SHADOWS OF SODOM REVISITED, a devotion for 31 January 2019 Anno Domini
(an update of an older News Release)
Some few years back, I wrote a News Release entitled “Shadows of Sodom.” In response to inquiries of interested Christians, I have written a follow up to coincide with the disgraceful and ungodly increasing prevalence of the atrocity of abortion – even after the birth of the child. Of course, abortion is what it has always been – outright murder!
Shadows of Sodom Revisited:
The specious argument is being made, not unlike that of the French Revolution, that liberte’, equalite’, and fraternite’ are the ruling elements of the social order. Alexis de Tocqueville, in his awesome work, L’ancien Regime et la Revolution, soundly discounts this hypothesis on historical, moral, and legal grounds. The wisdom of the ancients of civilization is impugned by such nonsense that homosexual marriage is anything to be accepted in decent society. Even apart from the strong religious condemnation of the practice, the law of nature itself soundly rejects the idea.
The French Revolution was not only a war against the excesses of the Crown, but against God and the Church as well. The very popular event of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, was a precursor of the lawlessness to come since the Bastille was a prison containing many desperate criminals – not simply political prisoners.
No respectable or faithful Christian, church member or not, can espouse the virtues of equality over the law of God. We are faced with that old admonition found in Jeremiah the prophet: “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16; all scripture quoted is from the King James Version)
While it is true that the Declaration of Independence advances the principle that “all men are created equal,” that document does not take precedence over the Law of God clearly defined. The Founding Fathers did not intend to suggest that all are forever equal in the sight of God, simply that under the terms of established law, all are BORN with equal access to their God-given rights. Murderers, adulterers, thieves, liars, and swindlers were all born, alike, equal under the terms of civil law, but they do not remain so once their crimes are exposed. Murder is a crime resulting from an INTENTIONAL act of disobedience to the state law. Homosexuality is an act of INTENTIONAL disobedience to the Law of God. Even though many are born with a proclivity to steal, murder, or lie; such a crime is not a concern of the civil authorities until the act is consummated. The same is true in the case of homosexuality, or paedophilia, too – the proclivity does not become a sin unless acted upon by the individual. We are all born with an inclination to sin, so is the homosexual. It is a part and parcel of our carnal natures. But only when we conceive the act of sin in our minds and act upon it does it become a sin answerable to God.
A civil society cannot claim to be a Godly society if it embraces the filth of sins such as homosexuality – and even by denigrating the holy institution of marriage to the scum level of homosexual unions. We may enact national laws that approve of our own sinful ways, but this is in no way pleasing to God. He will judge such a nation with the harshness described in Leviticus 18.
A growing atrocity in American society is that of the murder of innocents in their mother’s womb, and now, even after birth – not for the reason of quality of life for the child, but convenience of the forsaking mother.
At the sum balance, the question is this: Who shall we obey – God or Mammon? Perhaps the same question was asked in the dark streets of Sodom before it was destroyed by the wrath of God.
Our abominable sins have now been enshrined in our national laws, and each citizen now bears a responsibility for that sin. The bells of the National Cathedral and other churches in our nations very capital sounded with exuberance as the Supreme Court issued its defiant order that is so very dishonoring to God. Remember the strong denunciation of this filthy and carnal sin in Romans Chapter One: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:21-32)
For those self-professing Christians who accept sin in the name of ‘tolerance,’ perhaps the last verse of this chapter is most applicable: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
As the 17th century Anglican priest, John Donne, has written, perhaps we should not “send to know for whom the bells toll – they toll for thee!”
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“Prenez en Gré”
In Christ Alone during Epiphany
SEASON
,
† Jerry L. Ogles , D.D.
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
“Metus improbo compescit, non clementia.” – Syrus, MAXIMS: Fear, not kindness, restrains the wicked!
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer – HOLY SCRIPTURE:
“If there were any word of God beside the Scripture, we could never be certain of God’s Word; and if we be uncertain of God’s Word, the devil might bring in among us a new word, a new doctrine, a new faith, a new church, a new god, yea himself to be a god. If the Church and the Christian faith did not stay itself upon the Word of God certain, as upon a sure and strong foundation, no man could know whether he had a right faith, and whether he were in the true Church of Christ, or a synagogue of Satan.”