June is the month where the cultural war flows to the forefront. It is the month where we see one of the greatest divides in our nation. Conservative vs. liberal. Moral vs. immoral. For an entire month, the gay pride agenda is rammed down American throats. Society caters and capitulates to aggressive posturing of the movement. Silence on the issue is seen as either passive support or opposition, depending on who you ask on either side of the issue.
Politically, Democrats tend to have a pro-homosexual agenda while Republicans have more of an anti-homosexual agenda. However, this is a generalization and knowing where individuals really stand is as murky as the muddy Maumee River!
Presidents Obama and Biden are both viewed as pro-homosexual based on their statements and stances. However, there was a time when they proclaimed a legitimate marriage to be between a man and a woman. President Trump is viewed as anti-homosexual even though he has stated that he is “fine” with gay marriage.
During June, organizations with a strong public presence felt the tend to voice their support. This was true even with the NFL. Remember, this is baseball season. The NFL is quiet during the summer months and their season doesn’t begin until September 5th. Still, they felt the nend to step into the cultural war. At the beginning of the month, of the 32 teams, 21 teams tweeted their support for pride month while 11 remained silent. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons all chose to say nothing.1 Since I write these devotions earlier in a month, by the time you read this, that could have changed.
There is so much wrong with Pride Month. First of all, let’s talk about pride. James 4:6 says, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Any person, group, cause, or nation that celebrates pride in anything is on dangerous ground. We often talk about American pride. However, where has that pride gotten us spiritually? We are in a nation that is rapidly turning its collective backs on the God and Biblical principles upon which the nation was founded. Pride sets us in a place where God MUST resist us.
Second, taking pride in sin compounds the problem. And, yes, homosexuality IS a sin. It isn’t normal. It isn’t right. It isn’t Scriptural. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that homosexuality is a sin. Romans 1:18, 26-27 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness… (26) 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: (27) 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.”
In Genesis, we see the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Reading the account in Genesis clearly shows the rampant perversion of the people and this is where we get the term sodomites. What might surprise us, though, is that homosexuality wasn’t where all the sin started. Ezekiel 16:49-50 says, “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. (50) And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” Notice that PRIDE is the first thing mentioned. Their haughtiness led to their abomination. PRIDE is how we got where we are at today in our nation.
The church CANNOT be silent on this issue. However, the church must be careful that it doesn’t convey any kind of hate towards homosexuals. Saying that homosexuality is sin is NOT hate speech. It is speaking the truth and we are bound by Scripture to “speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15) The truth isn’t just that homosexuality is sin. The truth is also that “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) As Christians, we are reminded in 2 Corinthians 5:18, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” THIS is our ministry – a ministry of reconciliation, love, hope, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Let’s not forget the words of an C. Austin Miles hymn:
I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord.
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, “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, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
1https://www.foxnews.com/sports/11-nfl-teams-so-far-decline-bow-pride-month-messaging
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