The first and foremost question one has to ask is, who determines the rights of a human being is it he himself/herself or is it designated by his maker or a higher authority?
Who for example determines one’s rights as a citizen of a country, does the citizen choose for him/herself how he or she wants to live regardless whether or not it contravenes the laws of the country? Aren’t there rules and regulations for every citizen of the country to obey, and if violated are subject to punishment?
Who therefore determines the rights of a human being? Is every human being has the right to choose for him/herself whatever he/she wants to do without reservations or restrictions, and everyone else has to accept and respect the individual’s choice?
Is such a behavior practical, tolerable and acceptable in a civil society? If such a behavior is not practical, tolerable, and acceptable in a civil society, why should people conceive the idea that such a practice ought to be accepted and tolerated in our moral values?
The root cause for this delusion is that, the people who are advocating such behaviors are those who according to the book of Romans chapter one, have rejected the authority of God over their lives, for although they know God, they do not glorify Him as God, nor are they thankful, but are futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts are darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man --- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
God is the one who determines the rights of every human being, and therefore, the rights which every human being has, is the right to choose to either comply with the laws of God, or reject it. It is the right to become either a servant of righteousness, or a servant of sin. For thus says the Lord; “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
The freedom of choice which man has is the choice to either live as God ordained, or reject it and live in accordance to the imaginations of his/her own evil heart, everyone doing what seems right in their own eyes, which will ultimately leads death. It is therefore conclusive that those who are practicing and advocating the respect and rights of those who are indulging themselves in immoral practices which are contrary to the laws of God, have blatantly rejected the authority of God in their lives and in their knowledge.
“For this reason God has given them up to vile passions: For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in them-selves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful” (Romans 1:26-31).
The human mind is such that if exposed to truth, it generates glory from one level to another as it is written; “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Corinthians 3:18).
Human beings were created to evolve from one level of glory to another, and this is attainable only through the knowledge of Jesus Christ who created us, and therefore we have been admonished saying; “Put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3: 8-11).
However, when this knowledge is rejected or not pursued, the human mind degenerates from being knowledgeable and intelligent to becoming foolish and ignorant, then further degenerates to indulgence and lenient, and ultimately degenerates to being impenitent and corrupt. This is the natural process of the degeneration of the human mind that rejects the truth or the knowledge of God, because God is the one who supplies man with everything.
Therefore, when a person exchanged the truth of God for the lie (Satan), and worshiped and served the creature (Satan) rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, God gives them up to vile passions. And even as they do not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gives them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.
Man is not in full control of himself, he is either a servant of obedience which leads to righteousness, meaning doing things in accordance to the stipulated laws of God, or he is a servant of sin which leads to death, that is, doing things in accordance to his/her independent nature that allows him/her the choice to choose for him/herself what is right and what is wrong.
For this reason we have been admonished saying; “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness” (Romans 6: 16-20).
It is said that "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.” Verifying the fact that those who serve the desires of their own heart are haters of God: while they become loyal and lovers of themselves. But the greatest fear of all is, “knowing the righteous judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).
Therefore it is a dangerous precedence for the haters of God, to be attempting to coerce and influence higher authorities to be lenient and approve of their indulgence and corrupt practices, when by so doing will have the entire nation guilty of their sinful and shameful act.
Truly, these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent: May God have mercy upon us.
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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