3 Reasons Why It's Okay To Be Narrow-Minded

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary the word 'narrow-minded' is defined as, not willing to accept opinions, beliefs, or behaviors that are unusual or different from your own. 

Culture has assimilated our thinking to believe that narrow-mindedness is bad. Perhaps when it comes to every single opinion, or every single subject, or every single dogma it is unacceptable. But when it comes to the area of religion, and especially soteriology (salvation), narrow-mindedness is not a bad thing. In fact, I argue three areas in which narrow-mindedness is good.

Narrow-mindedness defines the gospel

The gospel is exclusive. Jesus is the only way a person can have a relationship with God. By its definition that makes the gospel narrow-minded. Jesus Himself admonishes His hearers that the way to God is narrow

(Mt 7:13-14)  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Jesus' narrowness did not stop there. In John 14:6, conversing with His disciples, He stated, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me. 

Jesus left no room for any other way to have a relationship with God. He is it! He is the sole and only gate to the Father. His way is narrow and only those with a narrow mind to believe this will enter.

 Narrow-mindedness is logical

If Jesus is the only way to God then it is logical to say that no other religion can claim something different and be true at the same time Jesus' statement is true. It is the law of non contradiction. In other words, all religions CANNOT co-exist. We've all seen the bumper sticker. You know? The one in the picture below.

Containing all the symbols of the world's major religions, it is a statement that everyone should put aside their religious beliefs and live in harmony. However, it has become more about all religions being valid and no other religion is better than any other.

Religiously speaking this is a logical impossibility. Can peoples of different religions live together without blowing each other off the face of the planet? Absolutely! But different religions cannot all be true, for that would be a contradiction. If one is true then by logic the other cannot be. If Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh and the only way to have a relationship with the Father then His statement is either completely true or completely false. The claims of truth made must be able to be validated, and if they are it leaves no room for any other "truth" because nothing else will be true except the said, validated truth.

Narrow-mindedness is not a bad thing

Given that being narrow-minded in the area of absolute truth is essential then we must conclude that not all narrow-mindedness is bad. Everyone is narrow-minded in one way or another. Even those who are opposed to narrow-mindedness are narrow-minded of their narrow-minded peers, if you think about the definition given above. If you are not willing to accept my narrow-mindedness because it differs from your opinion, you are narrow-minded.

But standing for truth cannot be qualified as narrow-mindedness. Why? Because there is only one truth. And if that truth is absolute then there is no other truth. And if there is no other truth then it is not narrow-minded to claim that there is only one truth.

After all, either Jesus is who He claimed to be or He is not. He cannot be both God and not God at the same time (John 1:1, 8:58). He cannot be Savior and not Savior at the same time (Matt 1:21). He cannot atone for sins and not atone for sins at the same time (Heb 9:12). He cannot claim exclusivity and not claim exclusivity at the same time (John 14:6). Either He is, or He isn't (Heb 1:3). And that is the absolute truth!

Soli Deo Gloria
Steven

Phrasing the Scriptures

Phrasing, also called Block Diagramming, has become an integral part of my Bible study. Along with Arcing,  I find it very useful in order to find the flow of thought in the text. Below is Biblearc's video on their Phrasing module.


BibleArc's Phrasing Module from Bethlehem College & Seminary on Vimeo.

I hope that when you watched it you became as excited as I did when I watched it for the first time. I have been a fan of Phrasing for sometime, and until Biblearc got the Phrasing module up and running, had been content to Phrase on my own using a word processor.

Biblearc's module makes it super easy to to split the passage into phrases, indent them, and subordinate them with arrows showing which phrases are subordinate to the main anchor phrase. Back in November I took a Phrasing class offered by Biblearc. Below is a screenshot from one of the homework assignments.

Homework Assignment from Titus

We phrased our way through the entire book of Titus. But don't let that fool you; this small book was challenging and a bit difficult, at first. With all the arrows and labels it looks a bit confusing, but it really is a very helpful discipline to learn. Once you make it a regular practice you will find yourself able to be more proficient. Practice makes perfect and Phrasing & Arcing are no exceptions.

I can't recommend Phrasing and Arcing enough! I get excited about using these tools to discover the Truths of God's Word for myself. I hope you'll jump on over to Biblearc and begin learning these study methods. Once you do, I promise you will not be sorry.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Steven

How Joseph Prince Makes Jesus a Stepping Stone to Prosperity

The Prosperity Gospel robs God of His glory, and robs His people of the joy that can be found in knowing Him. It focuses on the here and now and makes the gospel about getting God's gifts, rather than about getting God Himself.

But the gospel of Jesus Christ is NOT about the gifts. The gospel is about God! Jesus died to reconcile us to God. He bore God's wrath as our substitute not to bless us with prosperity, but to bless us with Himself. He is the gift of the Gospel, not health, wealth, and prosperity!

This is why the Prosperity Gospel is something that Christians should be more than concerned about! Why? Because it's a different gospel! And the apostle Paul warns us about what happens to those who preach a different gospel:

Galatians 1:8-9 (ESV Bible) But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Paul's message is clear. Anyone who preaches a different gospel contrary to the gospel found in the Scriptures is under a curse. In other words, they are damned.

The Prosperity Gospel is a Different Gospel!

This goes for those who preach the false gospel of prosperity, even if they do emphasize grace. It doesn't matter how much a preacher talks about the grace of God, if he is teaching that prosperity is the result of believing the gospel, he's preaching a different gospel.

And this is exactly what Joseph Prince does. Although he gets much of the grace part right, he adds to the gospel the message of prosperity.

For example, in chapter 3 Loc 435 (Kindle edition) of his book Destined To Reign Prince says:

"My friend, there is no such thing as a "prosperity gospel". There is only one gospel in the Bible and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, when you believe the gospel of Jesus, which is based entirely on His grace, it will result in health and prosperity. In fact, the gospel of Jesus Christ leads to blessings, success, healing, restoration, protection, financial breakthroughs, security, peace, wholeness and MUCH MORE!"

Sounds like an infomercial doesn't it? But "my friend" this is a lie. There is such thing as a prosperity gospel and it's a different gospel than what Jesus and the apostles preached.

Getting the Gospel Mostly Right Doesn't Count!

Now, what's so confusing and dangerous about Prince is that he gets much of the gospel right. Again, from Destined To Reign:

"Jesus did not sweep the law under the carpet. He came and fulfilled every requirement of the law perfectly on our behalf. All that we were unable to do, He did on our behalf. So by Jesus, the law has been fulfilled!"

Amen! He's absolutely right. Christ did for us what God commands of us, perfect obedience to His Law.

Again in chapter two, Loc 342 he says

"The law was given to bring man to the end of himself so that in his despair, he would see his need for Jesus. Because of the law, no man can say that he is not a sinner and no man can say that he doesn’t need Jesus. That is the purpose of the law. It was not designed to make you godly, but to expose your ungodliness."

Again, I'm in total agreement with Prince here. The Law can never make us holy. However, the Christian still uses the Law, but only as a guide. This will be discussed in later post.

"Jesus took all your sins upon Himself on the cross. And once your sins have been punished, it would be "unrighteous" of God to demand payment for your sins again. He cannot punish your sins twice!," chapter 19, Loc 3685.

See what I mean? This is why Prince is so dangerous. But as I said, It doesn't matter how much you emphasize grace, when you add prosperity as a result of the gospel, you are preaching a different gospel.

"Faith for any breakthrough or miracle in your life springs forth when you see His grace. You do not have to try to conjure up faith for healing or finances. Faith for any breakthrough or miracle in your life springs forth when you see His grace. He died so that you might live! You did not deserve it, but He still did it for you. See Jesus on the cross for you. That is the demonstration of His grace. And when you see His grace, your faith becomes unconscious and miracles will break forth!," chapter 21, Loc 4069.

So faith in the work of Christ becomes the key, not to get God Himself, but to get His gifts. This is antithetical to what the Scripture actually teaches.

The Good News of the Gospel is Not About the Gifts!

The gospel is not about the gifts we receive from Christ, it's about receiving Christ Himself. He is the gift of the gospel. He is the treasure.

Matthew 13:44 (ESV) "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matthew 13:45-46 (ESV "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

John Calvin's explanation of these two parables is right on the money (pun intended)

(Calvin's Commentaries) But it is asked, is it necessary that we abandon every other possession, in order that we may enjoy eternal life? I answer briefly. The natural meaning of the words is, that the Gospel does not receive from us the respect which it deserves, unless we prefer it to all the riches, pleasures, honors, and advantages of the world, and to such an extent, that we are satisfied with the spiritual blessings which it promises, and throw aside every thing that would keep us from enjoying them; for those who aspire to heaven must be disengaged from every thing that would retard their progress. Christ exhorts those who believe in him to deny those things only which are injurious to godliness; and, at the same time, permits them to use and enjoy God's temporal favors, as if they did not use them.

By no means is Calvin saying that salvation is something earned by us:

(Calvin's Commentaries) By the word buy Christ does not mean, that men bring any price, with which they may purchase for themselves the heavenly life; for we know on what condition the Lord invites believers in the book of Isaiah, (55:1,) Come and buy wine and milk without money and without price. But though the heavenly life, and every thing that belongs to it, is the free gift of God, yet we are said to buy it, when we cheerfully relinquish the desires of the flesh, that nothing may prevent us from obtaining it; as Paul says, that he reckoned all things to be loss and dung, that he might gain Christ, (Philippians 3:8.)

Jesus and Paul Preached the Same Gospel!

There is no difference in the mesage of the apostle Paul and the message Jesus. Listen to Paul's words to the Philippians:

Philippians 3:7-11 (ESV) But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

What does Paul say is worth losing everything for? The "surpassing worth of knowing Christ." The world and everything in it was counted "as rubbish" compared to knowing Christ. Christ was the treasure to the apostle Paul, not His gifts.

For sure Christ purchased our forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life with His blood. But these are given to us not to glory in them, but to glory in Christ Himself for all eternity.

I plan to do a series of blog posts on the erroneous teachings of Joseph Prince. In the meantime I close out this post with a paragraph from John Piper's book, God is the Gospel that sums up what I've been trying to say in this post.

(God is the Gospel) The critical question for our generation-and for every generation-is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?

 

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Why "Jesus Calling" Should be Added to the Bible

In our last post we looked at how the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young was a direct assault on the sufficiency of Scripture. We saw that Jesus Calling encourages Christians to seek the voice of God outside of the only way He has promised to speak to His people, through the Scriptures. Nowhere does the Bible ever direct us to go outside of itself to hear the voice of God.

In this post we will be discussing whether or not Jesus Calling is on the same level as Scripture. If it is, it should be obeyed and honored by God's people in the same way that Scripture is.

Direct Revelation

Is the canon of Scripture closed or is God still giving special revelation? If God is still giving direct revelation today then it stands to reason that books such as Jesus Calling should be added to the canon.

2Timothy 3:16 makes it clear that "All Scripture is breathed out by God." And, since every word of God is authoritative, every word received must be heeded and obeyed. So, if someone claims to receive direct revelation from God and then writes down the messages they receive for all to read, they are, in essence, putting their writings on the same level as Scripture.

Sarah Young claims to receive direct revelation from Christ.

"The following year, I began to wonder if I could change my prayer times from monologue to dialogue. I had been writing in prayer journals for many years, but this was one- way communication: I did all the talking. Increasingly, I wanted to hear what God might want to communicate to me on a given day. I decided to "listen" with pen in hand, writing down whatever I "heard" in my mind," (JC P.10).

"My journaling thus changed from monologue to dialogue. This new way of communicating with God became the high point of my day," (JC p.12).

Jesus even gives her specific commands such as to listen for His directives, to walk closely with Him each moment and to relax in His "healing presence." Commands about remaining close to Jesus, walking in His presence, and giving anxiety over to Him are replete throughout the book.

"Walk closely with Me each moment, listening for My directives and enjoying My Companionship," (March 23, p.66).

"RELAX IN MY HEALING PRESENCE . As you spend time with Me, your thoughts tend to jump ahead to today’s plans and problems. Bring your mind back to Me for refreshment and renewal. Let the Light of My Presence soak into you, as you focus your thoughts on Me," (Jan. 2, p.3).

Notice the phrase, "Let the Light of My Presence soak into you." Soaking prayer is a part of contemplative spirituality, a dangerous practice that comes straight from Roman Catholic monasticism, brought into the Protestant Church with the help of Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. But that's for another post. For now, we are going to focus on the direct revelation that Young is supposedly receiving from Jesus Himself.

Young claims that only the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant:

"The Bible is the only infallible, inerrant Word of God, and I endeavor to keep my writings consistent with that unchanging standard, (J.C. P.12).

Is Jesus speaking or not? If He is, you better believe His words are infallible and inerrant! If there's any doubt whatsoever, it is foolish to write down and publish what may have come from either a deceitful heart, or worse, another spirit.

Only at the end of the introduction to the book does she say:

"I have written from the perspective of Jesus speaking, to help readers feel more personally connected with Him. So the first person singular ("I," "Me," "My," "Mine") always refers to Christ; "you" refers to you, the reader," (JC p.12).

Although she says she has "written from the perspective of Jesus speaking," on the very same page she says:

"My journaling thus changed from monologue to dialogue. This new way of communicating with God became the high point of my day," (JC p.12).

In the last paragraph of the introduction, she says,

"Themes of thankfulness and trust recurred often during my listening times. These themes are quite prevalent in the Bible, and they are essential for a close relationship with the Lord."

In an interview with CBN, Young says:

"It felt a little awkward the first time I tried it, but I did receive a short message. The content was biblical, and it addressed themes that were current in my life: trust, fear, and closeness to God."

So there is more going on than just writing from the "perspective of Jesus speaking," "dialogue" between Young and Jesus is taking place.

As I said in the beginning of this post, nowhere does Scripture command us to seek God's voice through impressions, inner voices, or promptings. But the Bible itself claims to be sufficient for all of life, and for every situation:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

As I pointed out in the last post, the Word of God alone is what is needed to "complete, and equip" the Christian for "every good work."

God Has Spoken

The opening verses of the book of Hebrews make it clear that God has spoken once and for all through His Son in these last days:

Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV) ​Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

(ESV Study Bible Notes) Four points of contrast occur between vv. 1 and 2: time of revelation ("long ago" vs. these last days); agent of revelation ("prophets" vs. Son); recipients of revelation ("fathers" vs. us); and, implicitly, the unity of the final revelation in the Son (cf. the "many times and in many ways" in v. 1, implying, by contrast, that this last revelation came at one time, in one way, in and through God's Son). Since God has spoken finally and fully in the Son, and since the NT fully reports and interprets this supreme revelation once the NT is written, the canon of Scripture is complete. No new books are needed to explain what God has done through his Son.

Is Jesus Calling on the Same Level as Scripture?

I think we can answer that question by looking at just one passage of Scripture.

Psalms 19:7-11 (ESV) 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple:

Can Young say that the words she supposedly received from Jesus are "perfect" and "sure," making the simple wise?

8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

Are the words of Jesus in J.C. "right" and "pure, enlightening the eyes" as Scripture claims to do?

9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

Is every word of Jesus in J.C. "clean," "true, and righteous altogether?" Does J.C. cause us to fear the LORD as Scripture does?

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Scripture has the right to make these claims, does J.C.?

11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

I think you can see my point. If Jesus has truly spoken to Sarah Young then His words to her are on the same level as Scripture; they have to be. Every word God speaks is authoritative and must be heeded and obeyed without question.

I'm sure Sarah Young would never have the audacity to say that J.C. is on the same level as the Bible. But if Jesus Himself spoke to her, and,"Every word of God proves true" (Proverbs 30:5) then the words of Jesus in J.C. should be added after of the book of Revelation.

 

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7 Ways Jesus Condemned Gay “Marriage”

Matthew 19:4-6 " He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.""

One of the arguments for those in support of gay "marriage," especially among those who claim to be gay and Christian, is the silence of Jesus on gay "marriage" and homosexuality.

However, just because Jesus never mentioned gay "marriage" doesn't mean that what He said about Biblical marriage doesn't condemn gay it.

In Matthew 19 Jesus is being tested by the Pharisees about divorce, asking Him if it was "lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?" The answer He gives not only condemns divorce, but also condemns any view of marriage outside of God’s original design.

Here are seven ways His answer to the Pharisees condemned gay "marriage."

1. Jesus condemned gay "marriage" by pointing to the Scriptures about God’s only design for marriage- "Have you not read"

It is the Scriptures that define what marriage is. Jesus pointed to the Scriptures to answer the Pharisees, making it clear that Scripture itself was His final authority.

You will not find anything positive ever being said about homosexuality anywhere in the Scriptures.

2. Jesus condemned gay "marriage" by pointing to God’s original and only plan for marriage- "from the beginning"

God never designed marriage to be between two persons of the same sex. His plan "from the beginning" was, and is, only between a man and a woman.

3. Jesus condemned gay "marriage" by pointing to God’s original and only design- "male and female,"

The very fact that Jesus mentions "male and female," and only "male and female," shows that God never intended for marriage to be otherwise.

4. Jesus condemned gay "marriage" by defining the structure of family and marriage- "father and mother," "hold fast to his wife"

The Biblical definition of a family unit is father and mother, husband and wife. Outside of this definition, the family unit does not exist. Even if much of society accepts gay couples with adopted children as "family," the Biblical definition does not. It is God who defines what a family is, not society.

5. Jesus condemned gay "marriage by pointing to the sacred Union of marriage- "and the two shall become one flesh," "they are no longer two"

Marriage is holy. And it is holy because God Himself is the One who established it. Nowhere in Scripture does it ever imply a redefinition of this sacred union. The "two that become "one" can only be man and woman since they compliment each other.

This union would also imply sexual union, since God designed the male and female body to fit together. Two people of the same sex cannot have this union since the parts don’t fit.

6. Jesus condemned gay "marriage" by warning against the desecration of marriage- "What therefore God has joined together," let not man separate"

Although this is specifically speaking of divorce, there is an implication here. God Himself is the One who established the covenant of marriage. Therefore, "man" has no right to redifine what marriage is. Those who do this are in direct opposition with the God who designed the marriage covenant.

7. Jesus condemned gay "marriage" by never referring to it.

The argument goes like this: "Since Jesus never even mentioned homosexuality you have no right to use Him in your arguments against it."

The problem for the homosexual is that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. Weren't there homosexuals in His day that wanted what homosexuals want in our day, just to be accepted? Since people are supposedly born gay shouldn't Jesus have addressed the issue? Shouldn't He have stood up for the rights of gay people who were obviously treated worse than they are today? And yet He said nothing. Since "sexual orientation is from birth" homosexuals are born the way they are right? And yet nowhere does Jesus even mention it.

 

 

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5 Reasons Why Hell Is a Message of LoveSteven Long 9/21/13

Condemnation; judgment; unloving; mean-spirited.

These are the words that usually come to mind when a person hears another talking about the subject of Hell. And these are the first accusations that are laid upon my fellow open air preachers when we attempt to share the Gospel of Grace with them. It seems that most people cannot get past the part of the bad news long enough to hear the good news; that is, that Christ came to save us from Hell!

The sad reality is that most open air preachers have been lumped together with all the other shock-and-awe preachers. We have been labeled and lumped together in this "hate batter" because of the actions of a few other individuals. For example, a preacher and his crew entered a Muslim festival in Dearborne, MI a couple of years ago and walked around with a fake pig's head on a stick! [source 1- their video], [source 2 - pig's head]. They were immediately met with hostility; and no wonder! Of course, you will never see the pig's head or offensive signs in their video but Reuben Israel and his band of "evangelists" (I use that word loosely) are infamous for these kinds of actions. How grotesque! And how do they expect to reach Muslims with the gospel of Christ when they pull stunts like this? This one incident alone may be the cause of Dearborne from truly ever being reached for the gospel for a long time to come. Anyone who claims the Name of Christ at this festival will always be looked upon with suspicion.

This must not, however, keep Christians from preaching about the coming doom of unbelievers. While they may continue to call us haters, bigots, unkind, unloving, and a slough of other things we must not give up hope that God is sovereign and His Word shall accomplish that which [He will] purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which [He] sent it (Isa 55:11).

For this reason I would like to propose to you, believer, 5 reasons why preaching about Hell is actually a message of love. After each reason I will give a few verses in parentheses for further reading and consideration:

Firstly, it warns the unbeliever of pending judgment. Scripture is clear that life after this earth is inevitable. Hebrews 9:27 states, It is appointed unto man once to die; and after this, the judgement. As uncomfortable as it is for you to think or talk about judgment, it is a reality! We cannot escape it. We must all stand before Christ to give an account of our actions. NOT talking about judgment doesn't make it go away. So be bold. Note, that I said 'bold' not 'arrogant.' (2Pe 2:9, 2Pe 3:7, 2Cor 5:10, Re 20:12, 2Thess 1:7-8).

Secondly, it reminds the unbeliever of his/her mortality. The brevity of life is talked about throughout Scripture. It never hides the fact that our lives will one day end. In fact, it often describes our life as "vapor," indicating just how quickly life can end. A year and a half ago I myself was reminded just how quickly life can end. (Proverbs 27:1, Psa 90:12, Psa 104:29, Jas 4:13-14).

Thirdly, it exemplifies the love with which Christ loved the world. Christ came into the world to save sinners; to seek and to save that which was lost; to reconcile men to God. The demonstration and humility in which He displayed this love is insurmountable. Christ, very God, became very man in order to save His people and present them before God. Scripture declares God's love for His people. It describes it as an everlasting love. The cross is the culmination of that love. But how does this tie in with Hell being a message of love? Simply put, as Hebrews 10:26-27 states that once there is knowledge of Christ's sacrifice then there is nothing left to cover sin. In short, a person's only hope is Christ's love demonstrated on the cross (Ro 5:8, John 3:16, Eph 2:4-5, 1Thess 1:4).

Fourthly, it demonstrates God's unwavering justice Justice was done at the cross! It is hard to fathom but nevertheless it is true. But it was not justice in our traditional sense. In our realm the guilty party pays the fine, goes to jail, or otherwise is expected to pay retribution. But in God's world it was the guilty that went free while the innocent paid the price. The dear Lamb of God, perfect, holy, and sinless, was the payment of His people's sin in order to propitiate God's wrath from us. In fact, Scripture tells us that it pleased the Father to bruise His Son for us. And we are clearly told that justice was accomplished on behalf of the elect. God was just in punishing sin but He was also merciful in pardoning the guilty and imputing His Son's righteousness (Romans 3:21-26).

Fifthly, because Jesus spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven. Our culture has turned Jesus into this super nice guy that always loved and never said a harsh word to anyone. This picture has led many to believe that such a nice guy would never condemn anyone by mentioning the 'H' word. But the truth of the matter is that Jesus spoke more about judgment and Hell than He did about Heaven and eternal life with Him. Most critics of this fact would try to point out that most of Jesus' harsh words came to the religous hypocrites. But some of His harshest sayings came to the crowds that followed Him (cf, Luke 14:25 ff, John 6:22 ff). Jesus was clear about what happened in the afterlife. He spoke of those who were unbelievers as being in outer darkness, a place of torment, weeping and gnashing of teeth, and never ending punishment. His words were sobering and a harsh reality for those who only perceive Him as a "nice guy." (Luke 16:19-31, Mt 8:12, Mt 22:1-14, Mt 25:30)

While it may be hard thing to digest talking about Hell is not an unloving thing. In fact, it is the most loving thing that a person can do. If you knew a person was in imminent danger and you refused to warn that person because you were afraid to "offend" him then you would be doing the opposite of loving: you would be hating that person by letting him wander off into his own destruction.

So be brave, Christians and continue to plead with those that are still lost. But at the same time make sure you speak with love and grace, and most of all with a humble spirit. Amen!

The Cup of Wrath: A Sermon

This is a sermon I preached at Capital City Rescue Mission on July 19, 2014.

 

Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."

The point of this passage is the anguish, terror and suffering of of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Listen to His words spoken to His disciples in verse 38.

Verse 38 "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death."

The KJV says, "exceeding sorrowful." the word "sorrowful" in the Greek carries the idea of being "overcome with sorrow so much as to cause one's death." And this is exactly what Christ says in verse 38.

Why is He overcome with sorrow? Why is He suffering such extreme terror and anguish? The answer is found in the very next verse.

Verse 39, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me..."

What is the "cup" referring to? It refers to the cup of God's wrath.

The word "cup" that Christ uses often signifies the wrath of God in the Bible. For instance Isa 51:17; Job 21:20; Ps 11:6; Ps 75:8; Jer 25:15

Christ was about to suffer the wrath of God for sinners. He was about to drink the "cup" of God's wrath intended for you and me?

Think about it for a moment. This holy and righteous man. God in the flesh, who was from eternity in sweet fellowship and communion with His Father, One who had never sinned, nor had ever experienced any guilt over sin whatsoever was about to experience the full weight of His Father's wrath for sins that were not His own. And not just a a few sins, but the sins of the whole world!

This terrified Him. Why? Wayne Grudem in His book Systematic Theology

Now Jesus was perfectly holy. He hated sin with his entire being. The thought of evil, of sin, contradicted everything in his character. Far more than we do, Jesus instinctively rebelled against evil. Yet in obedience to the Father, and out of love for us, Jesus took on himself all the sins of those who would someday be saved. Taking on himself all the evil against which his soul rebelled created deep revulsion in the center of his being.

Having to take upon Himself our sins brought Christ overwhelming sorrow.

Think about the many times your own soul was overcome with sorrow from your own sins. Think about all the times you felt the weight of your own guilt and shame over the sins you committed. How horrible you felt. All of us with a conscience have experienced this.

Now imagine Christ, the holy One, Creator of the Universe, second Person of the Trinity, the God Man, perfect in righteousness and purity, about to take upon Himself the disgusting, putrid, rebellion and sin of the world "in his body on a tree," 1Peter 2:24, 2Cor 5:21

But not only did Christ suffer overwhelming sorrow over bearing our sins in His sinless body, He also trembled in anguish over bearing the full weight of the wrath of Almighty God. Listen again to Wayne Grudem:

As Jesus bore the guilt of our sins alone, God the Father, the mighty Creator, the Lord of the universe, poured out on Jesus the fury of his wrath: Jesus became the object of the intense hatred of sin and vengeance against sin which God had patiently stored up since the beginning of the world....at the cross the fury of all that stored-up wrath against sin was unleashed against God's own Son.

God's wrath against sin is so terrible that it brought Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh, to such anguish that His sweat was like great drops of blood, Luke 22:44. If the wrath of God terrified Christ for sins that were not His own, imagine the terror that sinners will face as they suffer the full wrath of God for their own sins.

Now, I want to apply this passage to three potential groups of people:

1. To those whom the Holy Spirit has awakened. You know that you are a sinner, and that you deserve the wrath of God. The judgement of God makes you tremble and quake with fear. You may even be questioning whether or not God will forgive you because your sins are too great. I want to encourage you not to be afraid to come to Christ. The reason that you feel the terror and guilt of sin is because God has awakened you, and if He has awakened you He will definitely save you. The arms of Christ are wide open. He has already drank the cup of wrath for your sins. He has already had the punishment of God poured out on Him for your sins. He was your substitute on the cross. Since He has already suffered for your sins, it is impossible for Him to turn you away.

Listen to His comforting words in John 6:37. He promises that He will never drive away anyone who comes to Him. God requires two things from us. First, that we obey His Law perfectly, without flaw. And second, that their be punishment for every sinner who breaks His Law at any point. This is bad news because all of us have failed to keep His Law, and are deserving of punishment. But there is good news! Because the very God who demands we keep His Law has done for us what He requires from us. He sent His Son to keep His Law for us. And then to go to the cross and suffer the punishment for every time we broke His Law! Again, it is impossible for Him to turn you away, because He has already drank the cup of wrath for you. The Father will gladly receive you, because His anger has already been poured out on His precious Son. Now by faith and faith alone you may receive this precious gift of forgiveness free of charge because Christ has paid the full cost required for your forgiveness!

2. The Second group I would like to speak to are Christians who are struggling with sin. Every Christian struggles with sin, and any one who claims to be a Christian and says that they don't struggle probably is not a Christian, 1John 1:8. Christians can find great comfort and encouragement in this passage because Christ drank the cup of wrath. We never have to fear that because we struggle with a particular sin, or sins that God will put us on a shelf, or even abandon us. Satan however, often whispers in our ears saying, "Now look what you've done. You have gone too far now. God is angry with you beyond measure. He will never forgive you for this sin. He has given you chance after chance and you've blown it again! Don't even bother going to Him for forgiveness. You are ruined. You might as well just quit." Now it is true. When a Believer sins he or she does bring displeasure to the Father. But that should never discourage us from coming to Him forgiveness and mercy. Remember, He is no longer our great Judge, but our loving Father. His discipline in our lives is for our good. Hebrews 12:5. God will not put His children on a shelf, or abandon them. He will not waste the precious blood of His Son. Christ drank the cup of wrath for all the sins of God's people. We have the promise of Philippians 1:6. We also have the assurance of our election: Ep. 1:4. Those whom the Father elected, or chose before the foundation of the world He will not ever abandon. We have these preciouse promises that speak of our election and are meant to bring us great encouragement and comfort; Ro. 8:28-29; 2Th 2:13. Election is meant to give us great encouragement by showing us that,

1. Our salvation is not dependent upon us.

2. God will never abandon His elect children that He forknew before the creation of the world.

3. The third group that I want to speak to are those here tonight who could care a less about what I am saying up here. Christ means nothing to you, and sin is a small matter to you. You love your sin, and you hate your Creator. You may have had some seemingly godly desires in the past, but those desires have been for your own personal gain. God's wrath doesn't scare you, and there is no fear of God before your eyes. This should terrify you because it means that God hasn't awakened you to your sin. Jesus trembled over bearing the wrath of God for the sins of the world. The Holy, Righteous One, the Creator of the world trembled over the wrath of God for sins that were not His own; How much more should we tremble for the sins that we have committed. Pray that God will awaken your hearts tonight so that you will be saved. Pray that God would show you your sinful state and would grant you repentance, because repentance is a gift from Him; 2Tim 2:25; Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18.

So again, tonight, you whom the Spirit has awakened, believe that Christ died in your place, repent of your sins and be saved!

And you who are saved, but are struggling with sin, remember, the loving arms of the Father are waiting for you, no matter how many times you have blown it! He will forgive you because Christ has already suffered for your sins. Don't be afraid to return to Him

And finally, you who are mocking this message in your heart, you have no guarantee that you will not meet your Maker tonight. "What is your life? It is but a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes away." I assure you, if you die tonight having rejected the only way of salvation you will stand in judgment before God for your sins, and be cast into hell until that final day when you will be thrown in the lake of fire. Repent, and turn to Christ that you may be saved! Amen.

 

 

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The Free Garments of Righteousness

 

You and I come into this world clothed in filthy garments, the garments of sin. With these garments on we will never be able to enter through the gates of heaven, for only those who's garments are spotless may enter. But Christ offers us an exchange. He is wearing spotless garments, white as snow, and He offers a trade, His spotless garments for our filthy garments. There is no cost for this exchange. He has paid all of the expenses in order to offer them to us free, "without money and without price (Isa 55:1). We need not fear He will not give them to us because they have been bought for us with a great price, His blood!

This is a portion of a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on April 5, 1857. You can find the entire sermon here. May God give you joy in your worship of Him this Sunday morning.

 

 

And now, let me further go on to explain some of the characteristics of this justification. As soon as a repenting sinner is justified, remember, he is justified for all his sins. Here stands a man all guilty. The moment he believes in Christ, his pardon at once he receives, and his sins are no longer his; they are cast into the depths of the sea. They were laid upon the shoulders of Christ, and they are gone. The man stands a guiltless man in the sight of God, accepted in the beloved. "What!" say you, "do you mean that literally?" Yes, I do, That is the doctrine of justification by faith. Man ceases to be regarded by divine justice as a guilty being; the moment he believes on Christ his guilt is all taken away. But I am going a step further. The moment the man believes in Christ, he ceases to be guilty in God's esteem; but what is more, he becomes righteous, he becomes meritorious; for, in the moment when Christ takes his sins he takes Christ's righteousness; so that, when God looks upon the sinner who but an hour ago was dead in sins, he looks upon him with as much love and affection as he ever looked upon his Son. He himself has said it—"As the Father loved me, so have I loved you." He loves us as much as his Father loved him. Can you believe such a doctrine as that? Does it not pass all thought? Well, it is a doctrine of the Holy Spirit; the doctrine whereby we must hope to be saved. Can I to any unenlightened person illustrate this thought better? I will give him the parable we have given to us in the prophets—the parable of Joshua the high-priest. Joshua comes in, clothed in filthy garments; those filthy garments representing his sins. Take away the filthy garments; that is pardon. Put a mitre on his head; clothe him in royal raiment; make him rich and fair; that is justification. But where do these garments come from? and where do those rags go to? Why, the rags that Joshua had on go to Christ, and the garments put on Joshua are the garments that Christ wore. The sinner and Christ do just what Jonathan and David did. Jonathan put his robes on David, David gave Jonathan his garments; so Christ takes our sins, we take Christ's righteousness; and it is by a glorious substitution and interchange of places that sinners go free and are justified by his grace.

"But," says one, "no one is justified like that, till he dies." Believe me, he is.

"The moment a sinner believes,

And trusts in his crucified God,

His pardon at once he receives;

Salvation in full, through his blood."

If that young man over there has really believed in Christ this morning, realizing by a spiritual experience what I have attempted to describe, he is as much justified in God's sight now as he will be when he stands before the throne. Not the glorified spirits above are more acceptable to God than the poor man below, who is once justified by grace. It is a perfect washing, it is perfect pardon, perfect imputation; we are fully, freely, and wholly accepted, through Christ our Lord. Just one more word here, and then I will leave this matter of justification. Those who are once justified are justified irreversibly. As soon as a sinner takes Christ's place, and Christ takes the sinner's place, there is no fear of a second change. If Christ has once paid the debt, the debt is paid, and it will never be asked for again; if you are pardoned, you are pardoned once for ever. God does not give man a free pardon under his own sign-manual, and then afterwards retract it and punish man: that be far from God so to do. He says, "I have punished Christ; you may go free." And after that, we may "rejoice in hope of the glory of God," that "being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." And now I hear one cry, "That is an extraordinary doctrine." Well, so some may think; but let me say to you, it is a doctrine professed by all protestant churches, though they may not preach it. It is the doctrine of the Church of England, it is the doctrine of Luther, it is the doctrine of the Presbyterian church; it is professedly the doctrine of all Christian churches; and if it seems strange in your ears, it is because your ears are estranged, and not because the doctrine is a strange one. It is the doctrine of holy writ, that none can condemn whom God justifies, and that none can accuse those for whom Christ hath died; for they are totally free from sin. So that, as one of the prophets has it, God sees no sin in Jacob nor iniquity in Israel. In the moment they believe, their sins being imputed to Christ, they cease to be theirs, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to them and accounted theirs, so that they are accepted.

 

 

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Nothing Left To Pay

Christ was our Worker. The two things that God demands from us, perfect obedience, and punishment for disobedience has been accomplished by God Himself. The infinitely valuable, infinitely holy, infinitely loved Son of God was sent by the Father to work on our behalf! Now, since the Creator of the Universe, the Second Person of the Triune God did the work that was required from us how much work is left for us to do? Our sins have been swallowed up by the Creator Himself. Christ drank the cup of God’s wrath down to it’s very dregs. There is nothing more for us to do but rest in the promise that Christ has paid the full penalty for our sins and failures.

Here is a portion of a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on April 5, 1857. You can find the full sermon here. I hope that it is an encouragement and helps you to worship our Savior this Sunday morning.

 

Now, concerning this ransom, we have to observe, that it was all paid, and all paid at once. When Christ redeemed his people, he did it thoroughly; he did not leave a single debt unpaid, nor yet one farthing for them to settle afterwards. God demanded of Christ the payment for the sins of all his people; Christ stood forward, and to the utmost farthing paid whate'er his people owed. The sacrifice of Calvary was not a part payment; it was not a partial exoneration, it was a complete and perfect payment, and it obtained a complete and perfect remittal of all the debts of all believers that have lived, do live, or shall live, to the very end of time. On that day when Christ hung on the cross, he did not leave a single farthing for us to pay as a satisfaction to God; he did not leave, from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, that he had not satisfied. The whole of the demands of the law were paid down there and then by Jehovah Jesus, the great high priest of all his people. And blessed be his name, he paid it all at once too. So priceless was the ransom, so princely and munificent was the price demanded for our souls, one might have thought it would have been marvellous if Christ had paid it by instalments; some of it now, and some of it then. King's ransoms have sometimes been paid part at once, and part in dues afterwards, to run through years. But not so our Saviour: once for all he gave himself a sacrifice; at once he counted down the price, and said, "It is finished," leaving nothing for him to do, nor for us to accomplish. He did not drivel out a part-payment, and then declare that he would come again to die, or that he would again suffer, or that he would again obey; but down upon the nail, to the utmost farthing, the ransom of all people was paid, and a full receipt given to them, and Christ nailed that receipt to his cross, and said, "It is done, it is done; I have taken away the handwriting of ordinances, I have nailed it to the cross; who is he that shall condemn my people, or lay anything to their charge? for I have blotted out like a cloud their transgressions, and like a thick cloud their sins!"

 

 

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5 Reasons Why Morality Won't Save You

Why is it that so many sermons, teachings, and even blog posts are about a moralistic Jesus that always did good deeds but wasn't concerned too much about doctrine. Why has doctrine become such a dirty word in our day? I even saw a blog post this morning called 5 Ways You Can Spot a Jesus Follower. According to this blogger Gandhi could have been a "Jesus follower". They forget that our Lord talked much about doctrine. He was concerned about truth. And the whole reason He came was to work for us, not have us work for Him. They focus specifically on the moral acts of Jesus not understanding that these acts were for us. These moral acts of Christ would one day be applied to all of God's elect by faith. So here are 5 reasons why morality won't save us.

1. All are born in Adam

1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die.....
We all have two major problems. First, Adam’s sin is counted as our sin. As our Representative Adam was acting on our behalf. When he sinned we sinned. God counted his disobedience in the garden as our disobedience. This means that even if we never committed any sin of our own, we would not be innocent. Our Representative failed therefore we failed (Romans 5:12-14). Second, we inherited Adams nature. Because of this we are all born dead in our trespasses and sins. We are slave to sin and children of the devil. So to try to do good before a Holy God is futile. Our works are tainted with sin.

2. God demands perfect obedience to His Law

Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God does not grade on a curve. There are no second chances. His standard is perfection. James makes it clear that if we keep the whole Law and yet fail in just one point, we are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10).
So if it were possible for you to go throughout your entire life loving God with all of your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself and then right at the end of your life have a covetous thought, everything good you have done up to that point will count as nothing. Failure to obey the Law at one point is failure to obey it at all points.

3. The Law was not given for the purpose of salvation

Romans 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
The Law has no power to make us obey. As a matter of fact the more we try to obey it the harder it becomes to obey. This is because the purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and not to save us (Romans 3:20). Paul speaks about his struggle with obeying the Law even as a Christian. He says in verses 14 and 15 "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." At the end of the chapter he cries out "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Then he gives the answer, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" The Gospel is what fuels our obedience, not the Law.


4. Christ obeyed the Law for us

Just as Adam was the Representative of the entire human race, so Christ represented those He came to save. Adam was placed in the garden by God and given this one command: Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Adam broke God's Law and as a result plunged the entire human race into sin. Christ came as the New Adam (1Corinthians:15:45) and kept all of God's commands. He represented us by doing what none of us could ever do, keep the entire Law perfectly. This is freeing news! God has done for us what He demands from us, perfect obedience to his Law, and punishment for every time we broke His Law. Christ did both as our Substitute.

5. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone

God has provided for us in Christ something we could have never achieved for ourselves- perfect righteousness. This righteousness is outside of us. It is not something that comes from us. It is a gift given to us for free.
Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man 's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Any non Christian can do "good works." Morality will never save. Only the work of Christ on your behalf received by faith will save!

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7 Reasons Why God Does Not Accept the Homosexual Lifestyle

Before I state the reasons let me start by saying that real Christians struggle with the sin of homosexuality. The key word is struggle. They fight against sinful desires in order to obey their Savior. Christians fight sin. Whether it is lust, drunkenness, slander, gossip, laziness, pride, or homosexuality the Christian must fight the evil desires that still reside within, even after being regenerated by the Spirit of God. So in this post I'm not saying their aren't genuine born again Believers who struggle with same sex attraction. That being said, the Bible is clear about it’s position on homosexuality. Here are seven reasons why God does not accept the homosexual lifestyle. Again the key word in the last sentence being "lifestyle."

1.God created man and woman

I know this may sound simplistic but creation itself testifies against homosexuality. God did not create another man for Adam. He created a woman. The command that God gave both the man and woman was to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth and subdue it:
Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Two men or two woman cannot multiply. The parts don't fit. God did not design the male body with the capacity to join with another male body in the proper way. The woman was designed for the man, and the man for the woman.

2.God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for the sin of homosexuality

"Gay Christian" advocates will say that God destroyed Sodom for being inhospitable to others as well as not aiding the poor. They get this from from Ezekiel 16:49.
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom:she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
Now certainly these were grievous sins. But what "Gay Christians" do not quote is the next verse:
Ezekiel 16:50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
The Hebrew word for "abomination" is to‘eba. It's the same word used in Leviticus 18:22 where God calls the sin of homosexuality an abomination- to‘eba: Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination-to‘eba.

3.God destroyed the surrounding nations for sins such as homosexuality

The nation of Israel was commanded to drive out and destroy the inhabitants of the land of Canaan for such sins as, human sacrifice, bestiality, and homosexuality.
Leviticus 18:22-24 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it:it is perversion. "Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean,
Notice homosexuality is one of the abominations for which God is driving out the surrounding nations and giving them to Israel.

4.Jesus only recognized marriage between a man and a woman

Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. ’ ‘ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
Notice what Christ says- "from the beginning God made them male and female." There was never any intention on the part of God for a male to be with a male or a female with a female. He also said that "the two shall become one flesh." Marriage is a covenant relationship between a man and a woman. This is something "God has joined together" and His command is "let not man separate." Gay marriage destroys the covenantal relationship of marriage.

5.Jesus never mentioned the homosexual lifestyle.

This is the common objection by the homosexual. The argument goes like this: "Since Jesus never even mentioned homosexuality you have no right to use Him in your arguments against it." The problem for the homosexual is that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. Weren't there homosexuals in His day that wanted what homosexuals want in our day, just to be accepted? Since people are supposedly born gay shouldn't Jesus have addressed the issue? Shouldn't He have stood up for the rights of gay people who were obviously treated worse than they are today? And yet He said nothing. Since "sexual orientation is from birth" homosexuals are born the way they are right? And yet nowhere does Jesus even mention it. Which brings us to the next reason.

6.Nothing positive is ever said about homosexuality in the Bible

Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Romans 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. 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.
Notice the phrase "and such were some of you." Why would Paul say this if "men who practice homosexuality" were not in sin? "Were" is past tense. These are people who were saved out of the sins listed in this passage which includes homosexuality.
1 Timothy 1:9-10 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

7. Homosexuality undermines the gospel

How can those in the Church who accept the gay lifestyle as normative preach the gospel to homosexuals, or anyone for that matter, without destroying the gospel? In order to preach the gospel correctly, the way Jesus intended it to be preached, you must preach repentance!
Luke 24:44-47 Then he said to them, " These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, " Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
How can the Gospel be presented without repentance? It can't. The Gospel apart from repentance is a false gospel. Accepting and affirming the gay lifestyle is cruel and unloving. It leaves a person in their sin and will ultimately condemn them to hell.














For more information on this topic, listen to the debate between Michael Brown and Mattew Vines:

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