TRUTH: A Note To Fellow Christians About The Phil Robertson Case

I understand that I am far, far from perfect.  In fact, I am a hypocrite and I hate this side of myself.  But then, we are all hypocrites.  But with that said, I have a word of caution for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ concerning the Phil Robertson case.

In case you somehow missed it, here’s the story:

A&E Places Phil Robertson on Indefinite Hiatus From ‘Duck Dynasty’ Following Fiery Remarks on Homosexuality

Now, here’s the thing about this story: Mr. Robertson is correct.  Scripture is very clear that homosexuality is a sin.  But note, it does not say the person, it says the act.  Simply being homosexual does not necessarily condemn a person to hell.  The problem is, if a person ignores the Word of God and willfully continues in the practice, then they risk damnation.  God said it several times: at a certain point, He will give us over to our depravities.  And, in this case, the ultimate cost of the homosexual lifestyle is damnation.  After all, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah primarily because of their sexual immorality.  Sodom was so infamous for the activity that we still refer to it as sodomy.  But this is not the point I wish to make about this story.

The point I want to make is that, as Christians, we are not to go looking for conflict, but we are to be prepared to give a defense of our faith when necessary.  Personally, I believe this includes being prepared to face the scorn of this world.  Christ told us that if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before the father.  Well, what do we who call ourselves by His name think we are doing if we remain silent in the face of worldly pressure to turn from God and embrace sin?  If we remain quiet when the world tells us we must not only tolerate but accept homosexuality, abortion and a host of other things God said are wrong, then how can we defend God or His Son?  If we care more for what the world thinks of us than what God thinks of us, then we love the world more than God.  And if we love the world more than God, then the Scriptures tell us we are not His children, but Satan’s.

But it goes a step further.  When we, as God’s people, accept the alteration of His word, we ignore His word.  Anyone who embraces something God tells us to avoid is being disobedient to God’s laws.  Disobedience is sin, and the wages of sin are death.  So those who call themselves pastor but still marry homosexuals are not in compliance with God’s law.  How can someone who is in a homosexual marriage claim they are even trying to fight the sin in their life when, by definition, marriage is a commitment to that continued lifestyle?  And how can someone claim to be a pastor if they accept something God tells us we are not to accept?  Once again, I am reminded that Christ, Himself, told us there will be people who call themselves by His name who He will not recognize on judgment day.  In fact, Christ said he will tell them He never knew them.  I suspect this is part of what he meant when He said those words.

I think back to the early Church and I wonder whether or not Christianity would have survived if all God had to use was the people we are today.  We quake at the threat of the PC tyrants among us, yet those early saints went to the lions rather than renounce their faith.  I remember the story of a reporter who was captured by Muslims in the Middle East and who said the conversion prayer of Islam to save his life.  Once free, he claimed he did not mean it and only said it to save his life.  I pray God forgives him, but I fear that reporter does not understand that he committed the unpardonable sin when he prayed that prayer.  When you pray the Islamic prayer of conversion, you renounce God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  You blaspheme the Holy Spirit and you are in very real trouble.  Yet, because this reporter did not fear God, he prayed that prayer.  I think of those first Christians and I know they would not have done so.  I think of prophecy, where it says Christ will return with an army of Saints who show the scars of having been beheaded for Christ and I know others in the past refused to bow to the princes of this world.  I have no doubt that Phil Robertson wouldn’t bow to this world.  I only hope that, when my time comes, that will be the one time I am not a hypocrite and that I will have the courage of these early saints, myself.  And, should such a time come for you, I pray you will, too.

The peace of our Lord be with you.