The news of the latest attack by homosexuals on Christian beliefs occurred with HGTV’s popular home show “Fixer Upper” hosted by the Gaines family. This is yet another example of the slide of moral values in America. The attack came on Nov. 30, 2016, which came out of nowhere. The Gains never said anything on the show concerning homosexuals, yet the attack came because they profess to be Christians and “they go to a church that thinks homosexuality is a sin.” In the end, the television network and the public overwhelmingly defended the Gaines.
However, the attack on the Church that holds to a biblical view of marriage and the sin of homosexuality and transgenderism (now simply labeled, LGBT) is moving to another stage of battle. In November Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas announced they would openly accept LGBT as members in their congregation. The result was the removal of the church from the Baptist General Convention (BGC). As usual, the press quickly praised the church for its “inclusiveness” and condemned the BGC for its LGBT bigotry.
Again, in North Texas, one-month later, Lake Shore Baptist Church, voted to accept full membership of any LGBT person. Lake Shore’s governing body is the Baptist General Convention that has pledged to uphold traditional marriage values and remove any member church that believes otherwise. As could be predicted the press praised Lake Shore for their inclusiveness and condemned any church that does not accept the LGBT lifestyle. In fact, the Waco newspaper had a big front page (Opinion page) article by the pastor of Lake Shore Baptist church where she defended her church’s stance on the matter and exhorted a non-judgmental, “love” approach to Christianity.
What is going on in our local churches is indicative of what is being taught in the seminaries. The clear black and white truth that flows from the pages of the Bible are questioned, the authority and sufficiency of the Word is minimized and a perverted Christian “love” message overwrites any discernment necessary for a life set apart by God for service. The Gospel message - the death of Jesus on the cross for the sins of the individual that believes, burial and resurrection is minimized to simply: God loves you and wants a better life for you.
The death on the cross that judged sin and was a satisfaction for the righteous demands of a holy God is not taught from the pulpit. Instead, a feel good, physiological “needs based” message serves to comfort the individual in their sin. The strong exhortation found on almost every page of the New Testament to crucify your flesh with its passions and desires is almost nowhere heard in today’s modern church service. The Christian is to be holy because God is holy! He or she is to repent from sin (and LGBT is sin) and conform our minds to the mind of Christ. We are to forgive and accept the sinner provided they repent of their sin.
By simply accepting the LGBT into the church with full membership is equivalent to saying, we do not care about the holiness of the Christ’s church. It says, the world can mingle with the church and the Christian and the world are one. The concept today in these worldly churches is that love and righteousness are independent, when in fact, love cannot exist apart from righteousness. The ultimate expression of love was Christ dying on the cross and that act was viewed as a righteous act. Love apart from righteousness brings no cleanness of sin to the individual, no convection of sin, no forgiveness of sin, and no reconciliation with God.
While it is true that Christ paid the price for all sin once on the cross, the responsibility of the Church as the body of Christ is to bring the purity of the Word of God to the congregation and getting out the unperverted word is central in that mission.
The message of love without righteousness only brings pain and suffering, it brings no peace or self-control in life. It is of utmost importance that the Church as the bride of Christ keep herself pure and separate from the world, the things of the world, and the desires of it. The Scriptures are not silent concerning this type of church: “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,`These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. “ (Rev 2:18-22)
The battle will only get worse as more “news” outlets attack Christian values, picketers with “equal rights” slogans picket outside your local church and weak pastors seeking the approval of man instead of God open up their doors to the LGBT community with a no guilt message. Paul wrote to the Ephesians:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints - 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.(Eph. 6:10-20)
