Posted on 06/30/2013 2:46:20 PM PDT by ReformationFan
But it gets more complicated. It is not just any words. In Romans 1, Paul shows how to preach the Gospel. It includes the notion of the Fall and a full recognition of human sin. Certainly, we must avoid “personal judgmentalism” but we may not avoid God as judge, without whom there is no God as Savior. If the Gospel is “the power of God for salvation (Rom 1:16) it is because no other power can change this fallen world-not our deeds, not the message of human flourishing nor the this-worldly utopia of diversity. Our message is that sin needs a solution from the outside. As Luther discovered from this text, “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). Paul is still developing the gospel theme when he goes on to say: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” (Rom 1:18). The external solution is God’s righteousness, which, against sinners, is revealed as “wrath” (1:18) but because of Jesus’ righteousness, “by faith,” becomes an amazing gift of grace.
Paul’s argument is that we must understand our sinful state. His teaching on homosexuality is part of this Gospel teaching because that sinful state includes the practice and approval of homosexuality (Romans 1:26-28 and 32), which was everywhere practiced in Rome. This is not homophobia but must be understood in the context of his full development of the implications of the Gospel.
Since this is true, the Supreme Court yesterday, in once “Christian America,” just indicated that the clear public preaching of the Gospel may one day be ruled unconstitutional!
(Excerpt) Read more at theaquilareport.com ...
Thanks for the PCA material, RefFan!
You’re welcome. I’m PCA myself and I hope and pray our denomination stays Biblically orthodox and does not go the way of the PCUSA.
I’ll go by the rule, “We must obey God as ruler rather than men”.
The problem also comes from Adam and Eve consuming fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We shall surely die from that consumption.
The death is a spiritual death. It remains even to this day.
Even believers, swayed by their old sin nature, will be tempted to use their knowledge of good and evil as a substitute for our fellowship with God through faith in Christ, resulting in falling out of fellowship.
Even though the issue of sin has been handled by Christ on the Cross, the issues of good and evil must be resolved in time. How are we to address them? By placing priority upon remaining in fellowship with Him through faith in Christ and not seeking righteousness by either the absence of evil or the promotion of good, but by remaining in His light and living walking the Christian spiritual life in Him in all things.
The founders would be absolutely livid what has become of this government and nation. But they left us many warnings of this in their writings that our so-called wise, learned leaders fail to heed. What exactly do they celebrate on July 4th anyway?
And in turn the results a future revolt.
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