father and our heavenly Father is in the six words, “Our Father, which art in heaven.” One day, our ties with our earthly parents will dissolve, but our heavenly Father is one who is eternal, for He “inhabiteth eternity” (Isa. 57:15). If we do not make Him our Father now as we live in this life, he will never be our Father in eternity. This is what it means to become a Christian—it is to make God our Father. This is what He wants.

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I Grew Up Church of Christ

“I Grew Up church of Christ”

“I grew up ‘church of Christ.’” How many times have you heard it? You’re talking with someone and the subject of ‘church’ or ‘religion’ comes up, just as it recently did with my wife and I. We were in a department store, and during the course of a brief conversation with one of the store staff, we inserted the subject of ‘church’ into the conversation as we usually try to do, and the lady asked me what church I “pastored.” When I answered that I preached for the church of Christ, she responded, “I grew up church of Christ.” And that was certainly not the first time we’d heard that particular statement.

But what exactly does that sad sentiment and statement, ‘I grew up church of Christ,’ really mean? Due to the regularity in the recurrence of this response from so many, I’ve given the answer to that question quite a lot of thought lately… and the answer – no matter the cause – is actually pretty terrifying as far as I can see. And I have to wonder if those who so often and easily just allow that phrase to arbitrarily roll off of their tongues, have spent much time at all in truly considering what those words really mean in light of biblical teaching.

“I grew up ‘church of Christ.’” That obviously means that growing up, they had the precious privilege of being around, amongst, involved within, and surrounded by, a congregation of God’s blood-bought, grace-pardoned, and while far less than faultlessly perfect, God’s yet forgiven people (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2-10; 1 Jn. 1:5-2:2). They had the opportunity to learn, and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Ptr. 3:14-18); and to come to understand, accept, and obey the blessed gospel, rightly dividing God’s word of truth (2 Ptr. 1:2-11). It means they had the chance to go to heaven and spend eternity with God and His blood-bought people, but eventually chose for whatever reason, that such a life of love, and belonging to and with the Savior both here and hereafter, wasn’t what they wanted. And so, they opted to leave the Lord and His people – along with all the blessings and privileges of sonship in both the earthly kingdom and the heavenly places (Eph. 1:1-12; Col. 1:13-14) – for a few brief moments of non-submission to Him and eternal torment to boot (Jms 4:4-10, 13-16).

Now, perhaps it was a particularly difficult teaching that they didn’t want to accept that caused them to leave the Lord and His people. That is certainly nothing new; Jesus encountered the very same sorts of folks regularly (Jn. 6:60-69; Mk. 10:21-22). How many people have left the Lord’s church today because of her faithful adherence to the Lord’s instruction on such topics as marriage, divorce, and remarriage; or the exclusivity of teachings such as are found in Ephesians 4:1-6; amongst other life-altering and sometimes difficult to adhere to topics?

Perhaps it was some “hypocrite” in the church whose double-standard they could no longer stand. But once again, that doesn’t provide adequate reason for their non-compliance to the Lord’s commandments (Matt. 23:3). And besides, if one leaves the Lord and His people because they let some “hypocrite” come between them and God, who’s closer to Him?

And then again, perhaps it was just some form of personal persecution that resulted from their being a truly biblical Christian, or something as simple as the allure and activities of the world around them that caused them to abandon the Lord, His people, and His eternal presence and protection (Matt 13:20-22). Doesn’t matter; the end result is still the same (vss. 36-42).

One who “grew up church of Christ,” but then abandoned and no longer assembles, works, and worships with the Lord’s church, needs to deeply and thoroughly consider the absolutely-guaranteed-by-God, eternal life and death consequences of their actions, as contained in God’s “forever firmly fixed in the heavens” (Ps. 119:89 ESV) word:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.

BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. (Hebs. 10:23-39 NASV).

That one passage about says it all, about those who “grew up church of Christ,” but have long since abandoned the assembling of themselves together with the Lord and His church, as it gathers around the table with Him in their Father’s house each and every Sunday. That willful, deliberate, and ongoing sin to abandon the assembly will undeniably cost them their eternal souls, according to God, period – and we need to make absolutely certain both in, with, and because of nothing less than the love and word of almighty God Himself, that they know that!

Simply said, God is going to honor whatever choice they make here on earth – whether they want to be with Him and His people constantly or not – for all eternity. And although Satan will surely have them deceived into thinking that they can somehow have Jesus without having anything to do with His church at this point, the biblical fact of the matter is, that with God, it’s all or nothing; it’s a “package deal.” 1 When one comes to Christ, they come to “the living God,” “the heavenly Jerusalem,” “an innumerable company of angels,” “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn,” “to God the Judge of all,” “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant,” and “to the blood” all together (Hebs. 12:22-24). These elements, according to God, are intimately, intrinsically, and absolutely and eternally inseparable. Subsequently, just as one comes to all of them when they come to any one of them, so they desert and abandon all of them when they leave or forsake any one of them. Hence, to leave the church of Christ, is to also leave the blood, Person, and protection and intercession of Jesus Christ Himself as well (Hebs. 5:7-9, 7:25)! I believe this somber but sobering truth is exactly why Hebrews 12:25-29 goes on to solemnly warn:

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.

And so we would beg and plead with any who might be reading this, who “grew up church of Christ,” but have, since adulthood, abandoned, forsaken, and shrunk back from their assembly and association with the saints of God and therefore the Son of God as well, to please understand the gravity, penalty, and eternality of such a presumptuous statement and position. Whatever it was that caused you to leave, the Father, as well as myriads of loving brothers, sisters, and heavenly beings, are all anxiously awaiting your return (Lk. 15:all).

Yes, it’s true; there will always be hypocrites, as well as weak people who are trying but sometimes fail, present in the Lord’s church. The church is the people – and not one of them is perfect (Ro. 3:23). But although all are far from perfect except in the loving eyes of their loving Father in heaven, due to the blood of Christ with which they’ve been clothed (Gal. 3:26-27), one day the sincere and faithful (although once again, not completely faultless or flawless aside from the grace of God and the shed blood of Christ) in the church will be perfected forever, while the rest will be sent on to hell by Jesus Himself (Matt. 7:21-27, 13:41-43). But no matter which category they currently fall into (and only God alone truly knows), no one else’s current faults and failures should serve as the very reason you choose to lose your eternal soul and willingly spend eternity in hell with some of those very same “hypocrites” whom you perhaps claim you left the Lord’s church during your short life on earth in order to avoid! Think about that!

And then, please come home… while you still can (Lk. 16:19-31). The Father and His faithful are praying and anxiously anticipating your return… In the meantime, is there anything we can do to help? Please let us know! And please don’t let Satan steal out of your heart, the truth you’ve just put ingested into it (Matt. 13:1-23; Jms. 1:19-22; 1 Ptr. 1:13-2:3)!!!

  1. To hear a very thought-provoking audio sermon on this vey subject, please go to: http://www.clevelandcoc.com/?p=4717.     
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Christianity Pays

Christianity Pays

I was asked this week what I would say to an agnostic. I replied that I would say, “If the agnostic were right, no big deal. But if the Christian is right, BIG DEAL.” In 1 Timothy 4:8 Paul reminds us that “bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” We often hear the old adage that “There are no sure things.” But that’s not true when it comes to living a Christian life.

Christianity has very important rewards.

Christianity has very important rewards.

Living a godly Christian life pays in this life:

In respect and influence. When we respect others (1 Peter 2:7) and live upright, honest, and godly lives others will respect and honor us. Timothy was “well spoken of” by those in Lystra and Iconium who knew him (Acts 16:2).

In physical health. Paul doesn’t say that exercise is worthless but is of little profit compared to godliness. The godly live lives that, while we are all subject to illness and death, is more healthy than the ungodly. Alcohol, tobacco use, fornication, and putting one’s self in dangerous situations all are uncharacteristic of godliness and are filled with physical consequences.

In financial peace. God doesn’t promise us great wealth, but far too often people of the world waste their blessings, just as the Prodigal Son did, with “riotous living.” The godly person is a good steward (1 Corinthians 4:2).

In relationships. It has been said, “For a person to be happy, finding the right companions is critical.” Human beings are social creatures and need to belong to a community. This, in a huge way, is why God gave us the church. A spiritual family, friendship, and fellowship.

In satisfaction of purpose. For centuries men have searched for the purpose of life. The full purpose can only be found in obedience and faithfulness to God (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Yet while all this is true the most important thing to remember is that Christianity pays in the life to come.

The godly man will receive:

Treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20)

The joy of the Lord (Matthew 5:21, 23)

A crown of life (James 1:12)

Christianity pays! Are you a faithful child of God?

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