What God is That?

*Sigh*  You know this is not gonna be good if this article starts off like that.  I just read a piece titled; Christians Can Change Their Minds on Homosexuality.  The author states that she was all at once, elated and filled with dread when President Obama announced that he supported same-sex marriage, because she knew the negative backlash it would cause. You see, she was to attend a reception at the White House that marked Gay Pride Month, and could remember a time she wouldn’t have been caught dead at such an event. 

She had been an ‘evangelical Christian’ for 30 years when her very independent and successful daughter called to inform her she was gay.  At first, she was understandably devastated and prayed for the Lord to change her daughter’s choice.  “But instead, God changed me.”  Uh…really? 

She goes on to say she had a “dramatic change of heart; an epiphany, a paradigm shift or just plain coming to my senses, “ when her daughter called to say she and her partner were getting married.  At first she was upset and saddened and asked God, “What event could a parent be asked to attend that would be worse than this?”  “His answer was short—a funeral.”   

She marveled that she had never felt God’s presence and love as strongly as she did during the wedding weekend. Her daughter was raised with the message from pastors, Sunday school teachers, Christian leaders as well as her Christian parents that, “She was an abomination to God and didn’t deserve His love.”  But, thankfully, the daughter received the message from God himself that He loved her.  Of course God loves her!  He will NOT, however, tolerate her lesbianism. 

This lady agonizes about the years she taught her daughter that homosexuality was wrong and how deeply she must have hurt her feelings.  She’s now “On a mission to help keep other families from making our mistakes.  Now the lessons I have learned about unconditional love for the gay community need to be applied to those who are exactly where I was for so many years.”  Wrong. 

And man said to himself, ‘Let me make God in my image, after my likeness.’  So in the image of man created him God, and man blessed God and said unto Him, “Thou shalt have dominion over pretty much nothing, and shall give power and blessing to any and everything I will to do and thou shalt unconditionally love every depraved and sinful act I can imagine.”  

What ‘god’ is this lady talking about that would debase His holiness to attend a gay wedding? This woman opines, “Love can’t be legislated, politicized, forced or faked.  It comes from God. I have said many times that change will come one heart at a time, and only God can change a heart—if we will just get out of God’s way.”  I think she means, if God just gets out of OUR way! 

Let us turn in our Bibles to the 1^st chapter of Romans. I want to take you through most of this chapter and include in parenthesis the Greek meanings of the words for clarification.  It really is eye opening to see the original meanings. 

Romans 1: 18 “For the wrath (anger, indignation) of God is revealed (made known) from heaven against all ungodliness (having no reverence for God) and unrighteousness (violating God’s law) of men, who hold (restrain, hinder) the truth (moral religious fact) in unrighteousness.” 

Then vs. 21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations (inward reasoning), and their foolish (stupid) heart (soul or mind) was darkened” (deprived of understanding.) Professing themselves to be wise (expert, learned), they became fools” (be or act foolishly.) 

Vs. 24 “Wherefore God also gave them up (delivered, permitted) to uncleanness (impure morals) through the lusts (craving, longing for what is forbidden) of their own hearts, to dishonor (treat with contempt) their own bodies between themselves.”  

Vs. 26-28  “For this cause God gave (delivered, permitted) them up to vile (disgrace, dishonor)affections (depraved passion): for even their women did change (exchanged) the natural use (inborn-agreeable to instincts) into that which is against (from, besides) nature (distinctive native characteristics): and likewise also the men, leaving ( depart, disregard, abandon) the natural use (sexual use of a woman) of the woman, burned (set on fire, kindled) in their lust (appetite, unlawful craving) toward another (mutually, reciprocally) ; men with men working (perform, accomplish, achieve) that which is unseemly (ones nakedness, shame), and receiving (to get what is promised, retribution) in themselves that recompense  (reward given in compensation) of their error (wrong action, straying morally) which was meet (necessary, right and proper). And even as they did not like (deem worthy, approve) to retain God (adhere or cling to keep) in their knowledge (knowing things ethical and divine), God gave them over (delivered, permitted) to a reprobate (untested, unfit, rejected) mind, to do those things (perform, act out, carry out) which are not convenient” (becoming, proper, fit). 

Vs. 29-31 “Being filled with all unrighteousness (injustice, deeds violating law), fornication (illicit sexual intercourse, including adultery, homosexual, lesbian and bestiality), wickedness (depravity, iniquity), covetousness, maliciousness (desire to injure, evil, depravity); full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity (depravity of heart, bad character); whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventers of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection (inhumane, unloving), implacable, unmerciful:” 

Vs. 32 “Who knowing (being acquainted, understanding) the judgment of God (judicial decree, sentence of condemnation), that they which commit such things (practice, exercise, of this kind, sort) are worthy (merited, befitting) of death (loss of life and future misery in hell), not only do the same, but have pleasure (also, pleased, approve, applaud, agree to) in them that do them” (exercise, practice, act, commit).  *whew!* 

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”    Unchanging. Eternally the same.  Does not change His character or nature.  So this mother is agreeing to or applauding the kind of behavior from her daughter that God considers worthy of meriting a death sentence.   

‘Yay honey, your wedding dress is beautiful and Daddy and I will pay for the cake.   Then we can all pretend God blesses your lesbian union, and completely ignore that this lifestyle will lead you straight to hell; plus I will have to face a Holy God and explain why I decided to accept this charade of ‘love.’’ 

I think it is safe to say most parents love their children unconditionally.  Does that mean we have to sanction and applaud their actions?  For instance, let’s say my son was a serial killer.  We all know that is wicked behavior before God. What if I knew this information about him and, as he was on the run from the law, stopped by for Sunday dinner with a nice chunk of thigh meat from his latest victim.  “Here ma, I brought you a present. Cook this puppy up like roast beef, would you?  I’d love some of your mashed potatoes and green beans with it, and maybe you could make me some banana pudding for dessert! Whatta you say?” 

Like the mother in the article with her lesbian daughter, I would be horrified and disgusted beyond description!  The Bible is very clear that murder and depravity of this sort is completely against God’s laws—always has been, always will be.  After all, God is the same yesterday, today and forever, right? 

So do I take the wimpy road like this mother and say to my son, “Oh honey, that is one beautiful hunk of meat; Ooo, and so lean!  Must have been a jogger, huh? Thanks!  I love you and will delude myself into accepting your wicked behavior out of a misplaced definition of unconditional love; therefore I won’t call the cops and have your vile butt arrested.” 

How ridiculous, right?  So my son is a serial killer.  Do I stop loving that child I bore, nursed, cuddled and raised or do I completely cut all ties and ignore his existence?  Of course I would still love him!  And I’d call the cops on him in a heartbeat!  THAT is unconditional love, lady. 

Do I condone and accept his kidnapping, torture and murdering ways?  Of course NOT!  But I would still love him.  I wouldn’t be able to help it—just like God loves us but refuses to accept our sinful behavior.  He will still ‘call the cops’ on us, so to speak, and make sure justice is served.   

I feel for this very conflicted mother, but she is dead wrong.  As the verses with their original Greek meanings listed above, it is perfectly CLEAR homosexuality is not condoned or OK with God.  It wasn’t in Sodom and Gomorrah and it isn’t in this day and age either, no matter what the pushy, big mouthed, politically correct, depraved LGBT lobby tells you!   

For this mom to accept her daughter’s choice (and it IS a choice, don’t give me a bunch of bull that they are born that way), is doing her daughter and her own relationship with God a huge disservice.  I can completely understand her desire and overwhelming need to have a loving tie with her daughter, but she is leading her astray, as well as making a mockery of the Bible and the sanctified life we as Christians are to strive for.  

So what should she have done?  What should Christian parents do when their kid suddenly spouts off the news that they are gay?  You love them unconditionally. You reject their behavior.  Do you keep in touch? Yes.  Do you tell them as much as possible you love them?  Yes.  Do you have their lover over for dinner? No. Do you attend their ‘wedding’? Of course not. Don’t bother to give a gift either.  

What if that adult child chooses their lover over their loving, Godly parents?  Then you grieve like the dickens and pray for God’s intervention. That is their choice and like the rest of us, they will have to make their own decisions about God and decide whether to follow or reject Him. We ALL have to stand or fall on this issue alone and we parents cannot choose for them, as much as we want to and as much as our heart would break in a million pieces if they chose to shun God. 

Like this lady said, change will come one heart at a time and only God can change a heart—if we will get out of God’s way. God bless this mother. I know her heart aches to do the right thing and I will be praying for her to see the truth.