There is a massive issue of professing Christians in the church who are more loyal to the antichrist than to following the commandments of Jesus. It is becoming harder to call out those who live an antinomian faith, as it seems the majority of Western Christians, anything goes.
Recently on Twitter, April Ajoy, a professing American Christian, tweeted to almost eleven thousand followers an exhaustive list of times Jesus condemns the LGBTQ community. Then provides zero references to make the point that, in her hermeneutical opinion, do not exist.
However, before moving into the question posed, it is essential to note the influence of Marcionism. In reply to the below statement, April divides God in His attributes.
Clearly, with such a statement, April is diving God. This is precisely what Marcionism does – this heresy, started by Maricon, is editing Holy Scripture to separate the Old Testament Yahweh and the Jesus of the New Testament. Maricon wanted to separate the two and attempt to show Jesus as the true Sovereign God, a loving God, therefore different from the Israelite God of the Old Testament. A heresy that has been popularized by the "unhitching for the Old Testament" by well-known preacher Andy Stanley. The issue is not, did Jesus say; it is how to work around difficult texts and find the redeeming story within.
First, a theology lesson for April. Let us utilize several different Protestant Confessions with Scripture references for the ease of not recreating the wheel, as it were. First, the 1689 2nd London Baptist Confession of God and the Holy Trinity.
The Lord our God is but one only living and true God;1 whose subsistence is in and of Himself,2 infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself;3 a most pure spirit,4 invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto;5 who is immutable,6 immense,7 eternal,8 incomprehensible, almighty,9 every way infinite, most holy,10 most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will,11 for His own glory;12 most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him,13 and withal most just and terrible in His judgments,14 hating all sin,15 and who will by no means clear the guilty.16 [1]
1 Cor. 8:4,6; Deut. 6:4 2 Jer. 10:10; Isa. 48:12 3 Exod. 3:14 4 John 4:24 5 1 Tim. 1:17; Deut. 4:15–16 6 Mal. 3:6 7 1 Kings 8:27; Jer. 23:23 8 Ps. 90:2 9 Gen. 17:1 10 Isa. 6:3 11 Ps. 115:3; Isa. 46:10 12 Prov. 16:4; Rom. 11:36 13 Exod. 34:6–7; Heb. 11:6 14 Neh. 9:32–33 15 Ps. 5:5–6 16 Exod. 34:7; Nahum 1:2–3
Second, God and the Holy Trinity, Chapter 2, The Westminster Confession of Faith.
In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, having one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 32 The Father exists. He is not generated and does not come from any source. The Son is eternally generated from the Father, 33 and the Holy Spirit eternally comes from the Father and the Son.34 [2]
32. 1 Jn 5.7, Mt 3.16-17, 28.19, 2 Cor 13.14, Eph 2.18. 33. Jn 1.14,18, 17.24, Heb 1.2-6, Col 1.15-17. 34. Jn 15.26, Gal 4.6
Lastly, let us look at the Chalcedonian Creed,
We, then, following the holy fathers, all with one consent teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and body; coessential with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the mother of God, according to the manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one person and one subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the creed of the holy fathers has handed down to us.[3]
To April, I say this – "yes, Jesus Christ was in agreement with ALL Old Testament Scripture, including the Flood, and all verses that seem to cause some issues with a flawed Christology."
Now the second issue of the tweet is saying there are zero verses with the accusations believers are bigots if they say otherwise. Are there actual verses that speak out regarding sexual immorality? Yes! Now, since Jesus is the Living Word (John 1:1-3), and Since he is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt 5:17), and since all Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Tim 3:16-17), all verses pertain to the question. Not just the words in red type of study.
Matthew 15:19-20 (NASB)
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, 1fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders."These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."
Here the word πορνεία (porneia), where we get the word pornography, refers to a sexual act that is morally objectionable. That morality is not defined by humanity – but by God (and his word). Earlier in the chapter, Jesus answered a question directly relating to marriage (divorce). He said,
"Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate." (Matt 19:4-6)
Another clear indication is that marriage is in accordance with the purpose, order and function which GOD alone set forth. Further, the definition of marriage is between a male and a female.
Now, to say "Jesus never directly said" is a strawman argument because the text is clear, any sexual sin, regardless of if it is heterosexual or homosexual sin, is against God. This is why there is a call for all Christians to flee from sexual immorality because sexual sin affects the person's body (1 Corinthians 6:18) [Sexual Transmitted Infections is a possible outcome].
Now, back to Jesus being the fulfillment of the Law, Matt 5:17, remember, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). So Leviticus 18:22 and all the other OT texts are still on the table. Are Christians going to stone people? Of course not; that is nonsense as we are living under Grace, in Christ Jesus, who offers salvation to all who call upon His name (Acts 4:12).
In closing, Jesus does indeed condemn sin. If individuals deny this, it is because they have never read through the New Testament carefully and, more than likely, never read the warnings in Revelation. A word of caution to April and many others, Paul was very clear in Romans 1:18-32, and the warning is also for those who approve of such things. Therefore, repent. Call out to Jesus Christ, who alone can save us from sin, who is willing and able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) and renew a right spirit within us (Psalm 51).
In His Grace,
Steve
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