Christ Centered Lessons
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Monday, December 23, 2013 - If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck |
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Phil Robertson, of Duck Dynasty fame, upset a small minority of people this past week yet the national media would have you believe the majority of America identifies, and sympathizes, with those who have CHOSEN to live a life of perversion known as homosexuality. They would be wrong.
His family released a statement the “some of Phil's unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse…” which, based on excerpts I have seen, is not correct either. Let us look at what Phil said:
“In a wide-ranging interview with GQ, Robertson didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts about homosexuality and sinning.
“Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong… Sin becomes fine,” he said. “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.”
Paraphrasing Corinthians he added: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”
There is nothing incorrect or coarse in his statement. Homosexuality is wrong, bestiality is wrong; adultery is wrong; fornication is wrong, etc., etc. Yet the spiritually ignorant in this country (world) who has no basis in fact for their beliefs or statements try to prey upon people’s feelings. Some people use their own feelings as a standard. Some people answer such questions as, “Why are you convinced that you are right?” by saying, “Because I feel it right here” (while they point to their fleshly heart). Right feelings must come from one’s having (Knowing) the truth and obeying that truth.
Thus, it should be clear that merely “feeling good” about one’s belief does not at all constitute proof that one is pleasing to God (See Acts 8:26-40).
For those who accept the Bible as the authoritative, inspired Word of God, the controversy over the morality of homosexuality is easily settled. The Scriptures unequivocally condemn homosexual behavior. From the creation account we learn that God’s plan for sexual fulfillment is for one man and one woman to be joined together as one flesh in marriage; ANY other sexual activity is fornication, a sin which brings the judgment of God.
· Genesis 2:18-25 - And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him. And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast of the field; but for man there was not found a help meet for him. And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof: and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as a frightening warning to any people who would become so permissive with regard to sexual immorality that it would sanction the depravity of homosexuality.
· Genesis 19:1-28 shares with us that two angels come to Sodom and stay at Lot’s house. Picking up in Verse 4: Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally." So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, "Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! "See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof." And they said, "Stand back!" Then they said, "This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them." So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door. Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city-take them out of this place! "For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."
Later, the Mosaic law would describe homosexuality as an abomination which was like other forms of sexual immorality, punishable by death
· Lev. 18:22 - Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
· Lev. 20:13 - And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Some dismiss the Old Testament texts as irrelevant to our time, but the New Testament is equally unambiguous. Paul, in Romans 1 beginning in verse 24 talks specifically about this perversity Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
· Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Paul portrays the depravity of the Gentiles to be result of their abandonment of the knowledge of God they “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (V 25) and refused to have God in their knowledge (v 28). The increasing acceptance of homosexuality in our own culture is a symptom of the deeper problem of the movement away from a theistic to a secular worldview. It is an alarming indication of the degree to which Americans have forsaken the objective standard of morality – grounded in the nature of God and revealed in his Word.
· 1 Cor. 6:9-10 - Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul stated that there would be times when, “...the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.” What are we to do? “Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
No fable told will ever make sin acceptable to God. Common sense should prevail; if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Sin is no different. If it looks like sin and the bible calls it sin, it’s sin.