Tag Archives: Authority

When Did God Change His Mind About Homosexuality?

Posted on by under Culture, Current Events
Image by Annett_Klingner from Pixabay

            This week Francis, the Roman Catholic Pope, issued a new document which would allow his priests to bless same sex couples.  This was a reversal of a prior stance in which the Roman Catholic institution stated that they could not bless sin.  That prior stance earned Francis a bit of consternation on the part of those in the gay community.  Now, he says, “that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to ‘an exhaustive moral analysis’ to receive it” (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pope-approves-blessings-for-same-sex-couples-if-they-don-t-resemble-marriage/ar-AA1lGh6Y?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=3ffb240e83214dc9942ffd84c7a63569&ei=35).  So, what happened in between?  Did God change His mind?  Is homosexuality now something to be blessed?

            Let us turn to God’s word for our answer.  In the Old Testament, God’s opinion of homosexuality can be clearly seen.  In Genesis 19 God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their same sex practices.  In the Law of Moses, God states, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22), and “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus20:13).  Homosexuality certainly did not have God’s blessing in the Old Testament.

            Homosexuality does not have God’s blessing in the New Testament either.  In Romans 1 beginning in verse 18, the Bible condemns ungodliness and unrighteousness and states that God’s wrath will be poured out on those who practice sexual immorality.  Included in this, is the sin of homosexuality.  “For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:26b-27).  Not only does God condemn homosexual activity in this passage, but He also condemns those who approve of such activities (Romans 1:32). 

            So, can we bless that which God condemns?  To give our blessing means that we approve of the activity.  God’s word says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, emphasis added).  How cruel would it be for us to know that someone is in a relationship or lifestyle that is going to someday condemn them for all eternity, and then turn around and give them our blessing as if everything is alright?  That passage above in 1 Corinthians goes on to say that some of them were guilty of these sins in the past, but they were sanctified by the blood of Christ. 

            However, to be able to enjoy that blessing of sanctification, they had to repent.  They had to change what they were doing.  They had to be obedient to God.  Jesus is the savior of all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).  God gives His mercy to those who are obedient.  We should welcome all people to come to Jesus and be saved, no matter what their current station in life is, but we cannot bless and embrace their sins.  We should not enable them by suggesting that they are safe in their sinful lifestyles.  We do not have the authority to change what God has said.  If we are to be God’s people, we cannot bless that which God hates and condemns.

By What Authority?

Posted on by under Article, Doctrine
Image by ha11ok from Pixabay

            In the religious world today, there is no shortage of worship styles and services, all of which differ in mode and operation.  It begs the question as to whether they are all approved of by God.  Some will say that the details of their worship to God do not matter, that anything is acceptable.  I wonder if those same folks would be okay with animal sacrifices being done in a voodoo ritual, or snake handling being done by some fringe group, however.  It would seem that we all would draw a line somewhere.

            The question then becomes where do you draw that line?  If we are all going to do something different in our worship to God, who determines if that is acceptable or not?  The root of the issue really boils down to authority.  Do we have the authority to make our own decisions when it comes to worshiping God?

            In the New Testament of the Bible the subject of authority comes up often.  In one such instance, the chief priests and elders are questioning Jesus in the temple and asking where His authority comes from to do what He was doing.  Jesus responded with a question of His own.  “But Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” (Mat. 21:24-25 NKJV).  Notice that Jesus only gave two options for the source of authority.  Authority either comes from heaven or from men.

            Everything that is done in religion today is done by one of those two sources of authority.  Either what we do is done with the authority of God Almighty, or what we do is by our own authority.  God has a preference.  In rebuking the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus referred to them as hypocrites and stated, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7, Mat. 15:9).  Worship that is vain is useless.  God will not accept useless worship.  God wants to be worshipped as He has commanded.

            We need to have biblical authority for what we teach and practice.  Paul explained in Colossians 3:17 that whatever we do in word or in deed needs to be done in the name of the Lord.  That doesn’t mean we do what we want and slap the name of Jesus on it.  That means that we do it according to His authority.  Let us examine our own selves to see that we are doing what the Lord wants when it comes to our worship of Him.  By what authority do you do these things?

The Thief on the Cross

Posted on by under Doctrine

cross-671379_960_720     Start discussing the biblical requirement to be baptized with someone and see how long it takes before they mention the thief on the cross. Odds are it will not take too long.  That is because there is a widespread doctrine in the religious world that tries to eliminate the need for baptism by appealing to the example of this particular individual, whom Jesus told would be with Him in paradise on the day they both died (Luke 22:43). Just what does this example tell us about salvation? Does the example of the thief on the cross really mean that one does not need to be baptized in order to be saved? Let us look at this issue by noticing three things about this man being forgiven by Christ.

First, the argument is made that the thief was never baptized, and yet Jesus tells him that they will be together in paradise. Is it the case that he was never baptized? How would you prove that? The thief obviously knew something about Jesus and His ministry, for he confesses, “‘. . . we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom’” (Luke 22:41b-42, NKJV). He knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong, and he had faith in that even though Jesus was hanging on the cross, death would not keep Jesus from receiving His kingdom. How did he know that? Was he a disciple of Christ, perhaps? Had he been baptized by John in the Jordan? It was said of John that, “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:5-6). Was the thief on the cross in this crowd that John was baptizing? It cannot be proven from scripture that the thief was baptized, but it equally cannot be proven by scripture that he was not.

Second, it should be noted that Jesus had the power to forgive sins while he was on this earth. If Jesus wanted to forgive the thief on the cross based upon his confession of faith, He had the ability to do so. Just look at the example of the paralytic, whom Jesus healed in Mark 2. Unable to reach Jesus in the house because of the crowd that had gathered, the friends of the paralytic man lowered him through the roof so that he could get to Jesus. “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you’” (Mark 2:5). The scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy, since only God could forgive sins. To show that He had the power and authority on earth to forgive sins, Jesus healed the man of his paralysis (Mark 2:6-12). Notice that the text says nothing about whether this man was baptized or not either!

This brings us to the third thing that we want to take notice of regarding both the thief on the cross and any others, whom Jesus forgave while on the earth. While Jesus lived on the earth, the Mosaic Law was in effect. The New Covenant had not yet been offered to anyone. There was a new covenant that was coming, but it did not go into effect until the death of Christ. Jeremiah prophesied about this new covenant between man and God.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

This new covenant is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. As with our own wills, no will or testament is enforced while the one who willed it is alive. A will is only in force after the death of the testator. That is exactly what is said about the new covenant in the Holy Scriptures (Hebrews 9:16-17). Just as the covenant, or agreement, between God and man that was offered at Mount Sinai was sealed in blood, so too would the new covenant between man and God be sealed with the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:18-22; Luke 22:20).

The new covenant was first offered to mankind on the day of Pentecost, as is recorded for us in Acts 2. If we will obey God and do what He commands, then we can have our sins remitted and have the hope of eternal life with Him. That is the agreement. Notice what Peter says they are to do when asked about how they can be saved. “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38). Since the thief on the cross lived and died during the old covenant, and since the new covenant was not offered to anyone until the day of Pentecost, the thief on the cross was not subject to the requirements of the new covenant. But guess who is subject to the new covenant. That’s right! We are!

God’s word could not be clearer on the need for baptism for the remission of our sins in order for us to have salvation. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). If He didn’t mean it when He said it, then how would He have said it if He meant it? Jesus said exactly what He meant. He who believes AND is baptized will be saved. For more on God’s Path to Salvation, please click on this link. The fact that the thief on the cross received forgiveness and went to paradise that day does nothing to save our souls. We must be obedient to the One who died for us. We must live according to His will and testament. We are no longer under the Mosaic Law. Don’t take my word for it. See what the scriptures have to say about our belief, obedience, and salvation!

The Impossible Dream?

Posted on by under Doctrine

Fergusonhug-v2     Unity.  Too often today we look for unity, only to find division and strife.  Whether in regards to race relations, politics, sports, or our outlook on life, we as a people seem to have gravitated towards focusing on what divides us rather than what unites us.  But how do we achieve unity?  Is it achievable?  How do we begin?

     First we need to realize that unity is only achievable if we are all using the same standard to measure our beliefs and behaviors.  That standard is the Word of God.  If we would all go to the Bible for the foundation of our beliefs, our behavior, our religious practices, and what we say and do, then we would have unity.  Not possible, you say?  Well, just look at Jesus’ own Apostles.  One of them was Simon, a zealot (Luke 6:15).  The zealots were known for political assassinations of Romans and for stirring the people up in revolt.  Another of the Apostles was Matthew, who was a tax collector for the Romans (Matthew 10:3).  Yet, the two of them worked together in unity as Apostles, because they were united in Christ, the Word of God (John 1:1-2, 14).

     If we were to use the Bible as our guide, not our own understanding or our own thoughts and ideas, then we could fulfill Jesus’ prayer in the garden.  Jesus said, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21 NKJV).  Jesus wanted His followers to be one, to all be on the same page, to be united, so that the world would believe.  Many point to divisions between religious groups as proof that there is no God.  They are right about the divisions, but not about atheism.

     The Scriptures often speak of unity.  We are to be of the same mind (Rom. 12:16; 1 Cor. 1:10; Phil. 2:2; 3:16; 4:2; 1 Peter 4:1).  We are to speak the same things (1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 4:13).  We are to have the same foundation (1 Cor. 3:10-11; Eph. 2:19-20).  Paul wrote, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3 emphasis added).

     We are to have unity, but not a unity where we water down God’s word to the point that it is no longer recognizable.  We can preach tolerance for others and diversity to the point where we accept two mutually opposite points as both being true.  How can that be?  No, if we are to have unity, then that unity must be based upon the same standard.  It must be based upon the truth of God’s Word.  We do not achieve unity by capitulating on the truth or by trying to make truth relative.

     You may not believe that we can have unity.  However, in looking at how much the Bible speaks of unity ask yourself one question.  Would God ask us to do something that is not possible?  God as told us to be unified.  He has given us His standard to guide us in that unity.  His Son prayed for that unity.  Why do that if it is not achievable?  If we would just go to His Word, study what it really says, and then do that, we could have unity.  We could be one in Christ like as the Apostles.  That would be a better way!