NewDayvotional

From the pastor for the people

Jesus and Homosexuality, Part 2 of 2

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I once received the following email:

“In the future when you want to talk about gay people in your sermons, just say what Jesus said about the subject, and that is nothing, nothing at all…Show me a quote by Jesus that is DIRECTLY condemning homosexuality, and the answer is, you can’t.. so don’t you do it either.” 

I can only assume that if I receive such feedback from time to time, you (the people of New Day Church) do as well. I’d like to share a biblical response that I would encourage you to share, as you have opportunity. As you share, don’t forget the biblical guidelines for doing so. For it to be biblical, we have to share with “…gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Now Jesus absolutely said something on the topic of homosexuality, which I covered in depth in my previous post Jesus and Homosexuality Part 1. But let’s pretend for a moment that he didn’t. The argument “Jesus said nothing about homosexuality” is still fatally flawed for the following four reasons: 

  1. It’s an argument from silence. 

There are lots of things Jesus never mentioned that clearly violate God’s moral. Are we really to believe that Jesus didn’t care about incest, rape, abortion, human trafficking, wife-beating or child-molesting just because He said nothing about them? There are any number of immoral behaviors Jesus did not mention by name; surely we don’t condone them for that reason alone! What reason do we have for believing that Jesus’ ostensible silence on any issue, should be understood as his support for it? The answer is “Absolutely none.” 

  1. The argument wrongly assumes that the Gospels are more authoritative than the rest of the books in the Bible. 

At no point did Matthew, Mark, Luke or John say their books should be elevated above the Mosaic Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy) or, for that matter, any writings yet to come. What the Bible does say is that “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). This verse assigns equal value to all books of the Bible, which prevents us from elevating some (i.e. the Gospels) over others (i.e. the Torah or the Pauline Epistles). 

Even if the Gospels were silent on the subject of homosexuality (which they are not), that would in no way condone homosexual practice. The entirety of biblical teaching must be taken into account before we can make conclusions concerning what the Bible actually teaches on any given subject. Again, even if the Gospels were silent on the topic of homosexuality (which they’re not), the rest of the Bible certainly isn’t. And the books of the Bible outside of the Gospels are just as authoritative as the Gospels themselves, for they were just as much “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) as the Gospels.

  1. The argument wrongly assumes that the Gospels are more comprehensive than they really are. 

The Gospels do not provide us with all we need to know by way of doctrine and practical instruction in Christian living. That’s why God gave us the rest of the Bible – the books outside of the Gospels. We need all of it to learn to walk in God’s ways. 

  1. It presumes to know all of what Jesus said. 

The Gospels never claim to include everything Jesus taught. On the contrary, they teach the exact opposite. The apostle John wrote in John 21:25, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” This means that we don’t have in the Bible a record of every miracle or teaching of Jesus.

I’m not claiming that Jesus said something on homosexuality that we don’t have written down, only that based on John 21:25 we cannot rightly conclude that Jesus’ silence on a subject automatically means that he never said anything on that topic.

CONCLUSION: A specious argument is an argument that is superficially plausible, but actually wrong. That is precisely the case when it comes to the argument “Jesus said nothing about homosexuality.” It looks good from far, but turns out to be far from good. At first glance it appears structurally sound, but if you test the foundation by the Word of God, it all comes crashing down.

Jesus and Homosexuality, Part 1 of 2

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I received an email this week that stated the following:

“Although in your eyes, it may not be right to be gay…in God’s and Jesus’s eyes, they are accepting and loving of it.” 

If you received such an email…or if a family member, friend or co-worker said something along these lines…how would you respond? I’d like to share what I believe is a biblical response and would encourage you, as God provides the opportunity, to share this response “…with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

1. Jesus forbid “sexual immorality” which included homosexual behavior. 

Jesus said in Mark 7:21-23, “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” [that is, morally unclean] “Sexual immorality” in this context refers to “sexual acts that are morally objectionable.” Since Jesus said these things to his disciples, who were Jews, we must look to the Mosaic Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy) as the standard for right and wrong. In the law of Moses, forbidden sexual sins include (but are not limited to) incest, adultery, homosexuality and bestiality (see Leviticus 18:6,20,22,23).

So: 1) Jesus said that “sexual immorality,” a catchphrase for all sexual sin forbidden in the Mosaic law, was evil and made a person morally unclean. 2) Homosexuality is listed as a forbidden sexual practice within the Mosaic law. 3) Therefore, it is grossly misleading to imply in anyway that Jesus supported the homosexual lifestyle. He wasn’t silent on the subject and what he said explicitly categorized homosexual behavior as immoral. 

Imagine with me a parent grounding his kid from “technology” for a week. Within that time frame the kid is caught using his phone. He tries to justify his actions saying “You never said anything specifically about using my phone!” Would the parent accept his justification? Of course not! The punishment was “no technology.” Technology is a catchall phrase that encompasses phone usage. 

In the same way, Jesus forbid “sexual immorality.” For the homosexual to try and justify homosexual acts saying “Jesus never said anything specifically about homosexuality” is just as dishonest as the kid saying to his parents “You never said anything specifically about my phone.” It doesn’t matter if it’s mentioned specifically or not. “Sexual immorality” is a catchall phrase for all sexual sin that encompasses the homosexual lifestyle. 

2. Jesus taught that God’s created intent for human sexuality was heterosexuality.  

Jesus said in Mark 10:6-9, “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Jesus makes clear here that God’s created intent for human sexuality is heterosexuality. By explicitly pointing to heterosexuality as God’s standard, Jesus implicitly condemns any lifestyle that falls short of that standard – which includes, but is not limited to, the homosexual lifestyle. 

It may be helpful to think of it this way…If the speed limit says 35mph, then 35mph is the standard. Any speed over that standard is breaking the law.

3. Jesus affirmed the Old Testament law, which clearly does not affirm the homosexual lifestyle.  

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Jesus accepted and affirmed the law – the law that forbids homosexual practice (see Leviticus 18:22, 20:13). One of the reasons why proponents of same-sex intercourse think that they can enlist Jesus in their cause is that they labor under a popular misconception; namely, that Jesus was far more tolerant on sexual matters than his Jewish contemporaries. But precisely the opposite is true. On matters relating to sexual ethics Jesus adopted stricter, not more lenient, demands that most other Jews of his time. For example, in Matthew 5:27-28 Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus here takes the baseline standard of the Mosaic Law (don’t commit adultery) and then raises it (don’t even lust). So we see that Jesus’ expectations regarding sexual purity exceeded the expectations both of the Mosaic Law and of the traditions prevailing in Jesus’ day. And so we see that Jesus did not overturn any prohibitions against immoral sexual behavior in Leviticus or anywhere else in the Mosaic Law. 

CONCLUSION: The idea that Jesus was, or might have been, personally neutral or even affirming of homosexual conduct is revisionist history at its worst. The portrayal of a Jesus as a first-century Palestinian Jew who was open to homosexual practice is simply ahistorical. All the evidence leads in the opposite direction. In light of the clear teaching of Jesus we can only conclude that those who find in the Gospels a Jesus who is a prophet of tolerance, who forgives and accepts all, regardless of behavioral change, have distorted the historical reality of what Jesus actually taught.

Answering Objections to Faith in God

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Have you ever tried sharing your faith in Jesus with a friend or co-worker and had them respond something like this:

  • After doing independent research, I’m mostly leaning towards the fact that God is nonexistent.
  • The bible is constantly contradicting itself on many issues.
  • Honestly looking at it from an unemotional and completely logical perspective, the God in the bible is a terrible entity and not someone I want to worship any longer. He allows suffering and disease and murders people who choose not to be on his side and we’re supposed to believe he’s loving and just in doing these things because he has more power over us?
  • Why give “blessings” to one human and allow another to suffer? Because of some divine plan? Because he’s trying to win this eternity-long bet with Satan? It doesn’t make sense and even if it did, there is no love from a God like that.
  • People only believe in a God because it makes them feel good and makes them feel as though they have a purpose in life and are a part of something greater. When you look at it from a logical and factual perspective, it doesn’t add up in any way, shape, or form.
  • Preachers only want your money!

I believe comments like this deserve a response. Since I myself have replied to comments like these on a number of occasions, I thought I’d write this post and share with you how I respond in such situations. My hope is that this post will better equip you to reply with grace and truth (John 1:17) like Jesus.

When people tell me that logic has led them to conclude that God doesn’t exist, here’s how I respond:

You are not looking at things logically. How logical is it to see a watch and conclude there is no watchmaker? Or how logical is it to see a painting and conclude there is no painter? In the same way, how logical is it to look at creation and conclude there is no Creator? Both common sense and logic would lead us to conclude that where there is a creation, there is also a Creator. This is why the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:20, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” NLT We will have no excuse on judgment day for not believing in God. All of creation declares there is a Creator. Here’s a link to a sermon I did entitled “Does God Really Exist?” http://newdaychurch.cc/messages/does-god-really-exist/ I would encourage you to take a listen. I think you will find it helpful.

When someone tells me the Bible is full of contradictions, here’s how I respond:

Concerning supposed contradictions in the Bible, would you mind passing some along? If you’re open to it I’d love the opportunity to address whatever may appear as a contradiction. If you’d rather study this for yourself, here is a book I would highly recommend that addresses the claim that the Bible contradicts itself. It takes the supposed contradictions and shows you how they are actually not contradictions at all. https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Bible-Difficulties-Revelation/dp/0801071585/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518037046&sr=1-5&keywords=bible+contradictions If you’re interested in this book I’d be happy to mail you a copy for free. Just let me know 🙂

When someone blames God for the suffering that exists in the world, here’s how I respond:

Suffering is the result of mankind’s rebellion against God. I don’t think you’re doing it on purpose, but in blaming God for the suffering in the world, you are blaming him for something that you and I (and the rest of humanity) are actually responsible for. Sickness, disease, suffering, famines, natural disasters and the like – are all the result of sin entering the world. Genesis 1-2 tells us 7x that the world God originally created was good. The question begs “Well then what happened?” And the answer is that sin entered the world. When sin came, along with it came suffering and death. This is just as God told Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:27, “…you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”) For more on this, check out this sermon I did called “How Can a Good God Allow Evil & Suffering?” http://newdaychurch.cc/messages/how-can-a-good-god-allow-evil-suffering/ If you choose not to follow God, that’s your choice, but don’t let it be because you’re blaming him for something that you and I are actually responsible for.

When someone says that people only believe in God because it makes them feel good, here’s is how I respond:

I can’t speak for others, but I don’t believe in God because doing so makes me feel good. I believe in God because Creation reveals his existence. And I believe in Jesus because history proves that he rose from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proves his truth claims (that he was and is the Son of God, the Savior of the world). For more on this, check out my sermon “Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?” http://newdaychurch.cc/messages/did-jesus-really-rise-from-the-dead/

Finally, when someone says that all preachers do is beg for peoples money, here is how I respond.
I can’t speak for others, but as a preacher, I personally have never begged for 10% of anyone’s income. Our mission at New Day is to make disciples. Since stewardship is part of discipleship, we sometimes teach what the Bible says about money. If you don’t like that we sometimes teach on money, you don’t have a problem with us – you have a problem with God. We didn’t write the Bible. God did (through human mediums). It’s like this…If you go to a restaurant and don’t like the food, you are free to attack the waiter, but the person you actually have a problem with is the chef. In the same way, preachers are just God’s waiters. He’s the Chef.
 The apostle Peter instructs us “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV84) I hope this post assists you in doing just that!

Groups Guard You From Being Easy Prey for Satan

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1 Peter 5:8 says “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Satan’s goal is to rip your spiritual head off and he’s looking for people who are vulnerable. Satan’s like a wolf – he’s going to go after the easy target – after those not in a group, because they don’t have the same spiritual protection that believers in a group have. It’s too hard to get to someone that has the spiritual protection and covering a group provides. Satan’s just going to go after someone that’s all alone.

In a group you have people watching out for you. Take a look…

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:15 says “…always seek after that which is good for one another…” NASB Do you have that? Do you have someone or a group of people looking out for your spiritual good?
  • Hebrews 13:17 says of church leaders “…they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” Your group facilitator and the other members of your group have the responsibility to watch out for your soul. Don’t you like the sound of that? I do! I like the idea of others who are watching out for my soul. Mark 8:36 says you can forfeit your soul (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?). Well, you won’t forfeit your soul (turn away from the Lord or become easy prey for Satan) when others are watching out for it.

In this way groups help guard you from becoming easy prey for Satan. To sign up for a growth group visit www.newdaychurch.cc/groups

What’s Jesus Doing in Heaven? Part 2

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We simply must understand what Jesus is currently doing in heaven. If we don’t understand what role He is currently playing in heaven, we’ll never understand what role we must currently play on earth. So what’s Jesus doing in heaven?

Second, He’s leading his priests in doing God’s work (1 Peter 2:9). 

In the Old Testament the high priest would coordinate all the other priests in doing God’s work. Some would take care of the sacrifices, some would help with counseling, some with teaching God’s word, some with leading worship, some with collecting tithes and others with maintaining the Temple.

In the same way, Jesus (as our High Priest) leads us in doing God’s work. You see, the Bible says that we (the church) are God’s priests. First Peter 2:9 says, “…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests…” As High Priest, Jesus acts as a general contractor, coordinating all the sub-contractors. Some lay the foundation, some frame the house, others run the electrical wire, others do the carpentry, others doing the painting, others put in the carpet or tile or hardwood floors, so on and so forth. The goal of the general contractor is to build a house, but the goal of Jesus is to build his church (Matthew 16:18). He leads some to serve in kids church, others on host team, others to teach his Word, others to lead the church in worship, others to produce the service, others to help with administrative tasks like collecting and counting the offerings, preparing the worship guides and maintaining the church offices. But for the church to be built up, everyone has to play their part.

As the priests under Jesus’ authority, we have a responsibility to offer our talents to God to be used to help get people to heaven. Ephesians 4:7 says, “Christ has given each of us special abilities—whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts.” LB And 1 Corinthians 12:7 says that each spiritual gift we are given “is given for the common good.” That is, for the good of the church. So the Bible says that God made you good at what you’re good at so you could help the local church reach people for Jesus. So the question isn’t: Has God made me good at something? And the question isn’t: Does God want to put my talent to work? The question is: Have I discovered my talent?

You see, it’s not just important that you play your part. It’s equally important that you play the right part. If the painter decided he wanted to have a go at framing the house (even though that’s outside his skill set), disaster would result. The same is true in the church. So it’s so important that each of us finds the right fit within the church. Well this is why we offer New Day University (specifically our Connect 301 class). In this class you learn how God has uniquely gifted you as well as where you best fit in the church. If you haven’t already taken this class, you can sign up by clicking here.