In John 8:24 Jesus, speaking to the Jewish leaders said, "... if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." In the King James translation the word "He" is in italics and is meant as an explanatory note. It is not in the original scriptures. In Strong's Greek dictionary, the words the Lord used when He said "I Am," ("ἐγώ εἰμί," in the Greek and pronounced "eg-o' i-mee'") have the following meaning; "I Exist." That statement the Lord Jesus said to the Jews that day applies for all time to all mankind! Except you and I believe that the Lord Jesus exists, now, present tense, we will die in our sins, cut off from salvation. It is imperative then that we believe what Jesus said in His word about Himself.
Someone may say then, I do believe that about Jesus. But there are obscure verses in the Bible that I do not understand and until I am able to understand them, I will hold my belief system in reserve. But I would say to those who may think that way to read John 1:1 which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." and verse 14, which says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." The Lord Jesus exists as the Word of God "made flesh." I am reminded of the time in the Tigard, Oregon church when I asked the question, "is there something in the Word of God you disagree with? What part of Jesus don't you like?" He who was God in the beginning, "was made flesh and dwelt among us." What part of Jesus don't you like?
Homosexuality
What does the Word of God say about homosexuality? Let me say upfront, the Word of God is not politically correct according to today's mores. In Leviticus 20:13 God said among other things through Moses, "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." When "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," The Word of God that "was made flesh, " includes the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 1:26-27, where he said, "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." There is no question that the Word of God considers homosexuality an abomination to God. (If you have been caught up in that error, I would encourage you to "come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. See 2nd Corinthians 6:17-18)
Marriage and Divorce
What does the Word of God say about marriage and divorce? (This is a hard subject.) Again in the Old Testament Moses said in Deuteronomy 24:1-2, "When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife." But the Lord Jesus, who was the Word of God "made flesh," said in Matthew 19:8-9, "Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." And again, in 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 the Apostle Paul said, "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." Now the Word of God says in Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." I am glad that God will judge the adulterers because I don't have the necessary knowledge to make an accurate judgment. The apostle went on to say in 1st Corinthians 6:11, "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." If you have been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, do not turn back to the beggarly elements of the world, (See Galatians 4:9) but rather be content that you have been forgiven. (See Hebrews 13:5-6)
Much more could be said about the above subjects but I won't at this time say more. Suffice it to say that "...to his own master (every man) standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." (See Romans 14:4) And as the Apostle Paul said to Timothy in 1st Timothy 4:16, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." I love that chorus we used to sing in the Tigard church,
The Word of God is right hallelujah to the Lamb,
The Word of God is right hallelujah to the Lamb,
The Word of God is right hallelujah to the Lamb,
Hallelujah to the Lamb.
It makes me walk upright hallelujah to the Lamb,
It makes me walk upright hallelujah to the Lamb,
It makes me walk upright hallelujah to the Lamb,
Hallelujah to the Lamb.
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