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There is a strong allure to living the lifestyle of the world. The children of God have struggled against the pull of the flesh since the Garden of Eden, and temptation is as strong today as it was back then.
Perhaps the temptation for fame, wealth and validation is stronger today than in centuries past. Humans are bombarded on a near constant basis with commercials, social media posts and advertisements about what the world can offer them.
Today in America, rejecting Christian principles and embracing the world’s standards on subjects like marriage, sexuality and identity can be a financially lucrative ploy. But when the result is furthering oneself from their Father in heaven, the spiritual cost greatly outweighs the short-term monetary gains.
Unfortunately, there are those who have been deceived to follow what the world says is morally upright, especially when the message is disguised as love.
Recently, actor Neal Bledsoe made the decision to leave the Great American Family television network over the stance of one of its executives, Candace Cameron Bure, regarding marriage and how it is portrayed at the company.
Bure recently drew the ire of Hollywood by saying “Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Many Christians across the world have taken the stance that to show the love of Jesus to those in the LGBTQ community they must also validate their lifestyle, contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
How could it be considered love to encourage a lifestyle that is displeasing to God and sets people on a path away from the Lord?
Bledsoe appears to have also taken this stance, saying:
“Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and these are mine: the recent comments made by leadership at Great American Family are hurtful, wrong and reflect an ideology that prioritizes judgment over love. I was raised as a Christian, and believe in the essential message of love and forgiveness. That said, I could never forgive myself for continuing my relationship with a network that actively chooses to exclude the LGBTQIA+ community.”
This decision to go public and leave GAF just so happened to net Bledsoe a front page interview with Variety and have the interview picked up by other major media outlets.
Yet Bure has said over and over again, this is not about excluding anyone, but honoring and obeying the Word of God and keeping Christ central to the Christmas holiday.
How is it possible to honor and obey the Lord if programming is tailored to actions and lifestyles that are “abominable” and “dishonorable” to God (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26; Jude 1:7)?
Bure has in fact said the opposite of what Hollywood has accused her of being. She believes herself to be a “committed Christian” and because of that she holds “great love and affection for all people.”
“I believe that every human being bears the image of God,” Bure said. “Because of that, I am called to love all people, and I do. If you know me, you know that I am a person who loves fiercely and indiscriminately. My heart yearns to build bridges and bring people one step closer to God, to love others well, and to simply be a reflection of God’s huge love for all of us.”
And therein lies the trap the enemy sets for those without the understanding of the Word of God.
Disagreeing with the lifestyle someone else is living does not mean that other person is hated. It means they hold the belief that it is of the utmost importance to stand firmly on the Word of God and its instructions, as Bure is doing.
The enemy will paint this love and grace that Bure is showing to those who attack her and live lives contrary to what the Word instructs believers to live as hateful and bigoted. But that simply is not the truth.
Which is the plan the enemy hopes to convince people of. By distorting the truth of the Word, he can manipulate a false truth to take its place. And it has been working within American society.
Thankfully, the God who designed men and women and gave them purpose, has also given them redemption. By hearing and accepting the truth of the Bible, instead of that of the world, people can once again live in obedience to the Lord and grow in His righteousness.
Standing firm on the truth of the Bible as Bure has done not only can, but will have an impact on society at large. It will plant seeds of truth within people’s hearts as they are given an example of Christ-like love in the modern world.
Let us pray for more Christians to show the love and grace of the Father to those who speak against them, and that the lies of the enemy will be revealed and replaced with the truth of the Word of God. {eoa}
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
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