Grow Up In Christ
August 20, 2023
Dr. Paul Cannings
God instructs us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Love does not mean that we tell each other what we want to hear. Love is a word for charity which means to care for someone based on their need. We are told to seek God to provide for our needs (He was not just speaking about financial needs). So how we seek what we need is defined first by seeking God (Luke 12:31). When we love, that is defined by God also (1 John 4:7-11), so how we provide charity is determined by the person who is giving love and not by our feelings.
God’s kingdom plan was to make mankind in His image, and when He did, He strategically designed them to be male and female. This is because marriage’s first intent is to represent God’s image on earth. This is why Paul states that marriage represents Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). God’s second intent was that male and female must fill the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). The characteristics of these groups are distinct and purposeful. God’s intention has obviously worked; the earth has eight billion people. This is why when a person has a burning desire for sexuality, God talks about getting married to the opposite sex, not the same sex (1 Corinthians 7). God views this as natural because He knew He made mankind male and female. Homosexuality does not fill the earth, so it does not fulfill God’s kingdom plan; this is why God views it as strange flesh, not one flesh (1 Corinthians 6:16). “…just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 7). Therefore, God’s first and second intent is not fulfilled by the practice of homosexuality. As a result, God’s kingdom plan is ignored, which leaves mankind open to his own understanding and whatever satan directs them to do or become.
When we forsake God’s plan, the results are apparent (the work we put into sinning does have wages – consequences; Romans 6:23). Sexuality outside of marriage brings many sexual diseases. Some of them, like AIDS, can take lives (something we do not want to discuss), . When Christians speak like this, people say (even other Christians) we are being hateful, condemning, homophobic, and judgmental. This is true for those who do speak hatefully, but for us at Living Word Fellowship Church, our focus is to speak the truth in love so we all seek to grow up to be like Christ, who created us (Colossians 1:15-18) designed us to bring Him glory (Revelation 4:11), and provides life and life abundantly (John 10:10).
We must commit to grow up in Christ, not the world, which is temporal (Romans 12:2).