A Great Awakening in Our Time

“In a time of universal deceit -
telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

-- George Orwell

Amen to that. Dr. Michael Brown cites this in his new book Outlasting the Gay Revolution: Where Homosexual Activism is Really Going and How to Turn the Tide. He doesn't waste any time in seeking to encourage the reader:

This is our time to stand, not in hate but in love, not in frustration but in determination. Put another way, rather than capitulate, give up, throw in the towel, it’s time for us to be energized and mobilized for action. It’s time for heroes to arise, and those heroes can be ordinary people who make an extraordinary difference in the decisions they make and the values they embrace. You can be one of those heroes. (Preface XVII).

First things first, this is an incredible read and I do recommend it to all of my fellow Christian brothers and sisters who could use some encouragement in light of recent cultural events, most especially the ongoing gay revolution. This is the third book Brown has written on the subject of the LGBT movement, and while all are excellent, this is the most inspiring. It's precisely what I needed to read at this dark time in our nation's history. The SCOTUS effectively legislated newfound rights of same-sex couples to "marry," which has opened Pandora's box to the slippery slope of marriage becoming whatever we want it to mean. Isaiah described societies like ours:

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;  

Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;  

Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes  

And clever in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21, NASB)

The immense shift that has taken place during the last decade has literally caught me by surprise. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my country would so clearly abandon Biblical principles for marriage, and now even gender distinctives. But that's where we are, and rather than hide in our Christian caves, I agree with Michael Brown that we need to be ready to face our society by our godly example and with the only message of hope for sinners.

I know you feel the pressure from our society to conform to their standards. They do a rather fine job of convincing themselves that they accept everyone and aren't judgmental at all. In fact, it's baffling to them why Christians don't want gay people to have the same rights as heterosexual couples. They honestly wonder why Christians are standing in the way of LGBT people's happiness. All they want is for us to accept them and their lifestyles by giving our stamp of approval. They want us to celebrate their newfound "Constitutional right" to "marry." President Obama, many others in government, most fortune 500 companies, the media, and the majority of Americans now support homosexuality and gay marriage. They wonder why Christians can't get with the program?

Yes, the pressure is all too real.

To make it even more difficult, they have positioned their entire movement as though it were the modern day Civil Rights movement from the 1960's. "Gay is the new black" and "Gay marriage is a civil right" are the mantras we hear repeated today over and over and over again. If you are foolish enough to simply disagree with homosexual behavior, you are labeled a homophobic bigot - the intent of this kind of rhetoric is simply to shut down all rational thought. I mean, who wants to be called a homophobe, or a bigot? I sure don't!

So what if you’re branded a homophobe and a bigot? Jesus was called far worse. … As I write these words, Christians in radical Muslim countries are literally losing their heads for their faith, yet we here in the West are concerned about losing our Facebook popularity. How can we be so cowardly? How can we be so easily moved? How can we capitulate when, deep down in our hearts, many of us know that God’s standards haven’t changed in the least? The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have never been more relevant: “Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.” That time is now. (Bold Mine; pgs 6-7).

Oddly enough, and though gay activists wish this weren't the case, their origin does not stem from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's.

...the gay revolution is not the successor of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s; it is the successor of the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. (pg. 58).

[After citing the results from a 2014 Gallup poll about sexual morality] No matter how you slice the cake, the results are the same: those who are more accepting of sexual immorality are more accepting of homosexuality; those who are less accepting of sexual immorality are less accepting of homosexuality. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out, and it is hardly a coincidence that the same decade that witnessed the rise of the sexual revolution, culminating in Woodstock in 1969, witnessed the rise of the gay liberation movement, marked by the Stonewall riots of 1969. (pg. 65).

This is recognizably apparent after reading this, but with the regular onslaught from our world, it can be difficult to think about this rightly. We need to stop and think for a moment so that we're not fooled into believing that homosexuality is a good thing. It isn't a good thing; the Bible describes it as a self-destructive and sinful behavior.

As noted by social worker Luis Pabon in his web article “I No Longer Want to Be Gay”:  "The self-loathing in this community forces you to encounter a series of broken men who are self-destructive, hurtful, cruel and vindictive towards one another. I have struggled to adapt my moral code to fit the behaviors concomitant with the lifestyle but it seems that the lifestyle is forcing me too far away from everything I love and value. No matter how many times I try to purge my perception of its firmly held beliefs and skewed biases, the same classic stereotypes of gay men keep rearing their ugly heads. The indiscriminate sex, superficiality, unstable relationships, self-hatred, peter pan syndrome, closeted connections, ageism, shade, loneliness, preoccupation with sex, prejudice, aversion to intimacy all seem to come out of the ground I thought they were buried under. Gay men just seem to find it difficult to transcend the stereotypes and clichés attached to the life and it is becoming disheartening.” (pg. 154).

This article that Dr. Brown cites isn't from some right-wing Christian, but from a gay man. Mr. Pabon reveals that the portrayal of homosexual relationships isn't as glamorous as the pro-gay activists would have us believe. Instead of the truth, the world regularly presents us with a cleaned up version of homosexual relationships that's similar to heterosexual relationships.

My point isn't that gay people are horrible and awful people, while Christians are wonderful. Not at all! Both gays and Christians are guilty sinners before a righteous God. But, just as Christians used to be slaves to sin (and still struggle with sin), homosexuality is described by God as a sinful behavior in His holy Word. I would suggest that if you love LGBT people, you would warn them of the truth that unrepentant sinners will someday face the just judgment of God, and will be found guilty of breaking His Law. This can only result in being sent to Hell for all eternity as a righteous punishment for sin. We can't remain silent out of love for our fellow man, and out of love for the God we serve.

An unfortunate byproduct of the gay revolution is the questioning of gender complementarity, which now has many today questioning gender distinctives. Is gender something you're born with and stuck with for life? Or is it more "fluid" than that? Can your gender evolve over time, depending on how you feel?

In Lincoln, Nebraska, a “‘gender inclusive’ school district” wants to drop terms like “boys and girls” and instead call kids something else, even “purple penguins.” A handout for teachers in the Lincoln Public Schools states, “Don’t use phrases such as ‘boys and girls,’ ‘you guys,’ ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ and similarly gendered expressions to get kids’ attention.” As Todd Starnes reported, “The handout was part of an effort to educate teachers and administrators about transgender issues,” meaning again that all the schools must be completely overhauled because of the struggles of a few. How in the world did this happen? (Bold Mine; pg. 116).

I echo the sentiment of Dr. Brown, because I'm flabbergasted at the insanity of this school district's line of thinking. Questioning the essence of gender does seem to be the logical next step after the acceptance of homosexuality. After all, once gender complementarity isn't viewed as essential - in other words, that there is nothing special about one man and one woman - then who's to say two of the same gender can't be an equivalent romance? Gay activism argues that homosexual couples are the same as heterosexual couples, which denies meaningful gender distinctives. This opens the door to transgenderism as another sexual expression. But the slippery slope only gets worse, because the number of people involved in romantic relationships is another logical question. Then we have consensual adult incest, and even "intergenerational" love. I mean, if romance is simply whatever we want it to be, then who's to say otherwise?

Societies that embrace this kind of sexual chaos don't last long. The simple fact of the matter is that rebelling against our Maker has severe consequences, because humankind was made to operate under specific moral principles. We can't utterly abandon those principles and expect to prosper, which is why our responsibility to this society is all the more important. We have a duty to God, and to our children to be faithful Christians. While homosexuality can never produce life, true marriage can naturally produce life. The legacy and culture of homosexuals dies with them, but if we teach our children the ways of the Lord, our legacy will endure.

Our job is to concentrate on doing what is right, even if same-sex “marriage” becomes the law of the land, even if gender distinctions are all but erased in many sectors of society, even if we can’t rely on the public school systems at all and we have to come up with creative educational alternatives that work for the poor as well as the rich.  

We need to walk in sexual purity whether we’re single or married. We need to be true to our wedding vows and really mean it when we say, “Till death do us part.” We need to celebrate motherhood and fatherhood and the beauty of gender distinctions. We need to make our kids a priority rather than a distraction, recognizing that we have no more precious gift in this world than our children and that, one day, they will be the leaders of the society.  

We need to embrace wholesome values in our personal lives and inculcate those in our families. We need to be positive influences in the secular society, with reputations for integrity, generosity, compassion, and honesty. And we need to celebrate life to the full, beginning with sanctity of life in the womb, thereby swimming against the tide of the culture of death. (Bold Mine; pg. 208).

Dr. Brown encourages Christians to pray for another Great Awakening in our time. I love the belief he has that the Lord can do this today, if He chooses to. I love how he writes convincingly of God's faithfulness, and His desire to show mercy to sinners. I love how he believes we have reason to hope, because our God is steadfast in His promises. I agree with his sentiment as he closes out the book: "To my fellow cultural revolutionaries I say: On with it!" (pg. 217). Oh, how I am with Michael Brown in this. Our God can do all things - if He can create light out of darkness, and can shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, surely He can save a multitude of sinners just like us.

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV).

The Shouting Universe

For as long as I can remember in school, I was told the same thing about how all life on earth began and evolved: "Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there are improbabilities - if not impossibilities - needed to be overcome. But, trust the scientists who agree that given enough time, anything can happen." That's what I heard in high school biology and in college. That's what we're told in the media, and from about everyone else in our society.

The modern theory of Darwinian Evolution is now accepted on a mass scale, and if you're one of the few who believe something to the contrary, you are looked at as though you believed the earth were flat. I'm not kidding - this comparison was made by my college professors. "Evolution is not JUST a theory," they say. I discovered then that all major proponents of Darwinian Evolution are aware of the holes in their philosophy, and are secretly hoping no one will notice that their worldview just can't hold water.

I still vividly remember my Biology 101 course where on the first day of class, my professor took the time to explain to us: "This course is entirely about Evolution, and everything we will discuss will go back to Evolution. Evolution is true, and it is a theory just like our current understanding of gravity is a theory - which means it's a fact." These words were pretty intimidating to me as an 18 year old freshman, but I did something way back then that still makes me chuckle ... after that first lecture I approached my professor's desk, introduced myself, then told her that I didn't believe in Evolution. I provided some of my reasoning, and indicated that it would be up to her to convince me by the end of the course. She took up the challenge by stating that it would be no problem for her because Evolution is provable on many levels.

Spoiler alert: by God's grace I passed. But as I progressed through the material, I began to realize some important shortcomings in the modern theory of evolution. The first is that the explanations for the origin of life were (and still are) pretty laughable. I'm sorry, but the theories about non-life spawning life near a volcano, in a soup-like substance, maybe / maybe-not being struck by lightning, embarrasses me. And these theories embarrass scientists too. What's worse is that we can't seem to replicate the process in the laboratory under perfect conditions and odds that we control! Secondly, we look at the similarities between lifeforms and determine that because Evolution can happen on a micro level, and does produce new species, we take the leap that greater useful complexity arises through natural selection! They don't stop with new species evolving, they must insist that new organs, new functions, and new kinds of lifeforms are developed through this process. Textbooks have cute little cartoons to demonstrate new developments, but don't explain *how* this happens.

As I handed in my final exam I leaned in and whispered to my professor: "I wasn't convinced..." She looked at me, smiled, and nodded.

Not too long ago, I finished reading one of the classic books against Evolution: Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution by Michael Behe. He and I don't see eye to eye on many things, but I would highly recommend this book to help refine your understanding of why Evolution is a flawed theory. He approaches the subject differently than many non-evolutionists do, for example, he doesn't argue from the fossil record. Instead, he argues that the fatal flaw in Darwinian Evolution is that they can't explain their theory on a molecular level.

"Anatomy is, quite simply, irrelevant to the question of whether evolution could take place on the molecular level. So is the fossil record. It no longer matters whether there are huge gaps in the fossil record or whether the record is as continuous as that of U.S. presidents. And if there are gaps, it does not matter whether they can be explained plausibly. The fossil record has nothing to tell us about whether the interactions of 11-cis-retinal with rhodopsin, transducin, phosphodiesterase could have developed step-by-step." (pg. 22).

Behe says later:

"It is now approximately half a century since the neo-Darwinian synthesis was formulated. A great deal of research has been carried on within the paradigm it defines. Yet the successes of the theory are limited to the minutiae of evolution, such as the adaptive change in coloration of moths; while it has remarkably little to say on the questions which interest us most, such as how there came to be moths in the first place." (Bold Mine; pg. 28).

The real genius of his argument is the idea that complex systems (whether they be organs, or even functions within a cell), reach a point of irreducible complexity. Behe defines it this way:

"By irreducibly complex I mean a single system composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning. An irreducibly complex system cannot be produced directly (that is, by continuously improving the initial function, which continues to work by the same mechanism) by slight, successive modifications of a precursor system, because any precursor to an irreducibly complex system that is missing a part is by definition nonfunctional." (pg. 39).

Darwin's Black Box covers 3 powerful examples of irreducibly complex systems that I found very compelling: the eye, blood clotting, and the immune system. Each of these examples are so powerful and persuasive because of everything involved in these systems. I know enough to know that the eye is a remarkable system, so remarkable in fact that there are countless components that comprise its sheer brilliance. Darwinian Evolution would have us believe that the eye developed in slow, gradual changes over time. But the question is rightly asked: what use is a partial eye to natural selection without key components to make it functional? For instance, an eye without a retina is useless, hence the idea that the eye must have arrived in its completed form by a designer.

"The result of these cumulative efforts to investigate the cell-to investigate life at the molecular level-is a loud, clear, piercing cry of "design!" The result is so unambiguous and so significant that it must be ranked as one of the greatest achievements in the history of science. The discovery rivals those of Newton and Einstein, Lavoisier and Schrodinger, Pasteur, and Darwin. The observation of the intelligent design of life is as momentous as the observation that the earth goes around the sun or that disease is caused by bacteria or that radiation is emitted in quanta." (pg. 233).

It is this last idea that I appreciate but must go much further than he does, because Christians don't just believe in some unknown designer who fashioned life's complexity. Rather, we believe in the one and only God of the Bible, the triune God that we worship and love. Now having said that, I believe that there is incredible use in being able to address and discuss Evolution with people in today's society, because almost everyone you meet believes in Darwinian Evolution. People will want some kind of explanation, and this can help to address their concerns so that you can ultimately point them to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Last week I was talking with an atheist friend about the gospel, and the subject of Evolution suddenly made its way into the conversation. He thought, just like most people think, that Evolution is a scientific reason not to believe in Christianity and the Bible. Using some of the reasoning in Behe's book, I was able to demonstrate the unfoundedness of Evolution. I then immediately made the connection to the reality of God's existence: that the Bible says God has clearly revealed Himself in creation, and in the moral Law written on everyone's heart. My friend didn't like hearing any of this (no sinners do), but Behe is right that molecular biology is shouting at us: "design!"

We know, as Christians, that the entirety of the expanding universe is proclaiming the clear existence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is why our appeal to fellow sinners has merit, and why we ought to have great courage when speaking about the truth to others. I'm encouraged by the account of Paul's interaction with Agrippa where he tries to persuade the King to repent and believe in Christ:

"24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." 25 But Paul *said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. 26 For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, " In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." 29 And Paul said, " I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."" (Acts 26:24-29, NASB).

One thing is clear: God has revealed Himself to all men everywhere, and requires our repentance. By our love of the Lord and His gospel, and by the love we have for our fellow man, we should be looking for opportunities to make known the great God whom we serve with our whole heart.

"10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men," (2 Corinthians 5:10-11a, NASB).

The Suffering of LGBT People

“To all those who have suffered in silence for so long”

This is to whom Matthew Vines' new book is dedicated, and certainly caused me take a moment to consider the suffering of LGBT people.

I think Vines is on to something here. In fact, I agree with him that Lesbian / Gay / Bi-Sexual / Transgender people are suffering. Some suffering is caused by wicked people. For example, a man stabbed 6 people at a gay pride parade in Jerusalem a few weeks ago. That kind of violence is evil, and must be condemned by Christians. But most of the suffering LGBT people experience is brought on as a direct result of their sin. Sin produces suffering. It can only bring about misery and death: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

In my Bible reading, I ran across this passage from Psalm 38:3-8 about our sin:

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;

There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities are gone over my head;

As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

My wounds grow foul and fester

Because of my folly.

I am bent over and greatly bowed down;

I go mourning all day long.

For my loins are filled with burning,

And there is no soundness in my flesh.

I am benumbed and badly crushed;

I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

When we blatantly disobey God’s commands for our lives, this is the result. We lose sleep over our guilt. Sometimes we become sick because of how remorseful we feel. We mourn and groan, and become worse the more time goes on while we pretend everything’s A-Okay. I say all of this, not because I am better than homosexuals - because I’m not better than them. I’m just as sinful as they are. We both descended from Adam, the first man, and we both inherited our guilt from him. But I’m not surprised at all that LGBT people are miserable, because pretending that sin is a good thing will make you miserable! The only way to feel better is to make things right with your Maker.

My response to gay people is one of compassion. I can relate because I understand what it is to be tempted, and to sin. But it is because I love homosexuals that I will warn them of the truth: that God has prescribed for us a certain way to live, and that He is a holy God who is angry with sinners because of our sinful ways. I agree with John MacArthur who recently preached a sermon where he said that we need to warn unbelievers of the wrath to come. There is a final day of judgment coming where those who willfully remain in their sins will pay for their sins in Hell for all eternity.

If you love gay people, you will have compassion on them and warn them of God’s wrath to come. Their only hope is in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’ll be completely honest with you: I’ve read some of the best books on both sides of this issue, and I was secretly hoping I could get by with listening to the audiobook version of Matthew Vines’ God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships. I was breezing through the book, when I realized about halfway through that it deserved even more attention from me. It isn’t that this book is revolutionary, or has a ton of new arguments - there’s really nothing new in his book. To be fair, Vines doesn’t claim to offer anything new. What he does try to do is make his arguments more accessible to a wider audience, and to help train people to infiltrate conservative churches to begin changing them from the inside. It’s because of his goals with this book, and the movement he’s helping along, that I decided to actually read the book.

Matthew Vines didn’t surprise me at all that he believes homosexuals can be true Christians. What threw me for a loop was that he claims to believe in a “high view” of Scripture:

"Like most theologically conservative Christians, I hold what is often called a "high view" of the Bible. That means I Believe all of Scripture is inspired by God and authoritative for my life. While some parts of the Bible address cultural norms that do not directly apply to modern societies, all of Scripture is "useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2, Vines).

Now having finished the book, I believe that Vines’ constant revisionism of Scripture, proves his above statement to be very very false.

"Instead of accepting the divide between more progressive Christians who support marriage equality and conservative Christians who oppose it, this book envisions a future in which all Christians come to embrace and affirm their LGBT brothers and sisters - without undermining their commitment to the authority of the Bible." (3, Vines).

If you’re not careful you might miss the fact that from beginning to end, Vines assumes what he never proves: there there is such a thing as “gay Christians.” He says later on:

"Same-sex attraction is completely natural to me. It's not something I chose or something I can change. And while I could act on my sexual orientation in lustful ways, I could also express it in the context of a committed, monogamous relationship. But based on the traditional interpretation of Scripture, I am uniquely excluded from the possibility of romantic love and intimacy." (29, Vines).

I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about how I thought of homosexuality for most of my adult life. Until the past few years, I oversimplified all homosexuals with this summary statement: “Homosexuality is a choice.” Now, I don’t completely disagree with this either, but it isn’t sufficient and doesn’t accurately explain every single person who experiences same-sex attraction. What I mean is that I believe there are those who willfully choose homosexual practices simply out of rebellion (consider teenage rebellion against their parents, as one example), and not primarily because they experience same-sex attractions. Others do have a predisposition to same-sex attractions, and have no opposite-sex attractions at all.

Having said this, it is important to point out that just because one experiences same-sex attractions, or has a particular predisposition for same-sex attractions, doesn’t make homosexuality a good and just thing. Not all attractions and/or predispositions are good, and everyone knows this. I know this. You know this. We all have our own particular sinful predispositions that we ought to struggle against. Some people have a short tempter, others steal, and some struggle against same-sex attraction.

How we feel is never a test for what is good and true. Sometimes I feel like hitting other drivers with my car … that is not a good feeling, and I am forbidden by God to act on this. In fact, the Scripture says this about us:

The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

One final point on the above quote from Vines: “But based on the traditional interpretation of Scripture, I am uniquely excluded from the possibility of romantic love and intimacy.” He is correct that God and the Bible condemn homosexual practice. This does mean that even if God did save Matthew Vines and he continued to only experience same-sex attractions, he would be required by God to remain celibate for life. Scripture never promises us that we will be married, or experience opposite-sex attractions.

However, there is hope for the Christian because our identity isn’t found in our sexual attractions. We are so much more than that. We are made in God’s image, and if you’re a Christian you are a redeemed child of God! Your purpose is to glorify Him, not to satisfy your sexual desires. Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth, some who also were named as homosexuals: “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). In other words, God radically transforms His redeemed saints. No longer are Christians known for their sin: it doesn’t (and can’t) define us, because the Lord has set us free from bondage to sin. The Scripture doesn’t promise that all sinful desire is removed from us in this life. Christians may well continue to have same-sex attractions after coming to personally know Jesus Christ. Even so, it would be completely inappropriate for Christians to identify themselves as homosexuals, because that is identifying with sin.

Vines’ primary argument recognizes that the Bible has nothing positive to say about homosexual practice. Instead, he tries to demonstrate that what the biblical writers addressed on this subject has nothing to do with our modern understanding of homosexuality:

"But let me say it again: When we study biblical writings about marriage and celibacy, the question is not whether Jesus, Paul, or anyone else endorsed same-sex marriage or whether they instead enjoined gay people to lifelong celibacy. They didn't directly do either one. As we saw in chapter 2, our understanding of same-sex orientation is uniquely modern, so the question we face is how to apply the basic principles of the Bible's teachings to this new situation." (48, Vines).

“We have to remember: what Paul was describing is fundamentally different from what we are discussing.” (103, Vines).

“Our question isn’t whether the Bible addresses the modern concepts of sexual orientation and same-sex marriage. We know it doesn’t. Instead, our question is: Can we translate basic biblical principles about marriage to this new situation without losing something essential in the process?”  (137, Vines).

What is truly amazing about this, and other similar statements in the book, is that he basically argues that the biblical writers (and ultimately God) didn’t understand our modern understanding of homosexuality and sexual orientation. Such a small god Matthew Vines claims to worship! Our heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Seemingly, according to Vines, with up-to-date psychology and our current cultural context, we can! The Scriptures have a different answer, however: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10). Isn’t the point of Scripture that we don’t know our hearts as well as we think, and instead we are to depend on the God who made us, because He made our heart and mind? 

Vines does spend a good portion of the book attempting to revise traditional interpretations of many of the common condemnations of homosexuality in Scripture. I believe he spent the most time on Romans 1, and for good reason. Paul is incredibly clear: homosexuality is a sin, just like other sins. It is the primary example that the Apostle used to demonstrate what happens to people when God removes His restraining hand. Matthew Vines says over and over again that Paul wasn't aware of loving, committed, monogamous same-sex relationships. He couldn't have had in mind our modern understanding of sexual orientation because pederasty and slave abuse was the most common form of same-sex relationships in Roman culture. 

Well, first off, Robert Gagnon demonstrates this argument to be utterly untrue in his book on the subject. Historically, Vines is simply wrong. There are documented cases of same-sex non-coercive relationships in ancient times. Biblically, Paul wasn't only condemning coercive homosexual practice (though that is certainly included), but the discussion in Romans 1 is regarding those who were mutually choosing to be involved. Paul said that they "burned in their desire toward one another." Clearly this can't be limited to coercive relationships between adults and boys, or slave-owners with slaves. 

“If the essence of marriage involves a covenant-keeping relationship of mutual self-giving, then two men or two women can fulfill that purpose as well as a man and a woman can.” (Page 137).

I wrote this in the margins next to this quote: “The words ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ are haunting your argument throughout the entire book.” The essence of marriage is not defined in the way Vines attempts to redefine it. Jesus - God in human flesh - when asked about marriage in Matthew 19 (and surely knew of our future context), explained that marriage was between one man and one woman. He explained the gift of gender, and that we were created male and female from the beginning. As inconvenient as it is for Vines, and other revisionists like him, Jesus said that a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. These two shall become one flesh. He cited the Genesis account as authoritative, and argued for its truthfulness, which we must still do today.

Our culture has changed so quickly on this and other issues, that at times I feel like just giving up, as though we had no hope. But then the Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures to convict me of my poor attitude and reminds of the promises of our God: “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” (Psalm 47:7-8). I believe we have a wonderful opportunity in this dark time, and that is to be bold and faithful witnesses for our King. We have been redeemed from our sins, and if we really believe the truth then we must speak of what we know to be true. The message we preach is foolishness to the world, but we have this promise also: “Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3).

I couldn’t resist but adding and concluding with these words from Paul:

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16).

We Knew this Day was Coming. Now What?

We knew this day was coming, and I wasn't at all surprised when I heard of the court's decision to make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. Let's not kid ourselves: it is a terribly sad thing to have witnessed the Roe v. Wade decision of our time. My family and I were on vacation when I saw the news all over Facebook, along with so many profile pictures updated to include the rainbow colors in support of the court's decision.

James White has warned for years that we will soon see the Tsunami of apostasy wash through the visible church. I knew he was right when I saw with my own eyes professing Christians use this as an opportunity to announce their sexuality all over social media. What made these situations even more heart-breaking was that other professing Christians "liked" these "coming out" posts on Facebook, and left supportive comments stating how "proud" they were for being true to themselves.




Chief Justice John Roberts is spot on when he said this in his dissenting opinion:

"The majority's decision is an act of will, not a legal judgment."

Yup. Contrast that with Justice Kennedy's majority opinion:

"The right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment couples of the same-sex cannot be deprived of that right and that liberty."  

The problem with the majority's opinion is that marriage isn't discussed in the U.S. Constitution. The dissenting justices rightly say: "The right it announces has no basis in the Constitution or this Court's precedent."

One final quote from the dissenting opinion that is remarkably important:

"But this Court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex  marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us. Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what the law is, not what it should be. The people who ratified the Constitution authorized courts to exercise “neither force nor will but merely judgment.”

The dissenting justices are absolutely correct. Later that Friday evening, to add insult to injury, the White House displayed rainbow colors across the property to show support for the LGBT movement. The Disneyworld Cinderella castle did the same, along with a dozen other government and popular locations. It's obvious that our government doesn't care one bit about offending those of us who believe in real marriage.

In the few days since the ruling, I've noticed a significant change in people's attitudes about the whole subject. It's as if people can't contain their newfound freedom to express all kinds of sexuality. People also seem shocked to discover there are those of us who still believe that marriage is exclusively between one man and one woman. More people are now unwilling to engage Christians in conversation about this subject because it has been settled in their minds. It seems to me that our society thinks we have nothing worthy to say on the subject.

But you know what I think is really going on? All of the Facebook rainbow profile pictures, the declarations of how "proud" and "courageous" LGBT people are, pop culture making this whole thing cool and "normal," the marches and parades in support of their lifestyles, the decades that organizations persuaded the American public, liberal politicians, and judges who think they're legislators ... All of this is an attempt to suppress the truth in unrighteousness, just like God said in the Bible. Even with all of this time and money and energy spent to try to hold down the truth, they still know their actions are sinful in God's sight. That's why the world hates us: because they know that the wrath of God abides on them (just as it did us), and they don't want to face the reality that someday a final Day of Judgment is coming where everyone will have to answer for his/her actions.

So what now? What will you say to your co-workers who try to get a reaction out of you? How will you respond to your neighbors, your friends, and your family? Should you speak up to the LGBT friends in your life?

I believe that we should begin and end with a message of love, compassion, hope, and truth. In every gospel conversation with unbelievers I begin by letting them know my motivation is out of love for them and for God. And yes, level the playing field - what I mean by this is to explain that you are a sinner, just like they are a sinner. As we are all born into this world, we deserve death, judgment, and eternity in Hell. I believe that we need to discuss what sin is, otherwise, how will people know what to repent from?

As hard as it is, this means that some discussion may need to take place about how homosexuality, bi-sexuality, polygamy, trans-genderism, or other various forms of sexual expression, are sinful in God's sight. The Bible is very clear on this subject. On the flip side, there is a positive message that we have to proclaim: gender is a gift from God. Maleness and femaleness is a blessing that God alone gets to define. He has also given the gift of marriage: one man and one woman for life. The complementarity that a man and a woman experience together are obvious in nature: biologically, psychologically, and emotionally. I can testify how my life was radically changed when I married my beautiful wife. From singleness to marriage, a woman has a strong domesticating effect on a man. Likewise, the man offers a woman support and stability that she longs for. They also produce life by creating children together. I've found it very worthwhile to point out to people that only a man and a woman can create children ... something a man and a man, or a woman and a woman can never do. It's biologically impossible.

What about LGBT people that are sincerely attracted to members of the same gender? I recommend acknowledging it, because I believe in many cases they do have a predisposition to same-sex attraction. But, just because someone has same-sex attractions doesn't give them the right to act on these desires. We live in a fallen world, and as such, every one of us has predispositions for some sinful desires. Take Grumpy, for example ... one of the seven dwarfs. Let's say for the sake of argument that he believed his orientation was to be grumpy, and that everyone should just accept that that's who he is, period. Should we, and all of society, bow to this assertion? I would think not. Grumpy has no right to be grumpy because God requires that he give thanks to God for the many blessings given to him. In a similar way, LGBT are called by Christ to turn from their sinful desires and dreams, and turn to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Something I'm hearing more and more from professing Christians who consider themselves LGBT is this: "So you're saying that since I only have same-sex attractions, I am to remain celibate for the rest of my life? I'm to be alone and unhappy forever?"

I would respond with gentleness and care at this point. I might say something like this: "Jesus does require that you turn from your sins, which includes same-sex behaviors, yes. This may not be easy, and the Lord does say that you should consider the cost of abandoning your desires, and embracing the desires of Jesus. It is certainly possible that God removes same-sex attractions from you once you are saved. It is also possible that He gives you opposite-sex attractions. However, this isn't promised by the Lord in this life. What Jesus does promise is to provide grace that is sufficient for you, whichever path He has decided that you walk down. If you think this is impossible, and that your orientation is too strong, know this: God's grace is more than sufficient to help you overcome your desires. In fact, some Christians in the early church were once homosexuals and Scripture says this about their former homosexual lifestyle: "Such were some of you..." (1 Corinthians 6:11). He also promises never to forsake or leave His children. And most important of all, He promises to give you eternal life, where your sins are forgiven once for all. Then, you will have the hope of a future resurrection where your new body no longer has remaining sin and temptation. I say this to you: repent, for today is the day of salvation. Trust in Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and to deliver you from your sinful ways. Jesus is the only hope for sinners."

I would urge the reader: if you love your neighbors, speak the truth in love to them. Tell them the good news about what Jesus Christ has done on behalf of sinners. We, more than anyone, have reason to be joyful and thankful because we know the true and the living God. We have been redeemed from our sins, and we know the good life that Jesus promised. While the Lord has given us the freedom to do so, might we be faithful witnesses for His gospel. Look for opportunities to be salt and light in our society living in darkness.

13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16, NASB).

“The scariest verse in all of scripture.”

 When God created Adam and Eve He gave them all the advantage for which they could hope. They were flawless. No physical, mental, genetic, circumstantial, or any other flaw one could bring to mind. So perfect, in fact, that they did not even know of error. It was in this condition that they failed. The best mankind has ever had to offer, and they made a mess of everything. God declared that not only actions condemn us, but our blood condemns us as well. Passed down from father to child, blood guiltiness would forever hang over the whole human race because of Adam. The price for sin and blood guiltiness is the spilling of blood and death. But we are not just flesh and blood we are also spirit, and sin was so abhorrent to God that He made a place where those souls tainted by sin (all of us included) would be forever purged by unquenchable flame and forgotten forever - a second death. 

God humbled Himself and took on human flesh. Jesus (God in human flesh) had to be born of a virgin to be spared the blood guilt from a human father. He, although tempted to the fullest degree, never sinned. Being without sin or guilt of any kind He paid the price of sin and guilt. In doing so He created an infinite payment. The price of sin is infinite, but Christ’s payment is also infinite. He offers access to His infinite account, and to receive is to be declared righteous as Jesus is righteous. To collect one must only believe that He was who He claimed to be (God), who He claimed we are (sinners), believe in His infinite payment for our sins (the cross), and believe in His power over death (the resurrection). To believe is to be forgiven of all sins, both blood guiltiness and sins we commit, and sealed for all eternity and to spend that eternity with God in perfect bliss. It is a free gift, no work required, because Jesus completed the work. He will resurrect us as He was resurrected and sustain us forever - a newness of perfect life.

That is Christianity in as few words as I can explain it. The perfect conclusion would be John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  We are far too prone to stop there. That is not where the gospel ends, at the promise of eternal life. In what John MacArthur calls, “The scariest verse in all of scripture” Jesus has this to say: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in haven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” Matthew 7:21 – 23 NASB

If these words from our Lord do not shake you to your core, you don’t get what He is saying here. This statement comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. It’s a long section of scripture and contains many famous verses. This sermon starts back in chapter 5 with what has become known as the “beatitudes.” The Jews of Jesus’ time believed that God gave earthly blessing to those who He loved, and to the strong. A “God helps those who help themselves” kind of idea. Jesus turns that idea on its head. He said the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are gentle, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted for standing up for the truth are the blessed ones.

He then tells believers they are to be the light of the earth, shining Gods truth in a dark and lie-filled world. We then are treated to a very long list of how to live like a Christian, where even our very thoughts are called into account. He teaches us to give to the poor, how to pray, not to lust for money, to do good deeds for the praise of God and not man, to trust God and not worry, and many other details. He ends this long list of “this is what the Christian life looks like” with the warning, “Do these things or I will turn you away at the end.”  

You might have noticed a seemingly very large contradiction. I said earlier that the gift of forgiveness was free, that Jesus Christ had accomplished all the work already. Now I am telling you to do good works or He will turn you away. Well there we go, the bible has a giant contradiction and we can stop believing, “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Not so much…

What Jesus is saying, what the New Testament book of James says, what Paul and Peter wrote, is that this is what you will do if your faith is genuine. Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith.” You see calling Jesus “Lord” is not enough “.. the demons also believe, and shudder.” (James 2:19) Your faith must be genuine, and the test of genuine faith is perseverance through persecution (Romans 5:3-5 and 1 Peter 1:6-7), and obedience. These things don’t save you, Jesus saves. These things give you assurance that your faith is real. So be real and hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” do otherwise and you have no assurance, and you may hear the words, “I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.”