Matthew 3:2: “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
God’s Design and the Corruption of His Church
1 Peter 4:17: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God”
In the beginning, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). This foundational verse sets the stage for understanding His divine order for humanity, which is starkly at odds with the modern-day push to redefine and reinterpret God’s clear design within the Christian Church.
The Sacredness of God’s Order
The biblical narrative does not leave room for ambiguity regarding sexual identity and conduct. From the very act of creation, God established a binary model—male and female. This divine blueprint is not only a biological fact but also a theological one, intended to mirror the completeness and unity within the Trinity.
Leviticus 18:22: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Here, the Bible does not mince words about what is considered an affront to God’s natural law.
Romans 1:26-27: Paul describes how God gave up certain individuals to dishonorable passions, including homosexual acts, which are against nature. This scripture explicitly condemns the act as a deviation from God’s intended design.
The Sin of Introducing Unbiblical Doctrines
The infiltration of doctrines that celebrate or endorse what the Bible calls sin is nothing short of spiritual sabotage.
The introduction of such teachings into the Church is akin to wolves entering the sheepfold, leading the flock astray from the path of righteousness:
- The Deception of Inclusion: Many proponents argue for inclusivity under the guise of love, but this is a misrepresentation of true Christian love. Love, according to scripture, does not rejoice with wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).
- Spiritual Blasphemy: To alter or ignore God’s word for the sake of cultural acceptance is to play the role of the serpent in the Garden, questioning, “Did God actually say?” (Genesis 3:1). This introduces doubt into the hearts of the faithful, potentially leading to eternal damnation (Matthew 15:14).
The Case of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: A Modern Day Apostasy
The incident involving a lady bishop who publicly lambasted President Trump with what can only be described as a perversion of Christian doctrine, reveals a heart not aligned with the teachings of Christ. Her actions not only disrespect the office of the presidency, which Romans 13:1-7 calls us to honor, but also reveal a deep-seated rebellion against biblical authority:
- Disrespecting Authority: Her attack on Trump, whether one agrees with his politics or not, signifies a lack of respect for God-ordained authority, which is a direct reflection of her spiritual state.
- Promoting False Doctrine: By possibly endorsing or remaining silent on unbiblical practices, she participates in leading souls away from salvation, showing a lack of fear for God’s judgment (James 3:1).
- A Soul in Need of Salvation: This bishop’s actions scream for a personal revival. She needs to seek Jesus, not just in name but in repentance, humility, and a return to scriptural fidelity.
Lukewarm Christianity: A Modern Plague
Today’s Church often resembles the lukewarm church of Laodicea, warned against in Revelation 3:15-16. The widespread acceptance of sin, particularly sexual immorality, in the name of “tolerance” or “love”, is a direct affront to the sanctity of the Church:
- Compromising Truth for Comfort: Many churches have traded the hard truths of scripture for a feel-good gospel that doesn’t challenge sin, thus breeding a generation of believers who are spiritually anemic.
- The Danger of Cultural Christianity: When the Church becomes indistinguishable from the world, it loses its saltiness (Matthew 5:13), becoming useless in its mission to preserve and enlighten.
The Call to Holiness and Repentance
The Church must fiercely guard its sanctity:
- Holiness: As God is holy, so must His Church be (1 Peter 1:16). This means standing against the cultural tide, no matter the cost, to uphold the truth of God’s Word.
- Repentance: The Gospel does not just promise love; it demands repentance from sin. Acts 17:30 commands all people everywhere to repent. Without this, no one can claim to follow Christ while endorsing sin.
- Biblical Love: True love involves correction and guidance towards righteousness, not affirmation of sin. Love without truth is not love at all but a dangerous path to perdition.
Conclusion: A Church Reinvigorated by Truth
The Church must reclaim its role as the moral compass of society, not by bending to societal whims but by holding fast to the unchanging Word of God. The practices and doctrines that seek to normalize what God has declared unnatural must be confronted with the full weight of biblical truth.
This is not a call for hatred but for a fierce love for the purity of the Church and the souls it shepherds. The lady bishop, like many others, needs to face the mirror of God’s Word, seeking a heart transformation that only Jesus can provide. The Church must awaken from its slumber, reject the lukewarmness that threatens its very existence, and return to the fiery passion for holiness that characterized the early believers. Only then can it truly shine as a light in the darkness, leading all to the path of true salvation and righteousness.