Crosstalk: August 29, 2016

Churches and denominations are having to make a lot of decisions today as it relates to topics such as gay marriage and homosexuality. As a consequence, many believers are fearful of being labeled as 'haters' so they begin to trivialize the threat by categorizing homosexuality as just another sin.

The guest on this Crosstalk believes that homosexuality is not just another sin and can be proven from Genesis to Revelation. In fact, he sees homosexuality as a symbol of extreme rebellion against God and also something by which we've seen the wrath of God poured out by way of judgment.

Joining Jim to discuss his Bible-based view on the matter was Scott Lively. Scott is the president of Abiding Truth Ministries and director of the Pro-Family Law Center. Scott is also a pastor, attorney, author, public speaker and pro-family defender of the biblical view of marriage and the family.

Scott believes there's a dangerous, modern heresy known as 'gay theology' that is infiltrating the church. It began in the 1980's by a Yale college professor named John Boswell. Scott described it as a reinterpretation of the Scripture in which all the passages related to homosexuality (and sexual issues in general) are redefined in order to legitimize them in the eyes of God. This way people who want to identify as homosexual can claim that this is the way God intended things and there's really nothing in the Bible that speaks against what they want to do.

Since some claim that homosexuality is merely a sin like any other, Jim asked Scott if he believes in different degrees of sin. Scott noted that in the eyes of God all sin is equal in the sense that every sin will keep you out of the presence of God. However, in human affairs, sin is ranked by its severity because of what it means in terms of consequences for individuals and society. That's why murder is punished as a capital offense and gossip is not.

Scott believes that the widespread emergence of homosexuality and its worldwide celebration is designed to test the faithfulness of the church to the Word of God. More specifically, Scott believes we are in the end-times and we are being prepared as a body for a time when the antichrist will appear on the scene and all believer's will be presented with the challenge concerning the mark of the beast. So it seems that the issue of homosexuality and the way it's being addressed in society and the church is a type of 'dress rehearsal' for that event. In other words, will believers stand for biblical truth or will they capitulate to a worldly, compromised perspective that says there's nothing wrong with that which God calls an abomination.

Scott also deals with...

...the Genesis one-flesh paradigm that is the foundation for all civilization.

...how the Old Testament stories dealing with sex are cautionary tales (examples

of what not to do) and the consequences of doing them.

...the common elements between the time of Noah and our era.

...the hijacking of the rainbow by the homosexual community.

...the fallacy behind the hospitality argument that so-called Christian

homosexuals use to interpret Genesis 19.

...answered questions from Crosstalk listeners and much more.