And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2)
(Jesus words Mark 10) from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 7 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Porneia (from which we get our word pornography) is illicit sexual intercourse 1. adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc. 2. sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18 3. sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11.
Some say Jesus did not condemn homosexuality.That's simply not true.
20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, (porneia) murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.
Fornications are included in said transgressions against God. It is seen by Jesus as evil. Less you think those are rather strong, politically incorrect ideas, Jesus Himself was the one who said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matt 7) There are others likewise condemned, in fact in the same passage....Then there is the following... "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves...For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 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." (Romans 1)
It needs no explanation.Plain, to the point. As are the words in Jude "7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. "
9 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, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 cor 6)"the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men....(romans 1:18)
That's why there is Christmas. The coming of God's one and only Son into the world. It's a BIG DEAL because SIN IS A BIG DEAL. It's a difference between an eternity with or separated from God. The Corinthians pretty much did it all. They practiced what Paul had just preached in those verses. But there was/is hope when he added this...
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Without Christ there is no hope. NONE.
10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,(Romans 3)the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6)
That Free Gift was given over 2000 years ago.
(Phil) 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Gal 4)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor. 4) 5 The devil led him (Jesus) up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me.....Luke 4)
10 He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth....
Being born again (that is literally "born from above") is an absolute necessity for heavenly occuptation.( 50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 cor 15)
How does one come to Christ? Humbly. 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."(James 4) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works,lest anyone should boast.(Eph 2)
Christmas reminds us of that gift. A gift given by a Holy, Righteousness, God who so loved the world that he gave His only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
It is a Big Deal. Not to be taken lightly, as it is today in this world (and the church, I'm sorry to say)
When you close your eyes in death, it will be too late to say, "Gee God if you really existed, if you really hated sin, if you really...." it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." (Heb. 9:27)14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city
The reality is too horrible to imagine.
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (rev 22) the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, (Homosexuality is called this) murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.(Rev 21)
I do not suspect that anyone will be laughing on the day of judgement. A day when Jesus will either say "well done good and fateful servant enter into the joy of the Lord" Or "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
I am in awe what God has done for us. Everyday I breathe is an absolute gift from God He can remove in an instant. (He gives to all life, breath, and all things... for in Him we live and move and have our being...acts 17)
Just because some marriages between men and women don't work doesn't make it right in any way to condone marriage between two members of the same gender. Two wrongs do not make a right. The argument is all wrong. According to what the Bible says about the subject.
I don't write this out of hate. But out of love. God opened my heart to believe just 20 years ago. 1990. I was at home. Not a church. I cried out, just like that tax collector and God answered. And opened my heart to believe. And believe me I knew it. Heck, most baptists would say a 42 year old man, why brother, that's to old to be saved. Hog wash. God can do anything, at any time, to anyone when He pleases. But God saw it to do it at that time. And no one was more surprised than me. But as Paul said, "woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!"
My prayer is that at the end of my life, I can say, "7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." I pray when you see the manger, you see the cross.
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Simeon,came by the Spirit into the temple,And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “ Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2)
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