Devotional for Tuesday November 11th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We must know what we believe and why we believe it.”

 

Increasingly today the authority and accuracy of historical interpretations of the Bible are being challenged in an effort to normalize homosexual behavior. Many of the attacks are sophisticated and on the surface, somewhat convincing. That, combined with the ever-increasing pressure society is placing upon the Christian community to be “tolerant”, is leaving many Christians confused and searching for answers. Therefore it’s essential that we know what the Bible really does say about the issue and that we are prepared to respond with accurate and carefully thought-out answers.

 

One objection that is commonly put forward is that the Old Testament prohibitions regarding homosexual behavior no longer apply in New Testament times. And if we’re going to insist that they do, then we are obligated to obey all the other Old Testament prohibitions as well – such as the dietary laws in Leviticus. How do we distinguish which Old Testament laws and principles carry over into New Testament times and which do not?

 

The answer is found in the New Testament itself. If an Old Testament law or principle was restated or affirmed in the New Testament then it applies to us today; and it if wasn’t, then it doesn’t. The dietary laws and the prohibition against homosexuality are two issues that make the case nicely.

 

In the New Testament Jesus in Matthew 15:11; Luke in Acts 10:9-15; and Paul in Romans 14:2-3 and 1 Corinthians 10:23-31 all made it clear that the Old Testament dietary restrictions no longer applied. But in Romans 1: 26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10 Paul affirms and reinforces the Old Testament prohibition against same-sex relationships. Therefore the dietary laws no longer apply but the prohibitions against homosexual behavior do.

 

Obviously this point only matters if a person cares what the Bible does or does not say. Not everyone does. But I’m writing these devotionals primarily for a Christian audience who does care. The primary purpose here is not to win an argument but instead to provide Christians with good answers to difficult questions.

 

Tomorrow we will give a little more thought to the accuracy and reliability of the historical interpretations of these Bible passages. Then we will move on to the issues of sexual orientation, the apparent silence of Jesus, issues of civil obedience and disobedience, and much more.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday November 10th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) 
Our thought for today: “We must not twist the clear meaning of Scripture.”

 

Matthew Vines is a twenty-four year old professing Christian from Kansas. He was raised in a Christian home and attended a conservative Presbyterian church. Matthew is also openly gay.

 

After graduating from High School, he went off to college at Harvard University. Upon arriving there he was astounded to discover the openness and encouragement he found for the gay lifestyle. After two years at Harvard Matthew dropped out to work as an advocate for gay Christians.

 

In 2012 he delivered a speech in a liberal church, attempting to make the case that with respect to homosexuality, the Bible has been misunderstood and misapplied for thousands of years. Matthew attempted to show that the passages which seem to teach against homosexual conduct, actually only apply to lust-driven short-term hook-ups, not to long-term committed homosexual relationships. In order to achieve his purpose Vines had to engage in a substantial amount of Scripture-twisting and deception but in the end, he was able to construct an argument which on the surface was somewhat convincing to those who were eager to accept it.

 

The speech was videotaped and posted to YouTube. It went viral and to-date has been viewed over 700,000 times. In early 2014 the speech was published as a book entitled “God and the Gay Christian” and quickly became a best seller.

 

Matthew admits that he himself is not a Bible scholar, he has no training in the Biblical languages, and he does not even have a Bible College education. Additionally, the “Bible scholars” whose work he did draw from, mostly all come with a gay-friendly bias and their work is largely dismissed in most of the Christian world.

 

I bring this to your attention simply because Matthew’s video and book have become a sensation in the gay community and are being offered-up as “proof” that God is not opposed to committed long-term same-sex relationships.

 

Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson is a gay New Testament scholar who does have extensive training in the original Biblical languages. He is an advocate for same-sex relationships, but at the same time he is refreshingly honest about what the Bible really does and does not say about it:

 

“The task demands intellectual honesty. I have little patience with efforts to make Scripture say something other than what it says … we know what the text says. (However), I think it important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to another authority when we declare that same-sex unions can be holy and good. And what exactly is that authority? We appeal explicitly to the weight of our own experience and the experience thousands of others have witness to, which tells us that to claim our own sexual orientation is in fact to accept the way in which God has created us.”

 

What Johnson says there is that he knows full well what the Bible says about homosexuality and he doesn’t care. He relies instead on how he feels. He then fulfills his desires and claims God’s blessing upon it.

 

That attitude is sad, even tragic, but at least it’s honest. Matthew Vines should learn from Luke Johnson. Tomorrow we will think a little more about Biblical accuracy, and then we will address the question of sexual orientation. Does God create people gay?

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim
   

Devotional for Saturday and Sunday November 8-9

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We are all guilty of sinning.”

 

The Bible is clear in its teaching about homosexual behavior – God prohibits it. However, although we often treat homosexuality as if it is in some special category of sin, the Bible does not. Go back and look at the passages we’ve identified which specifically mention homosexual behavior and you will discover that the Bible refers to homosexuality right along with a host of other sins. In Leviticus Moses lists it right along with a wide variety of other types of sexual sin. Paul lists it along with idolatry, adultery, greed, murder, envy, stealing, drunkenness, disrespecting parents, profanity and more.

 

I’m not minimizing the seriousness of homosexuality. My goal remains to simply address it Biblically, but we must do so fairly and accurately. We must be careful to approach the issue exactly the way God does, in the same context that He does. Remember, although homosexuality might not be your sin, yours is listed right along with it.

 

If there was a meeting of the “Sinners Club” you and I would both be charter members. There would be a seat reserved for you right between the greedy businessman and the homosexual. Seated in front of you would be a lesbian couple and next to them would be the unrepentant glutton. You and I would fit right in and we would discover that there was no distinction made between one sin and another. We are all sinners in need of grace and transformation. Homosexuality is not its own special kind of sin, its just sin.

 

The reason the sin of homosexuality gets so much attention from Christians today is because it is one of the only sins which has a highly organized, well-funded, very motivated advocacy group promoting it as a good thing and lobbying for its acceptance. The only other sin I can think of which also falls into this category is abortion (the sin of murder). Because these two sins are so clearly identified in the Bible as being sin, and because their advocacy groups are working so hard to force our society to recognize and accept them as right and good, we as Christians have to be equally motivated to stand for and promote the Biblical truth about them. However, that does not change the fact that you and I are also guilty of our own sins. Jesus illustrated this beautifully in Matthew 7:3-5 during the Sermon on the Mount.

 

Yes we do have to advocate for Biblical sexual ethics. But we must do so with a great deal of humility as we remember the truth that we too are sinners saved by grace. Tomorrow we will give a little more thought to Matthew Vine’s book, “God and the Gay Christian”. Then we will move on to consider some of the difficult questions Christians must be prepared to answer with respect to homosexuality and the impact it is having on our culture today.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim
 

Devotional for Friday November 7th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The males in the same way also left natural relations with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.” Romans 1:26-27 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “The New Testament clearly teaches against same-sex sexual activity.”

 

It has been rightly said that Romans 1:26-27 is the most significant Bible passage pertaining to the practice of homosexuality. There are two other passages in the New Testament which also speak directly to this issue, 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10, but Romans 1:26-27 is without question the most important.

 

What Paul did in this passage was he reaffirmed that which was so clearly taught in the Old Testament, that God forbids homosexual practice in all circumstances.

 

However just as with the Old Testament passages regarding homosexuality, there have been attempts made in recent years to redefine what the New Testament passages really mean. Matthew Vines and others have attempted to make the case that this passage in Romans in particular, does not really condemn homosexual acts committed within the structure of a long-term monogamous relationship.

 

Well, the Scripture can only mean what it was intended to mean by those who wrote it. Every study of New Testament Greek conducted by serious and well trained scholars over the last 2000 years has concluded that this passage forbids sexual relations between individuals of the same sex, regardless of the nature of the relationship. That has been the universal consensus right up until modern times. And even today, it is only those on the extreme fringes of Christian thought, those with a predetermined gay-friendly bias, who are now promoting this new understanding of the text. However what the Bible actually teaches on this subject is not in any serious doubt. God was clear. He forbids homosexual activity in all its dimensions.

 

However now that we have seen what the Bible says about homosexual activity, there are still a number of serious and sensitive questions we need to address. Why is it that Jesus never spoke directly about the issue of homosexuality? What about sexual orientation and the possibility that people are born gay? What about “gay rights” in the realm of civil law? – And so much more. But tomorrow we are going to circle back to where we began this discussion and spend a little more time ensuring we are keeping this all in its proper perspective.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Thursday November 6th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable.” Leviticus 18:22 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “The Old Testament clearly teaches against same-sex sexual activity.”

 

As we proceed over the next several days giving careful thought to what the Bible teaches regarding same-sex sexual activity it is imperative that we do so accurately, but also kindly and compassionately. Without injecting emotion or personal bias into it, we must simply allow the Bible to speak for itself. We have to be careful we do not try to make it say more than it actually does, and also not less.

 

Although there are numerous passages all throughout both the Old and New Testaments which teach about sexual ethics, there are really only six which speak directly to the issue of homosexuality. There are three in the Old Testament and three in the New Testament. In the Old Testament they are Genesis chapter 19 (the story of Sodom and Gomorrah); Leviticus 18:22; and Leviticus 20:13.

 

In recent decades some revisionist writers have attempted to assign new meaning to those three Old Testament passages, claiming that they do not really teach against monogamous committed same-sex relationships. Most notable among those is the book “God and the Gay Christian” by Matthew Vines. We will address Vine’s work in a future devotional message. For now it is enough to say that the new enlightened meaning these modern-day revisionists attempt to assign to these Old Testament passages is in direct contradiction to the universal understanding of these texts – by Jewish scholars for almost 3500 years, and by Christian scholars for almost 2000 years.

 

The sin of Sodom has been universally understood for thousands of years to have been homosexual activity. The same is true of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. Also, no distinction was made between a spontaneous homosexual hook-up and sex within a long-term committed same-sex relationship. The clear intent of these passages was to express God’s disapproval of same-sex sexual activity.

 

It was necessary for Moses to write of such things not because same-sex activity was prevalent among the Jews, for the most part it was not, but because it was practiced in the cultures the Jews were surrounded by and which they were in close contact with.

 

In the Genesis account God established the standard for sexual relations for the human race as being between one man and one woman in marriage. In the story of Sodom we see a great deviation from that God-ordained ethic and we read of God’s judgment upon it. And Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 could not possibly be clearer – sexual relations between two people of the same sex are contrary to the expressed will of God. Tomorrow we will consider the three passages from the New Testament which speak directly to the issue of same-sex sexual activity.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Wednesday November 5th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “”Haven’t you read, He replied, “that He who created them in the beginning made them male and female,” and He also said: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” Matthew 19:4-6 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “In the Garden of Eden God established the norm for human sexuality.”

 

In the pre-sin world of Eden, God established His divinely ordained sexual ethic for the human race. He created them male and female. He then instructed that the man and woman should come together as one flesh, and thereby procreate. In the beginning, this was the standard and there was no other. Every other expression of human sexuality outside of the male/female relationship of husband and wife came about after the fall and as a result of sin. And, notably, every other sexual expression which humans have experimented with since then is described by the Bible as being sinful.

 

In Matthew 19:4-6, in the middle of a discourse to the Pharisees which pertained largely to the issue of divorce, Jesus affirmed the Biblical standard for sexual ethics as being between a man and a woman within the bonds of holy matrimony. Nowhere in this passage or in any other do the words of Jesus, or the words of any Biblical writer anywhere in the Bible, allow for any other expression of human sexuality. God could have provided us with examples of other forms of sexual expression which are approved by Him, but He didn’t. 

 

This is instructive for us. The Bible provides a complete theology of human sexuality, often in uncomfortable detail. It addresses the full range of possibilities including heterosexual relationship between a husband and wife; sex outside of the bond of marriage; adultery; group sex; incest; bestiality; homosexuality; masturbation; and more. In all cases the teaching is based upon and derived from the core sexual ethic established by God in the beginning. And in all cases any deviation from that core ethic is labeled as sin.

 

We cannot understand or attempt to apply the teachings of Moses, Jesus, Paul, or any of the Biblical writers on this issue of sexual ethics, without relating it back to Genesis chapter two. The beginning chapters of Genesis are the source from which all the rest of Scripture flows. It is the standard upon which Moses, Jesus, and Paul based their teaching on the subject. The only sexual pairing portrayed in the Bible as being from God and approved by God, is that of a man and a woman within the bonds of marriage. Every other expression of human sexuality is labeled as being sinful and outside of the will of God.

 

Since most of the heated debate in our society today revolves around the issue of homosexuality, that is the issue we will spend a large part of the month considering. Not only will be look at what the Bible actually says, but we will also attempt to address some of the most confusing and divisive questions facing Christians today. Tomorrow we will take a look at three Old Testament passages which address this issue.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday November 4th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

Our Bible verse for today: “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.” Proverbs 15:1 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “How we say things matters.”

Yesterday I told you of how impressed I was with the civil tone established and maintained at the conference I attended recently about Sexual Ethics in America. Because the tone was kind and respectful, there was much constructive dialogue. Leaders of the Gay and Lesbian community participated in side meetings with leaders from the Southern Baptist Convention. In comfortable chairs, sipping coffee and munching donuts, they discussed their differences. Reporters from liberal gay-aligned publications sat side-by-side in the press pool with their peers from strongly conservative media outlets.

The interesting note in all of this is that I’m not aware of anyone on either side having compromised their strongly held beliefs. As far as I could tell, everyone walked away believing pretty much as they did when they walked into those meetings. The important point is not that anyone changed their point of view. It was enough that sincere people with vastly different perspectives on emotionally charged issues where able to discuss their differences without demonizing each other.

This is significant. There has been far too much supercharged rhetoric and mean actions on both sides of the spectrum. On the far right, there were those knuckleheads from Westboro Baptist Church protesting at military funerals holding signs that read “God hates fags” and “Thank God for dead soldiers”. On the extreme left, there have been numerous cases of militant Gay and Lesbian activists disrupting church services and vandalizing church property. None of that helps anyone. No cause is advanced by hateful words and actions.

As we go forward now in this devotional series on the subject of sexual ethics, we will consider some of the most emotionally charged cultural issues of our day. But we will do so in a calm and respectful way, ever-conscious of the fact that we are all people deeply loved by God the Father, people for whom Jesus died. Tomorrow we will look at the original sexual ethic established by God the Father at the time of creation, and which was affirmed by Jesus in the Gospels.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday November 3rd

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear …” 1 Peter 3:15-16 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We must speak boldly and confidently, but in gentleness, love and respect.”

 

Recently I attended a conference sponsored by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The theme was “The Gospel, Homosexuality, and the Future of Marriage.” There were more than two thousand church leaders there from forty-eight states and five countries.

 

As you might expect, the subject that dominated a large part of the conversation was the issue of what is commonly referred to as “The Gay and Lesbian Agenda”. There was much discussion about the changing cultural landscape with respect to sexual ethics, and the impact it is having on society and on religious liberty in our nation.

 

However that was not the only aspect of sexual ethics under consideration by conference attendees. There were also messages and workshops about the state of marriage, no-fault divorce, the explosion in the number of cohabitating heterosexual couples, polygamy, and much more. It was a well-rounded and thorough look at the entire scope of sexual ethics in America today.

 

But what impressed me most about the conference was the tone set by the leaders and attendees. There were no fire-breathing, pulpit pounding, hell-fire and brimstone preachers. There were no angry denunciations, no finger-pointing accusations, no hysterical chicken-little types running around crying about the sky falling. Instead the atmosphere was calm and even upbeat; the conversation was kind, respectful, reasoned, and intellectual; people on all sides of the issue were treated with respect and dignity.

 

This is what Peter was referring to in 1 Peter 3:15-16. We as the followers of Jesus must know what we believe and why we believe it. We must be willing – even eager – to speak-up for Biblical values, but we are to do so in a reasoned and respectful way. This is the way of Jesus. In the Gospel accounts the only time we see Him angry or speaking in a harsh manner was when He was dealing with religious hypocrites. With all others His speech and His manner was kind and compassionate – often bold and direct yes, but kind and compassionate.

 

This is the tone we must achieve as we deal with the divisive and emotional issue of sexual ethics in our nation today. Tomorrow we will explore the issue of attitude and tone a little further. Before we begin a discussion of particular issues within the broad category of sexual ethics, we have to be sure our heart is right.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim
 

Devotional for Saturday and Sunday November 1-2

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Run from sexual immorality! Every sin a person can commit is outside the body. On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Sexual ethics matter”

 

According to the dictionary an “ethic” is, “A system of moral principles or values.” Therefore a “sexual ethic” is a system of moral principles or values which govern our sexuality. Such a system of principles and values will determine how we think and act when it comes to sexual issues.

 

In the Bible we find the sexual ethic (the system of moral principles and values pertaining to sexual conduct) which was established by God. This sexual ethic started in the creation, it was further taught in the Old Testament, and it was reaffirmed in the New Testament by Jesus, as well as by Paul and some of the other New Testament writers. It is a sexual ethic which applies to all people in all places for all time. In other words, it applies to everyone, always. 

 

However over the last fifty years the world has been caught-up in a revolution, and a resulting evolution, with respect to sexual ethics. Biblical principles regarding appropriate sexuality have been turned upside down. Worse, in recent times the revolution has begun to snowball and changes to time-honored standards are occurring at an ever-increasing rate. Gay marriage, gender identity, cohabitation, a hook-up culture, and much more are all being openly practiced and even promoted as good and normal.

 

How are Christians to respond and act in the midst of this? For those who are determined to remain faithful to the Biblical sexual ethic, how do we stand strong in the face of ever-increasing cultural pressure and even possible legal action? And not only is the question how should we respond, but what should our attitude and demeanor be when we do?

 

All this month we will devotionally explore this very sensitive and divisive issue. We will consider exactly what the Bible does (and does not) say on this issue of sexual ethics. We will discuss the proper attitude with which we are to engage those with whom we disagree, and we will consider strategies for the people of God to navigate this very difficult cultural landscape.

 

On Monday we will begin the conversation with a discussion about attitude.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Friday October 31st

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Obeying God when obeying isn’t easy”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Most of us need to slow down, take time, and stay put.”

 

In their book “Slow Church” Christopher Smith and John Pattison explain that taste is the most intimate of our five senses. In fact, our senses actually fall neatly into a hierarchy related to distance and intimacy. The sense of sight allows us to view things from a great distance. We don’t have to be close to something in order to see it. You can stand on a mountaintop overlooking a valley and see for many miles.

 

Hearing comes next. Although hearing generally is not as far reaching as line of sight can be, it can still be effective over long distances. However, although fragrances can waft through the air, they do dissipate quickly and so the sense of smell requires us to be closer than seeing or hearing. We do have to be very close to an object to touch it, or for it to touch us, although this is still a sensation external to us – it is only surface to surface.

 

But taste – in order to taste something we must allow it to become internal. It must dissolve on the tongue, wash over the taste buds, and linger in the mouth. We have to savor it.

 

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” We have to savor God. We must take Him in, savor Him, and allow Him to linger with us. To taste God in this way is to come to know Him in all His goodness.

 

Unfortunately this is difficult for modern-day Christians. Many of us are in such a hurry all the time that we don’t allow ourselves to enjoy God like that. The majority of professing Christians do not have regular extended times of prayer and Bible reading. For many more, participation in the life of the church involves little more than semi-regular attendance at a one hour worship service each week. Or, they change churches so often that they don’t stay in one place long enough to really get to know people.

 

David Rast, a Benedictine monk once wrote, “Tasting what dissolves on our tongue dissolves the barriers between subject and object. What we have tasted we know “inside and out.” In other words, you cannot really know anyone until you have lingered with them, savored their presence, shared experiences, and established true relationship.

 

That’s true with respect to God and it is also true with respect to other Christians. We need to slow down, settle down, and spend some time. We cannot develop a deep relationship with God if we don’t spend extended quality time with Him. Likewise, we will not have deep and meaningful relationships with other Christians unless we spend extended quality time with them.

 

In the hustle and bustle of our highly caffeinated on-the-go world, this may be one of the most difficult areas for us to obey God. We feel the need to go, go, go, but He calls us to slow down, sit down, and stay awhile. As we end this month of devotionally considering the theme of obeying God when obeying isn’t easy, I want to encourage all of us to intentionally slow down and spend some time – spend some time with God and then with each other.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim