Being Your Authentic Self

Today we hear a lot about being your authentic self, especially in relation to the LGBTQ community.  To be authentic is to be true, genuine, or real.   

(Genesis 1:1)"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (ESV) 

God is the Creator and everything else is the creation.  God is God and we are not.  Therefore God is the ultimate authority in all matters, including what is actually authentic.  

(Genesis 1:27)"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (ESV) 

God created man in his own image, therefore we are to be God's representatives on earth.  God created humans as male and female.  You are who God created you to be and you have no authority to change that.  A man is a man and a woman is a woman.  

(Genesis 2:24)"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (ESV) 

Sexual relations are to take place between a man and a woman who are married.  People of the same sex cannot be married.  

Those in the LGBTQ community are actually being inauthentic because they are not being true to the way God created them.  They are in rebellion against God's creative design and have embraced falsehood instead of truth.    

Pride And The Bible

 Since it is Pride Month, let us look at what the Bible says about pride.  

(Proverbs 11:2)"Where pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

(Proverbs 16:18)"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."  

(Proverbs 21:4)"Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin." 

(Mark 7:20-23)"And he said, what comes out of a person is what defiles him.  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."  

(James 4:6)"But he gives more grace.  Therefore it says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."  

(1 John 2:16)"For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world."  

*All Scripture quotations from the ESV (English Standard Version)

Understanding Transgender Terminology

 Here are some terms and basic definitions related to transgenderism that one might encounter from the LGBTQ movement.  

Transgender - a biological male who identifies as a female or a biological female who identifies as a male.

Gender - a social construct, a person may identify differently than his or her biological sex.  

Nonbinary - rejects male and female only sex distinctions.  

Gender Fluidity - a person's gender may change over time.  

Assigned At Birth - biological sex is just assumed, a person may change and identify as the opposite sex.  

Cisgender - someone who continues to identify with his or her sex that was assigned at birth.  

(Genesis 1:27)"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (ESV)

Liberals vs Conservative Christians On Ezekiel, Sodom, And Homosexuality

Theological liberals have accused conservative Christians of misinterpreting Genesis 19:1-28 when they say God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality.  The liberals use Ezekiel 16:49-50 to make their case.  

(Ezekiel 16:49-50)"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did an abomination before me.  So I removed them, when I saw it." (ESV) 

The theological liberals assert that this passage shows the sins of Sodom were pride, greed, and not caring for those in need, not homosexuality.  But notice toward the end of the passage the word abomination.  Where have we seen the word abomination before?  

(Leviticus 18:22)"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination." (ESV) 

(Leviticus 20:13)"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." (ESV) 

So we see the same word, abomination, is used in the Ezekiel passage and in the verses from Leviticus referring to homosexuality.  When it says in Ezekiel 16:49-50 "did an abomination before me" it is referring back to Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.  While Sodom had other sins like greed, pride, and not caring for the needy, homosexuality was a major sin that showed how far down the road of depravity the people of Sodom had gone.  God destroyed them because of it.  

(Jude 1:7)"just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." (ESV) 

The Bible And Pride Month: Part 2 (New Testament)

 Our culture is celebrating June as Pride Month.  Homosexuality and transgenderism are being promoted as normal and wonderful.  But the Bible alone is the ultimate authority because it is the Word of God.  So we turn to God and his Word for the right perspective.  In part 2 we will look at the New Testament.  

(Matthew 19:4-5)"He answered, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?" (ESV) 

(Romans 1:26-27)"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.  For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." (ESV) 

(1 Corinthians 6:9-10)"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (ESV) 

(1 Timothy 1:8-10)"Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine," (ESV) 

(Jude 1:7)"Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." (ESV) 

Homosexuality and transgenderism are sinful lifestyles that violate God's creative design.  Pride Month encourages people to celebrate rebellion against God.  The people living these lifestyles and the people who applaud them, need to repent of their sin and trust Christ alone for salvation. 

The Bible And Pride Month: Part 1 (Old Testament)

Our society has proclaimed June to be Pride Month.  We are suppose to celebrate and applaud homosexuality and transgenderism.  But the ultimate authority is God, so we turn to God and his Word for truth and reality.  In Part 1 we will look at the Old Testament.  

(Genesis 1:27)"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (ESV) 

(Genesis 2:24)"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (ESV)

(Genesis 19:1-29) In this passage God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their great wickedness.  Here the sin of homosexuality shows how far down the path of depravity and wickedness the people had gone.  This is where the term sodomy came from.  

(Leviticus 18:22)"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination." (ESV) 

(Leviticus 20:13)"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." (ESV) 

(Deuteronomy 22:5)"A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God." (ESV)

(Judges 19:22-30) This passage is similar to the Genesis 19:1-29 account of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Here the nation of Israel had descended far down the path of wickedness and depravity, illustrated by the sin of homosexuality.  They had become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.   

Homosexuality and transgenderism are sinful lifestyles that are an abomination to God.  They should not be celebrated and applauded.  

Transgender Kids And Sports

A controversial issue in our modern society is whether someone born as a male who has "transitioned" to being a female can play sports on a girl's team.  The fact that we have such a controversy shows just how foolish our society has become.  We have confused kids being led astray by adults who have no clue.  

What we have seen in our modern culture is a shift from a Christian worldview to a secularist worldview.  Of course secularism is rooted in unbelief.  At the root of the transgender debate is the question of authority.  Is your gender determined by you or by God?  Do you recognize God as God or do you try to be your own god?  

We do not know who we are because we do not know who God is.  God is the ultimate authority, not us.  God is the Creator, we are the creatures.  If you were born as a male, you are a male.  If you were born as a female, you are a female.  You are who God created you to be.  Unbelief always end up in absurdity such as the idea of transgenderism.  It is simply rebellion against God.  

(Genesis 1:27)"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  (ESV)  

Pride Month

 In case you did not know June is Pride Month.  The purpose of Pride Month is to celebrate the LGBTQ community.  The LGBTQ movement is being promoted by government, corporations, the education system, the entertainment industry, the news media, the sports media, and even some inside the church.  There seems to be a lot of confusion in our society.  So to clear things up we turn to the Lord Jesus himself.  

(Matthew 19:4-5)"He answered, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?"  (ESV) 

In this passage Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24.  Here we have the Son of God affirming the authority of Scripture because it is the Word of God.  

"He who created them from the beginning made them male and female", just think about that.  This one verse alone refutes the whole notion of transgenderism.  God made you male or female, man or woman.  You are who God created you to be and have no authority to try and change that.  Transgenderism is a sin, it is rebellion against God's creative design.  

God created them male and female, Adam and Eve.  A man is to marry a woman and have sexual relations with her.  People of the same sex cannot get married or become one flesh.  Homosexuality is a violation of God's design for marriage and sexuality.  It is a sin, rebellion against God's creative design.  

Pride Month is simply a celebration of sin and rebellion against God.  All those in the LGBTQ community and all those who give their approval to such things need to repent of their sin and trust Christ alone for salvation. 

Was Jesus Silent On Homosexuality?

Some people say that Jesus was silent on the issue of homosexuality because he does not mention it in the Gospels.  But that is not the case.  

-The entire Bible is the Word of God.
-Jesus is God.
-Therefore the entire Bible is the Word of Christ.
-The Bible says homosexuality is a sin.
-Therefore Jesus says homosexuality is a sin.

It is simply a matter of whether one considers Scripture authoritative or not.  

Tony Campolo Endorses Homosexual Marriage

Eastern University professor, Tony Campolo has recently endorsed homosexual marriage.  Campolo has been a prominent member of the "Evangelical Left" for many years.  In the 1990's he served as a spiritual adviser to President Bill Clinton.  

Tony Campolo said that after hours of prayer he came to the decision to endorse same sex marriage.  In reality Campolo did not need to spend hours in prayer about this issue.  God has already told us that homosexuality is a sin.  God sees it as an abomination because it is a violation of his design and creation. The Bible is very clear on the issue of homosexuality.  Marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman.  

It comes down to a question of Biblical authority.  Campolo ends up denying the authority of the Bible as God's Word.  There is no doubt on what the Bible teaches about homosexuality.  It is a sin and there is no way anyone can believe the Bible and support homosexual marriage.  

Tony Campolo's wife has supported same sex marriage for years.  One wonders if Tony Campolo has not actually supported it himself all these years.  He is terribly deceived and continues to go astray.  
 

Supreme Court Legalizes Same Sex Marriage

Not surprisingly in a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has legalized same sex marriage in all 50 states.  There is nothing in the Constitution about same sex marriage and the government has no authority to redefine it.  In his dissent Justice Scalia called the Court a threat to American democracy.  While Justice Kennedy writing for the majority spoke of the Constitution evolving.  In other words the Constitution has no set meaning and means whatever the Court decides.  It is rule by nine lawyers.  President Obama and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton praised the decision.  Both Obama and Clinton are professing Christians, yet both deny Biblical authority.  

The Bible is the Word of God.  Therefore the Bible is authoritative and binding on all people.  It clearly teaches that homosexuality is a sin (see Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:8-11, Jude 1:7).  In (Matthew 19) Jesus affirms that marriage is between one man and one woman.  God considers homosexuality an abomination and unnatural.  It is a violation of his design and creation. Those living the homosexual lifestyle, as well as all unrepentant sinners are on the road to hell.  Marriage is defined by God and not by humans.  Our society has denied the existence of absolute truth, thereby rejecting an authority outside of ourselves. 

No doubt the Secular Left will object to the Biblical basis for the opposition to same sex marriage.  They will accuse Christians of trying to impose their beliefs on society.  Yet at the very same time they see no problem with their pro same sex marriage position being based secularism.  Of course they are not imposing their beliefs on society.  The Left is only tolerant of those who agree with them.  The Secular Left will not stop with just the legalization of same sex marriage.  Religious freedom will be in great danger.  They want to eradicate Biblical Christianity from our society.  They hate Christianity and see it as the real enemy.   

The acceptance of homosexual marriage has been presented as a battle for equality and civil rights.  They have compared being homosexual to being black.  This is a terribly faulty argument.  Skin color and sexual behavior are not the same at all.  Black people should find this argument terribly offensive.  Actually homosexuals have not been denied the right to marry.  They just have to marry a member of the opposite sex because this is what marriage requires.  But what about the love two homosexual people have for each other?  Is it actually love that is shared between the same sex partners?  Actually love has been redefined as well.  Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13).  Homosexuality is a sin or wrongdoing, therefore it is not actually love that is involved in the homosexual relationship, instead it is a distortion of love.  

If humans define what marriage is, why can't a man have two or three wives?  After all he was born with these desires.  What about a man who decides he wants to marry an animal?  I know the LGBT community will be offended by this one.  Are they suggesting that animals and humans are not equal?  Animal rights activists will not be happy to hear of this denial of equality and rights.

People are not born homosexual because God does not create them that way.  The idea of same sex marriage is absurd and insane.  It also opens the door to even more absurdity and insanity as I have just demonstrated.  It should be common sense that a man and a woman are made to go together.  While a man and a man and a woman and a woman do not go together.  If everyone became a homosexual the population would die out.  Of course the Secular Left might see this as an effective form of population control.    

In actuality the Supreme Court ruled the way it did because this is where our society has gone.  Many support the acceptance of homosexuality as normal while many others simply do not care.  Our country has gone morally insane.  It has redefined love, redefined marriage, rejected absolute truth, and rejected the God who is there.  Our nation is in rebellion against God.  It not only does evil, it even applauds and approves of those who do evil.  Our country is under God's judgment and is facing his wrath.   

Presbyterian Church (USA) Embraces Homosexual Marriage

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has officially endorsed homosexual marriage.  This comes as no surprise because the denomination has been on the wrong track for nearly a century.  The PCUSA has been captive to theological liberalism since the days when it removed J. Gresham Machen, the great defender of Biblical Christianity, from the denomination.  

The Presbyterian Church (USA) should no longer even be considered Christian.  There are still some true Christians in the denomination but the leadership and the denomination as a whole are not truly Christian.  

The Bible plainly says that homosexuality is a sin (Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Leviticus 18:22).  But the PCUSA has rejected the authority of Scripture and elevated human reason and experience over it.  The rejection of the ultimate authority of the Bible is a rejection of the ultimate authority of God.  

The Presbyterian Church (USA) and other liberal Protestants have rejected Christianity and are regressing toward paganism.  As Machen said liberalism is not Christianity at all.  True Christians in the PCUSA should leave it.  Presbyterians should move to the Presbyterian Church In America.  The PCA is a conservative, Bible believing denomination.  

Even more troubling may be that some Evangelicals are embracing homosexuality.  Evangelicals are supposed to be the ones who hold to the authority of the Bible.  In Evangelicalism many have elevated their own experience over the Bible.  Our own experience and feelings cannot be trusted because they are tainted by sin.  The Bible is authoritative because it is from God.  

Will Evangelicalism go the way of theological liberalism?  Will it follow the culture into paganism?  Biblical Christians must stand strong for the truth of God's Word even if it means being unpopular with the surrounding culture.  

The Case Against Same Sex Marriage

So here we are in post Christian America debating whether or not to legalize homosexual marriage.  Most of the arguments we are hearing in favor of traditional marriage seem somewhat weak.  This is because they adopt the assumptions of secularism.  They adopt the secularist doctrine that God must be absent from the public square.  If marriage has no standard definition, then basically anything goes.  If homosexuals can get married then why can't polygamy also be legalized?  Or how about two men and three woman?  If it is just a matter of opinion and personal feelings all of these things must be accepted. 

Without an authoritative definition of marriage, it becomes meaningless.  When marriage is rendered meaningless then society suffers.  The family is the basic unit of society, and it is founded on marriage between one man and one woman.  Also if same sex marriage is legalized what will become of religious liberty?  If someone says it is a sin will they be charged with a hate crime? 

But when we look to the God who is there we find that his original intent in creating marriage was one man and one woman for life (Genesis 2:24).  We also see that he considers homosexuality an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), and unnatural (Romans 1:26-27). 

In fact Romans 1:18-32 indicates that the practice and acceptance of homosexuality is a sign of moral disintegration and the breakdown of society.  It also indicates that this is a sign that a society is under the judgment of God.  The real problem is that we have exchanged the truth about God for a lie (Romans 1:25).  All this results from our rejection of the one true God, and our practice of idolatry. 

Same sex marriage will probably become legalized in our entire country eventually as the tide of secularism and paganism sweeps across the land.  All of this will result in the eventual destruction of our country.  Christians and conservatives must stand against it.  We must stand strong and proclaim the truth even if it is not popular.