“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8).
How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? What are your first thoughts and your first activity of the day?
Often I find myself contemplating the perplexities of life—it’s interesting how much time people devote to this, rather than to the solution. My recent contemplations began with an article on CNN about the need to know all the various terms regarding “our sexuality.” This had me pondering more deeply the issue of “Transgenderism.” Have you noticed how the things we never used to talk about have found themselves making headline news today and have you wondered why? This led me to thinking… “How has this become such a focus?” In the simplest of terms, yet warranting further study, it’s really about “The Great Controversy.”
We don’t get very far into the first book of Genesis before we encounter God’s wondrous creation of man. Genesis 5:2 says “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”
So why all the confusion? It’s pretty clear right? Not really… but it’s pretty obvious that there are many elements that complicate matters.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
Lucifer was created. Adam and Eve were created. However, you and I were not created. We are the subjects of creation. The breath of life was gifted to us by God, but as a result of the first sin, we would receive sins consequences.
Early in the history of man, brothers and sisters would intimately join together and populate the earth. However, as sin took its toll on the perfection of God’s creation, time came where incest resulted in malformations. I use this example to magnify the effects of sin on all of us.
We spend countless hours trying to scientifically prove theories regarding the causes of many malformations, diseases and even attractions. There is certainly great knowledge to be explored. Yet in the final analysis, it will all lead back to the fall of man and the impact of Satan. We don’t hear so much about that in this world today. What we are hearing is; “Be yourself!” “Listen to your heart!” “What do your feelings tell you?”
There is an invisible war taking place. In fact Satan is so crafty, that across time, he has slowly manipulated man without his knowing it. Now many are in a deep fog, shielding themselves from the light and are not interested in the truth. In order to align ourselves with God’s principles, human effort must be involved. Today it seems difficult to dig out of the sea of lies the enemy is continuing to heap on us. Adaptation for the majority seems to be “Political Correctness.” Praise God, there are still those who are hungry for God’s “love in truth” message that promises to free us from this world filled with darkness and the lies of the now fallen “Lucifer” who was cast out of Heaven and seeks to devour every living thing as his prey. A jealous angel, he was once the most highly appointed of all the angels in Heaven. Yet even this high position was not enough for him. Today he lives with his lies and he wants you to buy what he’s selling. He wants you to be destroyed eternally, right along with him.
Hardly a day in my life has gone by that I have not been reminded of my “same-sex action.” Was I born that way? Weren’t we all born with a fallen nature? Don’t you suffer from something you can’t go a day without remembering? What’s your excuse? There is no justification for sin. Jesus wants us to be fully aware of this in order to contemplate and recognize our great need of Him. I’m not safe for a moment without Jesus. The enemy is lurking and seeking to devour you and I, more than at any other time in the history of man (John 10:10). Why? Because Jesus is about to come and take all of us who believe on Him—back to Heaven.
To many minds the origin of sin and the reason for its existence are a source of great perplexity. They see the work of evil, with its terrible results of woe and desolation, and they question how all this can exist under the sovereignty of One who is infinite in wisdom, in power, and in love. Here is a mystery of which they find no explanation. And in their uncertainty and doubt they are blinded to truths plainly revealed in God's word and essential to salvation. There are those who, in their inquiries concerning the existence of sin, endeavor to search into that which God has never revealed; hence they find no solution of their difficulties; and such as are actuated by a disposition to doubt and cavil seize upon this as an excuse for rejecting the words of Holy Writ. Others, however, fail of a satisfactory understanding of the great problem of evil, from the fact that tradition and misinterpretation have obscured the teaching of the Bible concerning the character of God, the nature of His government, and the principles of His dealing with sin. The Great Controversy, pg. 492
If it became unsafe, unhealthy and unconscionable to marry a sibling due to the damage of sin, wouldn’t it be safe to say that even the two distinct genders of God’s perfect plan could be compromised with great confusion as a result of sin? What about same-sex attraction? God outlines in His Word that it’s an abomination to Him. A history of Christianity reflects a perfect understanding of this behavior being sin, yet today Christians are defending sin. What has happened? What is our understanding? And are we seeking to justify that which does not honor God?
My dear brothers and sisters, God has not abandoned us and left us without help or answers. Quite the contrary. Every one of our hearts are so precious to Jesus. Why have these terrible things been allowed since they do not honor Him? We must consider The Great Controversy and the fairness of God. God is not seeking to destroy, but to preserve.
As disciples of our Savior, you and I are commissioned to assist in the saving of souls and helping secure those who seem hopeless with the light and love of Christ. Instead of protecting our embarrassments in silence, we are asked to share our weaknesses with our brothers and sisters for the purpose of being lifted up by one another in prayer, and to claim the healing that is promised in James 5:16.
You and I are here to confirm that Satan is a liar—that he has been overcome by the blood of Jesus at the cross, and by the word of our testimonies. Revelation 12:11.
I don’t know about you, but I need simplicity. I need to understand The Great Controversy and my role -- my part. Largely, my part is in surrender and abiding in Christ. My only safety is in maintaining an unbroken relationship with my Father, relying completely upon Him.
Jesus knows every heart that is confused and lost. We make many decisions based on “feelings” rather than from truth or facts. Unfortunately, we’ve been doing what Eve did--justifying our actions based upon how we “feel.”
So let’s take another look at the saving beauty of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. He came to save, not condemn. He asks us to model our ministry after His. To the confused transgender, let’s reach out with the clarity of the “love in truth” message of Jesus. Let’s provide the explanations that point back to the perils and consequences of sin that originally resulted in Lucifer’s fall from Heaven. Let’s provide hope, healing, love and the sanctity of God’s plans, not Satan’s.
Even the angels in Heaven were sympathetic to the sadness of the controversy in Heaven, yet in that sympathy two-thirds would continue to uplift Jesus and His sovereignty.
In order to sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian practices, some will seize upon passages of Scripture separated from the context, perhaps quoting half of a single verse as proving their point, when the remaining portion would show the meaning to be quite the opposite. With the cunning of the serpent they entrench themselves behind disconnected utterances construed to suit their carnal desires. Thus do many willfully pervert the Word of God. Others, who have an active imagination, seize upon the figures and symbols of Holy Writ, interpret them to suit their fancy, with little regard to the testimony of Scripture as its own interpreter, and then they present their vagaries as the teachings of the Bible. The Great Controversy – pg. 521
Be assured, you will come upon “The Great Controversy” in the world, and sadly, in the church as well. But you are not left alone. Upon awakening, call out to God and praise Him for the breath of life that He has gifted you. Surrender your will and your actions of the day to Him. Invite Him to come in and abide in you and you in Him. Seek out where you can most effectively share witness of His “love in truth” message for ALL His children. Not by force, but by invitation. Demonstrate the “pure love,” of Jesus, rather than an earthly adaptation of what people think is love. Love is not permission to do what we desire to do. Sometimes God’s greatest love for us is demonstrated in His disciplining and safeguarding us. It doesn’t always “feel” good, but it is good.
Keep in mind that as you have felt lost at times in seeking your way through life, many others are lost as well. They may be very attached to their “feelings” rather than God’s truth. This they may not be currently aware of, or don’t understand. Our position is not to bring conviction on their heart. Our privilege is to share the powerful love of Jesus. As souls experience this love, they sense that it is safe to let go of those things they have hung on to so tightly. They begin to see Jesus loving them through you.
When we meet Jesus and familiarize ourselves with His “perfect plan” for man, He can begin to make clear to us where the dysfunction began, and its toll on this dark, aging world. As we allow Him, He reveals the complexity of sin and seeks to draw us to live in agreement with Him. I know of many today who are same-sex attracted, transgender, overweight, prideful, porn users, and more, who are deciding to live in agreement with God and His perfect plan.
I find this so encouraging for all of us to remember. Romans 5:8 - Jesus died for us while we are still sinners. He could have abandoned us and given up on us, but He didn’t. So let us not abandon others, but commit ourselves to walking with them on this journey. Don’t condemn their heart, or you will be harshly condemned, but point them to Jesus and His Word who is Judge. In His Word is the most valuable “love in truth” that seeks to set them free.
Introduce them to a family of surrendered, abiding, brothers and sisters in Jesus. God has a work for them. Eventually, they may be baptized into the family of believers and become active in this work. There’s a difference between membership and non-membership (but that is a different article). Seek to serve from wherever God has brought you. He will see us through this darkening world.
Soon we are going to be with the Lord!
Wayne Blakely is a team member of ‘Coming Out’ Ministries. Coming Out Ministries travels the world sharing testimonies and addressing sexual sin, temptation and the complexities of today. www.comingoutministries.org