“God is love. He doesn’t care,” she continued.
Those are the words of a “gospel singer” who left her husband to enter into a lesbian relationship. I couldn’t help but think this woman has sung many songs about God over the years and certainly heard as many or more sermons. So how did she conclude that because God loves us He doesn’t care when we sin? He’s fine with it?!
You can tell that she knows this is wrong or why try to justify this relationship?
Then there’s the gay Democrat presidential contender, Pete Buttigieg, who explains his homosexual relationship/marriage, “At a recent fundraiser, he said of his same-sex “marriage”: “[it] has made me a better man [and]…moved me closer to God. If being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far above my pay grade.”
He then added, “That’s the thing I wish the Mike Pence’s of the world would understand, that if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”
“The reality, of course, is that the mayor’s quarrel isn’t with Mike Pence. His quarrel is with the clear texts of Scripture that both identify what marriage is and what it is for, as well as how homosexual behavior is sinful. His quarrel is with natural law, reflected in the biological roles our bodies play and the universally embraced connection of marriage and procreation, even by societies not influenced by Christian morality. And of course, his quarrel is with 2,000 years of unanimous Christian witness on marriage and sexual morality.”–The False God of Feelings: Mayor Buttigieg’s Pro-Gay Christianity
Buttigieg is rationalizing that how we live is God’s fault because He created us with the ability to make choices. Yes, it’s true God gave us free will, but we’re accountable for how we use it. We can’t blame God for the bad things we do or the sinful way we choose to live and then say He’s ok when I sin. Naught!
God made Adam and Eve too and He gave them a choice to follow His commands. And we know how their choice turned out. Following the politician and singer’s rational, it would be God’s fault for Adam and Eve’s bad choice so God was Okay with it. Again, naught!
[Tweet “Death and hell became realities when Adam and Eve chose the Devil’s ways and since the day God kicked them out of the Garden of Eden, we all have the propensity to sin, but God is not okay when we make that choice.”]
Death and hell became realities when Adam and Eve chose the Devil’s ways and since the day God kicked them out of the Garden of Eden, we all have the propensity to sin, but God is not okay when we make that choice. The Bible proclaims just the opposite. God is never OK when we give in to Satan’s evil wiles.
But the singer and “Mayor Pete’s” comments are worthy of our discussion because there are many today, even in the church, who agree that our feelings and what we want to do, even sin, is fine with God because He’s a God of love. However, they conveniently overlook the fact that just because He gave us feelings and choices, He also gave us commands and Scriptures to guide us in making the right choices and avoiding the wrong ones.
[Tweet “To say that God endorses sin of any kind in his creation is blasphemy, even when said by those who should know better in the church.”]
To say that God endorses sin of any kind in His creation is blasphemy, even when said by those who should know better in the church.
Satan knows how to twist Scripture and tempt with, “Did God really say_______?” Fill in the blank with any sin. It’s not just the homosexual lifestyle. Last week I wrote about Abortion: The Crime of Passion.
It can be cheating on your taxes, lying, stealing, coveting, taking the Lord’s name in vain, adultery, abuse, and so many more sins of choice.
Scripture is “Inclusive”
A popular word in today’s culture is “inclusive,” which can be used as a weapon for forcing people to accept precepts that go against their faith and beliefs. The Bible also uses inclusive words, but in a different context. Everyone is born with potential to do many wrong things and we’ve all sinned. Absolutely everyone. Not just the singer or the politician, everyone. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). That’s pretty inclusive. We all have sin in common.
But God doesn’t want us to stay in that degenerate place of sinning. “If you love me,” Jesus says in John 14:15, “you will keep my commandments.”
[Tweet “Sadly, Satan makes evil look good and blinds to the Gospel.”]
Sadly, Satan makes evil look good and blinds to the Gospel. When he turns hearts away from Jesus, we become just as we’re born, selfish and self-determining. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).
We want what we want and think a loving God would want that for us too.
Wrong!
Yes, God made us with the potential to do many things, but He doesn’t say everything is right. He doesn’t want us to stay sinful.
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”[b]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[c]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[d]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[e]
18 “They have no fear of God at all.” Romans 3:9:18 NLT
There is an answer to our sinful nature: ask and accept God’s grace and forgiveness.
All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:3-5 NLT
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Romans 6:1-2
Buttigieg may feel that his same-sex relationship has somehow brought him closer to God, but if so he would know and honor God’s commandments and sense the Spirit’s conviction.
The singer might think because God is love, he’s ok with her sinning. He is not. He loved her so much John 3:16 says For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, so she could be forgiven to go and sin no more.
What Does It Mean to Fear God?
[Tweet “Have we forgotten how to fear God, but have turned Him into some fake God who loves us so much He has no problem with our sin.”]
Have we forgotten how to fear God, but have turned Him into some fake God who loves us so much He has no problem with our sin? My mom used to say, “Remember God is watching what you do.” That’s a good thing to remember. We’re not getting away with anything. God knows everything.
We always know our parents love us, but there should also be a healthy fear of them catching us doing something wrong because they’re going to discipline us. Not because they hate us, but because they love us. If they let us do anything we wanted from childhood, we would probably err on the side of selfishness and self-serving. That’s why they gave us boundaries and guidelines for life. And if we love our children, we should do the same.
That’s what the Bible is for Christians: a guide in how to live a life pleasing to God. And when we choose to live differently, it saddens Him because He knows we know better. But He will let us live with the consequences of our sinful choices. “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts.” Romans 1:18-32 describes God’s anger at sin. Don’t think that those words don’t apply to all of us.
[Tweet “the consequences on judgement day will be a horrible fate for those who have spent their lives trying to make God the Deity they want Him to be: trying to make God in their own sorry sin-loving image. “]
It’s tough love and the consequences on judgement day will be a horrible fate for those who have spent their lives trying to make God the Deity they want Him to be: trying to make God in their own sorry sin-loving image.
[Tweet “Never doubt there will be a judgement day and how we have lived on earth will define our eternity.”]
Never doubt there will be a judgement day and how we have lived on earth will define our eternity. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)
That’s not fear, that’s fact.
Many try to describe the fear of God as simply meaning to be in awe of Him. That’s certainly one meaning, but the meaning of fear more prevalent in the Bible is reverent, respect, honoring, cherishing, fear of disappointing our Great God by doing wrong in His sight.
Just like we never stop being our parents children even when we hurt them by doing wrong, Christians will always be God’s children, but He will never be “ok” with our sin.
Dr. Jeremiah summarizes this contrast between the love of God and the fear of God in his book What Are You Afraid of?
“On many occasions throughout my forty years of ministry, people have questioned me about the subject of God’s judgement. Often they say something like this: “My God would never send anybody to hell or punish someone for doing evil. My God is a God of love.”
I usually answer by telling them that their God does not exist. There is a God to love and there is a God to fear, and He is one and the same! Did He not judge His own Son as a demonstration of His love for the world? And did He not then show His love for the Son he judged by raising Him from the dead? How silly to think that if He is a loving God, He cannot also be a fearsome God. The two attributes complement each other.”
I’m sure you’ve heard many sermons on the love of God, but when is the last time you heard a sermon on the fear of God?
Don’t wait to hear it from the pulpit, read it for yourself in your Bible. You won’t be held accountable on judgement day for what your pastor did or didn’t preach. No, you’ll be held accountable for how you loved God enough to respect and fear Him by obeying His commands.
For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant. Psalm 25:11-14
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Amen to our God! Beautifully written and heart stirring.
Eliza, thank you for your encouragement. I hope you will share this message to stir the hearts of everyone you know! That’s how revival will start.
We in the church so need this message. Thank you for these words of truth from the Word of God!!!
Let’s pray the church is stirred with the Truth to bring revival back to our country. Christians turn to the Word of God and not the words of the world.
A sobering and TruthFULL reminder, warning…thanks Janet.
Sandy let’s share the warning together! Pray for hearts to return to God and revival to our country.
> > Hi Janet,
> > Very well stated and I could not agree more. Frances Chan gave a similar message to his congregation recently – I’ll text you the link.
> >
> > We really do need for pastors to step up and speak the whole truth of God. It is so sad that today’s “church” does not encourage those who attend to bring their bible, and the teaching/preaching is focused on what I call biblical psychology and not the accurate meaning of the scripture. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or offend someone with the accurate Word of God, so we manipulate selected verses to teach a user friendly lesson.
> >
> > There is very little difference between many church attenders and non-attenders in today’s society, with the possible exception that non-attenders are at least being honest. I blame the church leadership and there is going to be hell to be paid some day in the not too distant future. Pray for the Church!
Jerry, I’m in agreement with everything you said. Pastors will be held responsible first because they’ve been given the commission to lead their flocks in the Word of God as written, not interpreted to please the culture. But where some fail at this, the flock needs to do more than be outraged, we need to be outspoken with the Truth!
Janet, you’re my girl and I have to say I’m torn with the message. I see no evidence of the singer or the priest having a heart for Christ as the man in the moon. As with Abram and Lot, the two were divided; one being of Faith and the other substance. One in the Promise Land, the other pitched his tent toward Sodom/Gomorrah. Both in the Will of God. Lot having been “taken” to Sodom was considered righteous when the cities were destroyed and he was delivered. We can only intercede for these people as Abraham did Lot and continue to live righteous before God. As we know Lot’s descendants were the Moabites where Ruth, a Moabitess was ingrafted into the lineage of our Savior. We have to be careful not to become so righteous that we miss God’s Will to save that which is lost. Abraham’s communication was to God. He kept faith that God would deliver the righteous. I hear what you’re saying…but we know that God’s people hear His voice and we shouldn’t be so quick in thinking to save anyone is dependent on us. The goodness of God leads men to repentance. Romans 2:4
Tenna, I’m not sure what part of this blog led you to think I was saying that saving people is dependent on us? You make some good points, but I don’t see how they’re relevant to the blog.