Due to the importance of this subject, this devotion will take three minutes to read instead of the usual one minute. And I encourage you to bookmark this devotion so you can access the resources it contains.
Words and gestures change over time. And we must use wisdom in expressing ourselves.
When I was a child, gay meant happy, and fag was slang for a cigarette. No one thought twice if heterosexual girlfriends held hands when walking down the street. And we didn't assume two men were gay simply because they said they loved each other.
That's no longer true.
When I wrote my devotion Denying or Affirming the Gospel in Our Relationships, I used this as one of my examples: “His friend said he loved him, but he refused to discuss the problems in their relationship.”
After it went out to subscribers, several people asked if I was referring to homosexual relationships.
Even though I used the word friend, not partner or lover, I can see how someone might mistake the meaning due to the current values in our culture. I decided to change the wording to make it absolutely clear that that was not my intent.
And I thought it was a good time to clarify where Bible Love Notes stands on the sexual issues that are at the forefront of modern culture.
Each of the letters in LGBTQ stands for behaviors that God considers sinful.
Some people have an unhealthy attraction to food. Are they born gluttons? No. Some people have an unhealthy attraction to the same sex. Are they born homosexual? No.
God loves sinners, and He wants us to repent of our sins and be saved. And when we are saved, we receive God's Holy Spirit who helps us overcome the sins in our lives. It's a lifetime process, but no one who continues to live a sinful lifestyle is saved. It's not possible. We can't love Jesus and make no effort to turn from our sins (1 John 3:4-10).
God places a strong emphasis on the destructive nature of sexual sins (1 Corinthians 6:18), and that is why they are repeatedly addressed in Scripture (1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Galatians 5:19-20; Revelation 21:8; Colossians 3:5). He designed us, He loves us, and He's given us commands to protect us from sins that damage our hearts, souls, and minds.
The word translated "sexual immorality" in the verses linked above is the Greek word porneia which means "fornication," and fornication means any sex outside of heterosexual marriage.
Premarital sex may be accepted by culture, but it's condemned by God (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Homosexuality is mentioned in even stronger terms as an "unnatural" sin committed by people who "suppress the truth" and deny God's "divine nature" in creation (Romans 1:18-32). Transgenderism also denies God's creation design.
Bible Love Notes unashamedly supports God's loving commands that warn against sex outside of marriage, same-gender sex, trouples, transgenderism, and any form of sexual intimacy not between a married man and woman. We affirm, as the Bible clearly teaches, that the only marriage God approves is between a man and a woman.
We also stand against abortion, a sin that typically follows sexual sin and is the taking of an innocent human life. And we believe an unborn child is a human being at the point where sperm and egg permanently unite. God makes no differentiation between trimesters when He says He knits us together in our mothers' wombs.
These subjects must be addressed, and genuine Christians will support the biblical view, no matter how unpopular it becomes. We don't over-emphasize sexual issues on Bible Love Notes, but neither do we avoid them.
In the future, Bible Love Notes may be censored for holding these biblical views, but we will not deny any aspect of the gospel to please culture.
If you are looking for a devotional site that remains faithful to the Bible in these areas, and you are not yet a subscriber, I encourage you to become one so you won’t miss a single devotion. (Subscribe here.) And please check out the resources below that explain the biblical views in each of these areas. Many of these articles/devotions take only one minute to read, but they can help you understand the importance of these subjects and what the Bible teaches about each one.
Are You Enjoying Popular Pornography?
Soft-Core Christians: Biblical Entertainment Standards
Premarital Sex
I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Sex Outside of Marriage - What Scripture Says
God Defines Love, Sex, and Truth
4 Things King David and Tiger Woods Had in Common
Why Good Christians Stink and Smell Wonderful
Abortion
What Scripture Says About Abortion
The judge Stands Before the Judge
Would You Have Justified Slavery?
Homosexuality/LGBTQ, etc.
Did You Know there's a Passage in Scripture that Addresses Gay Pride?
What Scripture Says about Homosexuality
Why Some Folks Have Created a New Jesus
How to Respond When You're Called a Hater
Response to Gay Revisionist Theology
Deceptive teachings which misuse Scripture to claim that God approves of homosexuality
Transgenderism
What the Bible Teaches About Gender
Addressing all Areas
God is the Leading Authority on what Damages Our Souls
Can Good Christians Live Sinful Lifestyles?
Bible Love Notes
Thank you for proclaiming the Truth.
ReplyDeleteMay God bless you
Thank you for teachings that help grow me, strengthen my faith, and love God more..
Be assured I will definitely remain a subscriber. I'm thankful for biblical truth. Remain strong in the faith!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your honesty and your stand on the true word of God. For encouraging Christians to be bold in their faith and not fall to a culture that goes against God and His word.
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking the truth according to the Bible. I love reading your blogs.
ReplyDeleteThank you. This shouldn't need to be stated. But this is where we are.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you for not tickling ears. We need more people like you to preach and teach The Word Of God as God wrote it to us. I stand with you and all of God’s children even if that means suffering.
ReplyDeleteYes!!!! Stand firm, even when it becomes unpopular. Thank you for having the courage to know how to express what God has made clear as His truth. You are doing a great job!!!
ReplyDeleteThank-you for remaining true to God’s Word. Thank-you for remaining bold in the faith.
ReplyDeleteIn God we trust.
Praise Him in all we say, do and think.
Amen.
Amen!!!!
ReplyDelete