Tuesday, April 02, 2013

All sexual sin is sin...even the heterosexual sin that I often struggle with


I'm not trying to get in an argument with anyone, but people who use Leviticus as simple property Law are dead wrong in their exegetical interpretation of Leviticus. The entire section often used to tell someone homosexuality is a matter of property law is not addressing property law, and the book of Leviticus is not property law alone. It's Covenant Law, which God made with Israel, and is often called "The Law" or "The Law of Moses." The section often in question is a section dealing with sexual sins of various kinds. That section does indeed indicate that God considers homosexuality a sin. He makes that part of His covenant law with Israel.

However, we Gentiles are not Jewish. Also, the Mosaic Covenant has been completed.

Jesus completed the Law. We are not under Old Testament Law. And, no New Testament believer is allowed to hold Mosaic Law over someone's head. God is not holding it over their head. We are under the "the law of the Spirit" as New Testament (or "New Covenant") believers.

There is something to learn from the Old Testament laws (which include more than the Mosaic Law). We know God is holy, and the laws of the Old Testament do much to reveal His nature to us. In other words, we know well what is not of Him and what offends Him by understanding His laws.

That being said, we are New Testament believers, and must turn to the New Testament for our answers.

Many will say Jesus never addressed homosexuality. While Jesus never mentioned the word, nor the issue directly, He did address sexual sin. See, that's where we're getting all jacked up. We need to be addressing sexual sin, which includes MUCH MORE than homosexuality. In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus addresses the issue of adultery. He basically lumps EVERYTHING that isn't right into that statement. Rather than simply picking on one kind of sin or the other, Jesus nails them all. If it's in our heart, we're in sin. Whew! That's tough!

Further, Jesus says (in layman's terms), "Y'all know how God designed stuff. That's the way it ought to be." In other words, Jesus hearkens back to creation and God's original design. This is what He said: "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?"'"

God created man and woman to be together. #1 The issue is the heart. Anything not right is not right. #2 The design is man and woman. Go by design and have the right heart about it.

Really, A LOT of us are in trouble! You know what the Bible says, "ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." And, you know what, sexual sin jacks all sorts of people up. It's not just homosexuals, but heterosexuals like me commit sexual sin.

And the New Testament has MUCH to say on sin, sexual sin, relationships, marriage and a host of other things that heteros are getting wrong and ignoring every day.

I think it's genuinely interesting that the Jerusalem Council came up with four stumbling blocks Gentiles had to watch for in order to not hinder Jews (ref. Acts 15):
  • Don't eat anything that's been sacrificed to idols
  • Abstain from sexual immorality (NOTE: not one kind, but ALL kinds)
  • Don't eat anything that has been strangled to death
  • Don't eat or mess with blood.
The issue here was hindering the Gospel. Sexual sin and certain food habits would so alienate Gentiles that Hebrews would not care what they were saying about Jesus for what they were doing with their lives.

SEXUAL sin is sin. It's bondage. It's captivitiy. ALL sexual sin. It's ridiculous to only concentrate on homosexuality. ALL sexual sin is sin. 

All sin hinders the Gospel. 

Sexual immorality hinders the Gospel.

When those ol' New Testament boys mention "sexual immorality" they are ALL hearkening back to Old Testament law. Sure, we're not under it; right. You got it. But, we are. WHAT? We aren't under the law for salvation; Jesus takes care of that. BUT, that same law points out all of our bondage and gives words to the things that bind us. We are under it as our tutor; it teaching us of our great need for God's grace.

Often a thief is a thief before they ever learn the word. The Law gives us words for what we already have affections and actions.

What it boils down to is whether we will agree with God or not. It's that simple. Will I agree with God that my eyes often take in what is innocent and my heart treats those images with lust? Yes, I agree. It ain't right, either! 

I don't want to hinder the Gospel. That's what it boils down to me. I am going to agree with God. I am going to seek His help. I am NOT going to try to justify the things I think or do by saying God's not right in His holy nature. 

Sexual sin is sin. Immorality is immorality. Though we are not under Old Testament law for salvation, what it still calls sin is sin. We are under the New Convenant, and I'd maintain ANY DAY OF THE WEEK that it is stricter than the Old Covenant. 

We are tempted to make this thing or that thing the hot topic of sexual immorality.

SEXUAL immorality needs to be the issue. Jesus IS the answer. Let us seek the answer for the issue.

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