I had the privilege the other day of having a conversation about God with a fellow Christian. Strangely enough, it ended with me (a pastor and servant of God) being called a racist transphobic homophobe with white privilege. The saddest part was that this fellow Christian was trying to persuade me to accept the correct version of God’s love. You know, the one where everyone gets to rebel against God because He is a big ball of love, mercy, and grace. Therefore, every urge we feel is now good, holy and acceptable even if God calls it an abomination or the scriptures reveal it a sin.
I was put back. I didn’t take it personal, because I knew the person really believed what was being said. It made me sad; sad that the person was willing to embrace the world’s morality over the holiness defined by God. Here was a Christian, verbally attacking a trained pastor and theologian, all in the name of God’s love. And you could feel the anger and hatred as this person’s gospel was trying to destroy and belittle the Name of God I hold most dear.
It reminded me of a time when Jesus was being attacked by the religious and trained scribes of the day as their gospel seemed to be very different than the Gospel Jesus was teaching. And just like my situation, the scribes began to blaspheme against Jesus and make false claims about Him because they wanted so badly for their beliefs to be the Truth. Listen to how Jesus responds. He declares,
28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:28-30
The New Covenant that we all function in today is that God has written His law on our hearts and that we can all know God. What that means is that we can understand the Absolute Truth of a holy God in this life today. Call it conscience; call it a morality or sense of right and wrong, deep down a holy God has imprinted His holiness in our hearts. And the scriptures are an extension of His holiness as it bears witness to the same Spirit dwelling inside of us.
What is the unforgivable sin? It has nothing to do with disagreeing with a fellow Christian about a theological issue. It is about a rebellion so deep that a person has to sear his own conscience to suppress the voice of the Spirit of God. It is where the truth is replaced with a lie. It is where the scriptures, thousands of years of church history, pastors and fellow believers, and the Holy Spirit are all silenced as the lie becomes that person’s new reality.
I have a new response when I am called a racist homophobe with white privilege. I calmly tell that fellow Christian that they are not fighting with me, they are fighting against a Holy God. In reality, they are fighting the holy Spirit dwelling within them.
We are about to witness a great division in the body of Christ as two versions of God’s love migrate into two very different gospels. Many will argue that these are just different doctrines and that both gospels have merit and bear good fruit. One side may even claim that both gospels are the same; however, changing the very nature and character of God is not doctrinal. Redefining the holiness of God is blasphemy, for it allows us to call God a liar as He bears false witness about himself in the scriptures. We don’t have the authority to create the God we feel He should be; we worship the one true God for who He is without adulteration.
I have given my life to teach others about the holiness of God and to the best of my ability share what God’s holiness looks like as it flows through our lives. For those who claim that sexual immorality is now (all of the sudden) part of God’s holiness and go out of their way to attack those who have faith in what scripture says on the issue, be careful that you do not commit the same unforgivable sin that Jesus warned the scribes about. The Spirit of God is unchanging and fosters unity within all those who believe in God. Woe to those who create a God to match their own lusts and desires, and double woe to those who call that God Jesus Christ.
Just as God separates the sheep from the goats, this issue is not one a person can silently sit by and straddle both sides of the isle. Many of our largest denominations and churches are beginning to embrace this new gospel of love and toleration of sin. I know how hard it is to leave a denominational home, but if a person decides to stay in these compromised places of worship, it may cost them dearly. For overtime, their defenses will be broken down and they will one day accept the bread they receive from their teachers. Moreover, God will hold those people responsible for the children and grandchildren that fall years from now as they followed the example of those who remained.
The good news is that as a divorce of this magnitude takes place, there is going to be a revival and a great time of reform as those who remain faithful to the Name of God will enter a time of joy and peace as lukewarm worship begins to be replaced with authentic worship bathed in Spirit and in Truth.
If Jesus was walking on the earth today, I am sure He would be called a racist transphobic homophobe. Therefore, rejoice that we have the privilege to suffer with Christ. For those who suffer with Him will also live with Him for all eternity. And from what I hear, forever is a long time. Can you imagine what it will be like for those embracing this great deception when the pearly gates are open and the names form the book of life are read? How sad that day will be when Jesus tells them He never knew them. For if they knew God, they would have accepted what He said about Himself.
I totally agree. There’s a new breed of ‘Christians’ who are doing exactly what you said and what’s worse is new believers can be led astray by professing Christians not following God’s Word.
It’s true that since we are the ‘messengers’ of God’s word and have a duty to proclaim truth, we are persecuted, but truly people who don’t like the truth are persecuting God because He has the ultimate authority. We’re just sharing what He said.
I’m reminded of Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” (CSB version)
Thank you for your thoughts.