PART VI – THE BATTLE FOR THE WORD!
The last couple of decades has seen a massive shift in cultural mores, not just in the West – but the entire world. A greater portion of the youngest demographic were identifying as LGBT. Traditionally a little over 2% of Americans identified as Gay with an additional 4% calling themselves bisexual.[i] But those numbers have increased with each succeeding younger generation. Look at this Gallup chart from published in January of 2017.
Percentage of U.S. Adults Identifying as LGBT by Birth Cohort, 2012-2016
2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
% | % | % | % | % | |
Millennials (1980-1998) | 5.8 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.3 |
Generation X (1965-1979) | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
Baby boomers (1946-1964) | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
Traditionalists (1913-1945) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
GALLUP DAILY TRACKING [ii] |
Yet these numbers do not reflect the explosion that seems to have occurred among the very youngest population in just the last couple of years. In 2016, OUT magazine published a study that claimed “only 48 percent of 13-20-year-olds identify as ‘exclusively heterosexual.” The number for millennials, ages 21 to 34 was still an alarming 65%.[iii] Just a year later NBC reported a survey that saw 20% of Millennials as LGBTQ.[iv] But the most astounding statistic has come out this year. According to the UK’s Telegraph, 34% of those between the ages of 16 and 22 identify as not exclusively hetero-sexual.[v] So with the growing LGBT footprint, the pressure is increasing to take the one area of the culture where there has been the most push-back: The realm of religion and morality.
The final battleground in the Gay Revolution has settled around God’s Word. It is a goal of the Gay Agenda to claim it for their own. This is how their argument goes. For millenniums, the Bible was misinterpreted. God is a loving, affirming, God, – who does not care about our gender preferences. Besides, the Scripture is full of references to homosexual characters, fully approved by God Himself. To this way of thinking, the greatest example was David, described as a man after God’s own heart. In this they are dangerously wrong. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” (2Timothy 3:1-5) (KJV)
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“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1John 4:8) Thus is the sword of the Word selectively wielded by adherents of the gay lobby. There is among the practicing homosexual community, (as in the world in general), a body of people longing for God’s approval. They wish however to be justified in their actions, – approved of in their choices, rather than conforming their choices to God’s law. To that end, a whole theological reinterpretation of Biblical doctrine has been developed. Every behavior choice is sanctioned. That’s how the Episcopal Church USA defended its 2003 appointment of Rev. Gene Robinson to be the Bishop of New Hampshire. Rev. Robinson is an admitted and practicing homosexual, – who in fact has broken his marriage vows, and now lives with his male lover. His defenders stressed “inclusion and affirmation” as they expressed their approval of same-sex unions and the good bishop’s appointment. In the process they effectively turned Scripture on its head, rejecting thousands of years of consistent Biblical belief, fundamental to both Christianity and Judaism. Robinson proclaimed the near sacramental nature of his love for his partner, – a type of the “…never-failing love that God has for me.” Writing at the time in the Wall Street Journal, Katherine Kersten pointed out that this ‘Gospel of Inclusion’, “…preaches a reconstructed, therapeutic Jesus, who accepts us exactly as we are. Traditional Christianity, however holds that Jesus calls us to repentance of sins,” and the transformation of our lives through God’s power.[vi] 2Corinthians 5:17 tells us that “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away.” So thus, are the battle lines are drawn.
The desire of the Bishop and of the many gays wanting Divine sanction for their lifestyle choice, is an attempt to seize the high ground. ‘God approves’, they argue. But this is in essence a part of a larger argument that goes all the way back to the Garden, when Satan convinced Eve that we could all be like gods, defining the very nature of good and evil. To the adherents of this new theology, the Bible no longer sets the standard of right and wrong. We do! In modern thinking there is no sin, for the most part. There is no Truth, which does not pay homage to the overriding value of Tolerance. Surveys show that 2/3 of Americans no longer believe in “absolute truth”, over half of those call themselves born-again Christians. Over a quarter of Christians say sin is, “an outdated concept.”[vii] In essence even ‘religious man,’ has deigned to set himself up as the judge over Biblical Truth. It is God’s unfailing love that is cited as justification. The God that this liberal theology worships is one in which God’s holiness is diminished. In this view, the presence of love then, sanctifies the behavior. Here’s the essence of the argument: If God is love, and a homosexual relationship is based on love, then how can homosexuality be wrong? ‘Besides’, they argue, ‘Jesus Himself, said nothing about homosexuality’. As one gay Christian leader puts it, “Jesus was more interested in love.”[viii]
The most radical in the movement, have taken the argument farther. They have developed an actual Gay-Affirming theology. One of its most potent spokesmen is Troy Perry from the Metropolitan Community Church, an organization specifically designed for “gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered communities.” He will tell you categorically that homosexuality is not a sin because: The Bible is full of errors, and Biblical references do not refer to the practice at all. Further, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorah had nothing to do with the sin of sodomy. In addition, many Biblical characters, were both gay and approved by God. Examples include David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi. Even Jesus, may have lived an “alternative lifestyle” with the Apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”.[ix] Such is the depravity of his musings.
But the argument falls down on several fronts. First of all, it rejects the consistency of the moral law. Jesus explicitly affirmed the entire law in Matthew 5:18; – even the parts that condemned homosexuality. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” It by-passes Paul’s categorical listing of those unqualified for the Kingdom. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1Corinthinians 6:9) Homosexuals and sodomites are included. Finally, it completely ignores the theme of Christ’s ministry expressed in Matthew 4:17. “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And Jesus certainly confirmed the existence of sin, – and He condemned it in all its forms. Or else why repent? Yes Jesus taught love, but the love that Jesus preached, however did not leave people dead in their sins. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) The nature of that born-again experience, described in John 3:3, is one of a changed life, freed from the bondage of sin, – not just its penalty. It does not leave us to live the sinful lives we lived before our surrender to God. The nature of God’s law is that it points to our sin. It never legitimizes it. In John 14:15, Jesus enjoined us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Yes we are saved by faith through grace, but it is the Holy Spirit given at the new birth, that allows us to fulfill that command to overcome. God’s holiness can never be compromised!
So that’s the general. What about the specific pronouncements of Scripture regarding the matter. I’m glad you asked. First, the whole matter must be seen in a larger context. The Bible, and by extension Jesus, The Word, – expressly prohibits sex outside of marriage. “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14) It does not say, “…unless you want to do somebody of your own gender”! It does not say, “…unless you feel like you can’t help yourself”! Love does not sanctify or legitimize an otherwise illegitimate relationship. Scripture places limits and boundaries on many human relationships;- especially the sexual, which were created for Man’s benefit and pleasure. Those Biblical limits proscribe; – all activities outside of marriage, incest, sex with animals, as well as homosexual behavior. Now, many in the homosexual lifestyle claim that they are Born Again Believers. However, in the words of Joe Dallas of Exodus International, “…their salvation [does not] legitimize their sins”. Even the presence of the gifts of the Spirit at a church with a gay-friendly theology cannot negate the clear teachings of Scripture.[x] The test for us all, gay and straight, is obedience. We cannot rely on a religious veneer to save us. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says, “ ‘Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
The word “lawlessness” refers to sin. And “the will of My Father in heaven,” refers to the clear commands of Scripture. In Leviticus 18:22, God gives one of those clear commands. “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” The next two verses go on to deal with other practices the LORD finds abhorrent. “Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.” Leviticus 20:13 details the extent of God’s displeasure with the act of homosexuality. “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” Elsewhere in the same chapter God prescribes the penalties for regular adulterers, as well as those involved in incest with stepmothers and sisters and aunts and animals. God is quite serious about His holiness, His law. The entire lifestyle of the gay culture is addressed by Scripture and condemned; – cross-dressing, bikini clad men, Gay Pride Parades, female impersonators and the like. Deuteronomy 22:5 is clear. “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.” It is a serious matter. Jude 1:7 tells how Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed after “…having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” 2 Peter explains the punishment as reserved especially for the unjust, [those not justified by the blood of Christ], “who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2:10)
Yes! We are under the grace of God’s love. Yet we know “that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” For all those that “practice lawlessness!” The judgment of Romans 1:28 applies to all who purposefully continue in their sin. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”
For Such Were Some of You !
Just like all sin, homosexuality is a matter of the heart. And so much a part of the heart of the ‘homosexual movement’ has been an attempt to justify a self-destructive behavior rooted in licentiousness and pagan practice. It is not good for the individual, for our children or for our society. This is not something that should be promoted or even tolerated.
Gays are 4 times more likely to be alcoholics than the population at large. Even factoring AIDS out of the equation, the life expectancy of a homosexual is 20% to 30% shorter than a heterosexual. The common lifestyle of having dozens or even hundreds of partners, means that only about 2% of gays have had 10 or fewer lifetime partners.[xi] The result is that they are more likely to contract STD’s, anal cancer, gay bowel syndrome and hepatitis. Some have carried this purposefully self-destructive / masochistic behavior to an almost unimaginable extreme. There is a phenomena in the homosexual subculture that actually seeks to get / or give the AIDS virus to their lovers. These are called ‘Bug Chasers’. Documented in Rolling Stone, one man fantasizes, saying that the moment he will get the HIV virus will be “the most erotic thing I can imagine”. Another, HIV positive man, describes the excitement of infecting someone else. “I’m murdering him in a sense, killing him slowly, and that’s sort of, as sick as it sounds, exciting to me.”[xii] This is a sickness beyond comprehension. There is no moral equivalency.
Yet still, for all that, forgiveness is possible. God is calling out to us; – all of us, gay and straight. We are each the unique objects of His love. “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14) In Ezekiel 33:11, He has called each to repentance. “As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die.” After his list of sinners, disqualified from the Kingdom found in 1Corinthians 6, Paul offers this hope. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
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The bottom line is this: God forgives and God calls and 2Peter 3:9 tells us that God is “not wishing that any should perish.” (ESV) Yet many shall choose the path of walking away from God’s mercy. They are pushed by a Radical Gay Agenda, – that either knowingly or deceptively, – is infiltrating and deconstructing the architecture of a once-Christian-based-culture, and in the process preparing the way for the ascension – and acceptance of Antichrist.
[i] U.S. Homosexuality – Statistics & Facts, Statista, viewed September 4, 2018
[ii] Gary J Gates, In U.S., More Adults Identifying as LGBT, Gallup, January 11, 2017
[iii] Less Than 50% of Teens Identify as Straight, Out, March 11, 2016
[iv] Survey: 20 Percent of Millennials Identify as LGBTQ, NBC, March 31, 2017
[v] Only two thirds of Generation Z identify as ‘exclusively heterosexual’, Telegraph, July 5, 2018
[vi] Katherine Kersten, Gospel of Inclusion?, Wall Street Journal, August 8, 2003
[vii] Joe Dallas, Responding to Pro-gay Theology:…, Leadership U, August 31, 2005, Exodus International
[viii] Troy Perry as quoted by Joe Dallas in, Responding to Pro-gay Theology:…, Leadership U, August 31, 2005, Exodus International
[ix] Stephen Bennett, Was Jesus ‘gay’?, World Net Daily, July 16, 2002
[x] Joe Dallas, Responding to Pro-gay Theology:…, Leadership U, August 31, 2005, Exodus International
[xi] Gay Rights: A Summary of the Debate, Family Research Institute, January 11, 2001
[xii] Gregory A. Freeman, Rolling Stone Magazine, January 23, 2003
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