When God Gives Us UP

1 Worship Readings: Isaiah 62:1–5 Psalm 36:5–10 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 John 2:1–11 Preamble Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to the persons who are subjected to it; Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because, among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, including the myth that heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions; And whereas, in light of those harms, it is important to discourage and denounce the provision of conversion therapy in order to protect the human dignity and equality of all Canadians; Conversion Therapy Definition of conversion therapy 320.101 In sections 320.102 to 320.104, conversion therapy means a practice, treatment or service designed to (a) change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; (b) change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; (c) change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth; 2 (d) repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour; (e) repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or (f) repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth. For greater certainty, this definition does not include a practice, treatment or service that relates to the exploration or development of an integrated personal identity — such as a practice, treatment or service that relates to a person’s gender transition — and that is not based on an assumption that a particular sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is to be preferred over another. *Anti-Gospel *Anti-Science *Media propaganda: “Love is love,” being a hater, etc. *The torpedoed church Romans 1:16–32 (ESV) I. 16 The Gospel is the power of God for salvation a. Revealed For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 3 II. The Wrath of God is Revealed (note present tense. This is not a prediction about the future but a comment on current affairs in Paul’s day) a. The Wrath of God is explained in vss. 24 b. On revelation i. The righteousness of God is revealed (vs 17) ii. The wrath of God is revealed (vs 18) 1. Because the unrighteousness of men suppress the truth (the righteousness of God) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. c. The reason i. They know what they can know 1. God’s invisible attributes 2. They are without excuse ii. They knew God! 1. Did not honour Him as God 2. Or give thanks to Him iii. To fail to honour Him or to give thanks to Him results in: 1. Futility 2. Foolish hearts 3. Darkness 4. Claiming wisdom, fools 5. They exchanged God’s glory a. Idolatry 4 b. Images 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. “Certain things then follow. God is an inescapable and necessary Being; if He is rejected, God-substitutes are created, man-made creatures and principles of ultimacy. These are often naturalistic facts, the heavenly bodies, birds, animals, and the like, all used to symbolize some divinized aspect or energy in the natural order. In becoming the god-maker, man becomes himself the source of ultimacy, the god behind the gods. In doing this, men profess or pretend to be wise, but they are fools.” 5 III. When the Wrath of God is Revealed, it is evidenced in that “God gives them up” (παρέδωκεν* αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς1 ) (for vs 23) a. Idolatrous Exchange 24 Therefore God gave them up (παρέδωκεν* αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς2) in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. b. To Sodomy: 26 For this reason God gave them up (παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς3) to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. c. To a debased (incompetent, unqualified) mind: 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, 1 Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012), Ro 1:24. 2 Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012), Ro 1:24. 3 Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012), Ro 1:26. 6 God gave them up (παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς4) to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. i. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. ii. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. iii. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. iv. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. IV. Notes: a. When God is exchanged, anything can be exchanged. b. We were to have dominion over and eat these things. When God is exchanged, they are worshipped! Genesis 1:24-28 i. These things are created, not gods 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the 4 Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012), Ro 1:28. 7 earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ii. Man has dominion over these things, now worships them 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”5 c. The greatest sin is idolatry. It is the sin from which all sins flow. Hope for the idolators: 5 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 1:24–28. 8 9 V. 6 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,6 d. The wrath of God is poured out on Christ for the elect. Therefore, anyone who will be saved will be saved from these sins. e. Idolatry is always spiritual and physical. The connection to Bill C4 a. Introduction: i. This text makes it clear that the wrath of God is expressed in men and women engaging in samesex behaviour, bisexuality, transgenderism, etc. ii. Therefore the problem is one of idolatry. All these things are a result of idolatry 1. Idolatry is the suppression of the knowledge of God 2. Idolatry is the exchange of the glory of God for images. iii. Modern idolatry is both physical and spiritual 1. Spiritual—ideologies a. Created Man is the determiner of all things i. Worships the creature, rather than the Creator The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bi bles, 2016), 1 Th 1:8–9. 9 2. Physical—man-centred rejection of Creational norms a. The biological incompatibility of samesex relations i. Not a physical match ii. Sterile iii. Not the purpose of marriage; not complimentary iv. A man or woman with same sex attraction or behaviour (affection or physical) is living under the wrath of God b. Bill C4 is to be rejected because it is anti-conversion. Because Christ came to receive the wrath of God, to fail to counsel and disciple men and women in every sin is to leave them in that wrath. i. It denies the power of God. Sexual perversion (which is what the Bible calls it) is seen as an essential part of one’s being, or personhood. To change is to destroy the person. Therefore, this identity must be protected by law. 1. But following Christ does destroy the person! Matthew 16:24–25 (ESV) 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but 10 whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Colossians 3:3 (ESV) 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Romans 6:2 (ESV) 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 2. 2 Timothy 3:5 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 3. Christians are expected to obey this law, which is to deny God’s power. We are to keep an appearance of godliness, but deny it’s power. ii. It denies the possibility of Change: We are commanded by this law to deny the transformative power of God: 1. Romans 12:1–2 (ESV) 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed 11 by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. a. Real worship vs. idolatrous worship b. Real change vs. transitions and samesex relationships c. A debased mind changed to a renewed mind. 2. It denies the change from one state to another. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV): the Bible expects change 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 3. It denies the New Birth, which is fundamental to change 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) 12 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. iii. This law demands that we replace God as Lawgiver and Judge with the laws of man Isaiah 33:22 (ESV) 22 For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us. VI. How to respond to Bill C4? a. We must not surrender one millimetre of the Gospel. b. We must recognize that our governments are actively suppressing the truth about God, and understand that we are under His wrath. i. We must understand that this ban will not stop with sexual sin—it will be extended to every sin possible in the name of protecting one’s own identity. ii. We must see this as a Gospel issue c. We must reject “conversion therapy” because only the Gospel has the power to change. We can’t counsel someone to leave a sin if they are not converted to Christ 13 d. We must reject in thought and in practise the government’s right to dictate on this matter, or to define Gospel terms. e. We must continue i. To preach the Law of God ii. To preach the damnation of the sinner iii. To preach the Good News of God’s salvation of sinners. f. We must face fine, imprisonment, and censor for the sake of the truth. To do otherwise is to i. Deny sinners the comfort of confession and forgiveness of sins ii. Deny the repentant the comfort of the Holy Spirit iii. Deny a disciple of the love of a Christian fellowship iv. Leave a lost soul in guilt, shame, and confusion. v. The lost are in a far more dangerous position than is the church and Christians.