John Fyfe
7/9/2015
GOD OR SODOM?
2
Peter 2:10="But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of
uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to
speak evil of dignities."
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2 Peter
2 is a warning about false prophets and false teachers past, present, and
future. "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there
will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing
upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and
because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they
will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep"(2 Peter 2: 1-3
ESV). It is not enough that these false prophets and false teachers deny GOD,
but their intent is to deceive as many people as possible for their own
temporal gain. Peter then gives a history lesson as part of his warning. "For
if GOD did not spare angels when they sinned, but
cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept
until the judgement; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought
a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and
Gomarrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the
ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual
conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds
that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from
trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of
judgement, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and
despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones"
(2 Peter 2:4-10 ESV). Sodom and Gomarrah are an example of
what awaits all those who deny and defy GOD at the final judgement.
What was
happening in Sodom and Gomarrah that was so bad that GOD would make them an
example to future generations? "But before they lay down, the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both
old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we
may know them"(Genesis 19:4-5). Because the word "sex" is not
used in this passage, some people have tried to dilute GOD's word and say that
homosexuality was not the primary sin of Sodom. The
word "know" in verse 5 comes from the Hebrew word "yada". It can be used literally or euphemistically. As a euphemism, it was used many times in Genesis to mean "have
sex". In Strong's Concordance, one of its meanings is "to know a
person carnally". And carnal knowledge is a legal euphemism for sexual
intercourse. Also consider Lot's response in the next verses. "And Lot
went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have
two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray
you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these
men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof'(Genesis 19:6-8). Lot is asking the men of Sodom to not act wickedly. He
even offers his two virgin daughters to serve as their sexual playthings to
keep this abomination from happening. "Thou shalt
not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination"(Leviticus
18:22). "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" (Leviticus 20:13).
Abomination as defined in the Bible means "something disgusting; an
abhorrence", especially involving idolatry. This was daily life in Sodom.
This is why Peter said Sodom was an example to all other ungodly, wicked
people. Again, notice the first part of 2 Peter 2:10="But chiefly them
that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government."
This is the only place the Greek word "miasmos" is used in the Bible.
Miasmos means "moral contamination (properly, the act):
uncleanness". In the Old Testament, one of
the meanings for Sodomite is "unclean". See the consistency in how
GOD views this type of behavior. This is why
Sodom has become a poster child for homosexuality and its ultimate result.
Unfortunately, homosexuality, like other
sins, is still with us. But to my knowledge, no culture changed their marriage laws
to include it. Marriage transcends any laws made by man. "And the Lord GOD
said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet
for him"(Genesis 2:18). "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of
Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis
2:23-24). As
Max Lucado said: "GOD created marriage. No
government subcommittee envisioned it. No social organization developed it. Marriage was conceived and born in the mind of GOD". Maybe
that is why gay/lesbian proponents for years used the term "alternative
lifestyle" to promote their agenda. But using the word alternative
automatically says that this lifestyle is not normal. But the
process worked. It has help lead many people to stop thinking of homosexuality
as a sin, but just a different lifestyle. Suddenly, it was no longer
far-fetched for these proponents to push for same-sex marriage. Earlier, I used
the phrase "deny and defy GOD". Everyone who has lived this lifestyle
has denied GOD by not following his commandments. Now by legalizing same-sex
marriage, mankind is in open and willful defiance of GOD. This brings us back
to the second part of 2 Peter 2:10=" Presumptuous
are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities"(KJV)
or "Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious
ones"(ESV). Presumptuous, bold, willful, not afraid. Changing laws to "validate" sin. GOD created the
institution of marriage. It was perfect as he formed it. Any change, then, contaminates and eliminates the purity of
marriage as GOD intended. You cannot improve on perfection. How then, after the
U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage; could President
Obama have the gall to say: "Today, we can say, in no uncertain terms,
that we have made our union a little more perfect"? You can't make
something that is perfect a "little more perfect"! Is not this kind
of mentality similar to Genesis 3:5="ye shall be as gods" or Isaiah
14:14="1 will be like the most
High"? Bold, willful, not afraid to change laws that GOD ordained in the
beginning. Man putting himself in the place of GOD. Man thinking he can improve
on perfection. Basically, man doing his will instead of the will of his
creator.
In the U.S. Supreme Court decision to
legalize same-sex marriage,
Justice Anthony Kennedy
used soaring language to say everyone has a fundamental right to marry. He, and
the others that voted with him, seem to forget that they do not have a
fundamental right to change any of GOD's laws. The institution of marriage was
created by GOD, not the U.S. Government! The other countries that have legalized
same-sex marriage also have cast aside this fact. Ironically,
the Fourteenth Amendment that was used to "justify" same-sex marriage
was also used to "justify" legal abortion in 1973. Justice Kennedy's
positive-sounding language also hid the real final goal of gay/lesbian
proponents: the death of marriage itself! Here are a few quotes from
pro-homosexual writers, professors, and activists.
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1.
"Opting out of marriage altogether will provide a quicker path to progress,
as only the death of marriage can bring about the dawn of equality for all. "
(Dr.
Meagan Tyler, Lecturer in Sociology at Victoria University)
2.
"The real question that should be debated is not whether gay marriage should
be allowed, but rather, is marriage really something we need anymore?"
(David Vakalis)
3.
"A middle ground might be to fight for same-sex marriage and its benefits
and then, once granted, redefine the institution of marriage completely, to
demand the right to marry not as a way of adhering to society's moral codes but rather to debunk: a myth and radically alter an archaic institution."
(Michelangelo
Signorile)
4.
"And after all, we are advocating the destruction of the
centrality of marriage and the nuclear family unit... "
(Ryan
Conrad)
5.
"The gay movement, whether we acknowledge it or not, is not a civil rights movement, not
even a sexual liberation movement, but a moral revolution
aimed at changing people's view of homosexuality."
(Paul
Varnell, Chicago Free Press)
6.
" ... fighting for gay marriage generally involves lying about what we are
going to do with marriage when we get there=because we lie that the institution
of marriage is not going to change, and that is a lie. The institution of
marriage is going to change, and it should change. And again, I don't think it should
exist."
(Masha Gessen, journalist)
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Notice
some phrases used: death of marriage, moral codes, moral revolution, and don't
think it should exist. Remember that GOD created marriage in the beginning and
it was perfect. Any change to something perfect means
contamination, devaluing, less than perfect. Acceptance
of the term "alternative lifestyle" led to civil unions. Acceptance
of civil unions led to same-sex marriage. Now that same-sex marriage
has been legalized, what is next? Chief Justice John Roberts, in his dissent, alluded to the possibilities. He mentioned
polygamy, but others are possible. If you want to
be freaked out, look at the other types of relationships
mentioned with homosexuality on the no-no lists in Leviticus 18 and Leviticus
20. Devaluing marriage, as GOD intended, could lead to all kinds of disturbing possibilities.
Why do
these activists want to change, dilute, and ultimately destroy the institution of
marriage? Because it was ordained by GOD and he put certain constraints in
place. GOD says, "A man and a woman". Man says, "Let's try other combinations". GOD says, "I AM IT. No other
gods". Man says, "A
god in charge of this, a god in charge of that...". "Professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the
uncorruptible GOD into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
four-footed beasts, and creeping things" (Romans 1:22-23). "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" (Romans 1 :26-27).
In the ESV, verse 27 is more explicit: "men committing shameless
acts with men". Proponents of same-sex marriage and other like-minded
atrocities are fighting against GOD, whether
they admit it or not. And why is GOD upset? Not only did he
set up the institution of marriage in the beginning, GOD uses it to represent
his relationship with the church in his kingdom. "And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto
the marriage supper of the
Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of GOD "
(Revelation 19:9). All those who don't want to keep GOD's law regarding
marriage shouldn't expect to be invited to the best marriage supper ever. But
then, they probably don't want to be there anyway.
With the successful push to legalize same-sex marriage, gay/lesbian activists now feel empowered to shove their agenda down everyone's throat. "And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door"(Genesis 19:9). This is the change we are experiencing now. It is not a change in the sinful act itself: it is a change in the attitude of those committing the act and those who no longer think the act is a sin. This attitude is having disturbing results. If one does not cow down to this "new majority", they are vilified, slandered, and run out of business. Is this not what happened to Lot in Sodom? He simply asked the men of Sodom not to act wickedly toward his guests. Their response was to accuse Lot of being a judge and threaten him with who knows what. Homosexual rape? Death? Both? Only GOD knows. It was the final straw for Sodom; will it be the fmal straw for today's world? The book of Jude is very similar to 2 Peter 2 in its warning against false teachers, immoral lifestyles, and those who speak evil of GOD and his faithful followers. "just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones"(Jude 7-8 ESV). GOD or Sodom???