“They declare their sin as Sodom; they
do not hide it” (Isa. 3:9).
God gave the rainbow to remind us that “never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:11). Why did God send the flood? Because of sin (Gen. 6:5). It is disgraceful beyond words that people have taken that bright, beautiful sign in nature and are using it to glorify a sin that goes against nature.
They have the wrong symbol. When God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone, Abraham looked from a distance and saw “the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace” (Gen. 19:28). This is the image people should have when they even think about this sin, not the colorful rainbow.
Our society has forgotten about Sodom. They don’t want us to mention it. Our wayward culture shuns the word sodomite, but that’s what a homosexual is. He is provoking God with the same evil that led Him to wipe that infamous city from the face of the earth.
The story in Genesis 19 shows that it is useless to reason with people who have no intention of changing. Lot tried. He was even willing to allow his own daughters to be violated to avert their attention from the two angels under his roof. His offer was inexcusable and disgraceful. But there was no bargaining with the gay men of Sodom. They said Lot was “acting like a judge” and warned, “Now we will deal worse with you than with them” (Gen. 19:9). Today they are the same. They only want their unnatural way, and they don’t care if they take the nation down in flames with them.
Men with men and women with women is against nature. “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Rom. 1:26-27). God created male and female (Gen. 1:27). Adultery is a sin against marriage, but homosexuality goes further and is a sin against nature. Even dogs don’t act like this.
People should be repenting in shame for this ungodliness instead of celebrating it. The Bible says it is disgusting. “If a man lies with a man as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 20:13). What we need in this country is a month of repentance for all the pornography, greed, perversion, and unbelief across the land. People “whose glory is in their shame” (Phil. 3:19) ought to come down off their high horse and get down on their knees.
The bright light in these dark times is the gospel. That light shined in the immoral city of Corinth and brought sinners, including some homosexuals, to conversion (I Cor. 6:9-11). Paul didn’t use human wisdom when he taught these sinners (I Cor. 2:1-5). He didn’t ask, “How can I tell them they are wrong without offending them?” Yes, he taught them about the love of God. But he also preached the wrath of God. If we are faithful to the Lord, we will teach both.
Kerry
West End Church of Christ bulletin article for June 20, 2021.
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