Influencers Weekly Devotional

Is Sin Heroic? by Bryan Craig

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Last night, I had “Date Night” with my 16 year old daughter, and we went to go see the movie, “42.” This movie, about the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues, was so inspiring. It was an amazing portrayal of a man facing unfair adversity with dignity and grace. It is sometimes hard to imagine that this country contained so much hatred, all due to the evil device of racism. It opened up a great conversation afterward with my daughter about our culture and how things have changed, even since I was a kid. This morning, I woke up to see Good Morning America celebrating another sports milestone. The first openly gay professional athlete announced his sexual orientation to the world. I watched George Stephanopoulos gushing with joy as he interviewed Jason Collins, talking about all the positive support he had received since making his announcement. I watch this, and I think about the recently celebrated Supreme Court decision regarding gay marriage, and I say, “What is wrong with this picture!?” I feel as if our culture is putting Jason Collins in the same heroic league as Jackie Robinson. As a culture, we have renounced hatred and racism, and we have swung the pendulum all the way over to complete tolerance. Now, in our attempt to be a more loving country, Satan has convinced us that sin does not exist. So, a man admitting to the world that he is a homosexual becomes a hero. According to scripture, homosexuality is a sin. Did anyone gasp as they read that last line? Yes, I said it. Homosexuality is a sin. Paul’s teaching above talks about the seriousness of this offense. It is listed with other sins, so it is not worse than any other sin, but nevertheless, Paul is warning us that if we continue in a sinful lifestyle, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. God knows that we are sexual beings. God created sex for us to enjoy and for us to bear children. As with all good things God creates, Satan works to twist it and pervert it into a false image of what God intended. He does this with sex. You’ve seen sexual perversion, and you’ve probably been tempted sexually in many inappropriate ways. God knew this, and in the very beginning of creation, He gave His people laws regarding sex. Take some time and read Leviticus 18. God goes into great detail helping us understand the perverted forms of sex. He tells us not to have sex with our mother, our sister, our aunt, our daughter-in-law, our sister-in-law, and on and on. It even talks about the wickedness of having sex with animals. I think even a non-believer who does not regard the Bible as any kind of moral authority would agree with Leviticus in the validity of these statements. However, in Leviticus 18:22, in the middle of the list, we read these words: “Do not lie with a man, as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” In addition to all those other sexual perversions, Homosexuality is also listed as the kind of sex of which God does not approve nor bless. This sin, just like any other, will never end well. No peace can exist because it is not pleasing to God. For many years, an admitted homosexual cut my hair each month. My wife referred me to the man, and I decided to give him my business in hopes I might be able to be a positive influence on him. Month after month, we got to know each other, and he slowly got more comfortable talking to me about his lifestyle. I watched him go through multiple partners and struggle with depression, alcoholism and drug abuse. One month, he couldn’t wait to tell me he had accepted Christ when he was visiting his grandmother over Easter. He was so excited. The next month he told me he had found a church. It was a Unitarian church, and they had a Gay Choir and a Lesbian minister. I hid my disappointment and did not say much. A month later, he told me it bothered him that the church never mentioned Jesus and no one carried a Bible. He had found a different church, and they were prompting him to read the Bible. As he began to grow in the Word, a conflict arose in his heart. He said for the first time in his life, he was beginning to think homosexuality was wrong. I talked to him about how God calls some people to celibacy in His service. This gave him relief. He decided he didn’t want to be with men any longer, nor women, but that he found peace in living alone, a peace which had eluded him in his sinful lifestyle. I saw another movie a few days ago, “Home Run.” This movie highlights the Celebrate Recovery ministry and how they help people of all kinds with hurts, habits and hang-ups. Part of the process in CR is admitting that you have a problem. Once we bring our sins out in the open and into God’s light, Satan loses some of his power over us. Healing starts by admitting our sin is wrong. This is the first step toward repentance. This also engages others to pray for us and hold us accountable. Conversely, I believe this need for homosexuals to “come out of the closet” is a desire to be validated in their sin. As the world applauds, sin is justified. The real heroes are those who have the courage to stand up and admit they are wrong and who turn their struggles into a source of blessings to others. God is the master of taking what Satan intended for evil and turning it to good. I pray for Jason Collins, and multitudes of others who are struggling with the sin of homosexuality. I pray Christ would open their eyes, just like he did with my barber, and set them free to find the kingdom of Heaven. Download file