Truth and Repentance
When I was little, our church's pastor and church secretary had an affair. They both were married at the time and had children. When the affair was discovered, their families were devastated. The pastor was forced to resign and left town. The secretary quit, but remained in the small town, so her children had to bear the shameful whispers of their peers. This sin had wide ranging consequences, yet it led to repentance in the lives of our former pastor and his secretary. The entire congregation was reminded about the danger and consequences of giving in to temptations.
Now, imagine what would have happened if instead of calling out the pastor's actions as being sinful, the church blessed this union and celebrated the "love" that this couple had found. Their sin would have continued, and other congregational members would not have been discouraged from engaging in the same conduct. The sanctity of marriages throughout the church would have been nullified and adultery would have spread. Children would not have had the security and guidance that comes from having two loving parents, and the church would have lost its witness.
Just prior to Jesus beginning His public ministry, John the Baptist prepared the way with a message of repentance (Matthew 3:1-2). All people were to turn away from their sins and to turn back to serving God. The gospel reveals that we are all alike under sin. We must confess our sins, turn away from them, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
The writer of Hebrews even went so far as to call repentance from sin and faith towards God the very foundation of the gospel (Hebrews 6:1). We all must confess that our actions violate God's law and are contrary to His will for us. We are to have faith that God will deliver us from the power of sin and will transform us into vessels of His love, to reach a world that needs to hear the message that there is a better way to live (Matthew 28:19-20).
God's design of humans was purposeful (Psalm 139:14). He created us as male and female, with the ability to reproduce. He instituted marriage as a union between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-6). That is why it takes both a male and a female to make a child. Further, He instilled characteristics in both male and female that are required to raise a well-rounded child. Generally, the mother is more nurturing and caring, while the father is more of the model for provision and protection. Both parents have unique roles to fulfill.
God reveals His will for both men and women through their design. We are all unique, and we each have a purpose and a role to fill. When we allow our desires to oppose God's design, confusion results. Sin is anything that strays from God's will. When we sin, we must admit that we are wrong and repent. That is why our current social tolerance of homosexuality and the redefining of marriage is so damaging to us all as individuals as well as society as a whole.
When we approve of sinful actions and call them loving and good, we deny people the wisdom needed to repent. We all have sinned, and that is why we must all repent and turn towards God. God gives grace to the humble and the repentant, but He resists the pride of those who believe that they do not need to repent (James 4:6). Isaiah 5:20-21 warns of a time such as this, when society calls that which is evil, good, and that which is good, evil. It is a good thing to lead another person to salvation and repentance, but today anyone who says that homosexuality is a sin is called a "hater." This mindset is seen as evil. Those who choose to live homosexual lifestyles are seen as good and are told that they do not need to repent and change.
God calls us to love everyone and to live as examples to a fallen world. According to God's Word, it is neither good nor loving to approve of one's actions that are both sinful and that will bring harmful consequences in this life and in the next. We are to call sin what it is in both our lives as well as in others, regardless of it giving offense. We are called to walk in the truth. God loves the sinner who repents and accepts His son, Jesus as their Savior.
Many churches today have strayed from the truth of God's Word and have compromised with the social agenda which is leading many to the wide road's destruction. They have begun to conduct and bless same-sex marriages and even have ordained gay and lesbian pastors. The apostle Paul warned about an apostasy or falling away of the "church" in the last days preceding Christ's return (2 Thessalonians 2:3). When we condone sinful lifestyles in church, we are cautioned of severe consequences and are cautioned to turn back (Revelation 2:5). Jesus is coming soon, and our love cannot look the other way when lives are in danger. I challenge us all to stand on the truth of God's Word and to implore all those who are lost in sin to repent. There is no greater foundation on which to stand.
