SHALL WE GO ON SINNING?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Mag ons dan nou die sonde meer maak”
Translator: Robin Barker
I want to share with you about a subject, which is talked about regularly these days.
Before I say anything further, I want to state very clearly that I do not judge “Gay” people. As a child of God, I may not and will never do this. We judge people in my opinion to easily, while we should show compassion and love and without hate.
Jesus says:
MATTHEW 7:1-2
Judging Others
1“Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly]. 2For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you.
Some people say that people who are “gay”, cannot change, I do not agree with this. They also say an alcoholic will always be an alcoholic.
My father was an alcoholic “big time”. He drank a terrible amount. He drank so much that we were always impoverished but when the Lord saved his soul, he never bought alcohol again. The only times that he did drink, was when he visited us, and he and I enjoyed a glass of port.
There is nothing which God cannot correct.
I share with you about the matter how we find it in the Word of our LORD.
Let us look at what the Old Testament says to us about the matter. I know that people reckon that it is part of the law and that we are no longer subject to that law and that is right. But If we really look at the law, we get an idea of how God’s heart beats about this subject:
LEV 18:22 ‘You shall not lie [intimately] with a male as one lies with a female; it is repulsive.
LEV 20:13 ‘If a man lies [intimately] with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed a detestable (perverse, unnatural) act; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.
Again, I want to say that I do not condemn those people, but I hate the sin that goes with this kind of lifestyle. What you are reading, is what GOD is saying.
Now a section from the New Testament:
ROMANS 1:26-27
26For this reason God gave them over to degrading and vile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural [a function contrary to nature], 27and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing.
An article from the newspaper was read to me, just before I wrote this writing, about a Denomination’s synod which took a decision, to allow “gay” people to become a ‘pastor’, while they are living such a lifestyle.
The consequences are that if it is allowed, it must also be consistent with the same criteria toward all people. Questions may then arise: For what reason can a sex worker not also become a pastor? Or: Why can't a sex worker practice his profession as a tent maker in a congregation?
Remember I said that we must have compassion for people, but the sin we must hate.
So, I say that if a prostitute has changed his way, as an example, naturally he could become a leader/minister of a congregation, but certainly not if he keeps on continuing with those practices.
People who say that times have changed, is saying that God could not see into the future that things would change and therefore what was written then about the matter, was only for those people of that time. People want to, with all manner of cleverness, rationalise this or that way, but I look at the Bible as Jesus said we should look at His gospel:
MATTHEW 18:2-3
2He called a little child and set him before them, 3and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
I will rather not try to be clever and attach all kinds of connotations to verses that are in the Bible. I believe in the Bible the way a child does. Each time satan tempted Jesus, He said to satan: “It is written …”
I always say that I have the Bible, which is the highest authority, and I can only quote the Bible when asked.
Naturally I do not have all the answers. Many, many times I say as my great hero Paul said:
1 COR 13:12 For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].
One thing in my life which stands clearly above anything else is, God’s Word, as I received it when I was converted, is my map that directs me to Heaven:
GAL 3:22 But the Scripture has imprisoned everyone [everything—the entire world] under sin, so that [the inheritance, the blessing of salvation] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe [in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s precious Son].
2 TIM 3:16-17
16All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 TIMOTHY 4:1-5
“Preach The Word”
1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. 3For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. 5But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.
The Word of God which Jesus quoted and which His Spirit allowed His Apostles to quote, is good enough for me. I say again that we must love the sinner, in other words, we must love one another, but we must hate the sin and must not tolerate it.
We must certainly not do what a preacher told me, one day, what I should do. His words to me were that He no longer preaches about sin. In connection with this I quote again my great hero Paul:
ROMANS 6:1-4
Believers Are Dead To Sin, Alive To God
1What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow? 2Certainly not! How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer? 3Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways].
Jesus says the following about marriage and the relationship between a man and woman in a marriage:
MATTHEW 19:4-6
4He replied, “Have you never read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED INSEPARABLY TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? 6“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
According to Jesus, right from the beginning, God had determined that marriage would be between man and woman. So much so, that in God’s eyes, they would be as one.
Certainly, Jesus is not speaking about man and man and not of woman and woman being of one flesh.
Because I believe everything which is written in the Word, it is indeed not strange to me, or even surprising, that some Christian organisations approve of same gender marriages. Our Lord says in His Word that these things will occur in the last days:
2 TIMOTHY 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5
“Difficult Times Will Come”
1But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. 2For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3[and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.
Do these circumstances sound familiar to you?
How heart breaking it is to know that people are being, unfortunately mislead by these teachings, but it also excites me, because it also says to me that Jesus’s return is near:
MATTHEW 24:11-14
11Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. 12Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. 13But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. 14This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.
Please take notice of what you have just read, as much as the following – before the end comes – because if the end time come, then it will be too late:
1 COR 6:9-10
9Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by perversion], nor those who participate in homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers [whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander], nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.
(Read further till verse 20.)
If I look around me at the church denominations which are approving of these things, it looks like, to me, that certain “Christian” circles are applying the following law:
“Come people, let us coddle sin and let it increase, so that mercy will increase.”
Our Lord, who can see into the future, also warned us –
Do you remember what you read a little earlier in this writing?
The NIV translation reads as follows:
ROMANS 6:1-4
Believers Are Dead To Sin, Alive To God
1What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow? 2Certainly not! How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer? 3Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways].
The KJV translation reads as follows:
ROMANS 6:1-4
1 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?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Let our lives reflect what we confess to believing.
Greetings,
Sakkie