Jeremiah 8:10-12
Over the last few weeks, there have been numerous marches that have
taken place in Washington, D.C. One such
march was the “Women’s March,” in which the following ideologies were
promulgated: homosexuality, transgenderism, and “reproductive rights &
justice,” among other agenda driven goals.
Some Christians chose to drive hundreds of miles in order to participate
in this event and proudly wielded signs declaring not just their “tolerance”
for the aforementioned ideologies, but their support of them. These Christians argued that this approach
should be used in hopes that someone might eventually obey the Lord, and therefore
homosexual/transgender and “reproductive” rights were “stood up for” in the
name of Christ. Additionally, these
Christians argued that this is exactly what Christ would want them to do and
that the Bible supported this perspective.
Any opposition to this view was shot down as uncaring, unloving, and
uncompassionate and any use of Scripture used to correct the view was condemned
as a twisting. Arguments such as these
are nothing new. In fact, the
Corinthians were puffed up in their so-called tolerance for a brother in sin in
1 Corinthians 5. However, did the
Apostle Paul applaud their tolerance of sin or did he condemn it? The question
was clearly answered in the context when Paul wrote, “And you are puffed up,
and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away
from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:2). To
argue that the Apostle Paul, who was directly inspired by the Lord God Himself,
would have condoned this man’s sinful lifestyle would be a blatant twisting of
Scripture (reference also 2 Peter 3:16).
To accompany the opening discussion, the argument is often made that
Christ would not have wanted to offend those who might become Christians. It
should be asked, do the Scriptures support this claim? One clear example is
that of the “rich young ruler” in Matthew 19:16-22. In this passage, Jesus dealt with the
specific sin in which the young man was entangled: materialism. Jesus instructed him on exactly what he would
have to do, and that was to give up that which was separating him from
God. The young man “went away sorrowful”
because he did not like the answer. Did
Jesus change the answer? Did Jesus comfort this man’s ungodly sorrow (reference
2 Corinthians 7:8-12)? The message was the same and Jesus did the man the
service of being clear and forthright about what obedience would cost him. John 6:60-66 presents another clear example
of this principle. In this passage,
Jesus taught very difficult concepts and the result was the offending of many
of His disciples. In John 6:61, Jesus
turned to the twelve and asked, “Does this offend you?” The indication is that
the majority had been “offended” by His teachings, and we are told that from “that
time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John
6:66). Those who chose to leave Him at
this time were not justified in their walking away merely because He had “offended”
them. Hiding the truth under the guise
of “compassion” is not compassionate in the least, but rather it is to the
detriment of those who need salvation.
What about treating sin as something disdainful? Often, people argue
that it is more compassionate to not say anything than to address what sin
really is in the eyes of God. Sin is an
abomination (see Proverbs 6:12-19 and 2 Peter 2:18-22), and not an “alternative
lifestyle.” The inspired Apostle Peter
compared sin to “a dog returning to his own vomit” and “a sow, having washed,
to her wallowing in the mire.” Which of
these depictions of sin leaves the impression with the reader that they are
acceptable or something to be desired and advocated for? This is, in fact, how
God sees sin. Further, Paul wrote that “the
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). At what point in God’s wrath has He ever
condoned sin? Paul also wrote that “God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural
use for what is against nature. Likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for
one another, men with men committing what is shameful” (Romans 1:26-27). While some argue that advocating for homosexual
“rights” is the moral thing to do, Paul defined these as “vile passions.” Vile means “morally despicable or abhorrent,”
“physically repulsive: foul,” and “disgustingly or utterly bad”
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary). How can
something defined by God as morally despicable, abhorrent, disgustingly and
utterly bad be the “moral” thing to advocate?
Additionally, Paul wrote that “they did not retain God in their
knowledge” (Romans 1:28). If we
willfully choose to support sin when God has so clearly condemned it, then we
have certainly not retained Him in our knowledge. Paul continued the thought and wrote that, “God
gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting,”
after which he included a rather extensive list of sins. Paul did not call these sins “alternative
lifestyles,” nor did he depict them as something to be advocated. Rather, he stated that taking part in them
was due to a “debased mind” that came from not retaining God in our
knowledge.
But what about supporting those who commit such sins? Can we not
advocate for their “right” to commit these sins in hopes that they will one day
turn to God? Paul actually addressed this in Romans 1 as well. In Romans 1:32, Paul wrote, “who, knowing the
righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of
death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Advocating for sin is the approval of sin and
clearly fits with what Paul wrote.
Earlier in Romans 1, Paul wrote, “Professing to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like
corruptible man – and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among
themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:22-25). While some claim moral superiority and great
wisdom because they advocate for such “rights,” Paul defined them as “fools”
because they have corrupted the glory of God.
They have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie” in an effort to fit
in and not “offend” sinful men. In doing
so, they have exchanged God for the worshipping and serving of the lustful
desires of mankind. Why does such
happen? As Paul wrote, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify
Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their
foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).
Contrary to an ever increasingly popular argument, standing opposed to
sin is not a twisting of Scripture. The
passages utilized here clearly condemn sin and the advocating of such
lifestyles, and these are but a few among many.
The twisting of Scripture is not, in this instance, found among those condemning
such lifestyles, but among those who advocate for them. For the words of Paul in Romans 1 to be
misunderstood, they must be twisted.
Peter wrote concerning Paul that “untaught and unstable people twist”
his words “to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures”
and he then warned us to “beware lest” we “also fall from” our “own
steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (2 Peter
3:16-17). Finally, Paul wrote, “Abstain
from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22 NKJV). In the KJV, this is translated as “Abstain
from all appearance of evil.” Christians
cannot advocate for sinful lifestyles and choices without partaking in such
evils, and we are foolish to believe that such is acceptable to the Lord God
above. Such sins are not “what is acceptable
to the Lord,” but they are rather “the unfruitful works of darkness” and it is “shameful
even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret” (Ephesians
5:8-14).
