Horner's Blog

Human nature is such that mankind tends to interpret the character and the laws of God within the framework of the current trends of the society in which he is living. Even the church is allowing public opinion to shape our convictions about right and wrong, even when they contradict the teachings of the Bible. For evidence of the truth of that statement, just look at the church’s changing attitude toward moral issues like homosexuality, abortion, same sex marriage, and morality in leadership. While people trumpet human rights, they display little or no interest in divine rights. The pressure to “treat everyone fairly” and the inordinate fear of “denying a person’s right to be himself” is exerting more influence on us than the holiness of God.
However, the church is supposed to correct the spirit of the age, not catch it. Christian ethics is based on the character of God and His written word, not in public opinion. A thing is right or wrong because of what God says about it, not because of what the public thinks about it. Our vote is not necessary in deciding issues that God has already decided. For example, even if psychologists, sociologists, Hollywood celebrities, the Supreme Court, and certain church councils could prove that homosexuality was physically normal, mentally healthy, emotionally safe, and socially acceptable, that would not make it morally right. It is sin, not just because it is unnatural or harmful, but because God says it is. No more discussion is necessary.
We must realize that God's kingdom is a heavenly kingdom and that the laws of His kingdom are inexorable. The nation that substitutes the pronouncements of society over the absolute and eternal laws of God will find itself given over to darkness and ultimate destruction. It is up to the church as a whole and to individual citizens of the kingdom of God to stand against the downward slide toward the glorification of sin and ignoring God’s laws.
In the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus presents “The Kingdom Manifesto.” Here He gives His most definitive statement of what citizenship in the kingdom of God means. The lifestyle that He describes is totally at variance with both the nominal church and the secular world. Here is a Christian value system, ethical standard, spiritual devotion, and proper attitudes toward money, ambition, and relationships. I encourage you to attend the study of the Sermon on the Mount that I am leading at 10:00 a.m. Sunday mornings and 6:30 p.m. Monday evenings. If you do, I believe you will gain a greater insight into the principles of kingdom living and what it means to be a citizen of the kingdom of God.