The Missing Piece

There was once a creator. He created a puzzle. The puzzle was complete except for two missing pieces.

Someone came along and saw the void in the creation. He wanted to make the created work whole and complete. He took two pieces of the same kind and attempted to put them together, but they did not fit.

No matter how hard he tried to fit the two pieces of the same kind together, he could not make them fit.

Oh, he stuck them into the work of the creator as best he could. Unfortunately, the work of the creator was not honored. There was chaos. The intended purpose of the creator was not completed.

Finally, one came along who took two pieces of a different kind, both made by the creator of the puzzle. Lo and behold, they fit perfectly.

The two different pieces that fit together were then inserted into the void of the creation. Now, the created work was complete. Now the puzzle brought forth the image designed by the creator. The creator of the puzzle was honored.

Why Is Homosexuality Wrong?


There are many reasons. These include the fact that Scripture condemns it. The scriptures range from Lev. 18:22 and Lev. 20:13 in Old Testament, to the reflections of Paul in the New Testament in I Cor. 6:9-10, which state that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But I think Richard Hayes, has very insightful words on the subject, which he shares in his book THE MORAL VISION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Reflecting upon what Paul wrote in Romans one, Hayes notes that homosexual relations by fallen and confused human creatures represent a tragic distortion of the created order. To put it another way, Paul writes that homosexual activity is a sure sign that humans are alienated from God’s design.

Again, according to Paul, practicing homosexual relations is a declaration of rebellion: rebellion against God. Moreover, Paul is saying in Romans chapter one that homosexual activity is a widespread sign that human beings are in rebellion against the Creator. People should look at creation, look at their blessings, look to God and give thanks. When humanity refuses, and lets idolatry run its own self-destructive course, homosexuality is the consequence. It is not something that provokes God’s wrath; rather, it is a consequence of God’s decision to hand human beings over to their desires.

Remember:

Number one. We follow the cross. We do not seek what we want but what God wants.

Number two we love the community and do what’s best for the community. Our sexuality is not a private matter; it is a matter that affects the whole community of faith. Sexual fulfillment is important because it points us toward God, but it is not of paramount importance. Being equipped with God’s Spirit, Christians control their sexual energy. With this reality in mind, it could be that no one is displaying more godliness than when he or she chooses to go against his or her own sexual instinct or orientation. No matter how he or she feels, he or she seeks to honor God in attitude and behavior. Sexual immorality defiles the body of Christ. See first Corinthians chapter six.

A tragic illustration of how sexual immorality defiles the community is the AIDS epidemic in Africa. In Africa, the AIDS epidemic, which was brought not on only by homosexual sex, but primarily by immoral heterosexual sex has destroyed family after family and community after community— all because of ungodly sexual behavior.

Number three. When we become Christians, we are empowered to put ungodly behavior behind us.

Biblical integrity compels me to remind us of the end of Romans 1:

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although 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.

The fact is, we were all in bondage to sin, yet, we were still accountable to God and his judgment—at the very least, all of us are guilty of disobeying of our parents. All of us need the perfection of Christ to be poured out upon us. We need the part of us that is in bondage to sin destroyed. We need to be created again. That is what Paul talks about in Rom. 6:1-4.

We want to be faithful to God when we speak of our sexual calling. However, we want to be humble like Christ. And in a few days, I want to talk about that.

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. I think I will never get over the unpredictability of kids. Chris Detkos is a great guy and a member of our church. He recently returned after serving a year in Afghanistan.

Now, stay with me.

The other night, there was even more chaos than usual at our family dinner table. To get the kids quiet, I thought I would get them to discuss substantive world events.

Having trouble priming the pump, I decided to take them through the history of war for the past hundred years. They listened well until we reached the Middle East woes of the past twenty years. I was getting them ready to discuss Sadaam Hussein.

It was this context that I asked, “And who was the dictator who rose up in the Middle East and threaten to take everyone out?”

My youngest daughter, Annie, excitedly answered, “Chris Detkos!”

In all fairness to Chris, I think Annie has a high opinion of him. However, I don’t think she has a great grip on what a dictator is. She had been hearing us pray for Chris the past year. She didn’t know Iraq from Afghanistan. She thought Chris was going over to Middle East to clean everything up. Fortunately, when I confessed all of this to Chris, he took it in stride.

2. The Rangers lead the AL West? Will it last?

3. One week from Thursday, I will be finished teaching ETCA Bible for the school year. Dare I confess? I cannot wait.

4. A nice little tradition has evolved in the Edge family. I take everyone, including my mom, out to eat on Saturday to celebrate Mother’s Day. Judy prepares a delicious roast on Sunday for lunch. We gather together again, but it is kind of a winding down of the weekend. It works for us.

5. I read where Betty White knocked them out this weekend hosting a well-known, national comedy show. The ratings were the highest in two years. Good for her, she is almost 89. I can tell I am getting old. Old people are becoming the good guys.