The Word of God is the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever (Part One)

 A friend sent an e-mail to me (and some other people in his e-mail contact list) sharing his view on President Obama’s recent stance in favor of “same-sex” marriages.

My friend, a “Christian,” expressed over e-mail his take on Obama’s position, and that we should support Obama in his bid for re-election. My friend began to offer his view of the Bible in relation to Obama’s declaration of his own “personal” opinion that “gays” should be allowed to marry, if they love each other.

After debating within myself whether to respond to the e-mail, and then whether to “cc:” the others he included in the e-mail, I came to the conclusion (as the Holy Spirit prompted me) to respond, and to include in my response the others the friend e-mailed.

I told my friend that I didn’t share his view. So, in the spirit of meekness (Galatians 6), I explained via e-mail why I whole-heartedly disagreed with his remarks.

I told him that I do agree with him when he said President Obama's position has put many of us Christians into a dilemma relative to election time, with the dilemma being whether to vote for his re-election, and that question within being connected to his "evolving" in his view of the Bible.

I told my friend I don't agree with the idea that Jesus would support President Obama's statement or his having "evolved" in his thinking relative to the Word of God and what it says about homosexuality/lesbianism. To be fair about it, I'm not a supporter of "common-law marriage" between a man and a woman either.

It doesn't matter what man calls it (or the government set up for the people, by the people calls it). If God says it's a sin or an abomination or forbidden (whether it be homosexuality or fornication, etc.), then we can "evolve" in our thinking if we want to, but God is not moved by what we think or how we feel, if either goes against what He has said is right or wrong.

For Jesus to say one thing (that He is against homosexuality/lesbianism) and do another (support anybody who thinks either is right) would make moot His even coming here to begin with. He came to die for our sins/iniquities. For without the shedding of blood, there could be no remission of sin.

Pontius Pilate told those who sided with crucifying Jesus that he could see no wrong in him. So, he didn't want to crucify Jesus for a crime He didn't commit, but more importantly to him (Pilate), he didn't want to lose his political position either.

So, he says he was washing his hands of the matter. To save face, he turned Jesus over to the people for crucifixion (and we know, too, that it ultimately served God's divine purpose). But that doesn't let His haters off the hook (Matthew 12:30; Revelation 3:15-16). Jesus, in essence, has said there is no fence to straddle. You're either with Him or against Him. Period.

In order for a man to be born again, according to the Bible, he must confess (with his mouth) Jesus as Lord and believe (in his heart) that God raised Him from the dead.

So, in order for us to be true children of God via the blood of Jesus, we must at the very least accept God’s way as being right (even when our ways go astray of what He says is righteous living). Have I sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God? Absolutely. But when I sinned or sin, I cannot use scripture to support me doing what I want to do.

Where folk get into trouble is rather than to say: "You know what? I know what the Word says, but I enjoy doin' such and such or being with such and such. Therefore I'm going to do it, even though God says it's forbidden."

Rather than saying that, we (mankind) have decided that we're going to call right wrong and wrong right. We're going to take scriptures and debate about them, and everybody will have his or her own interpretation and then however we interpret them (right or wrong), that's what it'll be."

As Christians, far too many of us have totally disregarded Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19, which warn against adding to or taking away from the Word of God (and warn that there'll be grave consequences for those who do these things).

Well, for the sake of space, I’ll pick up with part two of this column in the next issue. So, hold on to this one. And get the next one, too, for the complete context of this message. Be blessed.