On Irreverence

KEY VERSE:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (1 Tim 3:16).

  “Scripture” is canon and is the written Will and Purpose of God. “Canon” means it is authentic and recognized as such by the Church. Excepting the Ten Words (Ten Commandments), all scripture was written by the hand of men, but men inspired by God. The Ten Words were meant for perpetuity, thusly they are on stone and written by the finger of God. They were not merely for the Hebrews in patriarchal times, but The Ten Words are the metrics for how to love God and others – The One Greatest Commandment appended with a Second Greatest Commandment (Mat 22:36-40). To exercise those two commandments means keeping the precepts of the Ten Words. They are the articles of both the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenant, and surely include the Adamic Covenant as well!
  The purpose of God’s inspired words is enumerated in the key verse: (1) for doctrine, (2) for reproof, (3) for correction, and (4) for instruction in righteousness. People don’t care for the part about reproof and correction, and they feel free to ignore doctrine and instruction in righteousness. Many people believe in God, but “he” is a “god” they have fabricated in their minds as their own doctrine is deemed superior to God’s. God knew that would be the case:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8-9)

  Those who perceive their ways as superior to God’s Way portend to be “as gods” just as the Serpent acknowledged to Adam and Eve, knowing better than God “good and evil” (Gen 3:5). A great demonstration of this was in my conversation with a friend yesterday. I was explaining to him that “good works” is as “filthy rags to God” (Isa 64:6), and also that one need only be “born again” (John 3:7). I explained to him that it is the only “must be” in the New Testament! That is that he must realize that he is not God, has no power to save himself, but God can and will.
I thought that I was getting the concept of “grace” over quite well, and that its reception was welcome. Why would I do that? Because I so loved that man and  I want that he never perish but have everlasting life. (My own paraphrase of John 3:16 substituting my love for God’s. That is the Second Commandment of loving others.)
  Then I mentioned why I disagree with homosexuality. For some reason, that is his hot spot. My guess is that someone he loves is homosexual. With that said, love is wanting that homosexuals not perish, and here are God’s exact words on homosexuality (not mine):

(Thou) shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. (Lev 18:21:23).

  Carnal knowledge of the same sex profanes the Name of God which is Jesus. “Profane” is irreverence for God (Merriam Webster Dictionary). How is homosexuality irreverent to God? It is an “abomination” to God. Abomination is “disgusting” to God (ibid). How disgusting is it? God then brought up bestiality, which is another profane and disgusting act. The point is that both behaviors are unnatural. “Lying down” is an action, and is thus behavioral. They are NOT to do such things; that implies self-control. Genetic characteristics are beyond control, but behaviors are controllable, and God expects people to control their lusts. Control lusts? Certainly:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. (Rom 1:26-28).

  Homosexuality is called a “vile affection.” According to Webster, “vile” is “morally despicable or abhorrent,” and behaviors which are “physically repulsive.” I’m not saying those things. Those accusations are the inspired word of God. Those who do those things or think otherwise have “reprobate” minds. I hate to be harsh, but their thoughts compared to God’s Thoughts are self-damning (reprobation). We need to be careful that we neither condone sin nor defend it because to do so is damning.
  In the case of homosexuals, should Christians just remain quiet and tolerate their vile behaviors and thoughts? No! We are to love them so much that we want that they not be damned! (From John 3:16). Remember that scripture is for “reproof and correction.” Reproof is rebuking them and correction is attempting to change their wrong-thinking and wrong-doing. Is that insensitive and cruel? It may seem that way, but in Hell there is no sensitivity except to pain, and torment is eternal cruelty. Would you rather offend someone for a moment to save them, and is it better for them to hurt for a day to save their pain for eternity? Rebuking sin and correcting behaviors to save lost people is the Second Greatest Commandment. Is it hard? It sure is because everyone knows a homosexual which they claim they love, but not enough to save those persons from Hell!
  My loved-one has been addicted to drugs. Because he is mine and I don’t want to offend him, does that make drug usage okay? No; because I love him so, I want that he not perish, and God says he should remain sober so as to face reality. Because we love someone does not make their sin acceptable to God. That is foolish-thinking and places our thoughts superior to God’s Thoughts, that is irreverent to God, and is also an abomination as we see from Leviticus 18:21). We must control our thoughts as well as behaviors!
  The argument with this friend was not with me. He argued with God. He even diminished God! Some of his points were:

1.       “I don’t care what it says, this is what I think.” That is irreverence.

2.       “You can make the Bible mean anything you want it to mean.” I ask, “How ambiguous is the word abomination?”  Mr. Webster defined it as “disgusting.” How hard is it to understand that God finds homosexual behavior disgusting? It does not matter that my friend does not… God does. He places his standards of morality above God’s That too is irreverence and is damning. I don’t want my friend to go to Hell, so I corrected him but he rejected correction.

3.       “It is not a behavior. They can’t help it.” That implies that my friend believes they were born that way. Would God command that they cease being homosexuals if he created them that way? That is just foolish talk. Scientifically, there is no research which proves that theory, yet people accept that lie because they are easy to deceive.

  There was much more to the conversation, but my greatest point to my friend, was that to be a Christian, he must trust God for doctrine, not the doctrine of men, as is written:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” (Ephes 4:13-15)

  How can people love homosexuals? By wanting them NOT to perish in Hell. Tough-love is rebuking and correcting their thoughts and behaviors. I made my friend angry and things got excited. The nature of men is to reject the Word of God in favor of their own words and their own doctrine. When I saw that I was getting nowhere, although I still love my friend, scripture tells me to “shake the dust from my feet and depart” (Mat 10:14). That I did, so as to not offend further. I shook the dust from my feet but not from my pen. A copy of this will be given to my friend to help him understand that the ways of men are not the Way of God.