By John Stallings
…The Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath….Nahum 1:2
When I was 16, I got my first car; a 1937 Buick.
That was 1955. It cost about $100 & I paid small payments on it. It was a “straight eight,”& I really don’t remember what kind of gas mileage it got because gas was so cheap back then.
My Buick was already considered an antique so I was able to buy a tag for, as I remember, $5.00. I’ve wished a hundred times that I’d kept that car but it would have been impractical.
Some people like restoring antiques & some enjoy driving them. I’d venture to say most of us enjoy seeing these old cars chugging around the town or village where we live & sometimes we can see a parade of them going to an “old car” convention.
But none of us would want to contend with rush hour on a modern highway or take a trip in an antique car. That would be like taking a knife to a gun fight.
When someone speaks these days on subjects like Sin or The wrath of God, many people think; “surely that notion has been antiquated.” Many feel these topics are negative downers & people no longer want to think about them, much less read or hear a sermon on these thorny subjects. Some folk think; aren’t these subjects’ antiques?
I’ve been around long enough to know the community of faith isn’t going to completely drop sin or God’s wrath so certainly we should know something about them.
Nahum, who we know little about except that he is an Elkoshite, throws the whole “wrath of God” thing on the table. This small book of Nahum is neglected because it’s so obscure & when it is read it’s frequently misunderstood. But every portion of scripture is indispensable, which is why Paul said,
--All scripture is inspired by God & profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction & for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
So whether we like it or not, & though it might make us feel a little squeamish, you & I have to wrestle with it & bear up under the burden of the fact of God’s wrath if we propose to serve the true & the living God & adhere to the teachings of His Word.
We as human beings can say things like, “My God would never do anything like that,” but when we say it we’re saying in essence, “My God, the God of my own human mental creation would never do anything like that.”
For instance we might say, “My God would never kill babies,” or “my God would never send a storm,” or “My God would never send someone to hell.” By that aren’t we saying; --“the God in our minds, [who by the way is infinite] that we’ve come to feel comfortable with will act in accordance with what we finite human beings can mentally process?”
Let me share an illustration with you that is a little silly but still it carries a great point. I've probably used it before.
A large bank was being robbed & some policemen were sent to the scene. Since the robbers were still in the bank, the policemen decided to surround the bank, blocking all doors.
But then the law officers saw the bank was too large & there were too many exits for them to cover. So they went down the street, found a smaller building & surrounded that building. I know this story is crazy & it’s one that most people respond to by rolling their eyes & groaning.
Here’s my point. We human beings sometimes do the same thing when it comes to God. When parts of His character are too big & unfathomable to wrap our finite minds around, we construct a smaller God that we can understand. That’s how we roll.
Some people picture God as a kindly gentlemen with a merry twinkle in His eye who can’t bear the thought of punishing or judging anyone. But Nahum’s task was to unfold the anger of God & the fact that He is the God of Sinai & can flash forth in an awful fury.
WE DON’T HEAR MUCH ABOUT GOD’S WRATH
You might also be thinking, “This is a message about the God of the Old Testament.” That’s true, but insofar as God’s wrath is concerned, it gets worse in the New Testament, especially if we listen to the words of Jesus.
Here’s the bottom line; Our God is a loving & forgiving God but He’s not a God to be trifled with. If we do so, we do it at our own peril.
In the words of the late-great “theologian” Jim Croce,
“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with……[God.’]
Here’s why we have a problem with God’s wrath; when we think of anger we tend to see it according to our own definitions. When we get angry or jealous, we think of our human experience, & it’s always basically impure. Am I right? When we get angry or jealous there’s always that good & bad stuff tied up in it.
When it comes to God, this interpretation is completely wrong. Remember, God is pure, holy, righteous, & just, & is totally incapable of co-existing with sin. His wrath & anger is never arbitrary or out of control, but rather is part of His purity & holiness.
IN NAHUM CHAPTER ONE, HE SAYS—DIVINE TROUBLE IS BREWING!
God is jealous & the Lord revengeth: the Lord revengeth & is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries & He reserveth wrath for His enemies.—Nahum 1:2
Nineveh for many years had shook its fist in God’s face & seemed to be getting away with it. They carted off the northern part of Israel & seemed to have gotten away with it. They ruled Palestine with an iron hand & seemed to have gotten away with it. They mocked the God of Abraham Isaac & Jacob & no lightening bolts struck them. But Nahum is saying it’s only a matter of time until they experience God’s wrath.
Isn’t it true that when we hear the words “jealous” or ‘wrath” used in the same sentence with God we get a smidgen uncomfortable? In verses 3-7 of chapter one of Nahum, we’re told that God can actually use storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, droughts & volcanoes as instruments of His wrath against His enemies.
But the good news in verse 3 is,--The Lord is slow to anger. That of course means it takes a lot to rile Him up. That means His anger has a very long fuse. The Bible also speaks of God’s slowness to anger in Nehemiah 9:17 & Psalm 103:8.
God’s wrath isn’t rage. It isn’t vindictive bitterness & it isn’t His temper.
Wrath is what happens when holiness meets sin.
Wrath is what happens when justice meets rebellion.
Wrath is what happens when righteousness meets unrighteousness.
Wrath is what happens when perfect good meets pure evil.
God would have to stop being God if He overlooked sin, or stood by indifferently while His creation was being destroyed. He by His very nature can’t dismiss lightly those who trample His holy will & wink when men mock His name.
PAUL GIVES US THE REVELATION OF GOD’S WRATH
In Romans 1:18 we read,--The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness & wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
Make no mistake; we’ve got the problem, not God! A few years ago Bob Dylan wrote a song called; You gotta serve somebody. And Dylan was right. When an individual turns away from God, they don’t turn to a vacuum. They have to turn to something else. We either worship God or we worship a god of our own making; worshipping the creature rather than the creator.
In Romans 1:24 we are told that, -- God gave them up…..speaking of a slimy list of sinners, but underscoring the sin of homosexuality. In Romans 1:18-32 we read more of this revelation;
For this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly & receiving in themselves that recompense 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….
Notice again, --God gave them up. To put it simply, if we give up God, He gives us up.
HOMOSEXUALITY TRIGGERS GOD’S WRATH
I haven’t sought support for my thoughts from the Word of God, but rather the Word of God has given me the thoughts I will present here. I realize that homosexuality, & same-sex marriages are big issues in America at present & will continue to be a controversial subject for some time to come.
Homosexuality or same sex-“love” as a disease was laid to rest in 1973 when the American Psychiatric Association removed it from their compendium of mental illness. The concept of same-sex “love” being a crime was thrown out of the American lexicon by the Supreme Court decision, Lawrence V. Texas in 2003.
But God’s mind has never laid it to rest nor has He changed His opinion about homosexuality. Right here is where we should be careful not to “pull on Superman’s cape” too hard because homosexuality has always riled God up.
I remember hearing two lesbians interviewed once & what came through to me, more than a tenderness & mutual desire to love & comfort each other, was a seeming bitterness at their bodies being used as vehicles in the birth process. I’m certainly no expert, & that may not be as true in every case, but in homosexuality there is not just the idea that someone has chosen a different way to fulfill their sexual needs, which is bad enough in itself, but rather a rejection & rebellion against God & the part of their lives that have to do with procreation. As we’ll see, from what the Bibles says on the matter, this gets God’s special attention & stirs up His wrath.
EVERY SINGLE TIME HOMOSEXUALITY IS MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE-- IT’S CONDEMNED.
There are only two ways you can get around it; by twisting the Word of God, or by throwing it out of serious consideration.
Genesis 18:20-21 says –“A cry went up from the city of Sodom & Gomorrah” What was that cry? It was the cry of little children whose mothers were out chasing women & daddies were out chasing men. When that cry was heard in heaven, God burned the two cities off the map.
Jude 7 affirms that the activity at Sodom was indeed homosexuality, although he suggests it was ONE of the many shameful sins of this city. Jude calls it, -going after strange flesh. Homosexuality is at least ONE of the things that made God angry enough to destroy the place. It’s noteworthy that Sodom as a cautionary example is mentioned 30 times in the Bible.
Both Leviticus 18:22 & 19:13 condemn homosexuality & say it’s detestable for a man to lie with a man as a man lies with a woman.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9 Paul says;
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral nor the greedy nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders…nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
I Timothy 1:10 says,-God’s law was made for those who are lawless & rebellious…for murderers and immoral men & homosexuals & kidnappers & liars & perjurers & whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.
Let’s look at four MYTHS about same-sex unions.
1. IT’S A VERY NORMAL & O.K LIFESTYLE.
The truth is that the median age of death for the homosexual male is 38 & for lesbians it’s 45. Here’s why; they are more likely to face chronic potentially fatal liver disease [infectious hepatitis] which increases the risk of liver cancer. They are at risk of contracting AIDS which in spite of medical breakthroughs still eventually kills everyone infected. They also have a higher risk of rectal cancer. They have a much higher than average incidence of suicide—six times as high as heterosexual men. Between 25 & 33% of homosexual men are alcoholics while the national average in less than 7%.
Does this sound like a normal & O.K lifestyle? I remember a verse in Proverbs that says; --There is a way seems right to man but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12.
Another MYTH is;
2. HOMOSEXUALITY IS VERY PREVALENT IN OUR SOCIETY.
A study by the Battelle Human research Center in Seattle has found that in actuality, only one per cent of the American population is homosexual. But even if it were prevalent in this country, that wouldn’t make it right according to the Scripture. A third MYTH is;
3. HOMOSEXUALITY CAN BE INHERITED SO HOW CAN IT BE A SIN?
The homosexual activist says, “You see, that’s how I’m made. You can talk scripture all day long but this is who & what I am. This is my DNA structure. It’s unfair even cruel to condemn me for how God made me. I didn’t create this desire: God did.”
FACT: We have no SCIENCE to suggest a link between genetics & homosexuality. We have no scientific evidence to say homosexuality has a genetic cause. But for the sake of argument, let’s say some people do have a strong tendency toward that behavior.
WANTING TO DO SOMETHING DOESN’T MAKE IT RIGHT!
Otherwise, we shouldn’t lock up people for wanting to kill or molest or steal. A desire doesn’t legitimize behavior. The Bible doesn’t condemn homosexual desire. But like any other desire that’s outside of God’s will it says resist it. Scripture condemns the things we do out of our desires. Some of us may have an orientation toward pride, or alcohol abuse or gambling. Others have a quick temper or find it easier than others to gossip about & slander other people. There are certain aspects of all our make-up that shape who we become & make us more prone to certain temptations & activities. It’s what we DO not what we DESIRE that makes us who we are. I know people who have a hard time passing up a Dun kin-donuts shop but they haven’t been in one for years. I know others who have a problem passing a liquor store but they haven’t tasted alcohol for many years because they don’t live according to the dictates of their desires.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, --God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Another MYTH is;
4. A HOMOSEXUAL CAN’T CHANGE
The plain scriptural truth is that anyone can change. I’ve heard testimonies & even seen people who have changed through the power of the indwelling Christ & the help of family, friends & godly counselors. Even sex researchers Masters & Johnson reported that in a study of 81 gays desiring reorientation, 71.6% had been successful after six years. A shift in lifestyle is a possibility for all homosexuals who are strongly motivated to change. There are many Christian ministries out there who can help people committed to change, & some of them have a 90% success rate.
Paul talks specifically about this hope in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. After naming idol worshippers, adulterers, & homosexuals he says;-THERE WAS A TIME WHEN SOME OF YOU WERE JUST LIKE THAT-but now your sins are washed away & you’re set apart for God…..This sin as with all others can’t be wished away but healing-change is possible. It requires confession, repentance, healing & accountability, but it is possible.
Upon the authority of God’s Word the Bible we can declare that God gives no sanction to homosexuality at all. Never does God approve of it at all. He’s against civil unions of homosexuals & never calls it an alternative lifestyle.
God is against same-sex “marriages.” We need to be as pro-active as possible & also pray much that marriage in America will continue to be defined as a union between a man & a woman. Legalizing same-sex domestic partnerships is nothing more than an attempt to re-define one of the holiest ordinances of God & will simply create disasters beyond description. We’re already seeing the fruits of it in the spread of AIDS.
Never, never & never does God give any credibility to any act or issue of the gay lifestyle. God is against the ordination of homosexuals into the ministry. Therefore same-sex unions of any kind are an abomination to God & any matrimony performed to do it is unholy, ungodly & will bring the wrath of God.
Hebrew 13:4 says,--marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers & adulterers will God judge.
Christian churches should be open to homosexuals to attend & they should never be shunned. They need to be convicted by God & see their need to change & be transformed by God’s grace. Yet anyone who practices homosexuality shouldn’t be allowed to serve in a ministry or lead in any capacity in the church.
The good news for each of us regardless of our past or our present is that we can be washed by the blood & given a new life in Jesus Christ. We can be acquitted of our sins & wear the robes of Jesus’ righteousness.
All sin is wrong & only one sin determines whether we go to heaven or hell when we die—the sin of rejecting Jesus as our Savior & not allowing Him to live actively as the Lord of our life.
Regardless of your past or present Jesus wants to save you today & He’ll cleanse you from your sin & give you eternal life in heaven. If you’ve not already done so, ask Him to come into your life.
Luke 1:37 says, -For with God, nothing will be impossible.
Nahum the prophet spoke of God’s wrath to come but his name literally means “comfort.” When you & I understand the gospel, then the wrath of God is a comfort. It’s a reminder that in heaven there will be no sin, no injustice, & no evil.
God has swallowed His anger & given you & me the medicine of grace. But make no mistake, whether it is a nation or an individual, when God has offered us the medicine of His love & grace, & that has been rejected, He has the prerogative to then wheel us to the surgery suite of His wrath.
God has given us nothing less than His son Jesus. It’s not necessary for us to ever taste God’s wrath, for on His cross, Jesus Christ bore the supreme & awful burden of that wrath for you & me.
Blessings,
John
…The Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath….Nahum 1:2
When I was 16, I got my first car; a 1937 Buick.
That was 1955. It cost about $100 & I paid small payments on it. It was a “straight eight,”& I really don’t remember what kind of gas mileage it got because gas was so cheap back then.
My Buick was already considered an antique so I was able to buy a tag for, as I remember, $5.00. I’ve wished a hundred times that I’d kept that car but it would have been impractical.
Some people like restoring antiques & some enjoy driving them. I’d venture to say most of us enjoy seeing these old cars chugging around the town or village where we live & sometimes we can see a parade of them going to an “old car” convention.
But none of us would want to contend with rush hour on a modern highway or take a trip in an antique car. That would be like taking a knife to a gun fight.
When someone speaks these days on subjects like Sin or The wrath of God, many people think; “surely that notion has been antiquated.” Many feel these topics are negative downers & people no longer want to think about them, much less read or hear a sermon on these thorny subjects. Some folk think; aren’t these subjects’ antiques?
I’ve been around long enough to know the community of faith isn’t going to completely drop sin or God’s wrath so certainly we should know something about them.
Nahum, who we know little about except that he is an Elkoshite, throws the whole “wrath of God” thing on the table. This small book of Nahum is neglected because it’s so obscure & when it is read it’s frequently misunderstood. But every portion of scripture is indispensable, which is why Paul said,
--All scripture is inspired by God & profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction & for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
So whether we like it or not, & though it might make us feel a little squeamish, you & I have to wrestle with it & bear up under the burden of the fact of God’s wrath if we propose to serve the true & the living God & adhere to the teachings of His Word.
We as human beings can say things like, “My God would never do anything like that,” but when we say it we’re saying in essence, “My God, the God of my own human mental creation would never do anything like that.”
For instance we might say, “My God would never kill babies,” or “my God would never send a storm,” or “My God would never send someone to hell.” By that aren’t we saying; --“the God in our minds, [who by the way is infinite] that we’ve come to feel comfortable with will act in accordance with what we finite human beings can mentally process?”
Let me share an illustration with you that is a little silly but still it carries a great point. I've probably used it before.
A large bank was being robbed & some policemen were sent to the scene. Since the robbers were still in the bank, the policemen decided to surround the bank, blocking all doors.
But then the law officers saw the bank was too large & there were too many exits for them to cover. So they went down the street, found a smaller building & surrounded that building. I know this story is crazy & it’s one that most people respond to by rolling their eyes & groaning.
Here’s my point. We human beings sometimes do the same thing when it comes to God. When parts of His character are too big & unfathomable to wrap our finite minds around, we construct a smaller God that we can understand. That’s how we roll.
Some people picture God as a kindly gentlemen with a merry twinkle in His eye who can’t bear the thought of punishing or judging anyone. But Nahum’s task was to unfold the anger of God & the fact that He is the God of Sinai & can flash forth in an awful fury.
WE DON’T HEAR MUCH ABOUT GOD’S WRATH
You might also be thinking, “This is a message about the God of the Old Testament.” That’s true, but insofar as God’s wrath is concerned, it gets worse in the New Testament, especially if we listen to the words of Jesus.
Here’s the bottom line; Our God is a loving & forgiving God but He’s not a God to be trifled with. If we do so, we do it at our own peril.
In the words of the late-great “theologian” Jim Croce,
“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with……[God.’]
Here’s why we have a problem with God’s wrath; when we think of anger we tend to see it according to our own definitions. When we get angry or jealous, we think of our human experience, & it’s always basically impure. Am I right? When we get angry or jealous there’s always that good & bad stuff tied up in it.
When it comes to God, this interpretation is completely wrong. Remember, God is pure, holy, righteous, & just, & is totally incapable of co-existing with sin. His wrath & anger is never arbitrary or out of control, but rather is part of His purity & holiness.
IN NAHUM CHAPTER ONE, HE SAYS—DIVINE TROUBLE IS BREWING!
God is jealous & the Lord revengeth: the Lord revengeth & is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries & He reserveth wrath for His enemies.—Nahum 1:2
Nineveh for many years had shook its fist in God’s face & seemed to be getting away with it. They carted off the northern part of Israel & seemed to have gotten away with it. They ruled Palestine with an iron hand & seemed to have gotten away with it. They mocked the God of Abraham Isaac & Jacob & no lightening bolts struck them. But Nahum is saying it’s only a matter of time until they experience God’s wrath.
Isn’t it true that when we hear the words “jealous” or ‘wrath” used in the same sentence with God we get a smidgen uncomfortable? In verses 3-7 of chapter one of Nahum, we’re told that God can actually use storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, droughts & volcanoes as instruments of His wrath against His enemies.
But the good news in verse 3 is,--The Lord is slow to anger. That of course means it takes a lot to rile Him up. That means His anger has a very long fuse. The Bible also speaks of God’s slowness to anger in Nehemiah 9:17 & Psalm 103:8.
God’s wrath isn’t rage. It isn’t vindictive bitterness & it isn’t His temper.
Wrath is what happens when holiness meets sin.
Wrath is what happens when justice meets rebellion.
Wrath is what happens when righteousness meets unrighteousness.
Wrath is what happens when perfect good meets pure evil.
God would have to stop being God if He overlooked sin, or stood by indifferently while His creation was being destroyed. He by His very nature can’t dismiss lightly those who trample His holy will & wink when men mock His name.
PAUL GIVES US THE REVELATION OF GOD’S WRATH
In Romans 1:18 we read,--The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness & wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
Make no mistake; we’ve got the problem, not God! A few years ago Bob Dylan wrote a song called; You gotta serve somebody. And Dylan was right. When an individual turns away from God, they don’t turn to a vacuum. They have to turn to something else. We either worship God or we worship a god of our own making; worshipping the creature rather than the creator.
In Romans 1:24 we are told that, -- God gave them up…..speaking of a slimy list of sinners, but underscoring the sin of homosexuality. In Romans 1:18-32 we read more of this revelation;
For this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly & receiving in themselves that recompense 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….
Notice again, --God gave them up. To put it simply, if we give up God, He gives us up.
HOMOSEXUALITY TRIGGERS GOD’S WRATH
I haven’t sought support for my thoughts from the Word of God, but rather the Word of God has given me the thoughts I will present here. I realize that homosexuality, & same-sex marriages are big issues in America at present & will continue to be a controversial subject for some time to come.
Homosexuality or same sex-“love” as a disease was laid to rest in 1973 when the American Psychiatric Association removed it from their compendium of mental illness. The concept of same-sex “love” being a crime was thrown out of the American lexicon by the Supreme Court decision, Lawrence V. Texas in 2003.
But God’s mind has never laid it to rest nor has He changed His opinion about homosexuality. Right here is where we should be careful not to “pull on Superman’s cape” too hard because homosexuality has always riled God up.
I remember hearing two lesbians interviewed once & what came through to me, more than a tenderness & mutual desire to love & comfort each other, was a seeming bitterness at their bodies being used as vehicles in the birth process. I’m certainly no expert, & that may not be as true in every case, but in homosexuality there is not just the idea that someone has chosen a different way to fulfill their sexual needs, which is bad enough in itself, but rather a rejection & rebellion against God & the part of their lives that have to do with procreation. As we’ll see, from what the Bibles says on the matter, this gets God’s special attention & stirs up His wrath.
EVERY SINGLE TIME HOMOSEXUALITY IS MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE-- IT’S CONDEMNED.
There are only two ways you can get around it; by twisting the Word of God, or by throwing it out of serious consideration.
Genesis 18:20-21 says –“A cry went up from the city of Sodom & Gomorrah” What was that cry? It was the cry of little children whose mothers were out chasing women & daddies were out chasing men. When that cry was heard in heaven, God burned the two cities off the map.
Jude 7 affirms that the activity at Sodom was indeed homosexuality, although he suggests it was ONE of the many shameful sins of this city. Jude calls it, -going after strange flesh. Homosexuality is at least ONE of the things that made God angry enough to destroy the place. It’s noteworthy that Sodom as a cautionary example is mentioned 30 times in the Bible.
Both Leviticus 18:22 & 19:13 condemn homosexuality & say it’s detestable for a man to lie with a man as a man lies with a woman.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9 Paul says;
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral nor the greedy nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders…nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
I Timothy 1:10 says,-God’s law was made for those who are lawless & rebellious…for murderers and immoral men & homosexuals & kidnappers & liars & perjurers & whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.
Let’s look at four MYTHS about same-sex unions.
1. IT’S A VERY NORMAL & O.K LIFESTYLE.
The truth is that the median age of death for the homosexual male is 38 & for lesbians it’s 45. Here’s why; they are more likely to face chronic potentially fatal liver disease [infectious hepatitis] which increases the risk of liver cancer. They are at risk of contracting AIDS which in spite of medical breakthroughs still eventually kills everyone infected. They also have a higher risk of rectal cancer. They have a much higher than average incidence of suicide—six times as high as heterosexual men. Between 25 & 33% of homosexual men are alcoholics while the national average in less than 7%.
Does this sound like a normal & O.K lifestyle? I remember a verse in Proverbs that says; --There is a way seems right to man but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12.
Another MYTH is;
2. HOMOSEXUALITY IS VERY PREVALENT IN OUR SOCIETY.
A study by the Battelle Human research Center in Seattle has found that in actuality, only one per cent of the American population is homosexual. But even if it were prevalent in this country, that wouldn’t make it right according to the Scripture. A third MYTH is;
3. HOMOSEXUALITY CAN BE INHERITED SO HOW CAN IT BE A SIN?
The homosexual activist says, “You see, that’s how I’m made. You can talk scripture all day long but this is who & what I am. This is my DNA structure. It’s unfair even cruel to condemn me for how God made me. I didn’t create this desire: God did.”
FACT: We have no SCIENCE to suggest a link between genetics & homosexuality. We have no scientific evidence to say homosexuality has a genetic cause. But for the sake of argument, let’s say some people do have a strong tendency toward that behavior.
WANTING TO DO SOMETHING DOESN’T MAKE IT RIGHT!
Otherwise, we shouldn’t lock up people for wanting to kill or molest or steal. A desire doesn’t legitimize behavior. The Bible doesn’t condemn homosexual desire. But like any other desire that’s outside of God’s will it says resist it. Scripture condemns the things we do out of our desires. Some of us may have an orientation toward pride, or alcohol abuse or gambling. Others have a quick temper or find it easier than others to gossip about & slander other people. There are certain aspects of all our make-up that shape who we become & make us more prone to certain temptations & activities. It’s what we DO not what we DESIRE that makes us who we are. I know people who have a hard time passing up a Dun kin-donuts shop but they haven’t been in one for years. I know others who have a problem passing a liquor store but they haven’t tasted alcohol for many years because they don’t live according to the dictates of their desires.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, --God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Another MYTH is;
4. A HOMOSEXUAL CAN’T CHANGE
The plain scriptural truth is that anyone can change. I’ve heard testimonies & even seen people who have changed through the power of the indwelling Christ & the help of family, friends & godly counselors. Even sex researchers Masters & Johnson reported that in a study of 81 gays desiring reorientation, 71.6% had been successful after six years. A shift in lifestyle is a possibility for all homosexuals who are strongly motivated to change. There are many Christian ministries out there who can help people committed to change, & some of them have a 90% success rate.
Paul talks specifically about this hope in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. After naming idol worshippers, adulterers, & homosexuals he says;-THERE WAS A TIME WHEN SOME OF YOU WERE JUST LIKE THAT-but now your sins are washed away & you’re set apart for God…..This sin as with all others can’t be wished away but healing-change is possible. It requires confession, repentance, healing & accountability, but it is possible.
Upon the authority of God’s Word the Bible we can declare that God gives no sanction to homosexuality at all. Never does God approve of it at all. He’s against civil unions of homosexuals & never calls it an alternative lifestyle.
God is against same-sex “marriages.” We need to be as pro-active as possible & also pray much that marriage in America will continue to be defined as a union between a man & a woman. Legalizing same-sex domestic partnerships is nothing more than an attempt to re-define one of the holiest ordinances of God & will simply create disasters beyond description. We’re already seeing the fruits of it in the spread of AIDS.
Never, never & never does God give any credibility to any act or issue of the gay lifestyle. God is against the ordination of homosexuals into the ministry. Therefore same-sex unions of any kind are an abomination to God & any matrimony performed to do it is unholy, ungodly & will bring the wrath of God.
Hebrew 13:4 says,--marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers & adulterers will God judge.
Christian churches should be open to homosexuals to attend & they should never be shunned. They need to be convicted by God & see their need to change & be transformed by God’s grace. Yet anyone who practices homosexuality shouldn’t be allowed to serve in a ministry or lead in any capacity in the church.
The good news for each of us regardless of our past or our present is that we can be washed by the blood & given a new life in Jesus Christ. We can be acquitted of our sins & wear the robes of Jesus’ righteousness.
All sin is wrong & only one sin determines whether we go to heaven or hell when we die—the sin of rejecting Jesus as our Savior & not allowing Him to live actively as the Lord of our life.
Regardless of your past or present Jesus wants to save you today & He’ll cleanse you from your sin & give you eternal life in heaven. If you’ve not already done so, ask Him to come into your life.
Luke 1:37 says, -For with God, nothing will be impossible.
Nahum the prophet spoke of God’s wrath to come but his name literally means “comfort.” When you & I understand the gospel, then the wrath of God is a comfort. It’s a reminder that in heaven there will be no sin, no injustice, & no evil.
God has swallowed His anger & given you & me the medicine of grace. But make no mistake, whether it is a nation or an individual, when God has offered us the medicine of His love & grace, & that has been rejected, He has the prerogative to then wheel us to the surgery suite of His wrath.
God has given us nothing less than His son Jesus. It’s not necessary for us to ever taste God’s wrath, for on His cross, Jesus Christ bore the supreme & awful burden of that wrath for you & me.
Blessings,
John
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