I received a little nudge from the LORD very early yesterday morning, but I got busy and didn’t do what that nudge said to do. Actually I wasn’t totally sure it was the LORD. But this morning (3am) I got that same nudge about an hour earlier than yesterday. I better take care of that or there won’t be any sleep at all tomorrow. Sometimes nudges from the LORD aren’t something that we want to do; this is one of those kind of nudges. But the bottom line is OBEDIENCE! God bless you with your nudges from the LORD.
Four times in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to pen stern warnings of God’s concern over sexual sins: Rom. 1:26-32; 1 Cor. 5:11; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Tim. 1:9-10 and 2 Tim. 3:2-4.
“deserving of death” list – Rom. 1:26-32 Here 25 stern warnings are issued against Gentiles who rejected God. The sin that shouts the loudest warning to the obsession of our current American culture is the sin of homosexuality. Not only do those homosexuals and lesbians who live that lifestyle make the “deserving of death” list, but also those who extend approval to them. Now you can see why I didn’t want to tend to the nudge from the LORD yesterday. Not all of God’s nudges are pleasant tasks; some are downright unpleasant.
“don’t associate with them” list – 1 Cor. 5:11 These words were directed to the faithful Christians in the church at Corinth. Evidently some in the church there were engaging in sexual immorality and the faithful were commanded “don’t associate with them”. How about your church? Anyone there having sexual relations with someone who isn’t their husband or wife? Have you refused to associate with them? Or have you been disobedient, fearing that you might appear too harsh or mean spirited?
“will not inherit the Kingdom of God” list – 1 Cor. 6:9-11 Here Paul draws special attention to the sexual sins, in fact 3 of the 9 warnings are against sexual sins: fornication, homosexuality and adultery. Remember that this letter was written to the Christians in the church at Corinth, not to the heathens of Corinth. So whether it is sexual immorality by the unmarried, or adultery by the married, or LGBTQ sex by anyone, the Holy Spirit warned that they “will not inherit the Kingdom of God”.
“will not inherit the Kingdom of God” list – Gal. 5:19-21 Once again Paul pours out warnings to Christians in a church, this time in Galatia. Here are 15 warnings, 2 of them warnings of sexual immorality: fornication and orgies. The punchline of the warning is the same as in 1 Cor. 6 “will not inherit the Kingdom of God”. Is it becoming clear just how seriously God takes the sexual sins of professing Christians.
We currently live in a sex-crazed world in America. Anyone who warns others about any of the various forms of immorality is accused of being a bigot, a snob, a hypocrite, or worse. So doesn’t that mean that the Holy Spirit is a bigot? A snob? A hypocrite? Or worse? Doesn’t that also mean that the Holy Scriptures are full of bigotry? Snobbery? Hypocrisy? Or worse?
It is critical to remember: Jam. 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Do you know someone living in immorality? Don’t you need to warn them? Then DO IT!!! Is God giving you a nudge to warn your friend or family member? Don’t ignore God’s nudge.
Mike Sublett is a pastor at Hi-Land Christian Church, 1615 N. Banks St., Pampa, Texas 79065. Email him at pawdad@nts-online.net.
