
Sex is Sacred
This is an excerpt of commentary on an article by Luke Nix. For the original post click here Ravi Zacharias on Race and Homosexuality
This call and gift is given to everyone, and anyone, who receive’s Him. There is no partiality in that. You are no more righteous than I, nor I than you. We are created equal. It is not our goodness that leads God to love us. No, ‘while we were still sinners’ He loved us and died for us.
‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that “whoever” believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ & ‘that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.’
With God we have established value, purpose, and meaning. Moral values derive from this, and God gave them to us. If you imagine away God, then you’ve removed the foundation for value, purpose, meaning, and morality. There is nothing darker, more lost, or devoid than to live the few years we have in life this way. Seeking only what is convenient for ourselves.
It is with a sincere heart of repentance that we come to Christ. And from that Salvation which He works we put off the old man and walk as He did. The works we do add nothing towards getting to heaven, or being more loved… nothing at all. Any good work we do apart from Christ is as filthy rags before Him. So it is by submitting ourselves to Him in surrender that we can walk and have liberty in what we do. Should we do wrong because we are weak it is not for us to say “woe is me” and fear we’ve lost love or salvation. No, God is faithful even when we are faithless. It was while we were wicked, and in sin, that He loved us and redeemed us. When we repent “He is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Christians will fall at times into wrong doing or temptation. Sinners run to it. But it is Satan’s desire that we condemn ourselves and bare the shame of it, when it is Christ who has already taken the shame for us.
Yes we still live with consequences here on earth for our actions. Both we and those around us. But once we are His children then Jesus himself speaks to the Father on our behalf saying “I have paid the price” and our sins are remembered no more. This is true for all that we’ve repented of.
It is still good though that our conscience bears witness to us should we seek out evil, and that it bring guilt should we do so willingly. For that would be to serve two masters… which is idolatry and adultery. God is a jealous God, as man is over his wife, and even more so.
God’s great love has bought our freedom. We should treat it just as a marriage in communication, faithfulness, growth, love, and trust: seeking Him with passion. Under grace we “could” do wrong and that would not change the fact that He loves us. But we must also be cautious to make sure our hearts our genuinely His. For the worst thing we could do to ourselves is deceive ourselves thinking we are His. For Jesus said on judgement day many will be shocked when He doesn’t find their name written in the book of life. They will say “We even did miracles in your name” and God replies “Depart from me you WORKERS OF INIQUITY. For I never knew you”.
So then again, our actions reveal what is truly within. A good tree does not bear bad fruit. Nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
Two notes. The scripture says
1) “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” – Galatians 6:7
2) Sin separates us from God until we repent of it. And it opens the door for wicked spirits. (‘Submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you’ – James 4:7)
I’m all for striving to be like Christ, and taking up our cross and following Him. That is very important. Good disciplines help establish life. For God is perfecting us in Him. The wise way would be to call on His strength and not rely on our own. For He asks us to share His yoke for His burden is light. When we do it on our own strength we weary quickly and will always fail. It is by His strength that we can be victorious.
So in a one on one conversation I would be as a friend. In a political situation I would be diplomatic and first establish “where” I’m coming from. “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20
There is a clash of understanding when someone identifies themselves as lbgt’s. Often those who live that way express the title as a choice of simply loving and living a different way. Those on the other end of the spectrum of course see the deeper implication. And that to me seems odd as people would then be “identifying themselves” by their sexual practices. Shouldn’t that be as awkward as your parents walking in and exclaiming “hey, we’re very active in the bedroom wink wink”. Anyways that’s just an oddity I feel in the whole scenario. I love all such people, and I in no way agree with their practices. I would rather be a friend, reveal the truth, and let the truth do the work in them. For it is the Holy Spirit who convicts an individual. Winning an argument seldom wins a soul.
“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” – John 16:5-11
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” – Hebrews 12:14
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God Bless! – Daniel P. Clark