Pastor Phillip Lee
Affirming Truth – Not Culture
Homosexual advocates have been very creative in their interpretation of Scripture in an attempt to validate the practice of homosexuality. Many homosexual advocates frequently impart their own personal meanings into biblical texts in an attempt to make personal experience the ultimate test of truth rather than the Truth and Authority of Scripture. However, the Bible does not condone the practice of homosexuality in any of its forms, but in fact condemns it as a damaging sin.
To those that state “The Bible doesn’t condemn homosexuality,” or “The Bible doesn’t say anything about homosexuality,” they usually don’t mean that homosexuality is never mentioned in the Bible, what they normally mean is one of the following: Homosexuality as practiced or viewed today never appears in Scripture, or even though the Bible does speak against homosexuality, what the Bible says does not apply to present day situations.
I remain amazed at how some people today make surprising claims about the biblical attitude toward homosexual behavior. As an example, there are those who would have us believe certain biblical characters were homosexual. Not one individual is named in the entire Word of God as a homosexual. While there are those that would have us believe that Cain and Abel, David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, even Jesus and the “beloved disciple, or Paul and Timothy,” were alleged homosexual pairs, is at best a flimsy, if not a quantum leap by some pro-gay apologists to claim biblical support for their cause and way of living.
When considered objectively, the Scriptures are not silent concerning homosexuality. Within the totality of Scripture, the practice of homosexuality is always mentioned as a violation of God’s divine intent for human sexuality. The major references to homosexuality in Scripture are: Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; Genesis 19; 2 Peter 2:7 and Jude 7. Pro-gay apologists and theologians have interpreted each of these texts in such a way as to eliminate their applicability to the current ethical and moral debate on the issue.
The Holy Scriptures clearly and repeatedly condemn any violation of God’s divine order, whether through immoralities (1 Corinthians 6:16-20) or through perversion of sexual roles (Romans 1:18-32; Leviticus 18:27; 20:13). Today, The Church is continually being challenged to adjust its beliefs and theology regarding sex, to bend, if not bow down to, opinion polls and the many that have embraced science, feelings, notions, and experience over The Truth and Authority of Scripture.
There is no way biblically to arrive at any other conclusion than the practice of homosexuality is a perversion of divine order. Period. Furthermore, to stand and condemn homosexuality in all its forms is not a symptom of homophobia or narrow-minded bigotry. It is to stand on the side of righteousness and truth and to be in obedience to the One who said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) For The Church, God the Father is the only One we should seek to please.
Today, far too many are dismissing and departing from the scriptural model of Christian sexuality. Almost on a weekly basis, I hear, “I know what the Scriptures have to say about living within God’s holy boundary lines regarding sexual expression; however, I am going to follow my feelings and emotions rather than The Truth I know.” What has happened to the fact and reality that God is Holy and calls all of His followers to holiness which points directly to the fact that He is a God to be feared as well.
Christians are the temple of the living God. God has said: “I will be their God and they will be my people. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:16-18) Considering God’s promises, every Christ-follower must purse godliness and holiness and abstain from anything and everything that seeks to contaminate body and spirit.
The Church has always been, as it remains today, God’s vehicle to preserve His Truth and defend His Church against error (Matthew 5:13; 1 Timothy 3:15). Today, other immoralities are aggressively pounding away at the Church’s door, such as pornography, abortion, rampant divorce, and cohabitation. Are we, The Church, to give way before these because the general population approves them?
Yes, today, it really does seem that anything goes. There is no right or wrong. Not only this, but many would have us believe that personal morals are equated with legal rights. Today, sex is looked on more and more as a constitutionally guaranteed right – a right to fulfill one’s biological drives however one see fit. When we commit sexual sin, which is war against our own body, as well as sin against God, we bring negative consequences upon our soul and spirit. The Apostle Peter made this point in 1 Peter 2:11, when he pleaded: “I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.”
As a Christian, meaning I embrace the totality and Authority of Scripture, I could never as a faithful follower of Christ Jesus, encourage, endorse, promote or validate the practice of homosexuality in any form. To do so would be a blatant misuse and contradiction of Scripture.
History dictates, lest we forget, what we, The Church tolerate today will be practiced tomorrow. With holiness and truth as our motivation, we, The Church, must be very careful not to adopt the customs of the world.
Ultimately, when a notion, theory, feeling or personal opinion contradicts the Holy Scriptures, it should be rejected.
Believing in Him and You,
Pastor Phillip Lee
Saturday, April 7, 2018
For ‘Ladies’ Only
For ‘Ladies’ Only offers a safe environment to talk about real issues ladies have and are sometimes too ashamed or afraid to talk about. Come and receive Biblical guidance, prayer and encouragement for your healing journey.
For ‘Ladies’ Only meets on the first Saturday of each month from 9:00am to 11:00am at His Way Out Ministries, Bakersfield Office.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Friends and Family
Friends and Family offers a relaxed, informal meeting available to anyone seeking to understand the complexities of homosexuality and become more effective in reaching those combating same-sex attraction.
Friends and Family meets on the fourth Saturday of each month from 9:00am to 11:00am at His Way Out Ministries, Bakersfield Office.
Pastor Phillip Lee
Without fail, a week does not pass without…
His Way Out Ministries receiving at least one phone call or an email expressing, “Well, I sure didn’t think I would ever be faced with this!” The majority of calls and emails come from pastors and parents due to a child’s or congregation member’s confession of homosexuality. Indeed, homosexuality always seems to be someone else’s problem until it comes knocking on your front door.
More than not, when a family becomes aware of a member’s homosexuality they are devastated. Emotions are in turmoil often manifesting in rage and confusion. Many Christian families know God is the answer, but they are often unable to wrap their mind around how to engage God in what they perceive as needing to be done. When someone we love is homosexual, a son or a daughter, a spouse, a fellow brother or sister in Christ, a friend, how do we maintain a Christ-like position?
Every individual that awakens to their issue of same-gender attraction has already been through quite a process and it really doesn’t matter whether the individual has embraced the gay identity or is still combating and resisting temptation as well as seeking freedom from homosexuality. Often, very often, a parent will respond to the crisis by focusing on their own pain and deep sense of loss forgetting that the individual plagued by same-gender attraction has already experienced a huge amount of pain and loss.
Recently, a Christian friend of many years wrote me and, once again, expressed, “I never thought I would be contacting you with a problem of homosexuality in my family.” The mother was shattered. She responded and reacted with all of the appropriate and right Scriptures. The mother responded and postured herself with all the things that I suppose are understandable when an adult child places his parent in a position like that.
But the son responded with a very interesting and revealing remark. He said, “Mom, you keep telling me how hard this is for you to hear and deal with. Don’t you realize how hard it has been for me these many, many years, being raised in a Christian home and knowing that once this got out it would kill you? Ultimately, I had to make a decision that I knew nobody would be happy with. Please consider and realize that I have my own demons to fight.”
Frankly, there is a great deal of truth in the son’s comments. Whether we agree or not with the son’s ultimate decision or conclusion that he is gay and entitled to act upon his feelings and desires (which I certainly do not), we must admit that he was right in saying he had reached that conclusion after going through quite an intense struggle on his own. Remember, homosexual tendencies are discovered but the gay identity is ultimately embraced. Anyone that has ever wrestled with same-gender attraction doesn’t just wake up one morning and state, “Think I’ll take this ‘gay thing’ out for a spin and see if it fits.”
When any individual discloses their battle with same-gender attraction, their confession enables an intriguing and powerful opportunity to the family and really with anyone that becomes aware.
Can I truly continue to love him for who he is and not for what he does? As a Christ-follower, if we are becoming effective in not putting unrealistic expectations on ‘anyone,’ we are in line to accept them for who they are, not for what we wish they were.
It is God’s part to give those that struggle with same-gender attraction an abhorrence for the behavior – an abhorrence that will bring them to a place of complete surrender to the sovereignty of God in their lives, and a desire to change.
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
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Saturday at 7:00AM
KERI Radio 1410 AM, Bakersfield, CA
The His Way Out Ministries Radio Broadcast airs each Saturday morning at 7:00AM Pacific Time on KERI Channel 1410AM in Bakersfield, California immediately following Focus on the Family. Outside of Bakersfield you can listen online to the KERI Live Stream.
Recent guests include: (Left) Pastor Brandon Holthaus, Rock Harbor Church, (Center) Pastor Pete Baker, Fairfax Assembly of God, (Right) Pastor Roger Spradlin, Valley Baptist Church
Podcasts are available on our website where you can listen or download for future listening and reference. Simply select the Audio Podcasts Category link for a listing.
