Is Scripture Authoritative In Your Life?

2 Peter 2:1-22 contains a harsh, but necessary message. It serves as a warning to those who would lead others into heresies that are not the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

The current phenomenon of the "Gay" Christian Movement is only one of the myriad of heresies going on today. However, it appears to be one of the hardest strongholds for those involved to break free from. The so-called "ministers" of this movement can only be spotted, found out, and opposed by those who adhere to the true gospel of Christ and know God's Word. Thus, we can recognize the error(s) inherent in this current movement.

One of the best websites that I have found which counters this heretical movement is
Gay Christian Movement Watch. The testimonies, articles, commentary and comments there from those on both sides of this issue are exposing the fact that gay-behavior affirming churches are leading many astray through invoking their own kind of "doctrine" that is anathema to what the Bible actually teaches us concerning homosexual behavior.

Case in point. When you read the comments written by a self-identified lesbian minister, you will notice (as I had previously posted):

The lesbian minister did not cite one verse of Scripture!

The lesbian minister wrote nothing about the need for confession and repentance of sin.

The lesbian minister wrote nothing about Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. In fact, she never even mentions Jesus the Christ!

So, we must ask the question, which “Jesus” does she truly worship?

Since yesterday's post, GCM Watch wrote a comment to the lesbian minister and asked:

Rev. Rawls how do you respond to what seems to be a very obvious “scriptural silence” trait of gay christian ministers? To clarify, we do not that one should be a “walking bible”, but in your defense of homosexuality here, you did not (as Christine mentioned) cite one, single verse of scripture. Should we take it that scripture does not hold a place of authority in your life or ministry?

Also you emphasized “ministering to all of God’s children irregardless of sexual orientation”. Are there any “sexual orientations” that you are aware of in which a person engaging in such expression would NOT be considered God’s child? Or are you simply using the term sexual orientation euphemistically for your own sexual expression?

Thirdly, you claim CBN has sought to make “people” ashamed of who they are. Can you cite a minimum of two specific examples where CBN has sought to make people ashamed of who they are and identify who those “people” are?

The site has the following verse at the top of the front page:

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false prophets among you, who shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction." II Peter 2:1

That is certainly some good Word that we all must soberly and accurately heed.

The entire chapter of 2 Peter prophetically addresses the current "blog battle" between "gay-behavior is not sin" Christian advocates (like Deb), and Biblically based Christian believers who bravely counter such heresy and refuse to compromise the truth.

I have read the testimonies of former lesbians and homosexual men who now admit that they were terribly deceived by such ministries. This is a serious issue because the salvation of the souls of hundreds, if not thousands, of homosexual people are at stake!

I will post the NKJV first, then follow up with the NLT (Deb's favorite version) in the hope that God's Word, not my own will speak to those who are caught up in the lies of deception that is inherent in the heresy of the "gay" Christian movement.
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NKJV

2Pe 2:1 BUT there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2Pe 2:2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

2Pe 2:3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does[fn1] not slumber.

2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

2Pe 2:5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

2Pe 2:6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

2Pe 2:7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

2Pe 2:8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--

2Pe 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

2Pe 2:10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

2Pe 2:11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

2Pe 2:12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

2Pe 2:13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,

2Pe 2:14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

2Pe 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

2Pe 2:16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

2Pe 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds[fn2] carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.[fn3]

2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped[fn4] from those who live in error.

2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

2Pe 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

2Pe 2:21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

2Pe 2:22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit,"[fn5] and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."


Footnotes:
2:3 M-Text reads will not.
2:17 NU-Text reads and mists.
2:17 NU-Text omits forever.
2:18 NU-Text reads are barely escaping.
2:22 Proverbs 26:11

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2Pe 2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end.

2Pe 2:2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered.

2Pe 2:3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.

2Pe 2:4 For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell,[fn1] in gloomy caves[fn2] and darkness until the judgment day.

2Pe 2:5 And God did not spare the ancient world-except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood.

2Pe 2:6 Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people.

2Pe 2:7 But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him.

2Pe 2:8 Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

2Pe 2:9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment.

2Pe 2:10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones[fn3] without so much as trembling.

2Pe 2:11 But the angels, even though they are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, never speak out disrespectfully against[fn4] the glorious ones.

2Pe 2:12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed. They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them.

2Pe 2:13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They revel in deceitfulness while they feast with you.

2Pe 2:14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their lust is never satisfied. They make a game of luring unstable people into sin. They train themselves to be greedy; they are doomed and cursed.

2Pe 2:15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor,[fn5] who loved to earn money by doing wrong.

2Pe 2:16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

2Pe 2:17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind-promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness.

2Pe 2:18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living.

2Pe 2:19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

2Pe 2:20 And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before.

2Pe 2:21 It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them.

2Pe 2:22 They make these proverbs come true: "A dog returns to its vomit,"[fn6] and "A washed pig returns to the mud."


Footnotes:
2:4 Greek Tartaros.
2:4 Some manuscripts read chains of gloom.
2:10 The glorious ones are probably evil angels; also in 2:11.
2:11 Greek never bring blasphemous judgment from the Lord against.
2:15 Other manuscripts read Bosor.
2:22 Prov 26:11.

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Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.