A couple of weeks ago I brought a message at MSU and a young lady became upset when I read 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and she came back and stood near me with a handwritten sign that said “God loves gay people too.” I guess she didn’t like the words in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 that says the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God nor the words be not deceived and more specifically the part that says homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God.
So I thought tonight that we’d look at her statement: God loves gay people too. God loves gays. He loves adulterers as well as fornicators and idolaters. The great God of Heaven and earth loves drunkards and thieves too; along with all liars. God loves sinners as well as saints.
God made us and He loves us. No matter how vile of sinner you are, God loves you. He made you in His image. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:27). God breathed life into you when you were born. The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life (Job 33:4).
Our gracious God also is good to unbelievers as well as believers. That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45). God is good. God is love. God is merciful. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
So does God love gay people? Yes He does. He made each and every one of us and He loves all of us. So does this mean that we all get a free pass, that we can live anyway that we want to because God is so loving? No, not all. The apostle Paul says many times in Romans, God forbid! Romans 6:1-2 states What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:14-16 says For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
So even though God loves each and every one of us, our sin separates us from God. Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2). The soul that sins, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20).
We have all sinned. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. None of us are good. So if we are all in the same boat and God loves us, then everything is alright, isn’t it? No. Our sin separates us from God. We physically die because of our sins. We are born spiritually dead because Adam and Eve sinned and every mere mortal has sinned since then. If you die without Jesus Christ, then you not only stay spiritually dead, but you will suffer eternal torments in the lake of fire and brimstone; where you will be separated from the love of God forever.
But wait a minute. I admitted earlier that God made us and God loves us, so how can I talk about sin, Hell and separation from God? Because the Bible talks about these things. Too many people want to focus on the loving nature of God and it is true: God is loving, merciful, gracious, kind and long suffering. But He also has another nature: righteous, just, perfect and Holy. God can’t be all one way or the other. He is full of all of these attributes. If God were all loving and never punished sin, then He would be an unjust God and that is not His character. He is loving and He is also just. He always does what is right, even when we can’t comprehend it.
Back to us though; we are all sinners. We have all come short of God’s glory and our sins have separated us from God. There is nothing we can do to make things right. You and I can’t undo our sins. We can say we are sorry for them and really mean it, but we can’t erase our sins of the past. So all we do on our own is work for death. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Please don’t miss this, because God is so loving, merciful and full of grace, He did what we cannot do. He made a way for us to get back into a right relationship with Him. God sent His only begotten Son to suffer and die on a cruel cross to pay the penalty for our sins. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
Propitiation means that the wrath was satisfied. God poured out His anger over our sins upon His own precious Son. Talk about love, now that’s love! God loves us, He really does! He loves us so much that He sent His Son to be an atonement, to be a sacrifice on our behalf. Because Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, bled and died on the cruel cross, was buried and rose three days later from the grave, He paid our sin debt for us. He paid the penalty that we owe. He made a way for us to be right with God again. He made a way for us to be justified before our righteous and Holy God.
What is our part? To believe this great news. To receive this amazing gift. Salvation is a gift from God. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Jesus is the only Savior. He is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other way and there is no other savior. Jesus, who was fully God and fully man can put us back in a right standing with God.
So tonight, if you are a homosexual, are you willing to give up your sinful lifestyle and come to Jesus? Are you willing to repent and believe the Gospel? If you are an adulterer tonight, are you willing to give up your mistress? Are you willing to stop cheating on your wife and will you turn to Jesus? If you are a drunkard tonight, are you willing to give up the bottle and surrender your life to Jesus Christ? Whatever your sin of choice is, are you willing to turn your back on your sin and put your faith in Jesus? Will you turn away from your sin and turn to the Savior?
Here’s one of the main problems facing many people in America today: they want to claim Jesus Christ and still live selfishly for themselves. This doesn’t work. You can’t foolishly think that Jesus will save you and allow you to continue living in sin. I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing that’s what the young lady from MSU meant a couple of weeks ago. She probably thinks that she can continue living a lesbian lifestyle and that God will love her anyway, that He will accept her just the way she is.
Unfortunately, this young lady is deceived, along with many others. I’ve shared this before, but I was a false convert for 33 years. I used to be an adulterer and a drunkard. I used to claim Christ while I lived my life for the pleasures of the flesh. But I was not really saved, I was lost and still on the broad road to Hell. In Matthew 7:16-20 Jesus said that we will know His disciples by their fruit (or by their works) . When God saves you, He cleans you up. He convicts you of your unrepented sin in your life.
God loved me, even during those years of rebellion against Him. God was merciful to me, to keep me alive for those 33 years while I said no to the Lordship of Jesus and I foolishly thought that I was in control of my life. God is loving, kind and merciful. But one day His patience wears out. One of these day, one more day of rebellion against God will be one day too many for you. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).
God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). God hates all workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5). He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36). He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4). Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4).
When you repent, when you have godly sorrow over your sins, you change your mind about sin. Through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, you decide that you will no longer live for the pleasures of the flesh, but you will live for Jesus from now on. You turn away from your sin and you turn to Jesus. This doesn’t mean that you never sin again. But now you submit to Him. You surrender to His Lordship. You do what He wants you to do. You go where He wants you to go and you say what He wants you to say.
Do not be deceived tonight. One day God will remove His mercy from you and if you die in your sins, you will perish. You will go to Hell. Give up your sin tonight; whatever that sin may be. Because when you are truly saved, you now walk after the Spirit and no longer after the flesh (Romans 8:1).
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead (1 Peter 4:1-5).
When you are truly saved, you no longer live your life for the lusts of the flesh. You turn from your sin and you turn to Jesus. Yes, God loves you and He has been merciful to you by giving you every breath that you have taken to this point. But you can’t cheat death. You were born to die and one day will be your last day. If you die as an unrepentant sinner, then you will no longer experience the love of God. Your burning in Hell will bring glory to God; your suffering forever and ever will point to God’s righteousness. But you will no longer feel God’s love. It will be gone; never to return. Do not die in your sins and perish. Repent tonight and put your faith in Jesus. Come to Jesus tonight. Surrender your life to Him and be saved.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on February 6, 2015)
Perhaps you need to go further into the bible and read what God says about judging others. For example: Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Thank you for your comments and I appreciate that you didn’t stop at Matthew 7:1. I have read all of the verses you quoted & I can assure you that I have already looked for the beam in my own eye.
I used to be a fornicator, adulterer and a drunkard. I no longer do those things. Seven years ago I repented and put my faith in Jesus. But the 33 years prior to that, I would claim that I was saved, even while I was out living for the devil. My hope and prayer is that others will see that they can’t claim Jesus and live for the devil.
I was not being a hypocrite when I posted this blog. I was warning people to flee from the wrath to come. So I sincerely ask you, how is pointing people to God’s truth being judgmental? It’s out of my love for God and love for people that I’m warning them about what the Bible says and it clearly states that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.
It is not judging to say that those who practice homosexuality are not going to Heaven unless they repent, and turn from their sins. What the Bible condemns, I do as well.
Amen Angel!