Sodom

Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

Homosexuality is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22) & there is no getting around that fact. However, the term sodomite should not be restricted to that act alone. From reading the scriptures, the conclusion can be that homosexuality is a culmination of people giving themselves over to fornication (Romans 1:24-27). The LBGTQ exemplifies that trait because they base their very identity on their intimate physical relations.

The old “I sinned this way & you sinned that way” is not a justification for any sin; I’m not attempting to make the LGBTQ seem any less of offense by pointing out other factors–I wish to avoid any misinterpretation of my premise.

Now that the disclaimer is known, is celebrating adultery supposed to be more noble the homosexuality? Have not swingers given themselves over to fornication as well? What about one who spends all his free time taking in pornography?

In Genesis 19, the two angels who visited Sodom told Lot they were going to abide in the street all night. Lot pressed them to stay at his house. From the sounds of it, public pornography was the after dark pass time on the streets or at the town square in Sodom. Today, the internet is the town square & rivers of pornography flow on the streets.

Let us also not forget that the men of Sodom were so consumed with fornication that they intended to rape Lot’s guests. But wait, there’s more…

Genesis 19:4 “But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:”

The verse says the “old and young”; therefore, not only are we speaking of public pornography, but also pedophilia. These points are is to marginalize the LBGTQ in the story, but to state that to not also include anything about pornography, fornication, sexual assault or pedophilia in a sermon about Sodom is err.

It is important to mention recent sermons from the wayward shepherds. I have heard more than a few sermons on the internet where the message is akin to marital physical relations are good & enjoyable. Does something like that require a sermon? Is that news to anyone? Were there husbands & wives in the congregations that required such an “edifying” message? Perhaps the following verse explains why preachers cannot stop delivering sermons on sex:

Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

If a preacher cannot go a sermon or two without mentioning sex of some kind–alarm bells should be sounding. Perhaps that is their treasure overflowing from their heart & that’s what must come out of their mouth every sermon? So, not only does  our society overflow with pornography, but also the consistent conversation about is everywhere–even in Churches:

2 Peter 2:7 “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)”

Lot was seeing & hearing those things. Apparently his home was the only safe place & eventually evil ended up on doorstep. We have TV & the internet in our homes. I suppose one could go the route of getting rid of both, but think about it–Lot had the choice of opening or closing his front door. That is not much more difficult than changing the channel or not clicking our computer mouse.

The common retort to all these things I mention is “don’t judge.” There is more to that series in Matthew 7–read on I say. Notice that when the Sodomites wanted to rape Lot’s guests & Lot pleaded with them not to do such a wicked thing–the Sodomites also gave the same manner of use to “don’t judge” that we hear today & added a threat:

Genesis 19:9 “And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.”

We have to take the beam out of our own eye to take the mote out of our brother’s eye (Matt 7:5). Thus, this piece will dispel the claim of perfection in order to preach. If one preaches against stealing, because they stole at some point in their life does that disqualify them from ever preaching against it? Do they still steal? That is the question. It is the same concept with all this sex stuff.

There is also the question of conscience. We believe on the Lord Jesus Christ & we are saved–does this mean we have lived a perfect life from that moment thereafter? It is folly to believe that. Can one do the same things they were doing before they were saved without a conscience? A common question is, “how do I know I am saved?” Our own conscience is a good starting point. Someone may steal, be saved & steal again. They may steal again, but they should be convicted by their own conscience thereafter. It will no longer be a bestial risk versus reward sort of thing or the only worry is getting caught reaction. You will feel ashamed because you should feel ashamed:

Isaiah 3:9 “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.”

The modern religion is people seeking to not feel ashamed by any of their own actions. That statement sums up the pseudo-science known as psychology. Shame & conscience are connected. If you have a conscience about a thing–there is still hope. The answer is not an attempt to eradicate your conscience about a thing.

I began writing this intending to focus on the “strange flesh” mentioned in Jude 1:7–tangent. So that will be another post in the future. I will wind this down by stating that if one still watches pornography, one is not so far away from Sodom as they might think. Recall the verse about Lot seeing & hearing those things. If you are in that fight, start with examining what you take in. Here is an example of a subtil temptation to avoid:

One quits watching pornography. One day on the news, some porn star is in the news about something else other than pornography. The temptation may be to go search for pictures of that porn star on the internet. What type of images are more than likely going to be produced by a general internet search? Yes, the media promotes opening that door–the media is actually advertising it. That example was a snare for myself.

Lot was encompassed by that sort of thing & so are we. Beware of media exposure/advertising. I am a conservative, but FoxNews is one of the absolute worse internet sites for that. A simple scroll down on FoxNews’s website, daily, includes a few pictures of women in scandalous bikini’s & maybe that picture is accompanies by news of a recent sex tape or something like that. Sometimes constant simple exposure of thing  by the media is a doorway to temptation.

Even if the media outlet is allegedly condemning a thing, the constant blast of the images of those very things counteracts the contrary message. These devils in the media know exactly what they are doing. They know that constant images serve to normalize a thing.

Christians in America are just about in the same situation as Lot.  We are in a serious fight & if you are Christian–cut off the pornography. Let us pray for each other on that matter because not only is there the overt matter, but also the subtil subversion imagery on the media & the conversation in wayward Churches.