Some things yes, that is just the way He made us, i.e. eye color, hair color, big boned, small boned, height, etc. Non-negotiables except that now we can change our eye color and our hair color whenever we wish, but you get my point. There are certain physical ways that God made us.
And there are other ways that God has made us, i.e. some are not ruffled in the least, some are dramatic, some are slow pokes, some are super fast, some are optimistically positive, some are melancholy negative, some have a flair for art, some have a natural love for reading, some have a natural ability at sports or playing an instrument. So, yes there are certain traits within us that God planted.
But there are lots of ways within us that are not necessarily because of the way God made us. The babies that come delivered into this world already addicted to drugs, God didn't make them that way; the actions and choices of the mothers made them that way. God didn't make them with illnesses and mental challenges, their mother made them that way. So there are definitely things that happen that is directly opposite of the excuse "God made me that way".
A long time back in the 70's there was a phrase coined because of a tv show that was "The devil made me do it". That's a whole lot more feasible than "God made me that way".
We are born with a sin nature. I'm not telling you something you don't already know but hang in here with me for a minute, please.
We are born with a sin nature. We don't have to teach our babies and children to do the wrong things. They automatically can pitch fits, be sassy, be disobedient, be mean, etc. And if we are good parents or grandparents we won't let them grow up to continue such behavior. We don't want our kids to become 'those kids' who no one wants to see them coming. We don't want them behaving this same way when they are teenagers or adults. (I know some do but that isn't the goal of good parenting.)
The Bible tells us there are 3 major areas in which sins fall. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
1 John 2:16 says, "For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes
and the pride of life - is not from the Father but is of the world.
The lust of the flesh - sins against the body - sexual sins, bodily harm
The lust of the eyes - sins where we desire and covet what others have or what we don't have
The pride of life - pride, ungodly boasting, thinking better of oneself than they really ought to, taking credit for everything and giving God nothing, thinking one is better than others, trying to make oneself look good in the eyes of others
God didn't make us this way. These sins are works that we succumb to because we are human and God has given us the ability to choose our own way since Adam and Eve sinned and left Eden. These sins are crafty lies of the devil since he was given permission to have earth as his roaming place.
God doesn't make us disobedient to our parents or to Him. God doesn't make us desire to be an alcoholic. God doesn't make us to crave pornography. God doesn't make us desire or plan to give in to drug use. God doesn't make us to murder. God doesn't make us to steal. God doesn't make us to covet. God doesn't make us take our anger out in abusive ways to our spouse and children. God doesn't make us molest others. God doesn't make us curse and say all manner of vile and mean and horrible words.
God DOES NOT make us this way.
So that's NOT "just the way God made me".
So when we hear a Christian music artist has decided to tell the world she is gay and her mission is to tell her followers that "it's okay to be who you are"...God DID NOT make her that way. That is not the mission that God had planned for her. She may be using her great voice and her wonderful way of writing music - ways God did make her - and using them counter to the Word of God, counter to what God desires for her.
In the beginning God made everything and in that everything God made it all to reproduce. He Himself made male and female animals, birds, etc. He Himself made a man and a woman. He even went so far as in the holly bushes in my yard there has to be male and female bushes coexisting to produce the berries. God told everything to be fruitful and multiply. That was His plan from the beginning and He made all the parts perfect for each other, they line up to do exactly as He planned.
When we read in history of the temple prostitutes and the orgies people did because of the idols and gods they chose to worship, we don't think "Oh, great, that was just the way God made them during that time. More power to them." NO, we think of that as sinful and against all that God desires for His creation.
When we hear today about the killing of Christians by the horrible extremists, how they behead children, rape and kill women, hang the men, kidnap the little girls to be their own wives, we don't say, "Oh that's just the way God made those people". NO, we are after them to exact justice, we see them as the horrible devil following people they are.
When we hear of people kidnapping young girls from their homes and locking them up until they escape years later, we don't say "Oh that's just the way God made that man and lady". We arrest them and put them in jail and throw away the key because they have succumbed to their own ways, they are disobedient.
When we know within ourselves that we shouldn't lie, that we should take care of our bodies, that we eat too much, that we give in to speaking foul language, that we shouldn't take someone else's husband/wife, that our kids shouldn't have sex before they are married - we don't say "Oh well that's just the way God made me" and do those things anyway. NO we begin to ask God to help us change, we repent of our sin and ask God to help us walk in the other direction.
Homosexuality is completely against God's created order of things.
And since we believe that God never changes and that His word is true from beginning to end then we must realize that God Himself doesn't make anyone this way.
We get to choose how we live. We get to choose whether we live in obedience to God or whether we give in to the lies of the devil.
Anything contrary to God is against God.
Anything that we allow to become more important to us than God Himself and His word then is sin.
Anything that we aren't willing to lay down for God and the cause of Christ to be all that He has called us to be, to give Him glory, to make His name known, to bring others to the saving grace of Christ then is sin.
In Matthew 7 Jesus was talking to the disciples and followers. He was warning them to beware of false prophets, of those who sounded like they spoke a good truth but were actually deceivers and not speaking the truth of God.
Jesus told them the ability to tell whether a person was truly of God or not was by their fruit, their actions. He didn't tell them not to judge. He told them to assess a person's fruit to tell whether they were of His truth or not of His truth.
Then He proceeded to tell them there are those who think they are going to be allowed into Heaven, those who think they are God's children and in
Matthew 7:21 He says,
"Not everyone to says to Me 'Lord Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the
one who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord Lord
didn't we prophesy in Your name and drive out demons and perform miracles in Your name?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you! Depart from me, you evil doers!"
It is so easy in today's society to believe a watered down Gospel. It's so easy to say that "All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13 (thinking you are getting fire insurance and a free ride to eternity in heaven) and forget the part about repentance that says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death". 2 Corinthians 7:10 {Go back and read my previous blog about the salvation coin if you need that explains repentance and belief go hand in hand and you can't have one without the other.}
So what do we do?
Do we condemn? NO.
Do we accept? The person, NOT the actions.
Do we associate? We can go to that person and tell them the truth of God's word. We can keep open lines of communication so God can use us if He wants to in that person's life. But if that person is going to bring us into confusing God's word, if they are going to cause us to lose sight of God's truth, if they are going to bring us down into their sin, if we are tempted in any way that they are living or believing, then the Bible says to "Flee from the appearance of all evil".
God is able to deliver us from ANYTHING that is in accordance to His Will and His Word.
And as my sweet friend said Sunday in her testimony, "One day at a time". And as the speaker from Highland Church said Saturday, "One more." One more day out of bondage. One more moment not given into temptation.
Just live One more day at a time.
Until He comes...
No comments:
Post a Comment