0nce we were all blinded by darkness; lost and groping for happiness and significance. We interpreted things out of our own natural mind, coming to conclusions that made sense to us.
Without God, we made our own gods. Without God, we reasoned what was valuable and what is not. What was worthy of our time and money and what was not. What people worth based on what we admired and what they’re not.
And as for morals? Well that would all depend on how we were raised, and/or what we determined what was right and wrong.
Basically, we were a god unto ourselves. And we all had our personal kingdoms, some great and some small. And the world determined our worth based on what it thought was worthy and what was not.
One day 2000 plus years ago a Light came into the world. And as one singer/sing writer put it, “then out of the darkness there came The Light. He taught truth and what was right .”
He was The Word incarnate. And “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” John 1:4 Verse 10, “He came into the world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.”
In fact, the only ones who would recognize him were those who that he knew would would recognize him. However, all mankind would have a witness. He reviled himself in his creation. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Rom 1:20-23
Further in Ron 1:21 (amp) “For even though they knew God (as the creator) they did not honor him as God or give thanks (for his wonderous creation) on the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking (godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.”
Romans goes on to say that God, “abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of their sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.”
And here we are today, soaked in a perverse godless culture. We are hit in every side with the normalization of sexual deviance. They, the world, are trying to do it’s best to get us to approve their sin, calling us “homophobic” and other derogatory names. Further, they’re trying to get us to believe and accept other abnormalities such as transgenderism. Sadly, we “the carriers of light” say little to nothing. And herein is what many in the church are doing. As “not to offend” or “turn anyone off” we excuse it. Thinking somehow we’ll get them to accept Christ. We want them to accept Christ, while at the same time, allow them to keep their sin. In essence, we have compromised. And as a result, the church as lost her power. She has, for the most part, become ineffectual. And this is wrong. Way wrong. We no longer call sin, sin. We, “have a form of godliness, but deny it’s power.” The power that transforms lives. Paul addresses this in the church of Corith.
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud!” And the way he delt with it. “You are proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.” 1 Cor 5:1-2
If we lose the difference between our behavior and what is acceptable for believers, and that of the world, we dim the light that’s inside us.
I can’t imagine today, nor have I ever heard of a church excommunicating an individual that after they’ve been warned, but refused correction.
Someone, once said, “we say what we believe, but we reproduce what we are ” The question is, are we bearing the full and bright light of Christ, or have we compromised? If we have, we will have to give account to the Great Judge one day.