Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. Here you'll find practical, relevant, biblical information.
The Bible will be broken down verse by verse so that you get the full context of the scripture to better grow in your relationship with Jesus.
Hey everybody, welcome to the Sanctuary. It's great to have you with us as always.
And those of you who are new, turning in for the first time, hi! Thanks for joining us.
So, some of you have been asking where I've been, what happened.
In short, without going into too much depth here, I tore a muscle in my leg.
So you won't see me doing any prolonged standing for a little bit.
Of course, you know, I'm back and obviously we're also recording for the podcast right now.
I'd also like to take a moment before we start to thank everyone for sharing the podcast as well.
I'll ask that you keep doing so on whatever platform it is that you listen on, whether it's YouTube, music, Spotify.
I know we're on several, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, all that stuff.
Even Apple, really I can't say how much I appreciate it. It helps us to get the word out to people all around the globe.
And we actually do, we have people listening all around the globe, which is wonderful.
On a final note, before we get into everything, I'll remind you, we don't ask for a formal tithe or offering.
However, if you do feel it on your heart to give, we do have an account set up where you can do that at BuyMeACoffee.com forward slash healing scars.
You can also find that link on our website as well.
All right, so with all that said, let's get into the word. Let's do this.
So there's been a lot of misconception about what happens to people who don't know Jesus.
There are those who try to preach that they're all just damned to hell and that they have no hope.
As a matter of fact, last Friday at our veteran service, we were looking at a map that actually identified what's called red zones in the world.
And these are parts of the world where there are no churches, there's no places to go and hear about the gospel, to hear about Jesus.
And essentially, there's nobody in these areas to teach of him as well.
And it's a thorn in my side because often when these types of maps and images are shown, it's with a message of no hope and just instant condemnation.
And let's face it, even where we live, there are people who don't hear the message and know nothing of Christ because of the living conditions and who they're surrounded by.
Luke chapter 17 verse 2, the Bible says it would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Now, for those living in places like here in the US, it's because of worldly people choosing to keep the word from their kids and loved ones due to their own lack of faith, their own lack of understanding and their own hurt.
You know, and that's not a good thing, especially when it comes time for judgment.
Luckily, or I shouldn't say luckily, but fortunately for those wondering about what happens when it comes to those who don't have a relationship with Jesus, the word does indeed tell us what will happen.
And today we're going, you know, there's several places throughout the Bible, but we're actually going to be looking in the book of Romans chapter one to see this answer.
All right, so those of you with your apps, those of you with the Bible, you know, even if you're just taking notes, let's turn now.
Let's take a look.
We're going to go to Romans chapter one, and specifically we're going to start off in verses 18 through 20.
So Romans one verses 18 through 20, the word says the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
Since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse.
All right, so going all the way back to Adam, God has always given man the choice to either choose him or not, right? Because he doesn't want robots. He wants us to choose. It is our choice.
It's our own choices and it's our own actions that actually condemn us.
All right.
A lot of people like to say the devil, you know, made me do it, you know, or or or God did it.
It's not the fact God actually loves us so much that as much as it hurts him, he lets us decide whether or not we're going to stay to go with him or if we're going to turn away.
And it's our own selfishness, our own pride, our own desires, our own, you know, those those blinders that we put on that make us think that we can do so much better on our own that we that we should be in control of everything and that we can make whatever we want happen.
You know, you know, some people like to say, you know, when we put it out into the universe, right, which is wrong.
And we see right here right out the gate that even without knowing of Jesus, that there is enough of God and all of creation for everyone to know of him.
Right.
Think of it this way, even those without biblical understanding of right versus wrong. Know what right versus wrong is. They know what it is to have a conscience.
Right.
Now, how is it that they know right versus wrong? Well, it's because of God in all of creation.
Right.
That, you know, we call it the Holy Spirit conviction.
But without even, you know, inviting the Holy Spirit into us, there is enough of God in all of creation that we can know of him and know what's right and wrong.
All right. So it backends the question.
Is there ever an excuse for sin?
And as we see right here, that answer is clearly no.
This is why the word tells us here that for since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities and his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse.
Right.
And Matthew chapter five verse 17, Jesus says, Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I do not.
I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
All right.
So this is the law of God going all the way back to the beginning.
And it's no different than today.
If you go out and you do something and you end up in court because you didn't know you were breaking the law.
What happens?
You know, do you get to go out there and be like, Oh, I didn't know I was breaking the law.
You know, are you going to get a pass or they make, Oh, it's okay.
Well, now you know, so don't do it.
You know, again, don't do it in the future and send you away.
No, you don't get a pass.
You still have to pay the penalty.
Ignorance is not an excuse.
And God has seen to it that none of us, not a single one of us can feign ignorance.
Plain and simple.
Continuing on in Romans chapter one, verse 21 through 23, the word says, for although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.
But their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Even though they claim to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
All right.
So this speaks of people turning from God and falling into idolatry.
And we still we see a lot of this today, don't we?
Nothing's changed when it comes to this.
People are so desperate to be in control of everything.
To be their God, to be the God of their own universe, that they create their own idols.
Often making themselves into idols in the process.
And I'll give you an example.
You know, here's a few.
You know, when somebody says, oh, I'm a Virgo.
So I am whatever it is that they're trying to make a claim of a Virgo is or does or how about, oh, that's my spirit animal.
You know, lucky numbers.
Wearing precious metals or gems for various reasons.
Being, quote unquote, in vibe or in tune with the universe.
You know, dressing up as animals and other things, often in a sexual manner.
I remember the first time I heard somebody refer to themselves as a furry.
I thought to myself, are you kidding?
What's wrong with this person?
What in the world?
You know, you look at the alphabet community, you know, movement, whatever you want to call it.
And the evil agenda that it's pushing in the world with gender and their hateful rhetoric.
You know, they want to say, oh, it's all love.
Love is love, love, love until you disagree with them.
And then they're ready to destroy you and tear you down.
You know, all of a sudden you fall a victim of cancel culture.
Right? You run that risk.
You know, and in the process, they claim that you're the hateful one.
You know, money, power, and then some.
You know, people misrepresent God and try to twist his image into something that it's not.
And they've gotten so good at it, Satan doesn't even have to do anything,
but point them in the direction he wants them to go in and just send them.
They'll do the rest of the damage on their own.
Picking up back in Romans 1, verses 24 and 25, the word says,
Therefore, remember every time we see therefore in the Bible,
it's saying, you know, keep in mind everything that we've got, we've covered up to this point.
So therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity
for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served,
and created things rather than the creator who is forever praised. Amen.
So he gave them over to their sinful desires.
So what do we see today? People, you know, they give into their desires.
You know, the whole, oh, I was made this way and all that stuff.
You know, people are selfish, arrogant, and prideful.
And even knowing right from wrong, they will twist things to put them into
the perspective that suits them, right?
You know, they like to say their truth, right?
They put the spin on the narrative, just like we see in the news today.
You know, yet in his love for us, God allows us to choose to be independent of him.
And this even comes at the cost of us being lost as slaves to our own sin.
You know, all the more reason for us to be on guard with the things around us
and how we allow them to influence us.
You know, if something's really popular in the world,
that automatically should be a red flag, like, you know what?
I should take a look at this and see what the Bible has to say.
You know, what's the word say about this? What's God telling us?
Because more often than not, you can find that answer in the Bible.
You just sometimes have to do a little digging, you know.
And speaking of which, now I'm going to hit a soft spot for a lot of people.
As a matter of fact, this might be downright painful for some people.
There are definitely going to be some out there who do not like what I'm going to say.
All right, so we're going to go into Romans chapter 1, verses 26 and 27.
The word says,
Because of this, God gave them over to their shameful, I'm sorry,
God gave them over to shameful lust.
And they abandoned their women, exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women
and were inflamed with lust for one another.
Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
This is a good one for those who ask about where the Bible calls out the LGB whatever lifestyle, right?
As is 1 Timothy chapter 1, verses 8 through 11.
You know, for those who like to claim that there's nothing about women doing it, guess what?
Right here, we just saw it, right?
We just read it.
And whether you like it or not, it is a sin.
It doesn't matter what you want to quote unquote identify as.
The fact is, God knew what he was doing and made each of us correctly.
He did not make a mistake.
It's each individual giving into what they allow to influence them from the world
and then trying to rewrite the narrative, right?
They're trying to flip the script because they don't like what they're being told not to do.
It's not God who's wrong.
If this is you and this is your sin, wake up.
This is your wake up call.
This is you in sin.
All right?
We all make sins.
I'm not saying this is any better or any worse than any others.
Sin is sin, right?
We've all fallen short.
So let me share with you something a lot of people in law enforcement will tell you.
Matter of fact, when I wore that shield, I've said this plenty of times myself.
I don't make the law, but I do have to enforce the law.
And if God says something is wrong, then it's wrong.
Whether you agree with it or not, it doesn't matter.
Because your opinion on that matter, on that subject, doesn't matter.
When it comes to God and what he says, it is the end all be all.
When God says something, that's the bottom line.
Boom.
And it is my job as a Christian to point it out.
Hey, this is a sin.
I'm not passing judgment on it.
I'm just telling you what the word says.
Matter of fact, so we're going to continue on though.
We could do an entire series on this.
So for time's sake, we're going to track on.
I'm going to leave it right there where it's at.
So Romans 28 through 32, the word says,
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God,
so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not be done.
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness,
evil, greed, and depravity.
They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice.
They are gossips, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful.
They invent ways of doing evil.
They disobey their parents.
They have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,
they not only continue to do these very things,
but also approve of those who practice them.
Again, at the end of the day, we each make the choice as to what we're going to do.
If we're going to follow God's word or follow our own desires, whatever they may be.
We each have it in us to resist ungodly desires.
It's not always easy, but life isn't meant to be.
And to come full circle, God has put enough of Himself into everything that we all know when we're messing up.
Even those who don't know Jesus know this.
His essence in the world, like our own little Jiminy Cricket guiding our steps, right?
God's inserted enough of Himself where we have the knowledge, but without making our choices for us.
And as much as we like to say, the devil made me do it, you know, I said this earlier,
the fact is we make those decisions for ourselves.
That's the freedom God has given us and His infinite love for us.
You know, something we should all remember when it comes to our own families.
We're not always going to like or agree with the choices our loved ones and friends make.
Sometimes we're going to downright loathe those choices.
Now, we can voice our opinion, but we need to make sure we're doing it lovingly, not forcefully.
And there's a lot of families out there hurting because of this.
You see a lot of separation, a lot of divide.
You know, people stop talking to each other.
And the solution is in front of us.
It's right here in the Word, in the Bible.
We need to make sure that the information is present so they know what's right, what's wrong, where we stand.
But we need to make, you know, let them make the choice that they feel is needed in their life.
We can't force their way of thinking.
We don't have to agree with their decision.
We don't have to support their decision.
But we do have to allow people to make those decisions and know that they're still loved.
Jesus, just as Jesus did for us, right?
And Jesus died for all of us, for our sins, because we've all fallen short.
We've all sinned, right?
And coming back to the whole point of this, as you can clearly see, even in those areas where they don't know of Christ,
they don't have, you know, fellowships to go to, churches to go to, Bible studies to go to, all that kind of stuff,
there's still enough of God out there for them to know.
Now, it is far, far better for all of us in the world to come to know Jesus and to accept Him into our lives, right?
To have a relationship with Him and acknowledge Him as our Lord, our Savior.
You know, but for those who will never have that opportunity, there's still hope for them.
It's just when they stand, you know, in the day of judgment, they won't have Jesus there with them like you and I do,
which is all the more reason for us to go out and answer the Great Commission and to share the Lord with others,
because you never know when you're going to run into that one person who doesn't actually know of Him.
You know, they might have heard of Him, but they don't know Him.
So it's very important, and this is why we have missionaries that go out into the world as well, right?
Unfortunately, most of them don't end up in these red areas.
They go to other areas that do have an understanding, that do have access, albeit limited.
We need to support them too, but we need to also make sure that if there's a way that we can get the Word into these other areas,
these areas that are still locked in darkness, we do it, we do what we can to make sure that they can know of Jesus as well.
All right, so, you know, that's where we're at. That's our time for today.
Remember, you are blessed and you are loved. Now go and be the church.
Thank you all for joining us here today at Healing Scars with Pastor Burton.
Please like, subscribe, and share our podcast on any platform it is that you tune into us on.
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you can find us on our website at BeTheLightSanctuary.org or on Facebook at BeTheLightSanctuary.
You can also find how to contact us there, whether it's direct message or email. We look forward to hearing from you all.
God bless.