The Light of the Evening

 The Supreme Court decision of a few months ago concerning the legality of homosexual marriage stirred my heart, as it indubitably did many others who profess to be Christians. However, I found myself stirred in a much different way than I even anticipated, as I fully expected the decision to go the way that it transpired. The common reaction was that of shock and bewilderment, and admittedly I was still greatly jolted by the reality of the decision after it was made. Yet, I found myself questioning how we came to a place in this country where such a sin is glorified and exalted. I feel strongly that much of the blame for the widespread acceptance of such an abominable sin is to be laid at the feet of the religious sector, which has widely accepted all manner of sin in the lives of their members. Without question God’s wrath will be poured out on this wicked, godless country, but I fear more that the judgment to come on the religious sector is entirely unexpected.

            In discussing issues like homosexuality, there is a question that I have often heard posed. It is similar to, “Why should I judge someone because he or she sins differently?” The logic being that since each person is a sinner, he or she cannot judge one whose sin is the practice of engaging in abominable relations, because it is simply just a different type of sin. In all honesty, I must cede that point to a degree. A sinner is not, under any circumstances, qualified to lay judgment on another sinner. Such is the essence of hypocrisy. The problem with the premise, that every person is a sinner and must commit sin, is that it is not biblical in the least. A person can indeed live holy every day and follow the Word of God in precise detail.

            As a result of the philosophy that we cannot judge sin because we all sin, we have a religious world that now will accept all manner of sin and deem it covered by God’s grace. Yet, it must be made evident that the Church of God has an entirely different mandate. To state it plainly, the Church of God must stand against all sin. If we are guilty in point, we are guilty of all. It is the obligation of God’s church to cry out and stand against all sin. Because of this obligation my heart is stirred, because I see expressly the duty of the proclaimed Church of God.

            In a time such as we are living there has never been a greater need for distinguishing between right and wrong, evil and good, and that which is holy and that which is profane. God’s church must make it distinctly clear the difference between sin and holiness. There can be absolutely no blurring of the lines. A general, watered-down, gospel will never suffice, and to which many Church of God institutions have thus resorted. The world, the flesh, and all sin must squashed into oblivion by the sounding of the gospel trumpet and the testimony of those living in accordance to that sound.

            There is no doubt in my heart that Jesus is soon returning, but he is only returning for those truly delivered from sin. How sad it will be in the judgment for billions who performed in religious ceremonies, sang, testified, and regularly attended church, perhaps even a Church of God affiliate, to only find out they did not live to the full gospel? Perhaps they were only guilty in a few points. As James said, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” As God’s people we are opposed to all sin, for any one sin will take a precious soul to an eternal hell. So as it only takes one sin to eternally damn a soul, we can then conclude that such a soul might as well be guilty of every sin.