His Standard of Holiness
Primary Text:
"6 I the Lord DO NOT CHANGE."
Malachi 3:6
Every generation believes it is more enlightened than the ones that came before it and as a result our culture has changed its opinions on almost everything:
Marriage
Divorce
Sexual morality
Gender identity
Even Truth itself seems to fall victim to change by culture. What was considered immoral fifty years ago is often celebrated today.
You can understand then why people might ask:
"Has God changed His mind?"
For the answer to that question, we only need to turn to His word in Scripture.
If we take just a moment to look into that question and seek the answer in the Bible we will find that God's love is everlasting, as is his mercy and holiness. Why then would we (and by ‘we’ I mean society) suddenly decide Jehovah’s moral standards are not everlasting.
The issue the world has isn't whether society changes. The issue they have is whether God does.
I. God Does Not Change
Let’s look at just a few scriptures which give us the answer to the question of “Does God Change?”
“6a I the Lord do not change.”
Malachi 3:6a
Well, that is pretty definitive if you ask me. Jehovah God Himself flatly states that He does Not change. But lets investigate a little further.
“8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
Past, present and future – He never changes.
So, we can now see, straight from the Bible, that both God the Father and His son Jesus do not change, ever. But let’s look at one more verse before we move on. And that verse is from the epistle of James 1:17
“17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, WHO DOES NOT CHANGE like shifting shadows.”
James 1:17
This statement comes right after James explains in verses 13 thru 15 that temptation and sin come from our own desires, not from God (James 1:13–15). So “every good and perfect gift” refers to all that is truly good and complete in its moral and spiritual quality—everything that aligns with God’s character and will. And part of that character of God is He is Unchanging! In our human lives we can find many things which change, seemingly almost everything changes:
• Cultures change.
• Governments change.
• Public opinion changes.
• But God's character never, ever changes.
Suppose for a moment that God’s nature changes. If that were to be the case then truth changes. If truth changes...
then morality becomes nothing more than majority opinion.
Christianity, however, stands on a different foundation. Jehovah God Himself is the standard.
Imagine using a ruler whose inches changed every year.
Construction would become nearly impossible.
Likewise, if God's standards changed with every generation, morality would become meaningless, and for many it already has become meaningless because they do not recognize that Jehovah God DOES NOT CHANGE!
II. God's Design for Sexuality Was
Established at the Creation
In our world today the area where we see the greatest example of the world trying to say that God and Jesus DO change is most likely in regard to sex and sexuality.
Jehovah God first gave us an idea of His plan for the sexual roles way back in the beginning.
We see this in Genesis 2:24 –
“24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24
Jesus Himself even quotes this passage in Matthew 19:4-5 when he is pressed by some Pharisees, who are continually trying to test Jesus and catch him up in some error, and they ask him in the latter part of verse 3:
“3b ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?’”
Matthew 19:3b
And this is Jesus’ reply beginning in verse 4:
“4 ‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female,’ 5b and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?”
Matthew 19:4-5
Now notice something remarkable here. When Jesus was questioned about marriage... He did not appeal to culture. He appealed to Creation.
God's design from the very beginning was: One man, one woman, one lifetime
Sexual intimacy belongs inside that covenant relationship.
Everything outside of that relationship falls under the biblical term sexual immorality. The Greek word used here is “porneia” (por-NAY-uh) which we can hear our modern-day word of pornography, and it is a term that broadly means illicit sexual activity or sexual immorality. It’s a general, inclusive word used about 25 times in the New Testament to cover ANYsexual behavior that violates God’s design for sexuality.
Because porneia is deliberately broad, it not only encompasses any sexual activity that crosses the bounds of marriage between husband and wife, such as adultery. But it also encompasses any sexual activity at all outside the bounds of marriage, whether it includes a married spouse or not, such as
Fornication (sex before marriage), Adultery (sex with someone other than one’s spouse), also Prostitution, Pedophila, Incest, Homosexual acts, Lust, just to name a few.
The New Testament doesn’t always list every specific act under porneia; instead, it uses the term as a comprehensive category for ALL sexual sin, such as pornography which is a modern application.
III. Scripture Consistently Condemns
Sexual Immorality
One remarkable fact about Scripture: from Genesis to Revelation... God never changes His teaching, on
• Premarital sex (1 Cor. 6:18; Hebrews 13:4;
1 Thes. 4:3-5)
• Adultery (Exodus 20:14; Matt. 5:27-28; Hebrews 13:4)
• Promiscuity (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3; Col. 3:5)
• Homosexual behavior (Rom. 1:24-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11;
1 Tim. 1:9-10
These passages place homosexual behavior within larger lists of sins that also include adultery, greed, drunkenness, theft, idolatry, and other forms of unrighteousness. The Bible presents all people as accountable before God and in need of His grace (Romans 3:23).
How we might respond to someone who is involved in sexual activity outside of marriage is something we have to be so very careful and deliberate about. We must talk to such persons, when the opportunity arises, without speaking harshly or hatefully if we are to have any chance at converting both their lifestyle and their souls over to Jesus. I was talking the other night to a lady I am friends with ever since we were in college together. She related to me a true story of how two ladies moved into a house across the street from her and when one of them introduced herself to my friend she immediately identified her and her friend as lesbians and in fact stated they were married. This woman asked my friend if she was going to have a problem with that. My friend told me how she proceeded to tell her she is a Christian and she loves everyone, and doesn’t treat such people any differently than others. But she also told her she believes what the Bible says about homosexuality as being a sin. This neighbor said she had never heard that before and asked her to prove it, which my friend did by showing her the scriptures in Romans, I Corinthians and 1 Timothy. A few weeks later the neighbor saw my friend out in the yard and told her that she had never read those scriptures and after studying those and more she decided she could no longer be a lesbian and told her “wife” she couldn’t and now they are going their separate ways because she didn’t want to go to hell. That woman has not become a Christian yet but she sounds like she is very much on the way to being saved. That is the direct result of my friend having a very loving attitude and showing her neighbor what God said, simply allowing Scripture to speak and bringing it to her neighbor in love and kindness.
We also need to keep in mind that while the sexually impure will be judged for their sinful acts, so to we all will be judged according to Romans 14:10 & 12.
Notice also that Scripture does not teach that one category of sinners is beyond hope.
It teaches that all have sinned, everyone of us. Jesus is the one and only sinless person to have ever walked upon the face of the earth.
IV. The Bible Never Redefines Sin
This is important. The Bible records changing cultures.
It records changing governments and changing empires. But never once does God redefine sexual immorality.
Thousands of years pass... yet the definition remains the same. Truth is not determined by opinion polls.
"20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."
Isaiah 5:20
Could there be a verse that better describes modern culture? I doubt it.
V. The Church Must Speak Truth with Love
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
There are two dangers folks.
The danger of speaking truth without love. In doing so it (the truth) becomes harsh legalism. People feel attacked instead of invited.
Or,
The danger of speaking love without truth. If we do so then love becomes false compassion and people are comforted while remaining lost.
Jesus demonstrated both speaking truth WITH love and speaking love WITH truth.
Consider the woman in John chapter 8 who was caught in adultery. When she was brought before Jesus and they were trying to catch Jesus so they could accuse Him, what did He say after He challenged them who were without sin to cast the first stone?
"11a …neither do I condemn you..."
John 8:11a
But He did not stop there did He? His very next words were:
"11b Go now and leave your life of sin."
John 8:11b
We can see from this example the grace Christ showed to the woman, and that grace did not redefine what sin was.
Grace offered forgiveness.
VI. The Gospel Changes People
Here is where the sermon becomes wonderfully hopeful.
Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“9 Or do you not know that wrong-doers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Now notice verse 11.
"11a And that is what some of you were."
1 Corinthians 6:11
“Were.” Some of the Corinthians had lived immoral lives. They had committed adultery and practiced homosexual behavior. Some were thieves. Some were drunkards.
Paul does not say these sins are acceptable does he? What does he say to them instead?
“11b But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 Corinthins 6:11
Paul says: "You were washed." "You were sanctified."
"You were justified."
That is the power of the gospel.
The church is not a museum for perfect people.
It is a hospital for sinners willing to repent.
Imagine a doctor who refuses to tell a patient he has cancer because he doesn't want to hurt his feelings.
That isn't compassion. Real compassion tells the truth... and offers the cure. My friend showed real compassion to her neighbor when she told her the truth and then backed up what she was telling her by showing her neighbor the cure in the Bible.
The gospel tells us the truth about sin... and then it offers forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
VII. Our Culture Needs Christians Who Will Stand Firm
In the Old Testament Joshua stood firm.
“15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15
And in Romans, Paul encourages the Christians in Rome, shifting from talk about doctrine to practical instruction.
“2a Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
Romans 12:2a
What does that mean? What does he mean by “renewing of your mind?” Paul here is saying that as Christians we have to have a fundamental change in the way we think, compared to the world. Our thoughts, judgements, desires and values will conform to the will of God more and more, rather than to the way the world thinks.
The word Paul uses here for “renewing” in the Greek is anakainosis (an-nah-KAI-no-sis) and strictly translated it means renovation or making something new again. He isn’t saying we are just to learn some new information. He is saying we apply that new information to our lives, to our minds so that we will learn to see things the way Jehovah sees them.
In short – don’t allow the world around you to determine the person you become. Allow the truth of God to change the way you think, and the change in your thinking will produce a change in the way you live.
But how are we to deal with those who HAVE conformed to the thinking of this world?
Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 4:2-4 when he admonishes Timothy to
“2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine… 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
2 Timothy 4:2-4
“The time will come…” Every generation has faced pressure of one kind or another. Church family – that time has come and IS HERE! Our generation simply faces different forms of it.
We are called neither to hate nor to compromise. We are called to remain faithful. Our mission isn't to win culture wars. Our mission is to win souls to God.
Ask yourself:
Am I allowing entertainment to shape my morals?
Do I excuse sexual sin because “everyone does it, nothing I can do about it” or “it is on TV so it must be normal”?
Am I treating people struggling with sexual sin with both truth and compassion?
Am I striving for purity in my own thoughts and actions?
Do I believe God’s commands are expressions of His love rather than arbitrary restrictions?
Holiness begins with examining our own hearts before addressing the sins of others as it describes in Matthew 7:1-5.
Conclusion
The world’s culture says: "Follow your heart."
Yet God says: "Guard your heart." (Proverbs 4:23)
Culture says: "Love is love."
God says: "Love rejoices in the truth." (1 Corinthians 13:6)
Culture says: "Truth changes."
God says: "I change not." (Malachi 3:6)
The cross proves two great truths simultaneously:
Sin is serious. Grace is greater.
Jesus died not to affirm us in our sins, but to save us from them.
Perhaps you have lived outside of God's design.
The wonderful news is that no one is beyond the reach of God's mercy.
The same Savior who forgave adulterers, homosexuals, idolaters, thieves, persecutors, and every other kind of sinner - that same Savior still offers forgiveness today.
The invitation of the gospel is not "Come as you are and remain as you are."
It is: "Come as you are—and let Christ make you new." That doesn’t mean we don’t have to do anything to obtain salvation, because the Bible is very explicit that we do. The very first thing we must do when we come into the realization that the life we are living is not how Jehovah would have us to live, is we must repent.
Repentance. There’s a whole sermon to be preached on that one word alone. It doesn’t mean we just say “I repent” and then all is forgiven. No. In the original Greek the word is metanoeo (meh-tah-no-EH-oh). It not only means to change one’s mind, but to change course. It is a heart-and-mind change that results in turning away from sin and toward God. Turning around and going the opposite direction from what you were.
Hearing, believing the Word of God, confessing that Jesus is the son of God, repenting and turning from your sinful life – that’s not all. We still must be baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection by being immersed in water. And then we must continue to walk in the life that Jesus would have us walk.
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