Pastoral Musings

The Sin of Sodomy And The Glory of God

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Ro 1:16-32)

The Great Exchange: God’s Eternal Glory for Fleeting Homosexual Pleasure

What makes sin sinful is the fact that it is a trade. Paul stated that there was a trade off of the glory of God for idols (Rom 1:23), and a trading of the truth of God for a lie (Rom 1:25). This change is not a transforming change such as that which happens when a tadpole becomes a frog. It is rather an exchange such as that which takes place when one changes his dollars into Mexican pesos.

The first dark exchange is a trading of the glory of the immortal, undecaying God for a man-made idol.

Jeremiah recognized the sin of idolatry as setting something up in the place of God. He plainly let it be known that to do so would result in depending on a failing source of joy as opposed to God, the eternal joy.

Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jer 2:11-13) KJV Imagine the folly contained in the act of trading a free-flowing well for a broken bucket. The well is the source of water. The bucket only holds water that comes from another source. How foolish it is to forsake God, the well of living water for a busted bucket that can hold no water. That is precisely what we do when we seek our pleasure in self.

Jesus also spoke of how we can sin by serving something, or someone other than God. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Mt 6:24) KJV We serve money by seeking our joy and satisfaction in it. It is in the same manner that we serve God. Idolatry is seeking our pleasure outside of God. In fact, the Scriptures plainly tell us that greed, the unbridled desire for something or someone, is idolatry (See Col 3:1-5).

The next dark exchange, however, is much more extreme than the first. While the first exchange at least retained the unde that man’s object of worship should be external to himself, this exchange involves man’s worshiping of himself. It is a trading of the Creator for the creature. It is a trading of Him who is infinitely worthy and joyful for one who can never give joy, but can only derive joy from the Creator. Worship has moved from an external object to self and the passions of the flesh. Homosexual sin is the result of setting one’s self up as God in opposition to the infinitely bountiful and joyful Creator and seeking joy in self and self’s passions and longings.

These things being so, it is no surprise that today we see a religious sort of fervor among those who are seeking to legitimize the homosexual lifestyle. It is a religious issue. One worships the eternally happy God of the universe, a god of his own making, or his own flesh. Homosexuality is the worship of the flesh.

The Greater Exchange: Christ’s Righteousness for Our Sin

The glory of the gospel is that God’s glorious righteousness becomes ours by faith. No matter how wicked that we have been, we can be set free from sin by the grace of God. Our text tells us that the good news of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose from the dead, is God’s method for giving to us righteousness. Yes, Jesus’ righteousness will be accounted to everyone who believes the gospel. Isn’t that amazing? Jesus’ righteousness is exchanged for the believer’s sins. Paul spoke of this when he reminded the Corinthians of their conversion. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1Cor 6:9-11) KJV Looking at the list of sinners contained here we find that homosexuals are there, too. They are not beyond hope. You are not beyond hope. If you will believe Jesus to forgive your sins He will trade His righteousness for your sin. He will give you joy forever more. After all, He is the eternally joyful God. There is no limit to His pleasures, nor to the pleasures that He offers to you and me (See Ps 16:10,11;1Tim 1:9-11;6:17).

Isn’t that a much greater trade than swapping the eternally joyful God for the small-time pleasures of the flesh?

Is there anything more crucial than the setting of priorities?

Is there any imperative that is stronger?

Setting priorities is not easy work.

Holding to those priorities is even more difficult.

A godly, Christian man should set and hold godly, Christian priorities.

That goes against the flow.

It is contrary to the world’s wisdom.

It will bring some mockery, some hate, some stares of disbelief, and other unpleasantries.

To maintain those priorities in the face of opposition (which will often come from within one’s own family, community, and church) will take more than simple determination.

It will take the gracious help of God.

If we choose to lead our families to serve the Lord, that means that we not only do those things that please Him, but we also seek to enjoy Him.  We also go to Him for our help, just as servants go to their masters for provision (See Ps 123:1,2).  Service to the Lord is not only giving of our time and obedience, but also giving our trust to Him.  It is giving our cares to Him.

Prioritizing our lives is not only making the decision to worship Christ, but it is worshiping Him by trusting Him to give us the strength to worship Christ in all things.

All of this is summed up in the words of Joshua:  “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  (Josh 24:14,15) KJV

Just musing…

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the authora and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  (Heb 12:1-3) KJV

Many think that it is a manly thing to be tough and hold out under grueling physical stress.

The distance runner

The weight trainer

The football player

The triathlethe

The logger

The mechanic who toils ten hours a day, working with his hands

The cowboy in the saddle working the fences, etc

And the list goes on…

The problem is that many of these (many of us) have no patience.

We get angry quickly.

It doesn’t take much, just

a long line at the store

receiving the wrong thing in the bag at the drive through

the children fussing with each other

and that list goes on and on, too.

One does not necessarily have to be physically tough to endure hardship for Jesus.

One does not need to be physically tough to be a godly man.

One must look back to the cross for our example, ahead to the joy for our motivation, and simply cling to Christ through thick and thin.

Sadly, many men think that church is for women, children, and sissies (however that is defined).

No.

Emphatically, NO!!!!!!!!!

If one is to serve God, he must be tough.

He must endure.

He must not quit.

I think the thing that truly puts men off is the fact that he must not be independent.

We must look to Jesus.

We must trust Him.

We must get our strength from Christ.

Biblical men do that very thing.

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  (Eph 6:4) (KJV)

What does the cross of Christ have to do with this?

Everything.

You see, Paul had previously (Eph 5:25-33) exhorted men to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it.  Men are to nourish and cherish their wives as the Lord the church.

Now, fathers are told that the training of their children should be in the nourishment and admonition of the Lord.

What is that?

The Lord nourishes us and admonishes us in His Word.  That is for sure.

He does it by means and merit of the cross.  The cross of His love.  The cross of His suffering.  The cross of His kindness.  The cross of His righteousness and holiness.  The cross of His grace.

All of these things should be part and parcel of our training of our children.

As fathers we should seek to deny ourselves and glorify God.  We should seek to show grace, mercy, love, kindness, etc to our children just as Christ did for us on the cross.

We should train them in righteousness and holiness, pointing them to the cross as the only means by which any of us will ever be righteous and holy.

Christianity can never be divorced from the cross.

Neither can Christian fatherhood.

Just musing…

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  (Prov 22:6)  KJV

One of the most difficult things for a loving parent to do is discipline their child.

Wrong actions must bring about negative consequences, however.  If not, the child could come to think that they can do as they please and reject and resent authority.

Discipline does not have to be of a physical nature.

Pats on the hand, or swats to the backside are good to stop a small child from doing what he should not.  A gentle, non-harmful sort of corporal discipline should teach a child to obey immediately.  The older a child becomes the less they should be physically disciplined and the more they should receive the discipline of sitting in a corner, etc.  The older they get the more they should experience the loss of privileges and the realization that restitution should be made in certain instances. In fact, this pastor believes that most discipline should be of the nature of explaining the wrong, then assigning an appropriate consequence to the wrong done should it occur again.

Discipline is not simply giving consequences to wrong-doing.  It is primarily teaching right from wrong, modeling the right life and attitudes, and giving direction in doing right.  Our goal is to produce children who grow to honor the Lord.  We should always seek to foster in them a love for Christ, His Word, His ways, and His character.  True discipline is a lifestyle more than it is a response to wrong-doing.

It takes a certain amount of firmness to do this, however.  We love our children.  We take joy in the fact that our children express their love to us.  We don’t like to be the cause of their unhappiness.

If we refrain from consistent discipline, however, we contribute to life-long unhappiness.  One simply cannot function well in life if they don’t understand how to lead a disciplined life, respect authority, respect boundaries, respect others feelings, etc.

Let us, as men, take the long view.  Let us look to the adult years of our children.  Beyond that, let us look to their eternal welfare.  Let us train them to know that they are not God, but that He is in Heaven and is worthy of our love, respect, fear, and worship.  Let us discipline our children in a way that will guide them into Christian adulthood.

It is our duty as parents to teach them these things, but especially to teach them to love, honor, obey, fear, worship, and adore their Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
(Pr 20:7)  KJV

Leadership is part and parcel of Biblical manhood.

The only man who does not lead is the man who is known by no one and influences no one.

Those men are few and far between.

Genesis chapter six shows us a picture of leadership.

In fact, the picture shows two examples.

The first example is the group called the sons of God.  (There is no doubt in my mind that these are actual men and not fallen angels.  See Ex 4:22,23;Deut 14:1;Isa 63:6 for instances where men are spoken of as being the sons of God.)  These men are spoken of as marrying the daughters of men.

Because they are spoken of as marrying the daughters of men, and there is no mention of the daughters of God marrying the sons of men it is thought that these were fallen angels.  For what other reason would only the sons of God be mentioned if they were of the godly line of Seth?

One reason: responsibility and leadership rests upon the shoulders of the men.  The sons of God are spoken of as marrying the daughters of men because their doing so led the godly line of Seth into compromise with the wicked.

The other example is Noah.  Noah found grace in God’s sight.  Noah walked with God.  Noah led his family to safety and deliverance.

One does not choose to exercise leadership.  He exercises it either for good or for evil.  Leadership is the responsibility of men.  Even when a man abdicates his responsibility he exercises leadership.  How?  By leading those in his care into abandoning the Biblical family roles.  By leading those whom he influences to believe that godly leadership doesn’t matter.

Let us choose to exercise godly leadership to the glory of God.

Let us be Biblical men!

“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. ”   (Col 3:19) KJV

As a man interacts with the wife that God has given to him, he is required to show kindness to her.  He is required to be gentle toward her.

It is very easy for a man to be embittered toward his wife.  It is very easy for a man to treat her callously and with a careless disregard for her feelings.

Often he will not even realize that he is doing so.

This is very natural for us men.

We are so often unthinking clods.

We are called by Christ to be different, however.

We are called to make a specific effort to love our wives.  To do so and demonstrate it.

If we are not careful our little disagreements, or even our larger ones, become sources of bitterness.  We then mistreat our wives.  It’s bad enough that many wives become virtual widows during pro football season, or hunting season.  For a man to purposefully be bitter toward his wife in anger is even worse.  One is a careless disregard for one’s wife.  The other is a calculated response to her that is sinful because it not only does not show Christ,  it disrespects one of Christ’s children.  It sets a bad example for one’s children, too.  Men, would you want a man to treat your daughter the way you treat your wife?

Many times men get with other men and gripe and complain about the “old woman”, or call her something even worse than that.

Let it never be found among Christian men.

Let us remember that, being the representative of Christ in our homes means that we are to sacrifice, forgive, and show much graceful gentleness to our wives.  It is our duty to protect her-even from our own carnality and selfishness.

Our prayer life depends upon it.

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. ”

Take time with your children.

That seems so obvious, doesn’t it?

It is also something that doesn’t happen as much as it should.

I am guilty myself, of putting other things ahead of time with my children.

Oh, we can discuss quality time vs. quantity time.  Honestly, time is time, so long as we seek to direct them to honor God.  Of course, when that happens, it takes quantity, and is quality.

Now, that would really clear up the issue wouldn’t it?  After all, there would be no debate of quality time vs. quantity time if we simply took the time to train them in the ways of God.  We would actually do both quantity and quality.

Solomon evidently thought it necessary to teach his children even after they were old enough to read and make many decisions on their own.

Here is what he said:
Prov 2:1-6
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
KJV

Let us take fatherhood seriously.

We are entrusted with our precious children who are a gift from God.  We must teach and train them to honor God.

That takes time.

Eph 6:4
ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
KJV

Many times fathers who have standards are tempted to be harsh in their discipline.  I do not think it is intended to harm, but it often does.

Fathers such as this tend to have good intentions, and fear that their children will stray from their training and teaching.

Sadly, this sort of treatment may provoke to anger and wrath.  If it does the child may very well jump ship.

Let us as fathers pray for wisdom that we may treat our children with respect, patience, and much love.

Just musing…