STATE OF CALIFORNIA VS. GOD

PREFACE

Romans 1:25-28 “They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.  Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions.  Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts.  In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing.  Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do.”

PROLOGUE

As the world falls deeper into depravity, governments worldwide are increasingly in conflict with the Word of God and its truths.  Governments and Progressives are outwardly exhibiting hatred for true Christians that exalt the Word of God.  This hatred was foretold in John 15:18-19 and was initiated with Adam and Eve, and will continue until the Second Coming of Christ.  In addition, Government mandates and Progressives have embedded themselves in the church and seek to reform the faith with liberation theology by embedding cultural grammar and agreements that entail its forms of truth, subjectivity, social justice, culture change, and power.

INTRODUCTION

The latest example of Progressive Government efforts to legislate Christian Free Speech and Biblical Writings may be in California Assembly Bill 2943. The bills’ definitions and broad wording are significant concerns to the Christian community. Apprehensive, California Family Council asked about worst-case scenarios for Christians to assembly member Al Muratsuchi. He stated that it’s time for the faith community to “evolve with the times.”   This essay will examine Bill 2943 and explore its possible ramifications for Christians living in California.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. ASSEMBLY BILL No. 2943, broad definitions & Violations
2. ASSEMBLY BILL No. 2943, Review
3. Submission to Governing Authorities
4. Born Broken
5. Who has the power to convict?
6. One’s fight or disagreement is with whom?
7. Choice
8. Conclusion

1. ASSEMBLY BILL No. 2943, BROAD DEFINITIONS & VIOLATIONS

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST – February 16, 2018, declares the following

AB 2943, as introduced, Low. Unlawful business practices: sexual orientation change efforts.

Existing law, the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, makes unlawful certain unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices undertaken by any person in a transaction intended to result or which results in the sale or lease of goods or services to any consumer. Existing law authorizes any consumer who suffers damages as a result of these unlawful practices to bring an action against that person to recover damages, among other things.

Existing law prohibits mental health providers, as defined, from performing sexual orientation change efforts, as specified, with a patient under 18 years of age. Existing law requires a violation of this provision to be considered unprofessional conduct and subjects the provider to discipline by the provider’s licensing entity.

This bill would include, as an unlawful practice prohibited under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, advertising, offering to engage in, or engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with an individual. The bill would also declare the intent of the Legislature in this regard.

SECTION 1, Line 1-4 The Legislature finds and declares the following: Contemporary science recognizes that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is part of the natural spectrum of human identity and is not a disease, disorder, or illness.

SECTION 2, 1761, (i) (1) “Sexual orientation change efforts” means any practices that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation. This includes efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.

SECTION 3, 1770, Line (28) Advertising, offering to engage in, or engaging in for sale, or selling services constituting sexual orientation change efforts with to an individual.

2. ASSEMBLY BILL No. 2943, Review

  The highlighted wording in sections 1761,170 listed above indicates board definitions, which suggests that future enforcement will be wide-ranging in scope and possibly lead to enforcement upon Christians and Christian Materials, including the Bible. Note:  Both Snopes and Factcheck dismiss any concerns voiced by the Christian Organizations since the bill does not mention the Bible, Christianity, or religion at all. But, the Wikipedia encyclopedia does include religious and spiritual approaches under the (SOCE). With this understanding, it appears the biblical process of regeneration and sanctification, entailing separation of the believer from the depravities of this world and the obedience to the Word of God, is in direct violation, as listed below.

Leviticus 18:22 “No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that.”
Leviticus 20:13 “If a man has sexual relations with another man, they have done a disgusting thing, and both shall be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.”
1Corinthians 6:9  “Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts“
1Corinthians 7:2 “But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband.”
1Timothy 1:10 “and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,”
Romans 1:26-27 “For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”

Summing Up;  Let Us, peer, into God’s Word for direction.

3. Submission to Governing Authorities

Romans 13:1-7 ” Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.  Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.  For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.  Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.  For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.  Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

1Peter 2:13-14 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”

4. Born Broken

When we fail to humble ourselves to Christ Jesus completely, it is human nature to justify our actions due to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Our sexuality is one of those parts that is the hardest to give to Christ Jesus. Studies by gay geneticists Simon LeVay, M.D. in 1993,  Dr. Dean Hamer in 1993, and Tuck Ngun, Ph.D. in 2015 show that DNA and chemical links to homosexuality have been either non-replicable precarious or possibly fraudulent. However, even though the study results for these geneticists are in question, the LGBT or GLBT communities, government, and the news media have listed them as fact.

Not in question are eight major studies of identical twins performed in Australia, the U.S., and Scandinavia during the last two decades; all these studies arrived at the same conclusion: gays were not born that way. At best, genetics is a minor factor,” says Dr. Neil Whitehead, Ph.D.,” it is like someone choosing a favorite color or flavor.”

Finally, Geneticists refuse to comment on DNA and chemical links to homosexuality; they are unwilling to comment directly due to possibly losing their positions or grants. However, a typical response is “the answer is in the math.” Human DNA has around 3 billion bases, which indicates that a DNA and chemical link to homosexuality is non-relevant and non-generational due to its nature.

Summing Up:

     The Bible describes sin as disobedience to the law of God (1 John 3:4).   Since the first “sin” disobedience towards God, the inherent inclination to sin entered humankind, thus becoming sinners by nature. This worldly inner nature of disobedience towards God has festered ever-increased depravity and rebellion. Because of the inherent and learned sin, rebellion toward God stops us from having a relationship with Him. To overcome and establish a relationship with God, the Bible reveals that we must meek/humble ourselves to God and accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This humbling includes every aspect of our lives, including our sexuality.

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

 A spiritual battle is raging for the soul of each individual; without humbling/meeking our Spirit to the Holy Spirit, the iniquity of our own Spirit will lose us to this world, as noted in Mark 7:21-23 & Galatians 5:16-17.

Mark 7: 21-23  “For from the inside, from your heart, come the evil ideas which lead you to do immoral things, to rob, kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride, and folly—  all these evil things come from inside you and make you unclean.”

Galatians 5:16-17   “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

 5. Who has the power to convict?

The Greek word for “reprove” is ” elegcho, “to convict.” So the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of three things: sin, righteousness, and judgment, drawing all humankind to Christ Jesus.

John 16:8-11 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”

Summing Up: There is a difference between worldly sorrow or remorse and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. People getting a traffic ticket feel sorrow or remorse; people in prison are sometimes sorry for what they did. However, these emotions are short-lived and forgotten, finding them back to living their everyday lives. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is different. The conviction of the Holy Spirit brings a person in personal contact with Christ Jesus to either accept or deny Him as their Lord and Savior. If a person rejects the conviction of the Holy Spirit, an individual continues living life, lost to worldly wants and desires. On the other hand, suppose a person accepts the conviction of the Holy Spirit and surrenders their life to Christ Jesus. In that case, the person is made complete by regeneration and becomes a new creation, blessed by the union of their submissive Spirit and the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 32:1-5 “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!   How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to Thee, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.

6. One’s fight or disagreement is with whom?

The Great Commandment
Matthew 22:34-40  “But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together.  And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’  “This is the great and foremost commandment.  “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’  “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Galatians 5:13-14 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

Summing Up:  Christ Jesus has commanded us to love his neighbor; there are no exclusions.  Loving God and Neighbor are the most important commandments.   One’s struggle is due to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and should never be with thy neighbor.

7. Choice

Trust in God’s sovereignty is central to understanding freedom throughout the Bible. From the beginning of humankind, God’s sovereignty has allowed disobedience to His will so that humanity can understand and learn the vanity of being disobedient to the contrary obedient nature that exhibits humbleness, humility to Christ Jesus that brings everlasting peace, love, and joy.

Ecclesiastes brings us to a pondering moment that makes us aware that futility is endless until we humble or meek our hearts to Christ Jesus.

All Is Vanity

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”  What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again. All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.

Reasoning:  “Vanity” here speaks of emptiness. It is to waste life without any purpose or any goal. It means to live like an animal. There are a great many people who live like that.   Ecclesiastes portrays life without redemption and the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Summing Up:  God’s sovereignty has allowed each individual a “Choice” to either deny Christ Jesus and live a futile disobedient life or accept Christ Jesus and live a life full of purpose as the Holy Spirit regenerates and sanctifies. The whole purpose of creation was to give each of us this choice. What do you choose?

8. Conclusion

    California Assembly Bill 2943, as introduced, is a direct assault on free speech and biblical truths. However, the bill’s conception is directly due to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The conviction of the Holy Spirit pierces the heart of humankind and convicts us of our sin “disobedience” towards God’s and His perfect plans for our lives. As this essay indicates, Christians are not obligated to “love our neighbor” but commanded to “love our neighbor,” which includes proclaiming Christ Jesus as 2Timothy 2:24-26 states, “As the Lord’s servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth. And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.”