Sunday, August 30, 2009

Perverting the straight ways of the Lord

In the beginning, Satan twisted the meaning of one of God’s commandments by adding one word (Gen. 3:4). When Eve fell for this perversion, mankind was exposed to sin and death. Satan had an effective technique, and continued to use it as a means of perverting God’s standards for truth and righteousness. The prophet Isaiah pronounced a woe upon those who helped Satan accomplish this purpose: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).


Satan continues to pervert God’s truth so that evil is celebrated as that which is good, desirous and acceptable, while that which is good is deemed unsuitable for the benefit of man and society. A modern day example of such is the change in our country’s attitude towards homosexuality. There was a time, not long ago, when homosexuality was commonly viewed as a sin against God. Even non-religious people had a “zero tolerance policy” for the lifestyle. Homosexuality was wrong, it was unacceptable, and those who chose to engage in homosexuality felt the pressure to keep it “in the closet.”


Those in the television industry who were sympathetic to homosexuals began using their influence to bring about a change in the way society viewed homosexuals. I remember one program in particular. We all laughed every Tuesday evening as Jack Tripper pretended to be “gay” so he could room with Janet and Chrissy. He wasn’t really a homosexual, but we laughed at him for pretending to be one. We accepted it. This led the way to introducing characters on other programs who were homosexuals. Such characters may have been uncomfortable for some viewers at first, but soon they were acceptable because, after all, it was just a TV show. It was just make-believe. However, something was happening during this time. We, as a society, were being conditioned to accept homosexuality, and it worked. Today, homosexuals are encouraged to come out of the closet and take their places in society, and a good many people appear to be ready to welcome them. In recent years, our courts have changed the way that they rule on matters pertaining to homosexuality. Our society now views homosexuals as good, loving people who deserve the right to be accepted. What was once called “evil” is now called “good.”


What about calling good “evil?” We see that this change has occurred as well with regards to homosexuality. Those who have no tolerance for homosexuality are now pressured to keep their views “in the closet.” What about the Christians who continue to insist that homosexuality is a sin? Such individuals have seen the tables turned against them. They are now the ones who are condemned as unloving, unsympathetic and unwilling to change with the times. Sermons that condemn homosexuality as a sin are now viewed as hate speech. In some places in the world, it is against the law to publicly proclaim what the Bible teaches about homosexuality. One can not help but wonder how long it will be until such becomes the case in the United States. The extreme measures to which some are going in opposing all that was once accepted as good is seen in the fact that a homosexual in Michigan recently filed a law suit against Zondervan Publishing and Thomas Nelson Publishing because they publish a version of the Bible that condemns homosexuality as a sin.


The change of views on homosexuality is just one example of the devil’s modern efforts to pervert the straight ways of the Lord (Acts 13:10). God’s Word has established the standard of good and evil. “Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever… The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:152, 160). Woe to those of us who pervert the established ways of the Lord, calling evil “good” and good “evil.”


Adapted from Heath Rogers

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