The wonderful outpouring of support for Dan Cathy’s stand on traditional marriage resulting in world record single-day retail sales for Chick-fil-A was and still is all the talk of the blogosphere and social media. As for the mainstream media’s coverage of it I have no idea as I do not watch any news most of the time. I would suspect it was scant and slanted if covered at all.

But I think we need to get to the root of the issue that caused the supposed firestorm and that is the blatant, evil hatred of the Left who support the homosexual agenda. Steve Deace commented yesterday on his show and website that gay activists cleverly used victimhood as a ploy to gain sympathy to their cause painting those who oppose their lifestyle as intolerant and bigoted. In fact they are still using this ploy but it is now backfiring on them. The reason is they have become intolerant and bigoted. And they should; they are lost people swimming in a pool of debauchery guided by a reprobate mind:

    “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 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. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:26-32)

What the Apostle Paul is describing here is the carnal mind. We could go into some deep theological discussion on monism and dualism but that would defeat the purpose of what God is trying to teach us here. The simple conclusion is that eventually we are going to get our way with God, at least temporarily. Why? Because if we reject the aletheia truth enough, then God allows us to have our way with ourselves. A look at the eight preceding verses from our passage above gives some insight:

    “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:18-25)

Like all sinners rejecting God’s truth, homosexuals believe they will never receive the wrath of God and that they will either live forever, die and no longer exist, or even some of them believe God will outweigh their good for their bad and let them in heaven. This is not a modern way of thinking for man; it is how the reprobate mind works:

    “Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.” (Psalm 49:11)

The bottom line for this group of sinners is exactly the same it is for all sinners, as it was for us once:

    “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” (Colossians 1:21-23)

They need Jesus. You and I needed Jesus to become righteous and we need Him to live righteous lives. So do homosexuals, adulterers, thieves, murderers, liars, slanderers, you name it. We all need Jesus because as Paul informed the Romans, we are all under wrath because of sin. Some of us have been rescued from such condemnation. Commenting on Romans 1 our old friend Matthew Henry writes:

    “The truth was not to their taste. And we all know how soon a man will contrive, against the strongest evidence, to reason himself out of the belief of what he dislikes. But a man cannot be brought to greater slavery than to be given up to his own lusts. As the Gentiles did not keep God in their knowledge, they committed crimes wholly against reason and their own welfare. The nature of man, whether pagan or Christian, is still the same; and the charges of the apostle apply more or less to the state and character of men at all times, till they are brought to full submission to the faith of Christ, and renewed by Divine power. There never yet was a man, who had not reason to lament his strong corruptions, and his secret dislike of the will of God. Therefore this chapter is a call to self-examination, the end of which should be, a deep conviction of sin, as well as the necessity of deliverance from a state of condemnation.”

So it is with us. We must all examine ourselves to see if there be any “secret dislike of the will of God” in our hearts and minds. It is important to allow the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts because as the heart is so the mind thinks.

Those supporting the homosexual agenda have been given over to a reprobate mind; they’re suffering from stinking thinking. Let us check our hearts for any hatred towards them and ask God to give us hearts like Jesus that will cause us to pray for their salvation and utter His words, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

May the Lord Jesus Christ mightily bless you today and this weekend and please remember to go to church on Sunday.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

If you’re receiving these devotionals for the first time and would like to receive them on a regular basis, please email me at jeffers221@bellsouth.net and use “Please add to Devotional List” as the subject.

    Copyright © 2012 David Jeffers

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,