A wise man once advised me, “Never get in between God and his people. Always let God himself speak.”

Wise advice! And it is amazing how clearly God speaks his mind about various subjects. All we need to do is read and learn. And notice that the Bible claims for itself the position of being completely God’s words — not simply the words or ideas of the human writers. “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)

We may use the Bible for our understanding and for correcting wrong teachings. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

All quotations are copied directly from perhaps the most popular modern English translation of the Bible, The New International Version.

Perhaps due to certain recent events within the Christian religious community and within our nation, there are certain sections of God’s word that I believe it would be good for us to read at this time. So, allow me please to point us to some sections of God’s inspired word. Let’s allow him to speak his mind on current subjects of popular interest.

We begin with an event occurring shortly after God created our world. It’s considered be the institution of marriage. God had just created Eve as a companion for Adam. We read, “The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:23-24) There is an interesting section which tells us what occurred the evening before God in his anger destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire from heaven. Two angels in human form were brought for safety into Lot’s house. Then we are told, “Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom — both young and old — surrounded the house. They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.’“ (Genesis 19:4-5) God comments in 2 Peter 2:7 “If he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men.”

Next, sections from the “moral law” God gave his people at Mt. Sinai to serve as a guide for their moral values. “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22) “`Everyone who does any of these detestable things — such persons must be cut off from their people.” (Leviticus 18:29) “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” (Leviticus 20:13)

God’s chosen people strayed from his ways after the time of David and Solomon. God eventually brought destruction to their nation because of the way they trampled on his moral standards. We read, “There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.” (I Kings 14:24)

We do understand that certain of the Laws of Sinai no longer apply to us in the New Testament times, since Jesus fulfilled the law for us and set us free from its bondage. Perhaps these strict standards were for the Old Testament times alone!

So, let’s look at some readings from the New Testament. “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen.

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion…. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:22-27; 32)

Perhaps God was speaking pointedly of our times when He had St. Paul write to Timothy, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

God truly speaks his mind quite clearly on certain things, doesn’t He? Thankfully he also offers forgiveness for all sins to anyone who turns from sin and trust in Jesus as their complete Savior. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

I hope you have found this reading of God’s precious word worthwhile. May God continue to speak to us through his word. May his word continue to be a light to guide us through this present world and to the joys of eternity though Jesus Christ, the one and only true Savior!