Today’s study extols the virtues and character of
Almighty God, AND speaks to the issue of homosexuality. While modern churches
today claim there is no condemnation of homosexuality in the Gospels – and many
modern churches today openly embrace homosexuals and homosexuality, THAT IS A
FALSE TEACHING (Matthew 16:11-12 & 2
Timothy 4:3-4) and a DIFFERENT GOSPEL (1
Timothy 1:3-7).
Many New Covenant (New Testament) passages very
clearly make mention of homosexuals, the practice of homosexuality, and the
outcomes of such a CHOSEN lifestyle: this first
chapter of the Book of Romans is one
such passage (vv. 24 thru 32).
Be wise Christians! READ the Scriptures for
yourself – do not rely on what someone tells you one way or the other: Elohei’s
holy Word will never lead you astray … regardless of what an organized church (a place – dwelling, as in building – of
worship as opposed to the Body of Christ … individual Believers … which is the
real “Church”) embraces or what a person in church leadership says. An
organized church is a business; the Body of Christ are individual Ambassadors
of Yeshua and His message of salvation. Do not be deceived and led astray.
Many people claim to be Christians, but the ONLY
ONES WHO ARE Christians are those that OBEY Elohei’s holy Word. He shows us His
love by giving us guidelines for a holy and righteous life; Christians show Him
their love by obeying His guidelines. There is no other way. Self-love is not
His kind love …
THE BOOK OF ROMANS ~Chapter 1
My name is Paul. I am a servant of Yeshua
Ha’Mashiach, was called to be an apostle, and set apart to preach Elohim’s
Gospel. This Gospel Elohim promised long ago through His prophets in the Holy
Scriptures. It tells about His Son, Who in the flesh descended from David.
Through His resurrection from the dead, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh has declared Him to
be the Son of Elohim in power, and this Yeshua is our Lord. Through Him we have
not only received grace, but also apostleship to preach obedience and faith in
His Name to all peoples. This also includes you who have been called to belong
to Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. So to all of you in Rome, Elohim’s beloved, called to be
saints: grace be to you and peace from Elohim, our Abba and Adonai Yeshua
Ha’Mashiach!
In the first place, I want you to know that I
thank Elohim through Yeshua Ha’Mashiach for all of you, because the whole world
is getting to know about your faith. I serve Elohim by preaching the Gospel
about His Son with my whole heart, and He is my witness that I never cease to
make mention of you. In my prayers I always ask that sometime, somehow, Elohim
willing, I may be permitted to come see you. I do long to meet you, hoping that I may have some spiritual gift to share with you to strengthen you. I mean, of
course, that both of you and I can obtain mutual comfort and strength by
sharing each other’s faith.
In the next place, I want you to know, brethren,
that I have often planned to visit you – though so far I have always been
hindered – in order that I might claim some fruit among you also, as I can
among other Gentiles elsewhere. I owe a debt both to Greeks and non-Greeks,
both to the learned and the illiterate. So, for my part, I am sincerely eager
to preach the Gospel, also to you who are at Rome.
No, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Yeshua
Ha’Mashiach, for it is Elohei’s power to save everyone who believes – to the
Jew first, and then also to the Greek. In it is shown Elohim’s plan to justify
us. It is by faith, first and last. As the Scripture says, “The just shall live
by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).
Elohei has revealed Himself in His anger against
all the impiety and injustice of men who by their wicked ways suppress the
truth. Indeed, what can be known about Elohei has been made plain to them, for
Elohei Himself has made it plain. Men have no excuse at all, for ever since the
world was made, Elohei’s invisible attributes, such as His eternal power and
divinity, have been clearly observable and understandable through the things He
has made.
And although men knew that Elohei exists, yet
they did not acknowledge Him as such, nor did they give Him thanks. Rather,
they busied themselves with silly speculations about Him, and their stupid
minds groped about in the dark. To be sure, they claimed to be wise, but they
were fools. So they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images of
the likeness of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed beasts and reptiles.
That is why Elohei gave them over to impurity, letting them follow the desires
of their hearts and to degrade their own bodies among themselves. They claimed
that Elohei’s Word was a lie, and they worshipped and serves creation rather
than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen!
Elohei therefore abandoned them to degrading
passions. Even women exchanged their functions for practices contrary to
nature. And men likewise, forsaking the natural use of the woman, burned in
lustful passion for one another, males with males practicing shameful vice and
bringing upon themselves the consequences of their misdeeds. They did not in
their thinking want to recognize Elohei anymore; therefore Elohei gave them
over to a mind that was degenerate: that loved to do what was wrong. They were
full of every sort of wickedness, immorality, unrighteousness, covetousness and
malice; also full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and ill-nature; gossips and
slanderers, haters of Elohei, insolent, proud, boastful, inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents; likewise foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless, and
merciless. And although they are aware that Elohei has decreed that all who do
these things deserve to die … yet they not only do them, but they also approve
when others do them.
