Actually, I’ve witnessed a couple of instances in my lifetime where God actually took such drastic steps. Most of the professing Christians involved refused to allow God His way, and many others were not close enough to Christ to even realize what was happening. They acted as if there was no way God would have any cause to deal with THEM. This is a hardness. And it is everywhere.

If you read I Corinthians 11, you will encounter a verse that says, "If we judge ourselves, we would not be judged." In other words, if we open ourselves to the Lord NOW, and ask Him to do, "whatever it takes," then there is no need for further judgment THEN. When, then? Ultimately, at the last judgment. Make no question about it. You and I are going to be judged. Push it back and side step the issue all you want, but it is going to happen. The Truth is going to be revealed in the Light of Christ, and then, according to that Truth, eternal assignments will be issued.

As the Bible so often expresses, even the judgments of God in this life are intended to chastise us back to Himself. America has taken a terrible step in these days away from God. But it is never too late to turn back to Him.

The ONLY Solution

Same sex marriage is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. It is an affirmation of the sin of homosexuality. But the Truth is, those who are in bondage to homosexuality – no matter how you got that way – have been given the same solution to this sin as God has given to all sinners: Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ crucified and risen. This is not merely a solution. It is the ONLY solution for any sin. Nothing else will work.

Christian people struggle to overcome sin and find that they cannot. So they try harder. And they fail. But we aren’t reading scripture. We have already been told that there is no possible way in which any of us can overcome sin. We cannot do it through law-keeping, and we cannot do it through will power. Only by confessing our sin, and coming to Christ can we be set free.

Many of us have been told that, "God has given us the power to overcome sin through Christ." This sounds right, and it IS right – if we know what it really means. For most of us, it means that we are supposed to use will power to overcome sin – and God will help us. So we try and fail.

The problem is often that we are trying to turn in upon sin and overcome it. You cannot do so. You have to come to terms with THE sin. THE sin is that we have belonged to ourselves – we have sought to possess ourselves. Confess and repent of THAT sin – come to Christ crucified with THAT sin – and you are on redemption ground. Take your place on the Cross in Christ, not just for sin, but for SELF – and you will discover that the power of sin has indeed been broken. Then it won’t matter what your particular manifestation of the flesh happens to be, for, "you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Over the course of time and trial, freedom will be yours.

In short, if you want to walk in newness of life, free from sin, you have TO DIE. That starts by relinquishing your entire self to Christ – not as a religious exercise – but because you see you are a lost sinner without any hope of helping himself. You take your place in His death. And you will be raised in Him.

It is important for each individual to know that no matter what condition they are in, and no matter what they have done, God has never closed the door on them. He continues to offer freedom in Christ. The only question is whether we will walk through the door – not on the basis of anything about ourselves, but on the basis of His grace. And anyone that says otherwise is a liar. God bids all to come to Christ – not to receive a license to sin – but to receive freedom FROM sin.

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Jesus is the ONLY WAY to freedom and eternal life. Each person must make the choice to die to self and sin. Loving our fellowman entails warning and encouraging them to make that choice.

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERYTHING!!

Patti C.