Have You Noticed that Certain Sins Are Pampered in the Church?

If we are going to serve God, we can't "pamper" culturally acceptable sins, treating them differently than we treat other sins.

Romans 1:18-32 describes a downhill slide into evil:

Suppression of God's truth 🠇 

Denial of God's divine presence in creation 🠇 

Idolatry 🠇 

Sexual sin 🠇

Unnatural lust for homosexuality 🠇

Depraved minds 🠇

Increased wickedness of all kinds 🠇

Approval of those who practice evil

There are many sins addressed in this downhill slide, but there's no denying that homosexuality is a sign that a nation has progressed deeply into moral decay. (See Sexual History.) And that final step of "approval" is reflected in the way our culture takes pride in sinful lifestyles. (See TDOV and Gay Pride Month.)

Why then are Christians pampering the sin of homosexuality, refusing to address it the same way we address other sins, seeing LGBTQ people as victims instead of sinners?

I recently listened to a pastor teach on Romans 1:18-32. He admitted homosexuality is sinful, but he spent most of the sermon shaming Christians for thinking homosexuality is worse than any other sin and warning them to treat homosexuals with grace and kindness. (See All Sins Are Not the Same.) 

I'm sure this pastor wouldn't address adulterers, thieves, child abusers, or even gossips as carefully as he addressed homosexuals. 

Please read Romans 1:16-32 and Ephesians 5:1-17 today and carefully note God's views about homosexuality and our role as Christians in exposing "fruitless deeds of darkness." Love involves grace, but grace without truth is the same as faith without works—it's dead and meaningless (James 2:14-26). 

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If you haven't read the Bible Love Notes series The Relevance of Romans 1:16-32, I encourage you to do that.

I actually listened to this online sermon because it was from a Bible-believing church, not a liberal one. And I wanted to hear homosexuality addressed biblically because I so seldom hear that done. Instead, I feel like God wanted me to see how culture is influencing good churches as well as liberal ones. 

We must understand that sexual sins damage us in ways that other sins do not (1 Corinthians 6:18). And homosexuality not only defies God's commands for sexual intimacy; it defies God's creation design (Romans 1:24-27).

Bible Love Notes