Good morning, my friends. This is missionary James Robinette. And by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I am with you once again this Lord's Day morning. And it's really my pleasure and joy to share with you the holy word of God. May the Lord of all glory and grace bless you today in true salvation and in a deeper love and knowledge of God, my dear friend. The Lord is surely good to his people, and we thank him that today we are finishing up a series of sermons on the sin of homosexuality. And so if you have your Bible available, please turn to 1 Corinthians 6, and we'll soon look at the holy word of God found there. My friends, our contact number is 0782-652-143. Please feel free to call us and learn more about Action International Ministries Uganda at www.actionuganda.net. My friends, let us now pray. Father, thank you. Thank you for your precious grace. Thank you again for the precious truth that comes to us and which is to be found in your word, in the Bible, alone in the Bible, the repository of truth, the foundation and the pillar of truth. Lord, this glorious word that you have given to us, we thank you for it. Thank you that that the gospel is the foundation upon which your true church is built. And we thank you for this great enduring foundation. And so, Lord, bless us with truth once again today and speak through me and use me to communicate truth to your people that will help and edify and save and strengthen. We thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness, for your mercy to us. We pray again, too, for Grace for ABC Radio. Thank you for this gospel voice, Lord, this word of truth, this vehicle in which you are proclaimed and the truth of God is declared to be the true treasure that it is. Bless ABC Radio, bless those who listen to ABC Radio, and meet us in the truth. In the Word of God again, we pray, have your glory in these things and bless your dear people. Have your glory in that, Father. In Jesus' name we pray, amen and amen. And so, my friends, let us now hear the Word of God found in 1 Corinthians 6, beginning in verse 9. This is the New King James Version, the Holy Bible. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. Amen. so my friends we see here Paul's triumphant note of grace in that he declares the truth that he sees in the Corinthian believers that though they were people who lived habitually in these sins that he listed for us here, fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, that is male homosexuality, they were thieves, they were covetous, greedy. They were drunkards, revilers. They were shameful men. They were extortioners. And though they had lived in these sins habitually by the wonderful grace of God, they had been saved, justified, declared right with God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And they were sanctified. That is, they had been converted to the Christ and now had been made holy and separated to God in true holy living, not perfect living, but in true holiness, practical holiness. And so it is that the Spirit of God, and in the name of the Lord Jesus, they had received God's great salvation that led them to turn from these sins. And that's a wonderful victorious note for us to begin with today as we see that homosexuals and sodomites in this city of ancient Greece in Corinth, in a culture which embraced homosexuality. In fact, the Roman culture, which soon followed the glorious time of Greece's appearing on the world stage, that is their preeminence, the Roman culture also embraced this sin of homosexuality. In fact, Many of the Caesars were practicing homosexuals, but nevertheless, God's grace reached his people, his elect people in Corinth. And so it is that they turned from these sins. They were practicing homosexuals and sodomites, but they turned from sins. Such were some of you, the scripture says, but they were washed. They were washed, they were cleansed, purified by the blood of the lamb and by the spirit of grace which renewed them and regenerated them. And so we see that there is great hope and there is great compassion expressed in these verses from the heart of Paul by the Holy Ghost for men and women who practice these sins. There is the love of God which is expressed to people who commit these sins. And the great preacher John MacArthur has made an interesting statement about that in a sermon in which he asks the question, what is God's attitude to homosexuals? and he is faithful and right, he is true to scripture, and that he declares that homosexuality is a sin and it reveals a measure of hardening of heart by God, but he also declares clearly that God's love is expressed to homosexuals. And the truth here is that God is merciful. God is calling out to homosexuals to turn from this sin that hardens them in reprobation and to turn to the living God. And so, my friends, in light of that glorious truth that God's grace abounds to sinners, let me share with you the thoughts by a good friend of ours, a minister in America, whose name is Jim Ellef. He leads a ministry called Christian Communicators Worldwide. Jim is a longtime friend of ours, and he has written about this issue, asking the question, can homosexuals and lesbians go to heaven? And here's Jim's answer based on scripture. Thanks for your important question about homosexuality. Concerning this issue, the Bible is absolutely clear. Homosexuals do not go to heaven. There is hope for homosexuals, however. Christ can convert homosexuals and lesbians and make them true children of his. Let me go into more detail to help you. First, let's start with the fact that some people who have become believers were homosexuals prior to being converted. This passage of scripture that I just read to you in 1 Corinthians 6. tells us that some former homosexuals were actually members of the church in Corinth. And so we see that Paul declares that there is hope for anyone, homosexual, adulterer, drunkard, et cetera, to become one of God's family. But when a person does become a believer, the homosexuality ends. Such were some of you, Paul says. Paul understands that there may be some person who is a true Christian and who has come out of homosexuality but fails temporarily out of weakness. But a true believer in Christ is radically different than what he used to be. He is substantially changed, but not perfect yet. Christ in the person makes a huge difference. What the Bible is saying is this. A person does not become a Christian by cleaning up his or her life and making it perfect. Rather, he becomes part of God's family by putting his trust in Christ. You may read some of the articles on his website, that is, Jim Eliff's website, to study this issue. When a person does enter God's family, the Spirit of Christ comes into the life of the person, making him different than he was before. His motives, attitudes, and actions are substantially different. He is not perfect, however, until heaven. In the meantime, the fruit of a changed life is evident. And if he fails temporarily, he does so not out of the old rebellion or apathy, but simply because he has overcome through weakness. One should be able to see the difference in a true Christian's life. A persistent lifestyle of sin would indicate that God had not yet given salvation to the person, for all Christians are changed and made new in a decisive way. The Bible states that homosexuality is a deadly sin, harming your soul and body because it is against nature. Read Romans 1 to find out the details of this. He ends by saying, for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions. The truth is that people who are homosexual are that way not because of genetics, but because of sin. The potential to be homosexual is in every person. We are born as sinners and have potential to do any kind of sin, including homosexuality. According to the Romans 1 passage, a person may move from stage to stage, permitting themselves to do more and more sins until he finally comes to a much worse place than he realized. This particular sin has the effect of diseases that are sexually transmitted, harming the body. In Western culture, homosexuals not only die of AIDS fairly often, but most die of other diseases that are sexually transmitted. Most homosexuals do not tend to live to be old people. Homosexuals are used to attending funerals. I believe this is just a fulfillment of the words spoken in the Romans passage. Finally, let me say that everyone who thinks he is homosexual and is not, who thinks he is homosexual is not necessarily that way. It is true that sometimes people take advantage of boys when they are young and tend to turn them in a certain direction. Also, some men or boys have a few thoughts about the same sex at some point in their lives and then believe that something must be permanently wrong. They become preoccupied about this problem, which has the effect of producing an increased secret desire to mentally envision what they should not think about. It is strange how humans tend to think in the very direction they are telling themselves that they should not think. They then believe that they are destined to live a homosexual life because of the concept of homosexuality which is portrayed in Western society. It is not true that such a person is destined to such a lifestyle. If this is your case, please don't think that you are bound to be anything outside the normal. Just as some thoughts about girls' bodies or stealing does not necessarily mean you are a rapist or a thief. These are sinful thoughts, but do not tell you that you are doomed to a certain lifestyle. Remember, homosexuality is not in the genes, even though the homosexuals try to convince people of this, but rather a series of wrong choices and twisted thinking about one's identity. All of this may tell you that you need Christ, however. Christ can sort out all of this and make a person whole. Some people have gotten a great deal of help from an organization called Exodus International, I understand. The main thing, however, is to put your trust in Christ and turn from the desire to live a life separate from Him. Again, read carefully. through the Bible and see God's revealed will. And don't doubt the power of God to make you entirely new and to forgive you totally. I hope this helps you, Jim. And so I have paraphrased and added just a bit of comment to help us understand Jim's train of thought here. He mentions two websites. You can find them as you click on the search engine on the Internet. That is Christian Communicators Worldwide and then also an organization called Exodus International which seeks to help people come to Christ and to come out of homosexuality, to repent of that sin. And so my friends, I trust that is helpful for you also. And so we want to deal with this issue now very quickly of same-sex marriages or unions. And simply put, we can see that the Bible condemns this because the Bible condemns the act of homosexuality. It certainly cannot be in favor of unions between men and women that encourage homosexuality. And so by definition, same-sex unions are forbidden by the Word of God, as is the initial act of homosexuality, which leads people into this idea that same-sex unions or marriages between two men or marriages between two women are acceptable. They clearly are not acceptable according to the Word of God. Now, we want to talk about this issue of how it is that the church has historically understood the issue of homosexuality and relate that to the laws of a nation. That's currently a very big topic in Uganda. And first of all, let me say this, that we see that the morality of Western nations, of some Western nations, is such that these days, those nations as a whole are not siding with the law of God. There is this turning from scripture, and this issue of homosexuality is a perfect case point of that. The scripture clearly says that homosexuality is sinful and evil, but Western nations have departed from that scriptural understanding, and in many cases, historic understanding in their nation's history. and are expressing the view and holding to the view that homosexuality is a viable option that is moral. In this case, we must understand that when a nation makes laws that are against the law of God, that true believers must hold to the law of God, just as it is that Paul a Roman citizen kept the laws of God and because he was a believer was led to keep the Roman laws as far as the Roman law requirement did not compel him to sin. And so it is that Christians are to keep the law of the land except when the law requires them to sin. Now, of course, that has clear bearing on this issue of homosexuality. and national laws regarding homosexuality. Let me just make quick comment that the Puritans were Christians, evangelical Christians, who came from Europe to the New World, to America, about three centuries ago, two and a half centuries ago. And the Puritans, as Christians, then set laws in America in its first years, which prohibited and punished the sin of homosexuality, and these laws were quite similar to the Old Testament laws of the theocracy of Israel. In the course of time, those laws have changed for the most part in America and in Western culture as a whole. And then the understanding of the evil of these actions and the required punishment by government has also changed. But we have a historic guideline which is very helpful for us in understanding this issue of what God requires of us and and national laws that either support the Bible or go against the Bible. The Westminster Confession of Faith from 1646 is a helpful document. It divides the Mosaic laws, that is the Old Testament laws, into three categories. Remember, we saw that the Old Testament laws then condemned homosexuality and required the death of practicing homosexuals in Israel. And so the Westminster Confession of Faith divides the Mosaic laws into three categories, moral, civil, and ceremonial. In the view of the Westminster divines, that is, the men who put together the Westminster Confession of Faith, only the moral laws of the Mosaic law which include the Ten Commandments and the commands repeated in the New Testament directly apply to Christians today. Ceremonial laws, in this view, include the regulations pertaining to ceremonial cleanliness, festivals, diet, and the Levitical priesthood. And so that comment is simply saying, that in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Christian leaders of the time saw that the moral law was binding, that the civil, that is, the national or the governmental laws, which were given to Israel as a nation, and the ceremonial laws, which were given to the Jews in their religious observances, had been fulfilled and ended when Christ came. But the moral law is a binding law. And we praise God that Christ kept the moral law that is summarized in the Ten Commandments for us, perfectly for us, for those of us who believe in Him. And so it is we are justified in the sight of God that is declared right by the law because Christ's righteousness is counted as ours. He kept the Ten Commandments in every aspect of the law given to Israel, the moral law, the civil law, the ceremonial law, and His perfect righteousness is counted as ours when we trust in Christ. And so it is, my friends, that the Westminster Confession of Faith reads as follows in chapter 19-4. To them, that is Israel, also as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other now further than the general equity thereof may require. And so that statement is saying simply that Israel's law in principle is still to be seen to be the rule of God. That which is true and fair to the judicial laws in principle are true and fair today. And so it is, my friends, that we see that this confession of faith helps us to understand that the judicial laws that Israel was given and the punishment of homosexuality was one of these judicial laws, that judicial law has expired now except in principle or in equity or in justice. And so, in principle and in justice, the sin of homosexuality was to be punished in the Old Testament, and in fairness and justice and equity, homosexuality is to be seen to be an evil today, and it cannot be made out to be acceptable today. Equity, justice requires that homosexuality be seen in its biblical light as to be sinful, To see it as otherwise is to see this really in an injustice, in an unjust way. It's interesting to note that over 76 countries today have laws prohibiting homosexual activity. And it is interesting to note that there is quite a push from Western cultures and nations today to just kind of level this out and to really believe that homosexuality is not an evil in itself. Of course, that is a result of humanistic thinking, not of biblical thinking. And so having said this, then let us explore this issue of the guidelines of what is a just law and punishment in light of the Bible's overall teaching, but especially in light of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so what we understand, my friends, and I really want to share my personal view with you in this regard, is that the Old Testament laws in principle carry over into the New Testament. And that is that in principle, sin that is declared to be sin in the Old Testament must be recognized as sin today. And just laws in light of this require a punishment of evil, a discouragement of evil, and not an acceptance of evil or sin. And so therefore, just laws require a firmness and a strictness. There is to be a clear understanding of what is acceptable to God and what is evil in God's sight. And so in light of the fact that homosexuality was to be punished with death in the Israelite theocracy, that is, in the government in which God himself was the king of the nation, we see today that there should be a punishment for this sin. We cannot make this out to be acceptable to God. That is clearly unbiblical, but just laws would discourage this sin. Now, let me make note at this point that each nation is accountable to God and is responsible for the laws of the nation that it makes. And I must be clear with you, I'm not a politician. I'm not a lawmaker. I'm a Christian minister. I teach the Bible and I preach the Bible. But it seems to me, again, just my opinion, that when just laws are created today by nations, that we must take into account a few principles here. And the lawmakers, influenced by the church, which declares God's will regarding these issues, and which can sometimes be powerfully influenced by the church, must understand these distinctions. The first principle, just law requires and adherence to biblical principle and the will of God. Second principle, Christian love, that is mercy, requires a measure of just tolerance. In other words, there must be room and time for repentance. And we remember, my friends, that the Lord came and he declared, I have not come to condemn, that is to judge the world. He will come to judge at the end of the ages. But Jesus came to save. And in this we see that the salvation and mercy and long suffering, or if you will, the tolerance of God, his ability to bear long with man's sinfulness is seen. And so it seems to me that just laws in accord with the New Testament today would provide a time for repentance, a measure of justice which gives room for men to repent of their sins and come to Christ. And so it is that just laws would also encourage and enforce that which is just and good as declared by God according to the Word of God in principle from the Old Testament and then of course in truth and principle from the New Testament. Here's an interesting thing to consider. We don't now condemn adulterers or fornicators or witches, and the question must be asked, should we? And so that is a fitting question to ask also in regard to this issue of homosexuality. And I think we would all agree clearly that extremes must be avoided in this issue. In other words, Jesus has come in the mercy and salvation of God, and so the extreme of absolute punishment, even by death in these cases, should be questioned. Is that showing mercy from God? But also the other extreme of absolute tolerance in which evil is not punished at all must be avoided, especially in the light of the merciful and just gospel that has come with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to us. And so we just want to make comment that just laws reflect God's will and God's justice. And so it is that God, praise God, has shown mercy and godly tolerance with an aim to calling men to repentance. And it seems to me that just laws must require this element. Let me end this morning with a few thoughts by a theologian by the name of Wayne Grudem, and he gives us some interesting guideline and comment again about this issue of the church and its influence upon the government, which is God's ordained ministry to govern the civil aspects of life. And so it is, we see here that Grudem makes comment, the authority of the church and that of the state belong to two distinct spheres. That's found in Matthew 22, 21, John 18, 36, and 2 Corinthians 10, three through four. And each should respect the authority God has given the other in its own sphere of operation. And so Grudem is commenting upon this fact The church is to be governed spiritually by Christ. The government or the civil government, the government that governs over people in a civil sense, is also appointed, it's ordained to exist by the authority of God, but it has responsibility only in its area. And so the church and the state relate to each other, hopefully in a good relationship in which the church is able to influence the state to make and enforce godly laws. But the enforcement of law is the responsibility of the government, the civil authority God has ordained. Grudem continues. Christians attempting to bring positive moral influence on government and attempting to persuade governments to make laws consistent with biblical standards of morality. It is right for Christians to attempt to persuade governments to make laws that protect families and private property and the lives of human beings, laws that both outlaw and punish murder, adultery, theft, and the breaking of contracts, things that violate the Ten Commandments, as well as prohibit homosexual conduct, drunkenness, drug abuse, abortion, and other things that are inconsistent with biblical standards of morality. And so my friends, then that brings us to the last point in this series of sermons. What is the just penalty for the sin of homosexuality today as to be found in civil government? And let me just share this last thought with you. Again, this is my personal view. I believe the Bible calls us to justice and equity, tolerance and mercy, so that people who sin and break laws are given a measure of time to repent. And so as we consider this issue, And as the government of Uganda considers this issue, as the church in Uganda considers this issue, let us remember that the grace of God came powerfully to the Corinthians so that some of them repented of their sin of homosexuality. I believe in effect and in truth that that means that just laws regarding this issue today, and it is the government of Uganda that must decide this, it is each national government that must decide being accountable to God for its own laws and punishments, but the government must decide that which is fair and just and yet tolerant and showing the mercy and the love of God, his heart that sinners would repent from their sins. And so my friends, we'll leave that subject at that for now. And so I pray that the Lord will bless you through this series of sermons. We're stating clearly that homosexuality is a sin. It is forbidden by the Word of God. It is punished by God. His Word declares that. And yet Christ is a God who saves and calls to homosexuals to turn from their sin. And then we've also said that in this issue of a nation's laws regarding this activity, this sin of homosexuality and its punishment, that each nation must be governed truly by the will of God to enact just laws. So let us pray. Father, we pray, thanking you for the clear truth that that this activity of homosexuality is sinful and that you call to men to repent. Thank you for your long-suffering tolerance with us in this regard, Lord. Not that you accept the sin, but you are patient with sinners so that we turn from our sins. And so Lord, help us to see your clear truth that this is sin, that it must be turned from, that there must be true repentance. And yet to see too, Lord, that the governments of the nations must make laws that are just. And we pray that Uganda will be helped and that its laws will be just in accord with the will and spirit and principle of the Bible. We thank you, Lord. Give your people clarity in this issue, and we thank you that you're the God who saves sinners. We bless you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. And so, my friends, until next Lord's Day morning, may the Lord of glory and grace bless you.