But, many will say, “The Law was for the Jews. We are not Jews, nor are we Muslims: we are free men. We have liberty, and we do not judge“. And we believe that pretty lie. As if we do not judge.
I generally clear the emails first thing, then blog. This morning, as usual, I have deleted various political pleas, issue statements: and if I look at Facebook there will be friends protesting about this injustice or that: calling them wrong.
And generally calling them wrong correctly.
I will get to queer theology in a bit, but the first teaching for this day is that we all judge. We will judged by the measure we use. And by that measure we fail, and we have no excuse. The sub-teaching is that preaching hellfire and damnation is legitimate, for without a clear understanding of how deeply in the dungheap you are you will think “But I am good, and my works will suffice to get the approval of God“/
So think the pagans, though they not acknowledge God, worshipping creation (or nothing: the atheist has his theology and morality, and greater faith than I). But that is not the gospel.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.
(Romans 1:28-2:11 ESV)
Queer theology is damned, by the way. It is an aside: in the time of Paul those who were corrupt and perverse were judged as deserving death by the Neoplatonists, for they broke the customs of both the Romans and the Greeks. No society can withstand too much corruption, and those who hold their sexuality or gender confusion as a standard by which all are judged… fall into the same trap.
For no one can live without standards. You can say your standard is non harm, and then go all ragey and judgmental on your neighbour eating any meat: although they deny the natural law they end up using the same methods as the most radical fanatic. And the same level of hatred against those who offend them.
A final word on works. It is true that one can attain salvation by the Law. For Moses said that if you kept these you would live: but he instantly had to bring in rules of sacrifice and atonement, using blood, for the sins that would happen. We cannot keep human standards. let alone those of God.
And the queer theologians, with their insistence in equality of outcome, and that they should be able to have any role, regardless of their lack of qualifications for them, is specious. Firstly, no person thinks this way about skilled trades. We want trained and experienced airline pilots, surgeons, and plumbers. We do not want any quota system but competence. And secondly, before God we are all equal. In our wretched, sinful state.
The reason for this passage is that without such a dire state, Christ needed not to come. If it was a matter of legislating equality, or income transfers, or social activism, then there is no need for Christ.
But we would rather accuse others of sin that repent of that which we do. This is the teaching of fools. But queer theology sees the work of fools as the deepest wisdom, taking Paul’s teaching against the sophists of this age (and against the need to qualify into the kingdom) as a proof text and twisting the very meaning of it.
THis is a way of error. We have enough of these within us. So do not be them, nor like them.
