In her book entitled,
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, Rosaria Champagne Butterfield notes that homosexuality is only a symptom of the condition of one's heart, reflecting where someone has been. It is not the root problem itself, and in fact, the sin of Sodom (which is often assumed to be homosexuality based on the narrative of Sodom's judgment by God in Genesis 19) is not as offensive to God as those of His chosen people, the Israelites.
The root sins of both Sodom and Jerusalem are actually very similar, but Jerusalem's is more offensive and more dangerous because unlike the Sodomites, the Jewish people had seen the power of God on display and had been the recipients His mercy and other spiritual blessings.They knew God's power and mercy, so they knew better, yet they forsook Him anyway, whereas Sodom had not received the spiritual blessings bestowed upon the nation of Israel.
"And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day." (Matthew 11:23, NIV)
Ezekiel 16 clarifies the sin of Sodom as being something to which we call all relate, for while we may not all struggle with homosexuality, we are all tempted by the same root sins that were merely manifested as homosexuality and violence in the Sodom account. God references the sin and judgment of Sodom to reveal the greater sin of the Jewish people.
48 "As surely as I live," declares the Sovereign Lord, "your sister Sodomn and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.49 Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant,overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did destable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.." (Ezekiel 16:48-50, NIV)
Rosaria Butterfield summarizes the fundamental "sins of Sodom" described in Ezekiel 16:48-50 as follows:
- Pride, which puffs up and provides a false sense of independence (when we should be completely dependent upon God) and entitlement, is the root of all other sins.
- Materialism/Excess: Focusing on acquiring increased wealth, being entertainment driven, refusing to live below your means, and having an overabundance of idleness will lead us away from God's standard. Rosaria explains that we develop an acquired taste for God’s standard as we discipline our minds, hands, time, and money. Rosaria writes, "Undisciplined tastes will always lead to egregious sin, slowly and almost imperceptibly.
- Lack of Mercy: The first 52 verses of Ezekiel 16 describe the sins and subsequent judgment of Sodom, Jerusalem, and Samaria, but five of the last 11 verses explicity speak of God's mercy, restoration, and atonement as these nations acknowledge their sin while experiencing the consequences of those sins. God offers hope and compassion despite the long list of ways they have repeatedly betrayed their holy God. God calls us to be merciful to others just as we have received His mercy. The call to offer mercy, compassion, and charity is both for our
own good and for the good of the community.
- Lack of Discretion or Modesty
After considering and summarizing Rosaria's insights referenced above, I considered how those core sins are obviously at the root of many of the social/political issues evangelical conservatives speak out against today, such as abortion, gay marriage, pay-for-play, media deception to serve political interests, IRS targeting of conservatives, illegal spying, refusing to apply the rule of law to the Clinton scandals, entitlement mentality, socialism, transgender ideology and the child abuse inherent in medical group advocacy of chemical and surgical gender transition. But then I had to consider that Christians also manifest these same core sins with behaviors that do not seem as appalling to the church community, yet they are just as repulsive to God (and even more so) than those of unbelievers, even radical pro-abortion, atheistic, progressive lesbians like Rosaria was before Christ completely transformed her heart, mind, and life.
Consider the following sampling of behaviors, actions, or choices in light of the four core sins of Sodom:
- Taking advantage of meal deals, coupon programs, or loop holes in a way never intended by the business provider
- Overstating tax deductions when filing income taxes
- Refusing to engage in your community because you require copious amounts of "downtime"
- Excluding neighbors, classmates, or other acquaintances from a social function you are hosting because you do not want to associate with or be seen with people who are different from you or who are not as classy or affluent as you would prefer
- Skimping on your tithe to the church by redirecting that money to a charitable organization where your name or business will be promoted as a result
- Reading Fifty Shades of Grey or viewing pornography for pleasure or simply out of curiosity or peer pressure
- Virtue signaling on social media with demands for large government funding of programs and entitlements for illegal immigrants or refugees while refusing to welcome strangers into your own home
- Gossiping about or even slandering those who are different from you, who have inadvertently offended you, or who you envy
- Claiming to be a victim entitled to special treatment instead of taking personal responsibility and asking God to give you resilience or help you overcome
- Bearing false witness to accomplish an earthly goal while justifying your deception with the false notion that the ends justifies the means.
- Committing gluttony at every church potluck in the name of "spiritual fellowship" or in the privacy of your own home for "comfort"
- Softening and distorting the gospel to win more "converts" without sharing the truth that Christianity involves suffering, sacrifice, and full surrender of one's entire life to Christ, giving these so called "converts" false hope that a simple prayer offered with questionable sincerity is all that is required for salvation and sanctification
- Posting pictures of yourself in a skimpy outfit on social media to show off your new toned body following a rigorous diet/exercise program
- Spending far more time and money on your outward appearance, vacations, entertainment, or on acquiring expensive material possessions than you invest in God's kingdom
- Church and ministry leaders focusing more on being relevant and entertaining than on delivering truth and compassion
- Church and ministry leaders spending more time and money on externals (facilities, audio/visual equipment, coffee and doughnuts) than on meeting physical and spiritual needs
- Rejecting accountability
- Refusing to make Bible study and prayer daily priorities because you are "too busy" with lesser things
- Relying on Ted Talks, business tools and metrics, secular advisers, financial resources, and other worldly means for knowledge on building healthy marriages, families, ministries, and businesses instead of relying fully on God and His word for wisdom and guidance
- Brushing off or concealing legitimate sexism or abuse with the dangerously deceptive mantra, "Boys will be boys"
- Laughing at crude or defamatory comments
- Refusing to stand up and pray for those who are being persecuted for Christ's sake
When we Christians speak out against gay marriage, abortion, greed/entitlement centered socialism, or any of the other secular progressive issues listed above, do we first acknowledge our own behaviors which are rooted in the same sins of pride, materialism, lack of mercy, and/or immodesty?
Are we humble enough to realize that we are only able to overcome our sin struggles as God's word in us becomes bigger than ourselves?
Are we seeking to win converts to our opinions or political preferences, or are we seeking to introduce the lost to the only hope of the world, Christ our Savior?
Are we seeking to condemn the world (John 3:17) or to show the lost the unconditional love of Christ? Without receiving God's love, no one can truly love God or others according to God's perfect standard, and without love, there is only death. (1 John 4:8, 1 John 3:14)
After her radical conversion from atheism, lesbianism, and radical leftism to becoming a fully devoted Bible believing, faithful follower of Christ, Rosaria wrote,
“My
sexuality wasn’t sinful because it was lesbian per say but because it wasn’t
Christ controlled."
What areas in our lives are not Christ controlled? Until every area of our lives are surrendered to Christ's lordship, we cannot judge the homosexual's sin as being any worse than our own, but we can offer them hospitality, compassion, and God's uncompromising truth with humility, impartiality, and love.
