“Don’t you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t delude yourselves — people who engage in sex before marriage (fornicators), who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage (adulterers) with someone other than their spouse, nor effeminate call boys nor homosexuals ….” (1 Corinthians 6:9, CJB with Orthodox Jewish Bible).
Within the past two weeks there have been two news stories trending. What do they have in common? Sin, sexual sin. Sin that is not only against God Himself, but against the man/person himself (1 Corinthians 6:18).
What is the difference between the two stories? One man chose to repent from his sin and be set free, now and forever. The other man chose to embrace his sin with all its fame and prestige. One man received help from a family who loved him sacrificially; another family encouraged their loved one to live out his sexual deviancies permanently. Both claim to be Christian, however, only one reflects the power of Yeshua’s victory over sin and death; the other has a form of godliness but denies its power (2 Timothy 3:1-5). One chose to receive the gift of deliverance from his Father who restores life; the other chose to follow the father of lies who brings death to the eternal soul. Both of these men will stand before God at the final judgement and give an account of their lives. One will stand cleansed and righteous through the blood of Yeshua and enter eternity; the other will find himself poor, blind, pitiful and naked thrown in the lake of burning fire gnashing his teeth.
It doesn’t matter how you or I view sin, love, and forgiveness. We are not little gods; we are not the creator of the universe. Sin is not based on what you or I think is good or bad, right or wrong. We are easily deceived as is seen in today’s world gone mad. Adonai is the Creator and has set the standards of right and wrong. The sun, moon and stars move as He ordained without our input. Droughts and floods, earthquakes and tornadoes rip through the world without our knowledge.
Adonai has a righteous standard of judgment whether we sugar coat it with humanistic love and tolerance or not. God is love and His way of love makes a way for each of us to return to a life-giving relationship with Him. God’s amazing way sets the sinner free from the desire to sin.
Nothing happening in the news is surprising though it is overwhelming at times because it conflicts the basic conscience and the ‘mind of Messiah’ I have been given. The prophet Isaiah said that there will come a time when evil will be called good and good will be called evil (Isaiah 5:20). The letter to Timothy promises that in the last days before Yeshua’s return, those who choose the way of God will be persecuted and evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse (2 Timothy 3:13).
What did surprise me, however, were the reactions to the two stories. I expected those who do not align themselves with God or His Word to believe that a man impersonating a woman through modern technology (imposter) would be called courageous and a tribute to ‘gender equality’. That is evil being called good. It is the result of a culture that has abandoned conscience for a false sense of reality becoming an affront to the Creator of male and female (Romans 1). What I did not expect was that a young man who had recognized the sin in his life was still considered a sinner and forever judged a sinner by those who do align themselves with God and His Word.
I was confounded by this response because believers who have been forgiven should be those who understand what it’s like to live in darkness and be called out. Though I know Torah outlines the consequences for sexual sin, I believe that Yeshua, the Living Torah, rose from the dead so we could receive the power of God to overcome sin and transform our lives.
Those who are born again are transformed from dead men walking into new creations with a new life and a living hope (1 Peter 1:3-7). Our old man is dead and can no longer rule our new minds and hearts. The new man is alive, changed and healed – forever. That is the power of Yeshua.
There is a huge difference between the person who wakes up desiring to follow God’s commandments and falling short and the person who wakes up defiant choosing to walk in wickedness no matter what the cost. There is and should be grace and mercy for the first man; there is and will be judgment for the second. As followers of Messiah, we must understand the difference or we will judge the first man wrongly and be tolerant of the second.
This morning I read the following comment on a friend’s wall:
Tamra Cutrer: My deep thoughts I share with you all about YHWH and His Testimony:
I do not come to bash anyone: it is not about me. It is all about Abba YHWH. YHWH delivered me, released me, no more bondage-spirit of homosexuality last April 23, 2003 thru Holy Spirit [Ruach haKodesh] conviction. My eyes crying for 27 hours with pain like divorce after I read Hebrews 10:26 and it spoke to me. No one forced me. I chose obedience because I love Abba YHWH.
I believe sin is sin [general like as: adultery, fornication, homosexuality, ….lie, steal, …]. They all weigh same, are equal in Romans 1. Amein?
May YHWH bless you. Seek His Torah and allow it to reveal your spiritual reawakening thru Holy Spirit conviction and walk like Yeshua. I pray in the Mighty Name of Yeshua. Amein!
Servant of YHWH/Yeshua/Torah 😎
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The concluding verse is quite explicit about the truth of Tamra’s testimony. It is the truth of the testimony of a 28-year-old man who came to terms with his sexual immorality as a 14-year-old boy. An encounter with the living God, it may become the testimony of the imposter.
Both men need prayer. One needs strength to stand against public opinion and unrighteous judgment while living out his life for the Lord; the other needs strength to stand against public opinion so he can hear the words of salvation offered through Messiah Yeshua.
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