In 2021 in the West US, a father of a little four-year old visited one of our relatives. He said that his little one came to him asking him if he knew that she could choose whether to be a boy or a girl. Her source: popular ‘education’ software’ for preschoolers.
A 2021 trip to the Northeast US through a several little towns in relatively conservative area of a mostly rural state were celebrating immorality with signs and banners posted in numerous places. Some churches were posting signs of public support.
I went to a small-town library in the East US in 2021 that was freely distributing a library-oriented magazine. The lead article and cover story were about a lesbian, who was explaining her successful writing skills and her public “coming out”.
These are just a few examples of a wider trend in the US as well as several other countries that show increased education, government, and culture changes that ignore or discredit biblical fundamentals for sexual morality. Sexual immorality of many types is increasingly publicly uplifted as normal. Previous Genesis Connection posts on marriage touch on the subject. This post specifically talks about the regional incident in the Sodom area, because it is pertinent today.
What is right or biblical concerning sexual morality? How far will the changes in moral standards go that are contrary to a biblical standard? How serious is public acceptance of sexual immorality? Does anyone need to be concerned?
The Bible is clear and states that the issue is important. What happened in Sodom/Gomorrah is cited numerous times in the Bible. The highlights for the incident can be read in Genesis 13:10-13, where the sinful nature of the city area is first mentioned, but Genesis 18:16 to 19:30 include details of the account as conditions worsened, which led to the region’s destruction by the hand of God. Of note are the following characteristics of the city’s inhabitants when three angels of God visited: sexual immorality was accepted and publicly practiced; the young were affected and given to the same practices; it made the people fearless to new strangers, whom they wished to sexually abuse; and the inhabitants were physically forceful to do what they pleased. God had already judged the situation but made a way for Lot to escape with his daughters and wife before destruction occurred. The wife turned back to look and turned to a pillar of salt. It is well worth studying the episode to confirm these summary statements.
Other mentions of the incident occur in Deuteronomy 29:22-26, where the incident is a symbol of an abandoned covenant with God. Isaiah 3:9 mentions that the sin of the time was overtly public, just like it was with Sodom. Matthew 11:24/Luke 10:12 cite Jesus’s statements of judgement for towns refusing to receive news of the Kingdom of God as comparable to the judgement at Sodom. Luke 17:26-30 says the coming of the Christ the second time will come as a surprise, like the day starting the Genesis Flood and the day Sodom was destroyed. 2 Peter 2:4-10 cite the Genesis Flood and Sodom as examples of God’s actions on the ungodly as well as his mercy to rescue the godly in trials. Jude 5-7 refer to Sodom/Gomorrah’s indulgence in sexual immorality and pursuit of ‘unnatural’ desires as a warning of judgement for similar behavior.
Other references to the seriousness of blatant immorality are numerous. Romans 1:24-27 cites behavior that was like that which was in Sodom. In Revelation, where the time of final judgement and the end of earth as we know it is described in vision form, sexual immorality is cited one of the central characteristics of mankind that still refuses to repent (9:20-21, 17:1-2, 18:1-3).
Therefore, the current trends are not a surprise but the increased acceptance, public display, and overt practices of types of sexual immorality are very clear danger signs. God has not ceased to examine the affairs of man. And now children are increasingly affected – another danger sign (Matthew 18:6).
What are we to do as believers in the God of the Bible?
- Pray to the Father that His will be done and that His Kingdom come. Pray for God-fearing governing authority – from large governments to smaller governing authorities. Pray for parents or guardians of children. Pray for older children or relatives who oversee younger siblings.
- Stay clean. Repent of sexual immorality if it is needed. Guard against the tendencies or desires for unnatural affections of any kind. This is easily said, but unnatural desires are developed over time. When culture is generally leaning away from biblical fundamentals, temptations are manifold. Wrong affections, if entertained, can become habitual quickly. The rise in pornography, though often kept private, falls in the same category. It is a form of sexual immorality. Guard your heart, your eyes, and your mind. Vigilance is not God’s responsibility; it is ours. Stay engaged with God, even when you are dealing with your own weaknesses and temptations. If you need the help of a Godly friend to stay accountable, do that. It is wisdom to get someone older who walks the walk with God. If you are married, can it be your spouse? In the end, God can heal our souls if we are repentant and broken-hearted.
- Protect your children or those younger than you who are close to you. This is not optional if you care about their development as a little boy or a little girl. Visual and written materials are powerful before the general age of accountability. What are they exposed to? How do they see your behavior? When they are little older, the situation gets complicated as educational institutions, their materials, and often other young people are increasingly anti-biblical on morality issues. But ignoring the fact that immoral influences are occurring because things seem OK some of the time is not going to work. Address the issue or get help to address the issue. There are enough displays and practices of sexual immorality around children that they WILL be exposed to them, whether parents or guardians know it or not. The subject left unaddressed in a biblical fashion guarantees they will have no suggestion from those who are closest to them that something is wrong and can hurt them.
- If you have hurt someone else in this area, repent and ask forgiveness. It happens, but do not leave it unaddressed.
What do you do if you are an unbeliever?
As explained in previous Genesis Connection posts, God explains in the Bible that mankind is created special – in His image. These things mean every soul is specially created – as a male or a female. There is no confusion at birth which it is. Each one can agree with that creation work or destroy it. If destroyed or injured, you injure your own soul. Yet, each soul has opportunity to seek God and find Him or not. The Good News of the Gospel, as succinctly cited in Acts 17:22-31, includes key features of God as our Creator and restates His desire that each one reach Him. We cannot make our hearts clean, but He can. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins, and His resurrection guaranteed His power to save us as well as His authority to judge mankind. To be born again we need only to want to reach out to Him with all of our being, repent of sin we are aware of, and He will birth us again. He can walk with us and shape our lives so that we become more like Him. He is able to heal damage. He can rekindle proper marriage (the covenanted relationship between a man and a woman) if it is in trouble and the parties are willing. Other kinds of relationships of a sexual nature are reasons for repentance, not celebration. They are ultimately injurious to our souls and not acceptable to God.
If you are not a believer, no matter what state you are in, you can repent and choose God. He wants to love you. His intention for those who know Him is to not leave us as orphans but to be with us (John 14:18). When one becomes a believer, God promotes and brings about godly friendships with a process over time that makes them fruitful (2 Peter 1:3-8, John 15:12).
If you are inclined to know God and want Him in your soul, why not read one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and express to Him that you want Him as you consider the words? If you cannot find someone to talk to about these sorts of things, send us a message. We will pray for you. If there is opportunity and it seems right, we can talk to you.
Consider this in closing from John 14:23-24: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with him.” There is nothing like having His life within.
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Other resources:
To review biblical creation issues stemming from the first chapters of Genesis, download from the Play Store the free Android App “Creation Study” or the more complete version “Creation Study Helps”, which has other resources if there is internet connection. See COURSES and DOWNLOADABLE COURSES on cwm4him.org for more information on content and links to the resources.
Review the CreationStudyHelps channel on YouTube for a summary of key issues related to Genesis.
Above all, read the Bible.
Study notes in the Apps and book refer to the search window on creation.com so readers can obtain more background articles on a variety of topics related to Genesis.
Questions? Send them to info@cwm4him.org