Sodomy is a sin apart – that is why God ended the city

In Thursday’s edition, Colin Nevin informs your readers that having lived in Israel he had a knowledge of Hebrew.
PRESS EYE - BELFAST_N.IRELAND_14th September 2007 - The Rev Ivan Foster pictured at his Co Fermanagh school.
Picture by Press Eye.PRESS EYE - BELFAST_N.IRELAND_14th September 2007 - The Rev Ivan Foster pictured at his Co Fermanagh school.
Picture by Press Eye.
PRESS EYE - BELFAST_N.IRELAND_14th September 2007 - The Rev Ivan Foster pictured at his Co Fermanagh school. Picture by Press Eye.

A knowledge of the Bible is the first essential in these matters!

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Sodom was an exceedingly sinful city as we are told in Genesis 13:13. “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Of course it was not just the men but the whole population that was given over to wickedness: “And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,” Genesis 18:20.

Such a state of rebellion was manifested in Israel on occasions, though not to the same degree. However, we are expressly told the sin of sodomy, the abandoning of the natural order of human relationship that God has ordained for procreation, was the final act of rebellion which provoked the intervention of God in judgment in Sodom.

It’d be wrong to see sodomy as just another ‘sin’ amongst the many mankind has indulged in. That is not how the Bible depicts it! The destruction of Sodom was meant as an example, warning those who’d engage in such an evil practice of the retribution that awaits them!

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“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly,” 2 Peter 2:6. “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire,” Jude 7.

Ian Paisley and Rev Ivan Foster in Enniskillen, 1981Ian Paisley and Rev Ivan Foster in Enniskillen, 1981
Ian Paisley and Rev Ivan Foster in Enniskillen, 1981

Paul the Apostle tells us, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the descent of mankind into sin ends in that ultimate of all defiances of God’s natural order, sodomy.

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient,” Romans 1:26-28.

Sodomy, that leaving of the natural order by both men and women, is what precipitated judgment upon the cities.However, there is a sin which will bring an eternal judgment worse than that faced by Sodom. It is that of rejecting the gospel of Christ and casting it aside as a light thing!

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Sodomy brought swift judgment upon the cities of the plain but rejection of the gospel, though often long-tolerated by the Lord, will bring a greater eternal punishment upon those guilty of it.

“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee,” Matthew 11:23-24.

Rev Ivan Foster (Retired), Co Tyrone

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