J.A. Matteson
The practices of unrighteousness that characterize a persons life invite the wrath of God. "...neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10). When the light of God's people dims unrighteousness abounds unrestrained. As children of the light, fear of reprisal and retribution by those engaging in unrighteousness, must not govern our duty in proclaiming the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It is to be performed in humble love of our neighbor. At one time we too were lost in sin and the wrath of God was upon us, even as the rest. Then the message of the gospel penetrated our hearts, having been delivered faithfully by one of God's servants, and we were brought to conviction and repentance. Ezekiel was commissioned by God to proclaim His truth, whether people listened or not (Ezk. 2:5-7). John the Baptist in like manner boldly informed king Herod that his adulterous affair with his brothers wife was "not lawful" (Mk. 6:18). Friendship with the world and its cultural norms, through our silence, consigns sinners to misery and a certain horrifying eternity separated from God in hell. It is to disregard the welfare of our neighbor, the person we are to love as ourselves, if we remain silent as we watch them perish. The saddest reality about increasing immorality in any culture is that those demanding liberation from God's Law in order to pursue their lawless ends are in fact loosing everything while in the process claiming victory that they are now free. Certainly we are to pray for their salvation, but prayer does not eliminate our duty to verbally warn them that their behavior is "not lawful." Should they with anger and contempt revile you by declaring that the civil magistrate has declared their behavior "legal" (as in the case of homosexual "marriage"), with humility it is your duty to inform them that there is a higher law, God's Law, that superceds mans law, and that His Law is unchanging and condemns their behavior and will judge them by it unless they repent. As children of the light Christians may never excuse nor capitulate by enabling unrighteousness behavior through silence. As with the saints of old in scripture and the long historical record of those since, it is our duty and privilege to stand firm in the word of truth. And in our standing firm we may be comforted by the words of the Lord Jesus Christ who warned his disciples that the world would hate them, but that they should not fear men, but rather Him who holds the keys to heaven and hell (Lk. 12:4-6).
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