5/22/22 - God Cares Enough To Judge - Genesis 19:1-29 - Pastor Jason Fritz

Genesis chapter 19 tells the story of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are known for God’s judgment upon their wickedness. Now I understand that the judgment of God doesn’t sit well with modern people. In fact, there was a time when it was an uncomfortable topic for me. However, I have changed significantly and here’s why... I do not want to serve a God that turns a blind eye to the evil we see and experience in this world. Let me ask you - What do you do when you hear about a child that has been molested? What if it was your child? What kind of God dismisses that kind of abuse? I want a God who brings justice once and for all in a final event that rids the world of it entirely.

Sodom and Gomorrah became famous for sexual deviancy. Sexual sin, as many will attest to, is a unique stronghold and the apostle Paul explains why in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. He is writing to a church that existed in the city of Corinth, one of the most sexually charged cities in the first century AD. 

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18

One commentator gave an insightful description of Paul’s surroundings. "In the Greco-Roman, idol-worshiping culture of Paul's day, sex of all kinds had been normalized for nearly everyone. That included prostitution, adultery, pedophilia, homosexuality, and so forth. Growing up in this environment, it's not surprising to think some of the Christians in Corinth had trouble seeing sex outside of marriage as a big deal. Paul shows that sexual immorality is different from other kinds of sin because it's a form of self-harm. We might commit other sins with our bodies, but sexual immorality unites us sinfully with another person. This happens on a deeply physical and spiritual level. We will experience the natural consequences of that sin at that deep level, as well."

It's important to note that Paul is not telling us that sexual immorality is the worst of all sins, as we sometimes conclude. Instead, he is combatting the casual attitude toward sexual sin carried by some Christians in hyper-sexualized cultures. In addition to hurting others, sexual immorality contributes to our own deep pain. It's no more or less a sin than any other, but human cultures throughout history, including our own, tend to treat it more casually than other offenses.
 
The main point of the story is not the graphic sins involved. The main point is that God is just and righteous. Once again we see a foreshadowing of the Jesus story. Our sin was placed on Christ and our punishment fell upon him. The justice of God was satisfied. In return, we became that righteousness of Christ! Therefore, Paul writes:
 
For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21