“…as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
and gone after strange flesh,”
The word “strange” is another of a different kind. They went for a different category of sex called homosexualism (Le 18:23; 20;15,16). This is the degeneracy of society, an apostasy of civilization.
are set forth as an example,
The words “set forth” carry the idea of setting a meal to serve on a table or of laying out a corpse for burial. Fallen angels were like corpses laid out for judgment. The words “set forth” are from one Greek word with two ideas: before and to lie, expose to public view. They were as corpses laid out to public view.
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
The word carries the idea of justice. Judgment always relates to justice. Hell is always based on the principle of justice.
PRINCIPLE:
Judgment is necessary for justice.
APPLICATION:
Apostasy always distorts the concept of love. Liberals and emergent thinking make love a panacea—we are to love everyone without distinction. By doing this, they distort love into something ludicrous. Their kind of love is more like a cohabitation of emotional mush. This is a love facade, a pseudo love. Discernment is not necessary for this kind of love. This amounts to fondling sensitivity training. What is then wrong with this kind of love? Love demands capacity.
We are not born with the capacity to love on God’s standards. People die from apostasy. We can boil justice down to one question: Do we accept God’s judgment on Jesus for our sin, or do we try to pay that penalty for ourselves?
There is encouragement for those trapped in homosexualism. It is possible to overcome this sin. There were people in Corinth who overcame this sin by becoming Christians.
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Co 6:9-11
Christ came to save sinners and save them from their sin. He will give you a new heart, a new orientation. That is the glory of the gospel, the good news of the gospel. It matters not how long or to what degree we sin. He willingly saves us when we trust His cross for forgiveness.
