Quote: “The meaning of the Scripture is the Scripture and if you don’t get the meaning right you don’t have the revelation.” – John MacArthur. If every Christian approached the Scriptures of the Bible with the truth of that statement in mind there would be far less confusion for all both in the church and in the world. MacArthur’s statement impresses me, but better than that, it motivates me to turn it into a prayer for seeking the mind of the Holy Spirit. Praying for Scripture revelation will not have us meekly succumbing to infantile accusations of being unloving, intolerant, homophobic etc, for refusing to embrace same-sex marriage views held by too many church leaders today.
We need never doubt the Holy Spirit to give us the revelation. Example: A Baptist minister here in Melbourne supporting same-sex marriage says. “If we are to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus in the 21st century, then we need to bring the challenges of this age to the text and wrestle with how the text applies for us today.” I say bring the text to the challenge of this age, not the challenge of this age to the text. That way there’ll be no wrestling. I say too, if one is willing to, “wrestle with how the text applies for us today,” perhaps one has not surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus, 21st century or otherwise. The Scriptures teach us the challenges of this age are no different from the challenges the church faced during the days of the apostles.
Humble submission to the Scriptures both Old and New got their mess sorted out then, and it’s the same humble submission that will sort out the church’s mess today! What is desperately needed however is for Christians to get back to the Scriptures and get away from people such as this man. If he sincerely believes his statement to be the correct one, then how can he believe God’s statement about Himself, For I am the LORD, I change not Malachi 3:6? There’s no ambiguity there; the meaning is very clear. God is unchangeable in His nature and character, unchangeable in His word and truth, unchangeable in His hatred of sin, unchangeable in His blessings for belief and unchangeable in curses for disbelief.
No man of God dares to entertain the lie that surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the 21st century AD differs from that of the 1st century AD. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever Hebrews 13:8. No hint of change there; no hint of ambiguity either! It means what says; it says what it means! With no desire to be cute with words, the timeless Scriptures have been timely in everybody’s time. Were that not so, confusion would have reigned in the church all over the world long generations before this one. Seeking for and sticking to the right meaning of Scripture has always been the one and only reason why true Christians have been spared from permanently being carried about with various and strange doctrines Hebrews 13:9.
Whilst God has nothing specific to say about same-sex marriage in the Scriptures, He has plenty to say about same-sex practice. That should mean then that if we humble ourselves and yield to what He says, same-sex marriage would not entertain our thinking for a moment. It’s only in the last few years that people have entertained the idea because it’s taken Satan this length of time to raise up a generation of near-total godless, spiritually ignorant people. So why don’t church leaders humble themselves and yield to the Scripture revelation on this matter? Simple answer: They don’t like what God says about it. No matter how convincing their arguments appear to be from an intellectual stand-point, it’s not really an intellectual issue for them, it’s a moral issue.
That’s right, it’s a moral issue. Homosexual or not, such leaders side with immorality more than they side with the Scriptures. Now, they can stand on their heads and look sideways to China in their many denials of this but it changes nothing and they will acknowledge that reality to God when they stand kneel before Him at their judgment begging for His mercy. If we keep that fact in mind always, we’ll dismiss in an instant their every fraudulent attempt to twist and deny God’s plain-meaning holy word on this matter. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination Leviticus 18:22. These people hate that word abomination. Why? Because the power of God comes upon it cutting them every which way!
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 Leviticus 20:13. All who refuse to repent of this practice and seek forgiveness for it plus deliverance from it will be put to death at the Great White Throne Judgment Revelation 20:11-15. “Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body for a season; the second death is the separation of body and soul from God for ever. The first death is that from which there may be a resurrection; the second death is that from which there can be no recovery. By the first, the body is destroyed during time; by the second, body and soul are destroyed through eternity.” – John Wesley
There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel Deuteronomy 23:17. Prostitutes or not prostitutes, the same applies to the church; not then, not now, not ever. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 1 Corinthians 6:9. Who are the unrighteous? Practicing fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners, as well as anyone willing to, “wrestle with how the text applies for us today.” If you think that list is bad enough, check out the unrighteous listed in Romans 1:28-32; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Revelation 21:8. No wonder Jesus said, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries……. Matthew 15:19-20.
Pride and inhospitality was the “crime” of Sodom and Gomorrah, not homosexuality, so say those siding with immorality. Perhaps Genesis 18 and 19 show us pride and inhospitality ruled the day in those places, just as it does today around the world. But demanding for men to be brought out so that we may know them (carnally, sexually) Genesis 19:5, and then attempting to break down the door to get at them while struck with blindness Genesis 19:11, not only does that behavior highlight the ultimate in human pride and inhospitality, it highlights the ultimate in sexual degradation – homosexual gang rape! Sexual degradation is the primary reason why the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens Genesis 19:24.
Church leaders siding with immorality more than siding with the Scriptures have no problems gaining loyal followers. The timeless Scriptures show us there will always be many in the church who will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires (lusts), because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn aside to fables 2 Timothy 4:3-4. Fables or not, arm in arm with their immoral secular counterpart, they have no hesitation in labeling those siding with the Scriptures with infantile accusations like those mentioned above. As my wife wisely puts it, “These are the Balaams and the Jezebels of the church!” Our accusers however, judge us from the same rubbish within their own heart.
Don’t be fooled by the so-called compassion, tolerance and love these church leaders and their followers are always going on about in relation to same-sex marriage. Jesus Christ is not Lord of those siding with immorality more than siding with the Scriptures. No, their “lord” is Satan, the accuser and he’s a murderer, a liar, and a thief! He has no compassion, tolerance and love; to him those attributes are totally foreign. So when he uses that language, we need to know he’s stolen it from God! Hold firmly to Scripture revelation about this devil. For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.
The command of the unchanging God of Scripture is, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy Leviticus 19:2. He commands the same in 1 Peter 1:16. Holiness is not a priority for those siding with immorality more than siding with the Scriptures. It is only a priority for those experiencing the miracle-working power of the unchanging Lord Jesus Christ. For that to take place repentance is required – turning from self-will to embracing God’s will. The one who humbles self and sincerely does that experiences a gradual but sure hatred for what God hates and a gradual but sure love for what God loves. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God….. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’ John 3:3, 7. Without holiness no one will see the Lord (NIV) Hebrews 12:14.
Amen. Over and over again, scripture states: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” It seems fairly clear to me.
Clear to me too, Larry. Thanks.
Many Christians profess that God doesn’t make mistakes — right before they tell you about one of them. “Maybe”, they say, “God didn’t realize how the world would progress or He didn’t think of all possibilities when inspiring those who wrote His Word. Or maybe He did make a mistake. After seeing how things turned out perhaps He changed His mind.”
“I say too, if one is willing to, “wrestle with how the text applies for us today,” perhaps one has not surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.” Oswald Chambers advised his Bible students not to wrestle with God about the Word or the world, but to wrestle with ourselves before God about the Word and the world. Men haven’t changed since Eden and neither has God.
Thank you for sharing the wisdom of Chambers, Lynn. Such a shame that the wishy-washy Baptist pastor of this post and his supporters appear to be ignorant of it.
God bless you and your work.