God is NOT a God of Acceptance

(Ephesians 5:3-5)

Recently I wrote an article for an online Christian magazine discussing an issue that came up during the gay marriage debate.

The proponents for gay marriage often used this phrase that, “God is a god of acceptance.” By stating this they claimed that since God is a God of acceptance, then Christians should accept gay marriage.

But their underlying assumptions are completely wrong and a built on a basis of falsehood.

They have no understanding

The first issue with this argument is that in many cases those who make it are not believers. They do not believe in God or Jesus Christ and they have no knowledge of the Bible.

There is a lesson in the Bible where a similar thing happened while the Sadducee’s were trying to entangle Jesus with their words.

The Sadducee’s did not believe in the resurrection and yet they were arguing with Jesus about the resurrection. But Jesus shut them down saying:

But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:29)

They did not believe in the resurrection but were arguing about it as if they did. And what does Jesus say? He says that they are wrong because they do not know the scriptures.

They had no understanding of what the scriptures said, so how could they argue about something as if they did. Their position was preposterous. It is akin to atheists who argue about a god they do not believe in and a faith they do not accept. Preposterous! It would be like a motor mechanic arguing about the intricacies of brain surgery when what he knows is only car mechanics.

So likewise, if those who make claims about who or what God is like are not of the faith and have no knowledge of the scripture, then what is the basis for their comment that God is a god of acceptance?

It is merely a mechanism to justify themselves so that they can do whatever they want without comeback or recrimination.

But what about there stated claim that God is a god of acceptance?, Even if they know nothing is this still a valid point?

No, it is not. God is NOT a god of acceptance, as we see in this verse today as well as examples of the behaviour of God under many situations.

God is NOT a God of Acceptance

Let us look at what the scripture today says.

3 But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephesians 5:3-5)

Paul is instructing the church about what is or is not acceptable to God. We are called to modify our behaviours because the things identified in this scripture are unacceptable to God.

Look in particular at the last section of the last verse in this passage. He says that those who do the things described will have no inheritance in the kingdom of God.

Does that sound like a statement of acceptance? Do these words sound like they have come from a God of acceptance?

And if that doesn’t convince you that He is not a God of acceptance, what about when God flooded the world in the days of Noah, saving only Noah and his immediate family. He destroyed the world because it was filled with sin and it had become so evil.

Then there was Sodom and Gomorrah who God destroyed because of the evil in those cities.

And again when Jesus upended the money changer’s tables and drove all the merchants with their animals out of the temple in anger and zealous wrath for the house of the Lord.

If we look at the first chapter of Romans, we see the words written three times saying that God gave up on man because of man’s sin. It was because of mans sin that God rejected man, just as He rejected Adam and Eve and threw them out of the Garden of Eden when they had sinned against God.

None of these things are the actions of a God who is a god of acceptance. Rather they are the actions of a God who accepts no compromise.

If God were a god of acceptance, why would He have given up on man and destroyed men who sinned against Him. And remember too that the reason mankind dies is because of the sin factor passed down from generation to generation from Adam and Eve.

In the way the phrase, “God is a god of acceptance,” is used by the proponents of gay marriage, it promotes weakness because it is nothing more than compromise, and God does not compromise…ever! Nor is He a weak God willing to succumb to the desires of man.

Instead, God has another way. The way of repentance.

Repentance

Just as all mankind has fallen foul of God because of sin and been set apart from God through sin, so too He offers the way of redemption through Jesus Christ. The beginning of redemption is found through repentance.

God does not accept our sin, but He wants us to repent of our sins to change the way we think, and to turn to Jesus Christ to find the pathway to righteousness. God does not want any person to be lost, but that does not mean He will not destroy those who refuse to come to Him and reject His ways. He does not want people to be lost to sin, but He will not compromise His position and accept sinners who are unrepentant.

The way of repentance leads to life. Repentance shows that we accept God where He is and we humble ourselves under His mighty hand. Repentance is about humility and God seeks the humble.

But acceptance is not humility. Wanting God to accept people when they are not repentant is nothing short of arrogance and pride, and God hates the proud and the arrogant. Acceptance is compromise, and as mentioned above, God is NOT a god of compromise.

Yes, God will work with those who continue to fall and repent who are seeking to find life in Jesus Christ. God has made allowances for our failures as we learn to walk in Christ. It’s what we know as Grace. But grace is not the same as acceptance.

Grace is given to those seeking to know the Lord and learn His ways and come to God on His terms. Acceptance, as defined by those who say God should be a god of acceptance, asks that God should come to us on our terms. It places man above God, and that is unacceptable because it is proud and arrogant.

Repentance leads to life, but this weak compromise of acceptance leads to death. It rejects the will of God and places the will of man above God.

Are we greater than God? Are we able to make Him do anything? Are we able to force His hand in anything?

No. And it is pure folly to even think this way.

Repentance is the only path to acceptance through grace in the sight of God. But acceptance without repentance is weakness and compromise, of which God will not be any part and will not offer His grace.

If you seek to be accepted by God, then repent of your sins, humble yourself under His mighty hand and turn to Christ to learn and apply the ways of God in your life. Then He will help you and offer grace until He works perfection in your life through the working of the Holy Spirit.

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