Devotional for Saturday and Sunday November 29-30

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “They are a nation without sense; there is no discernment in them. If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!” Deuteronomy 32:28-29 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “The long-term impact of same-sex marriage on society cannot be good.”

 

In some respects it’s impossible to accurately forecast what the long-term impact of legalized same-sex marriage will have on our society. However since it’s obviously contrary to the expressed will of God we have to conclude that the impact will be bad. But how bad and in what ways remains to be seen.

 

Historically virtually all societies have recognized the value and importance of the traditional family structure. When a father, mother, and children constitute a stable family unit it creates a safe and nurturing environment for children to grow; the more of those family units that exist in a society, the stronger and more stable that society tends to be. That’s simple, observable, and well documented history and the vast majority of sociological studies conducted on the issue have confirmed it.

 

Dr. Glenn Stanton, the director of Global Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family, writes that despite the high divorce rate among heterosexual couples in America, marriage between a man and a woman is still by far the most stable home environment for children. He notes that in Scandinavia, perhaps the most gay-friendly place in the world, studies have revealed that relationships between same-sex male’s break- up at twice the rate of heterosexual marriages, and same-sex female relationships break-up at twice the rate of male/male pairings. Although everyone can point to some same-sex relationships which have endured, the research is conclusive that overall, same-sex relationships break-up at a rate far higher than heterosexual relationships. Therefore same-sex family structures in general provide an unstable environment in which to raise children.

 

It will probably be another fifty years before accurate assessments can be conducted to determine what impact the legalization of same-sex marriage ultimately had on our society. But of course by then it will be too late, the impact will have already occurred. Because legalized same-sex marriage is something entirely new in the history of the human race, there simply is no historical precedent we can study which can be used to help us gauge where this is likely to lead or what effect it will have on society.

 

What we do know is that same-sex marriage is contrary to God’s design and therefore the outcome cannot be good. Tomorrow we will consider the transgender / transsexual issue.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim  

Devotional for Friday November 28th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie …” Romans 1:24-25 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Gay marriage is a cultural trend which is contrary to the Word of God and to the history of the human race.”

 

Perhaps what’s most frustrating about the current cultural trend to propagate and normalize same-sex marriage is the dishonest way in which it is being promoted. Advocates for gay marriage portray it as benign, harmless, and even natural. They express bewilderment that any right-minded and reasonable person would object to it.

 

What is left unsaid is that no society ever, at any point in human history, has even suggested that same-sex pairings are the same as marriage between a man and a woman. Never mind legalizing such couplings and establishing them as a cultural norm, in the history of the human race no society has ever even considered equating homosexual relationships on par with a marriage between a man and a woman.

 

This is an important point. What’s being promoted in our day as normal, natural, benign, and harmless – and the inevitable next step in the evolution of the human race, is actually something entirely new in the history of mankind. Legalized and normalized “marriage” between two people of the same sex is a seismic cultural shift unlike anything that has ever happened before.

 

The proponents of gay marriage should at least be honest in the way they portray it. This is not an updated version of the Walden’s. This is not Norman Rockwell for 2014. This is more like “A Brave New World”. If people of previous generations could have gazed into a crystal ball and seen our cultural condition today they would have been shocked.

 

There can be no question that a marriage between two people of the same sex is contrary to God’s design. The Bible could not be clearer on the subject. So why is God allowing this to occur? Romans 1:24-25 explains it well. God made Himself clear on the issue. If society is going to forge ahead anyway with something that is obviously contrary to His expressed will, He will allow it to happen and He will then allow that society to suffer the consequences of its choices.

 

Tomorrow we will consider what some of those consequences could be.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Devotional for Wednesday November 26th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” Ephesians 5:31 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Same-sex marriage cannot be Biblically justified.”

 

In Ephesians 5:31 Paul quoted and therefore affirmed the words of Moses in Genesis 2:24. These identical words also appear in Matthew 19:5 and Mark 10:7-8. Additionally, Malachi 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 6:16 express the exact same thought using only slightly different words. The same point made six times. Do you think God might have been trying to tell us something?

 

As noted yesterday, there simply is no verse or passage in the Bible which can in any way be made to imply that a marriage between two people of the same gender is ok with God. It is not. Six passages specifically state the God-ordained Biblical model of marriage as being between one man and one woman for a lifetime. Six other passages directly forbid same-sex sexual relations of any type under any circumstances.

 

In the book, “God and the Gay Christian? – A response to Matthew Vines”, Professor of Biblical studies at Boyce College Denny Burk contributed an essay which addressed this issue. In his essay Professor Burk wrote that Biblical marriage must be reflective and symbolic of the gospel (as described by Paul in Ephesians 5:22-31.) The imagery is clearly and intentionally male/female, husband/wife. But there is no way same-sex marriage can be made to fit that model. Burk also notes that:

 

“Jesus defines the marriage covenant in Matthew 19 as a monogamous heterosexual union.”

 

Since there clearly is no Biblical sanction for a marriage between two people of the same gender, and since the Bible is the foundation and guide for all of Christian thought, belief, and practice, it becomes unthinkable for a Bible-believing Christian to endorse or promote gay marriage. To do so would be to disregard the clear teaching of Scripture.

 

Therefore, since we now know there is no Biblical justification for same-sex marriage we realize that if there is any rationale for it at all, that rationale would have to be cultural. Are there good cultural reasons to endorse, encourage, promote, and even legalize gay marriage?  We will discuss the cultural dimensions of it tomorrow.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday November 25th

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 on flesh?” Matthew 19:4-5 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “The Bible makes no provision for same-sex marriage”

 

Gay marriage is one of the most contentious and difficult cultural issues facing Christians today. It is already legal in many states and the speculation is that in 2015 it may become the law of the land nationwide. How should a Bible-believing Christian think about and respond to this issue?

 

First, at this point in our study it should be abundantly clear that the Bible makes no provision for same-sex marriage. As has already been clearly demonstrated, the Biblical standard for all expressions of human sexuality is the pre-sin standard established by God in Genesis chapter two and reaffirmed by Jesus in Matthew chapter nineteen. The standard is one man and one woman committed to each other in a lifelong marriage. This was also affirmed by both Paul and Peter in Ephesians 5:22-33 and 1 Peter 3:1-7.

 

In an effort to weaken the argument that the Biblical standard is limited to only one man and one woman, some advocates of gay marriage point to the fact that polygamy was practiced by some of the Old Testament patriarchs such as Abraham and Jacob. Therefore since polygamy involves more than just one man and one woman, other combinations must be ok too.

 

But nowhere in the Bible is polygamy endorsed. And in every case (especially with Jacob), we read that it produced numerous family problems. In the Old Testament, polygamy was a practice some of the Jews engaged in for a brief period in their history, but it was never God’s original design. Beyond that, there is no evidence of it in the New Testament at all.  Also, in Ephesians 4:21-31 the Apostle Paul writes in a critical manner regarding the results of Abraham’s polygamy.

 

There can be no question that the Biblical standard for marriage involves one man and one woman in a committed relationship for life. That was God’s original design and it is affirmed in the New Testament. That means there cannot be a Biblical justification for gay marriage and that should answer the question for Bible-believing Christians. That then reduces the question to a cultural one.  

 

We will discuss the cultural dimensions of gay marriage but before we do, tomorrow we need to think a little more about the Biblical case for traditional marriage. This is an important issue which needs a little further exploration because in our day more and more Christians, especially young ones, are coming to the unbiblical conclusion that gay marriage might just be ok. But it isn’t and the Bible is clear on that point.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday November 24th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, or swindlers, will inherit God’s kingdom.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Can a person be gay and be a Christian?”

 

Can a person be gay and be a Christian? I must be nuts to tackle this question. Some of you are probably going to end up on my front lawn tonight with torches and pitchforks.

 

Oh well, here it goes: The answer is, “maybe”; “possibly”; and “it all depends”.

 

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul tells us that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. But he also says the same about immoral people in general, and about those who commit heterosexual adultery, and those who treat anything as an idol, and of people who steal, and of people who are greedy, and of people who are deceitful and who swindle others.

 

Also, this list was not all-inclusive. Paul intended it to be representative of sins in general. You can go ahead and assume that even if your personal sins are not on that list, Paul intended for you to understand that he includes them as well. Look at the passage again: the phrase “the unrighteous” covers any sins he happened to leave off his list.

 

So with that understanding we realize that if homosexuals are excluded from heaven, then we all are. And yet we know that even though we do still sometimes commit sins, if we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins then we are saved and we are going to heaven, therefore we will in fact inherit God’s kingdom. So what could Paul mean?

 

He was writing about unrepentant sin. He was illustrating that people who live in a perpetual pattern of unrepentant sin, be it adultery or greed or homosexuality or idolatry, are probably not really saved. We know that one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to convict us of sin. If a person really does have the Holy Spirit of God in their heart then that person should at least be sorry for the sin they have committed and have a genuine desire to do it no more. If we don’t feel sorry and convicted about sinful behavior, we have to wonder where the Spirit is. Evidently He’s not in our heart or we would feel convicted.

 

Is it possible to be gay and to be a Christian? Yes. Just as it’s possible to be a greedy businessman and be a Christian; just as it’s possible to be an alcoholic and be a Christian; just as it’s possible to be a glutton and be a Christian. But if you are a Christian, you should feel convicted of such behavior and if you don’t feel convicted, you have to wonder about whether or not you are really a Christian.

 

Tomorrow we will consider the issue of gay marriage.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim
 

Devotional for Friday November 21st

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord – how he may please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the things of the world – how he may please his wife – and his interests are divided.” 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Being single is ok.”

 

I read an article in the newspaper the other day which reported that the U.S. Census Bureau has discovered that more than half of all the adults in the USA today are not married. Some have never married, others have married and divorced, others are widows or widowers, but more than half of the adults in our country are not married.

 

Being single is often viewed as an unfortunate condition that we need to help the single person correct. This can be especially true in Christian circles. But that’s not an accurate description of singleness and it’s also not Biblical. Certainly there are some singles who are lonely and who long for a partner to go through life with, but many others do not feel that way.

 

Years ago I was speaking about this very thing with a middle-aged single woman in our church in California. She was an attractive professional woman who had a rewarding and fulfilling career in public service. She was active in civic organizations, and she was also very involved in the life of our church. Her relationship with the Lord was deep, she had a circle of close friends, and she had hobbies and interests such as music and reading and sports. In short, she had a good life. The comment she made to me which has stuck with me all these years was, “Pastor, I live alone but I am not lonely. I love my life. It is rich and full and rewarding and I’m very happy.”

 

A false assumption many of us make is that people have to be married or in a meaningful romantic relationship in order to be happy. That argument is frequently made when it comes to the subject of same-sex relationships. It is often said that it would be unfair and perhaps even cruel to suggest that the individual with a same-sex attraction should opt for a single and celibate life rather than a homosexual relationship.

 

But it is not cruel or unfair – it is Biblical. Same-sex attraction is real and it does require discipline and intentionality to control, but it can be done and it can be done well. And, such a life can be happy, rich, and fulfilling. In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 the Apostle Paul recommended the single life for the sake of deeper spirituality and greater service to the Lord.

 

Same-sex attraction is undeniably real, but so are many other attractions and desires which the Bible forbids us to act on. It is possible to bring all such desires under the control of the Holy Spirit and to then live a life within Biblical boundaries. Tomorrow we will consider the stories of several Christians with same-sex attraction who have chosen and are very happy with the single life.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Thursday November 20th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh.” Galatians 5:16-17 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We do not have to act on our desires.”

 

The truth is that we all have strong desires we are repeatedly tempted to act on. Some of those desires run deep and last a lifetime. Homosexual desire can certainly fall into that category.

 

As we learned yesterday from the writing of Pastor Sam Allberry, if you struggle with same-sex attraction that is something about you, but it is not you. If you are a Christian then same-sex attraction is not your core identity and it does not have to define, dominate, or drive your life. Just as with any other unbiblical desire we have, the Bible instructs us to control it by living under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

 

That’s often not the answer we want. It’s seldom easy, but it is always right. Sam Allbery is just one of many sincere Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction but who have made the decision to bring that desire, right along with all other desires, under the control and dominion of the Holy Spirit.

 

In his book, “Love into Light” pastor Peter Hubbard tells the story of the great Christian writer C.S. Lewis who lived most of his life as a celibate single man. (He was married for a very brief time later in life, but after a short marriage his wife suddenly and tragically died.) There’s no indication that C.S. Lewis had any homosexual tendencies himself, but within his university community of professors and writers in England during the time of World War Two, there were many homosexuals whom Lewis knew and was friends with.

 

Lewis gave much thought to how a Christian with same-sex attractions could live a life that was Biblically obedient and which brought honor and glory to Christ. He concluded that homosexual desire needed to be handled exactly the same as any other desire of the flesh that was contrary to the expressed will of God. He wrote, “The physical satisfaction of homosexual desire is sin.” But then he drew a parallel between the ongoing struggle to gain control over same-sex desires, with the man born blind in John 9. Lewis concluded that any unnatural desire, any physical disability, any sickness, or any struggle with sin, can become a vehicle through which that person shines for Jesus in the way in which they deal with it. He said that our struggle with any of those issues “must be offered up to God.”

 

Yes same-sex attraction is real and deep and difficult. But so are many other things we struggle with in this life and in all of it, we can honor and glorify and magnify God in how we deal with it.

 

How does a person with a strong same-sex attraction accomplish this? Tomorrow we will discuss the issue of singleness. Many people (not just those with a same-sex attractions), live single and celibate lives. What does the Bible have to say about this?

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim
 

Devotional for Wednesday November 19th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.” 1 Peter 2:11 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Your desires do not define you.”

 

Sam Allberry is the author of the book “Is God Anti-Gay?” He serves as the Associate Pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Maidenhead, United Kingdom. Sam is also a celibate gay man. He has experienced same-sex attractions for as long as he can remember and for many years he acted on those attractions.

 

Eventually though, Sam came to the point when he had to admit that there simply was no way his lifestyle could be Biblically justified. He realized he had deep desires which he could no longer in good conscience act on. Through prayer, Bible study, and deep thought he came to some interesting and helpful insights.

 

First, Sam finally came to see that although in the Bible homosexual desires are clearly portrayed as being unnatural and contrary to the will of God, they are described that way right along with a whole host of other desires that are also unnatural and contrary to the will of God. That being the case, he decided he needed to exercise discipline and refrain from acting on those homosexual desires, just as all people are to refrain from acting on the desires of greed, or over-indulgence in alcohol, or heterosexual lust, or any of the others on the list. You see, if we keep homosexual activity in its proper Biblical context, and include it right along with all the other sinful acts we are to refrain from, we see that a person’s response to it needs to be the same as to any other sinful desire. This is what Peter was writing about in 1 Peter 2:11.

 

Allberry writes, “We live in a culture where sexuality is virtually equated with identity: “You are your sexuality.” We are encouraged to think that to experience homosexual feelings means that you are, at your most fundamental core, a homosexual … My own perception is that I struggle with greed much more than I do with sexual temptation.”

 

Allberry’s point is crucial, “Your desires do not define you.” As a Christian it is your identity in Christ that defines you. Desires and behaviors contrary to the expressed will of God are symptoms of living in a fallen and broken world but in your inner-most being, you are defined by your identity in Christ, not by your sexual attractions, or over-eating, or your preoccupation with material possessions, or any other desire or behavior.

 

This subject of our true identity in Christ and how it relates to same-sex attractions is just too important to address in a single devotional message. There is much more we need to consider. Therefore we will continue this discussion tomorrow.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday November 18th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the orchard. The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:16-17 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Knowing what you believe and why you believe it gives you a quiet sense of confidence.”

I love the scene described in Isaiah 32:16-17. The prophet was painting a picture of the Messianic Kingdom. He was explaining that at that time righteousness and noble values will reign, and that will produce in God’s people a quiet sense of confidence.

You may remember from earlier in this series when I explained how impressed I was with the tone that was set at the ERLC conference on sexual ethics. Even though the subject was serious and difficult, the tone was friendly and kind, compassionate and even upbeat. One reason it was that way was because the conference leaders and attendees had a quiet sense of confidence. They had taken the time to prayerfully think through the issues and they did their homework so that they were thoroughly familiar with both sides of the issues. That then gave them a quiet sense of confidence. Because they were sure of what they believed and why they believed it, they were able to calmly and rationally discuss the issues without getting upset or defensive.

That is why I am writing this devotional series on sexual ethics. Far too many Christians do not have enough accurate information to enable them to feel confident in explaining their beliefs or discussing the difficult issues. That lack of confidence often leads people to feel insecure and defensive. That then leads to the use of overheated language and silly clichés like “God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve.” (Pardon me while I groan).

Please don’t say things like that. It only makes you look simple-minded and silly and it reflects poorly on the rest of us as well. Also, please don’t come across as hard-hearted, mean-spirited, or insensitive. Doing so won’t win any arguments. It will only further inflame the situation and it will actually drive people further away rather than drawing them near.

My goal in this series is to provide all of us with enough accurate information so that we will feel confident discussing the issues with those who may disagree with us. The starting place should always be compassion, kindness and love. Then move-on to some basic Biblical truths. Then be ready to give good answers to some of the more difficult questions, such as those we have discussed so far and which we will continue to explore as we go forward in this series.

Tomorrow we will think some more about the very real struggle of same-sex attraction and what a person can do about it.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday November 17th

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Does science prove a genetic cause for sexual orientation?’

 

Whether or not scientific research points to a genetic cause for sexual orientation is one of the most hotly debated topics in the scientific world today. There have been a large number of studies conducted and they have produced a wide range of findings – much of it contradictory.

 

The truth is that the studies have not been able to provide conclusive proof one way or the other. That’s why, simply as a matter of intellectual honesty, the American Psychological Association (APA) felt compelled to write the statement we read in yesterday’s devotional. But likewise for the sake of honesty, I must tell you that the APA also said that they believe the overall trend in the research is leaning in favor of a genetic cause, even though science has not yet been able to prove it. 

 

But then, along comes another study like the one I am about to cite from, the results of which make a strong case for there not being a genetic link.

 

In 2010 researchers in Sweden working for the “Swedish Twin Registry” surmised that if sexual orientation is a matter of genetic design, then in the case of identical twins there should be observable evidence of identical sexual orientation. Their premise was because identical twins come from the same egg and share the same genes if sexual orientation is genetic, then if one of the twins is gay the other should be also.

 

The study looked at 71 sets of identical twins where at least one was living a homosexual lifestyle. What they discovered was that in only 1 out of 10 cases were both twins gay. In 90% of the cases one twin was gay and the other was not. If there was a genetic cause for sexual orientation then the results should have been exactly the opposite.

 

As far as many in the scientific community are concerned the jury is still out regarding whether or not people are born gay. However when all personal bias is removed from the conclusions, honest scientists admit that despite the overwhelming number of studies which have been conducted, they have been unable to demonstrate a genetic cause for sexual orientation.

 

For Bible-believing Christians this comes as no surprise. As we’ve already observed, the Bible provides us with no reason to believe that God would create someone gay. And despite science’s best efforts, they have not been able to prove otherwise.

 

And yet, same-sex attraction is real and it is deep. So what’s the answer for a person who struggles with a same-sex attraction? We will consider that next but first, it’s time for another attitude check. 

 

God bless,
Pastor Jim