“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity” (Hebrews 1:9).
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…” (2nd Timothy 3:16).
This message is part two in a series on Christian discernment – making choices about what to allow in your life individually and collectively, and what Christians should allow in our churches.
Discernment – A quick review of Part 1
Godly discernment is not about what you feel… it is about what God’s Word says!
Now more than ever there is great deception inside and outside our God-honoring churches.
While God is love, He is also a discerning God who happens to hate certain things. In the Bible, God explicitly and specifically tells us what He hates. As Believers we need to study the scriptures to know what God hates, as well as what God loves. God’s discernment is transcendent above mere man, because God alone can accurately judge what is good and what is not good (evil) for Mankind (Isaiah 55:8-9).
POINT 1 – God Hates Sin! God hates/detests/abhors…lawlessness/wickedness/iniquity/ unrighteousness. And know that God does not change (Malachi 3:6/James 1:16).
POINT 2 – God hates abominations, and calls out specific sins, warning Mankind against practicing them. Again, know that God does not change (Malachi 3:6/James 1:16).
THE FILL-IN-THE BLANK ABOMINATION DISCERNMENT TEST
I am a ___________ Christian. I was born again into ___________ ; and God loves _________ in my life. Accordingly, I am proud to be _________, and the Church should embrace __________, and teach it from the pulpits to our families, our communities, and the world.
Proclaiming God, or Proclaiming Godless Abominations?
Try filling in the blanks with the following behaviors: compassion, love, grace, faith, charity, and hope. Oh, for full effect, say these proclamations out loud. Now fill in the blanks with the behaviors of hate, murder, adultery, whoremongering, abortion, and pornography. Again, proclaim these out loud for full effect.
Some of these behaviors should sound wonderful, beautiful and be God-honoring statements while other behaviors should sound ridiculous, disgusting, revolting and horrific; promoting a gut-wrenching or spiritually grieving, visceral response where deep down in your core you are revulsed, disgusted, and sickened!
Those that fall into the latter are clearly abominations! It appears to be a night and day distinction. However, that is not the case in this Laodicean Church Age.
In these closing days of the Church Age, certain abominations are being accepted and even embraced in modern churches. Even if they use this Abomination Litmus Test I provide, many modern church-goers would reach some very different conclusions on what behavior is or is not an abomination, and what is or is not acceptable in Christian lifestyles and churches.
Other Behaviors Vying for Acceptance within the Church
How about witchcraft? Yes, we do have Christians who claim to be openly practicing Christian Witches. Here is a link:
Beyond witchcraft, other behaviors are making headway into Christian lifestyles and churches: eastern yoga, horoscopes, crystal healing, and consulting mediums and psychics.
So, are these behaviors acceptable? Feel free to consider all these behaviors, but let’s put witchcraft through the abomination litmus discernment test.
I am a witchcraft-practicing Christian. I was born again into witchcraft; and God loves witchcraft in my life. Accordingly, I am proud to be a witch, and the Church should embrace witchcraft, and teach it from the pulpits to our families, our communities, and the world.
It sure sounds like an abomination to me. How do you feel? What is your opinion about it?
How about the ladies and men who read the behavior of witchcraft placed in the abomination litmus discernment test and believe it sounds wonderful, beautiful and God-honoring? Aren’t they entitled to their opinion as well?
So, when Christians’ (a loose term these days) discernment differs, whose discernment is right?
THE LORD GOD IS RIGHT!
God does not leave any doubt on this specific topic, providing His clear discernment in His Word. Those who practice witchcraft are an abomination, and witchcraft should not be condoned by His Church, His Bride – the Body of Christ.
Exodus 22:18 “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” <In context only to purify OT Israel>
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations, the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (KJV).
POINT 3 – Because God hates abominable behaviors, they should not be allowed nor condoned within the Church, His Bride, the very Body of Christ. Again, God does not change, as if society could somehow progress beyond God’s Truth (Mal 3:6/James 1:16).
A Final Behavior to Consider for Acceptance within the Church
Given these points, let us do one final “abomination” discernment for a prevalent behavior which is occurring in more and more modern progressive churches. In fact, this behavior has ripped apart churches like no other.
Let’s consider the behavior of the LGBTQ-sex.
For clarity, the behavior in question is not about love between two people, nor cohabitation, but specifically concerns the LGBTQ-sex behavior within the Body of Christ. What happens outside the church which is the worldly realm of Satan until Christ returns is a whole different issue. The question at hand is should LGBTQ-sex be embraced by a Christian, and/or Christian clergy within the Church, His Bride, the very Body of Christ?
Let’s test it:
I am a LGBTQ-sex practicing Christian. I was born again into LGBTQ-sex; and God loves LGBTQ-sex in my life. Accordingly, I am proud to be a LGBTQ-sex practitioner, and the Church should embrace LGBTQ-sex, and teach it from the pulpits to our families, our communities, and the world.
It sure sounds like an abomination to me. How do you feel? What is your opinion about it?
How about the ladies and men who read the behavior of LGBTQ-sex placed within the abomination litmus discernment test and believe it sounds wonderful, beautiful and God-honoring? Aren’t they entitled to their opinion as well?
So, when Christians’ (a loose term these days) discernment differs, whose discernment is right?
THE LORD GOD IS RIGHT!
Leviticus 18:22 “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
Leviticus 20:13 “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” <In context only to purify Israel>
The OT calls out specifically twice that the act of homosexuality (LGBTQ-sex clearly falls with this behavior) is an abomination.
But some LGBTQ-sex proponents say, “The OT called a lot of thing abominations like eating shellfish and birds of prey, or sewing together two different types of cloth.”
Need more discernment? There is more, much more…
1st Corinthians 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Greek – arsenokoites, ar-sen-ok-oy’-tace; a sodomite, homosexual: –abuser of (that defile) self with mankind.
1st Timothy 1:8-11 “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.”
So, in these two passages, homosexuality (LGBTQ-sex) is called unrighteous, lawless and contrary to sound doctrine.
Here is more…
Romans 1:24-28 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind,…”
And there is more…
God judged the LGBTQ-sex abomination so utterly vile, loathsome, detestable, revolting and repellent that He reigned down fire and brimstone upon those who completely gave themselves over to LGBTQ-sex abominations in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-25).
And the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah’s LGBTQ-sex abominations for 3,800 years has been a prime example, warning Mankind.
Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
2nd Peter 2:6 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.”
POINT 4 – God’s Word unequivocally declares LGBTQ-sex an abomination. Like all other sins, God hates this abomination. Again, God does not change, as if society could somehow progress beyond God’s Truth (Mal 3:6/James 1:16).
Godly discernment is not about what you feel…it is about what God’s Word says!
Believers and Bible-believing churches should not condone, let alone affirm abominations within their Church, His Bride, the very Body of Christ.
God bless! YBIC Joe
P.S. This message was delivered in our small, Bible-believing church as it battled our national church organization over accepting, condoning and sanctifying LGTBQ-sex behavior in our churches. Our church took the stance of separating from the national church rather than violate the Word of God.
J&J Ranch Ministries “But as for me and my <ranch>, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
Author’s YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGWbMhR5tdQkhPuV3JRky6Q/
Author’s Belief Statement and the Criticality of Belief Statements
Abomination Discernment Litmus Test – Topical Message #3