If You Only Knew

“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:28-32).” So, I am talking with another Christian the other day and the topic of homosexuality comes up. It seems like that is the only topic anybody can talk about these days, but it has to be addressed. The individual I was talking to was of the opinion that homosexuality was something we should embrace. After I disagreed with their belief they asked me, “Do you know anybody who is gay?” I said, “Yes, I do,” and they didn’t press the issue. I didn’t say this at the time because I didn’t want to get into an argument, but I thought to myself, “Were they thinking that I had come to my conclusions because I didn’t know a homosexual and that if I did know one I would think differently?” Is this how people determine what is sin and what is not these days? Romans 1 is one of the foundational Bible chapters when it comes to what God thinks about homosexuality. However, I often wonder if Christians not only read the Bible, but do they read all of it? While there is no question in my mind that God believes homosexuality is a sin, there are some other things listed right along with that sin that people seem to overlook or simply gloss over.

The individual I was speaking with is a parent. I wonder what they would have said if I had asked them, “Is it wrong for your children to disobey you?” No doubt they would have answered, “Yes, it is.” Yet, we see right there in Romans 1 that being “disobedient to parents” is listed right along with a host of other sinful acts described as originating from a “depraved mind.” Furthermore, the Bible says that according to God’s law those who practice these things are “worthy of death.” Yes, according to the law of God, a disobedient child is subject to death (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). But, according to the person I was speaking with a disobedient child is something that should be embraced and accepted as okay because they know their child. By their logic the child is not sinning when they are being disobedient. If you take their belief to its logical conclusion you can eventually get to the point where nothing is sin, especially if you know the sinner.  Therefore, things like envy, murder, gossip, slander, hating God, being arrogant, inventing evil, being deceitful, wicked and greedy should be okay as long as we know the person or people practicing these things. Yet, according to the Bible, it is the people who know those who are practicing sin and heartily approve of it that are at fault! Thankfully, because of the death of Jesus Christ, God is not counting the sins of man against us. However, for those practicing sin and perhaps even for those who are approving of their behavior there is a fate worse than death awaiting them; being eternally separated from God in hell. The reason people are practicing the sins mentioned in Romans 1 and other sins is because they do not know God through faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps the individual I was speaking with doesn’t truly know Him either despite their claims; at best they don’t know the truth of the scriptures. Regardless, we have to build our thinking from the Bible not from our own flawed understanding of the world based off our personal relationships and experiences.