Until Christ returns, humanly speaking, there will always be debates about divine wisdom. In subtleties we repeat the question, “Did God really say?” This question, first uttered by Satan in the garden, has caused more controversy and consternation for the human race than all others combined. As finite and fallen beings, we are tempted to see things as they appear before our eyes much more than we are prepared to believe reality as God has revealed. Sin causes a spiritual astigmatism upon our human condition where we may see refractions of light but are unable to focus our eyes on the world as God made it. We fail to clearly see the full purpose, meaning, and value for which we were created.
More like the disciples than we care to admit, we struggle to understand the importance of Scripture as a guide for current events (John 20:9, John 12:1216, Luke 18:34). We are told to be armed with the Word in order to “stand against the schemes of the devil,” and to remain pure so that “we would not be outwitted by Satan” (Ephesians 6:11, 2 Corinthians 2:11, Ephesians 4:19). Based on Romans 1, we should have known that a normal course of disregard for God’s honor leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts, “claiming to be wise, they became fools” in the great exchange of His glory. When that happens, God gives humanity over to their lusts and those dishonorable passions lead in succession to unnatural relations of sexual perversion. When there is a suppression and disregard for God’s revelation of His glory, the natural digression is the sin of unnatural relations and of sexual perversion (Romans 1:18-32, Revelation 17 and 18).
Concerned about the effects of our culture’s sexual perversion in the counseling room, I wrote an article in the Journal of Biblical Soul Care titled, “A Case for Religious Liberty in Soul Care” where I attempted to provide a historical perspective of a particular area where it seemed the church was vulnerable. “Inconspicuous to many,” I said, “religious freedom in the area of counseling has not yet become the primary focal point of social activists intent on eliminating traditional Christian values from American life.”1Journal of Biblical Soul Care, Fall, Vol. 1, (1:2017). How quickly that statement became outdated. Now clearly visible and brimming with attention, sexual orientation infects discussions of counseling, education, supreme court confirmations, and legislation. Even professional athletes are pressured to wear rainbow branded uniforms in support of modern sexual identity constructs. “If states are able to limit counseling practices,” I concluded, “attempting to address deeply moral, religious, and spiritual issues such as sexual orientation, then the state is demarcating the boundaries of religious freedom.”2Ibid. But how did we get here? The tide is moving at a much faster pace than I anticipated only six years ago. Why is it that conservative religious values are under such duress? Why is sexuality and sexual identity at the forefront of cultural discussions? Activists are not content with freedoms to pursue their own sexual perversion but are driven to seek more than toleration of their preferences—they are seeking approval, endorsement, and even sanction.
To keep reading this essay by Dale Johnson in the Journal of Biblical Soul Care Spring Edition 2023 click here.
