The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the word made plain with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Tony is teaching through the book of Romans. Please open your Bible to Romans chapter 1 verses 26 through 27.

Tony Clark: What we have done today is saw those dietary laws and say not they not only make us healthier, but they also make us holier and that's where you're wrong. Because the Bible is very clear that those dietary laws were set aside in Acts chapter 10 verses 9 through 16, in 1 Corinthians 8 8 and 1 Timothy 4 verses 1 through 5. 1 Corinthians 8 8 is a beautiful one. It says food does not commend us to God, for if we eat, are we the better? Or if we don't eat, are we the worse? That's about as plain as you can get.

However, God so the point is the dietary law was set aside. Now, the Bible says that as long as you looked at that food and you say, Lord, I thank you for my daily bread. God bless you. Amen. Thank you for your provision and you go ahead and eat that bacon cheeseburger or those ribs or whatever it is you want to eat is good. Now, you may not be the healthiest, but food doesn't commend us to God. It's simple as that. This is very simple. So, those dietary laws were set aside, but God's moral law, the Ten Commandments has never changed.

Our lie is a lie in the New Testament just like it is in the old and just like it is today. God's heart has never changed concerning sexual sins. Fornication or sex with someone before marriage is wrong today just like it was in biblical times, no matter what our society says or what our society approves of. Adultery, sex with someone outside of your marital spouse is wrong today just like in biblical times. No matter what our society is saying. And so too lesbianism is wrong today just like it was in biblical times. Why? Because God says in Malachi 3 6, I am the Lord thy God, I change not.

God doesn't change when it comes to his moral law. Why? Because his moral law is a reflection of his holiness. It's a reflection of his character. Now, I want you to watch something in verse 27. Look what the very first word of verse 27, likewise. This is a transitional word which means that he is about to introduce a new category under the same topic. The topic is homosexuality. He just described how homosexuality among females is against nature. So, likewise, the males noticed the rest of verse 27. It says also the men or the males leaving the natural use of the woman, burning their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

So, now, likewise, the males leaving the natural use of the females. So, it is natural for men and women to get together sexually. But if you do so outside of what God has prescribed in marriage, it is still not right in the eyes of God even though it's natural. But it's not right. So, men burn in their lust for one another. The Greek word for burn is an interesting Greek word and it means to be inflamed deeply. It means to burn. There is a burning of lust among the homosexual community that's not even seen in the heterosexual community.

It is not uncommon. When I was when I read this some of the stats on this, I was blown I was baffled. It is not uncommon among male homosexuals to have had over 300 partners a year. I can't even I can barely count to 300. 300 partners a year. This is what it means to burn or to be inflamed in their lust for one another. This sin is so serious and evident by the total destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah where homosexuality ran rampant in Genesis 19 in verses 4 through 25. This was not their only sin.

It was their main sin. It was very evident. Now, let me say that the gospel of Jesus Christ offers forgiveness to male and female homosexuals as it does for all sinners. If they repent and watch this next phrase, watch this next phrase. If they repent, watch this next phrase. And not try to justify their lifestyle. Repentance, forgiveness is for male, female homosexuals and any other sin. If you just come in brokenness and humility, not trying to justify what see, you know, that's what y'all saying. That's why people don't come to church now and all this sort of stuff.

Don't try to justify your sin. Don't try to justify it. Forgiveness is offered through Jesus. He offers forgiveness. The power of the gospel message talked about in Romans 1 16 is able to give complete deliverance if one comes in brokenness and humility. Now, this doesn't mean that a person brought out of this lifestyle will not be tempted to go back because they will battle those feelings Watch how long. Watch how long. They will battle those feelings until they go to the grave. Why? Because it is a part of your old nature that we are told to resist daily.

Paul said something in 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 15 31. Paul said, I die daily. What he means by that, he says every day I wake up I have to die to my fleshly desires and appetites. I have to die every single day to these things, every day. You might have had the victory today and say, oh, I'm strong today, and you may fall tomorrow. No, Paul said every day. He said I die daily. I have to die to my fleshly appetites, my desires, my fleshly inclinations that will cause me to disobey my God. He says every day it's a battle.

Every day it's a war. Every day I got to put on the armor and shield and go to battle. When my eyes wake up, the battle starts. And he said this is every day. This is why it is it will be a struggle. Now, watch this. Galatians 5 16 says, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Walking in the spirit means walking in obedience to the word of God. So, walking in obedience to the Bible, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Now, watch this. What is the lust of the flesh?

The lust of the flesh is that which God saved you from. For some, it is alcohol. For some, it is porn. For for some, it is drug abuse. For some, it is male and female homosexuality, just to name a few. So, if you walk or live according to obedience to God's word, you and I will be fine. But if we walk according to the flesh, watch this. If we walk according to the flesh, we will walk back into those sins that God saved us from. Whatever it is that you were doing and involved in, that you cried out to God and so, God save me.

Oh God, I can't do this anymore. Oh God, I can't rescue myself. And the Lord came and rescued you. If you walk in obedience according to the to the word of God, you and I will be fine. If you walk according to your fleshly appetite, you woke up and you didn't put that old man to death. Paul said I die daily. And you didn't put him to death. You're going to walk back into those sins that God saved you from. This is why the pandemic was so devastating. We were told we can't get together for church.

We were told to stay away from each other. We were told not to even love on and hug on each other. And we were left to ourselves. And the enemy just picked us off one by one. 2020 we walked in the flesh. We walked back. There are some who walk back Matter of fact, they said when the pandemic hit, alcoholism went up 53%. The porn sites went through the roof. We just walked that the people start popping pills and smoking and We we struggled. We were we We were not walking in the spirit. We were in the flesh.

And and we lived and we were isolated. We couldn't come together for church and encourage each other like we normally do. We we we we were isolated. And the enemy just picked us off like a sniper, one by one. One by one. We were depressed. And then, of course, what do we do? We eat. We overeat. We overweight. I told it's not It's not the COVID-19 pounds for me. It's the COVID-40. I was just eating cookies, chips. I was just depressed sitting in my chair just eating. And we And we walked in those things God saved us from.

And we struggled. We all struggled. Sure, there'd be some who would lie to themselves say, during the pandemic, I was closer to God than I ever been. You can lie to yourself about that all you want. We all struggled. We we We walked in the flesh and we we began to reintroduce things that God saved us from. We reintroduced them back into our lives. We were walking in the flesh. So, if we walk in the spirit, we fine. We walk in the flesh. We're in trouble. We're in trouble. Every day we wake up, we're in a battle.

Every day we wake up, we're in a war. Whether we going to walk according to Christianity or we going to walk according to this world, every day it's a battle. Every day, every single day. It's not It's not a week at a time. No. Sometime it's moment by moment that we struggle. We have a choice whether we going to walk according to fleshly appetites and desires or whether we going to walk according to the spirit or the word of God, the Bible. So, all day, every day we battle. Why do you think Paul used that terminology, that phraseology?

Because it's a battle. He says, you know, put on the whole armor of God. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God. Why do you think he can do a hardship as a good soldier? Why do you think he used all that terminology? Because we're in a war. We're in a battle for our souls. And so, we all are struggling. We all on our own island with our own sin. We all Hey. Even the great apostle Paul wasn't exempt from this battle. He said in Romans 7 15, for what I am doing, I do not understand.

He said, for what I will to do, that I do not practice. What I hate, that I do. And I I I understand Paul. He said in Romans 7 18, he said, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, nothing good dwells. He finally cried out in Romans 7 24, oh, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Notice that Paul didn't say what will deliver me from this body of death? It is not in a program. It's not an appeal. It's not in a drink. No, he said who?

It's a person. Deliverance comes from a person. And then, he tells us in Romans 7 25 who that person is. He says, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The only person that can deliver us from this body of death is Jesus Christ our Lord. Let me just say this. I was just thinking about this. You that phrase was very common in in Rome. Uh who's going to deliver me from this body of death? Because it it it it is in some histories uh the the history of Rome that what they would do if someone was convicted of a murder they will attach the dead corpse of that person on that person's back.

And they had to carry around that corpse as it is decaying, as it is smelling, as it is heavy and weighing them down. And that's why when he used that phrase, who will deliver me from this body of death? The Romans perked up because they understood that. It's not in a program. It's in a person. And that's Jesus Christ. Jesus said in in John 8 36, he says, if the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. Jesus is the only one who can set us free from our sinful passions and desires that wars against us spiritually.

But here's the question. But what if someone wants to continue in their male and female homosexuality? I want to read the last part. Notice a verse 27 it says, receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. Before I expound on that, the first thing I want to bring to your attention that those involved in male and female homosexuality, notice what it says there in in verse 25. It says, men with men committing what is shameful. The Greek word for shameful is And And it means an indecency following a schematic of that which is unseemly.

The The The root of this word is where we get schematic from. Following a certain pattern of that which is indecent. It It is shameful. It is indecent when male and females commit homosexual acts. Now, there is a price to pay, the penalty of their error, Paul says here. Just like Romans 6 23 said, the wages of sin is death. Death is the consequence for sin. See, what we must realize, some people say, well, God, there's a God of the Old Testament and there's a God of the New Testament. God of the Old Testament, he's a little mean.

You don't want fool with him. But the God of the New Testament, he's all love. He's all love. No, no, no, no. The same God in the Old Testament, the same God in the New Testament. God is consistent. I want you to notice this. He is very, very, very, very consistent. In Leviticus 20 verse 13, watch this. It says, if a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. God is consistent. It said their blood shall be upon them.

Well, someone is thinking, thank God we don't live in Old Testament times. Well, remember I said that God is consistent. He doesn't change when it comes to his moral law. Just take a quick peek at verse 32 of Romans 1. And notice what it says. It says, those who practice such things are deserving of death. God is consistent. He has not changed concerning his moral law. Now, the question is, can a society get any lower than this? Is there any hope for a society in this condition? Well, you got to wait until next time to find out.

Let me Let me um Let me conclude with this. In this message, when God gives up part three, we saw in very graphic terms what happens when God gives a society up. He will give them up to their vile passions which they call love. They fall into male and female homosexuality, committing what is shameful and receiving the penalty of their error which was due or deserving. However, even though there may not be hope for a society in this condition, there is hope for you as an individual. You come to Jesus in brokenness and honesty like Paul did and cry out, who will deliver me from this body of death?

And Jesus will come to your rescue. Now, that doesn't mean that you won't struggle because you will sometimes daily. But if you walk by the power of the Holy Spirit in obedience to God's word, you will struggle less and less and slowly become more and more like Jesus Christ. You know as I've said before as the church, we've blown it in this area. We've come down as my my brother fellow pastor friend said, you know, we're we're condemning homosexuality and lesbianism with our right hand and watching porn with our left. See, we we we condemn them over here, but we are allowing ourselves this over here.

And we've blown it. And there are many people that that are struggling with same sex attraction today because it's so in vogue today. It is so what the happening thing is is is is what's cool, it's what it's popular, it's what is accepted, and who are you? And you're judging and you know, God is love and all this sort of stuff. And And we've pushed people who are struggling in this area on their own island. And we say, you better not come through the doors of this church. And they felt like, you know, that they they can't come and and and and and they just they just struggling in isolation.

While you come through the doors of the church with your own struggle but no one else is allowed to come with their struggle. And we pick and choose what we allow you to come in. We the gatekeepers of the struggle. And we've blown it. And we need to repent. We need to repent as a church because folks they need the gospel. They need They They need to be saved. So, we we push them away and we And we push them and And they feel that they have to defend themselves. And And who are you? And And And what what about you?

And you know, And And And And they never received the deliverance that only Jesus can bring because they too busy trying to be on the defense. Because we've pushed them into that. And we need to repent. And if you struggling, no matter what you struggling with there's deliverance in Jesus. Doesn't mean you're not going to struggle. You're going to struggle probably every day till you go to your grave. Because see, whatever door your sin opened up because you have a you you have a a big door that says sins of humanity. And when we open that door, there's several doors down that hallway.

Homosexuality, porn, adultery, we all these doors. Whatever door that you have opened up if you walk in the flesh, that's the door you're going to go back in no matter what it is. This is why it's a daily fight. It's a war. Stop thinking you on some kind of cruise ship of Christianity. No, we on a battleship stationed at the gates of hell. That's why we have to have on our whole armor. This is a war. It's a war for your family. It's a war for your marriage. It's a war for your soul. And Satan doesn't want anyone to come out out of that pandemic year.

Want to keep us wallowing in our sin. But Jesus offers deliverance if we had just come to him. Let's pray. Father, we do pray that your spirit will come. Lord, you know those who are struggling. You know those who are struggling with all kinds of sins and all kinds of things they want to keep quiet and keep hidden. Lord, as David prayed, cleanse us from secret faults. Lord, forgive us for how we have treated those struggling in same sex attraction. Forgive us, Lord, as a church for being jury and judge towards those who are struggling and we have our own struggles.

And dear God, I just pray that you will come, Lord, and set your people free. Lord, I pray for those who never repented of their sin and accepted you as Lord and Savior. I pray, God, that you would draw them to you today. Lord, your one prayer away. And those in that category, just just pray, just say, Lord, forgive me. I believe you died on the cross and was buried and rose again just for me. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. Set me free today by the power of your Holy Spirit to live for you from this moment forward in Jesus' name.

Amen.

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