Watch the Branch Wither
Ray Comfort's sermon emphasizes the importance of addressing the root of sin through God's Law to facilitate true transformation in individuals, particularly regarding homosexuality.
Ray Comfort preaches about the importance of addressing the root of sin in individuals rather than focusing solely on specific sinful behaviors like homosexuality or fornication. He emphasizes the need for a deep transformation of the heart through God's Law, leading to a true rebirth in Christ where old sinful nature is destroyed. Comfort highlights that true believers, whether struggling with heterosexual or homosexual temptations, must reckon their old sinful nature as dead and engage in a continuous battle against sin. He urges Christians to use God's Law as a sharp axe to attack the deep roots of sin, rather than just pruning the visible branches of sinful behaviors.
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I saw an email recently that said that Canada is considering passing a law that will make it a crime for anyone to publish "hate" literature, by quoting Bible verses that condemn the homosexual lifestyle. That puts Christians into a dilemma. Or does it? I don't think so. While there are many Bible verses that we can find to show that the homosexual lifestyle is wrong, there is a way to reach the homosexual community with the Gospel without even mentioning their sexual orientation.
We received an email from a young lady who had experimented with homosexuality. She then made a commitment to Christ and stopped all sexual activities, but was soon drawn back into the gay lifestyle. She complained that now her Christian ex-friends were telling her that she was on her way to Hell, principally because of homosexuality.
My guess is that she made a "decision for Christ" under the sound of the modern Gospel. She was probably told that she could be sure that she would go to Heaven when she died, if she gave her heart to Jesus. She then gave her heart to Him, and stopped what she perceived to be sinful in God's sight, and it wasn't long until her sinful nature took control of the reigns and steered her back to the world.
Here's the problem. Homosexuality was just one branch of sin on the deep-rooted tree of her sinful nature. Zealous Christians looked at the tree, saw the branch that they perceived to be evil, and encouraged her to cut it off and come to Christ. The branch was gone, but the tree of her sinful nature still remained healthy.
What should have happened is that root of the tree should have been attacked with the sharp axe of God's Law. If the core of her sinful nature had been destroyed, the branch of homosexuality would have withered and died, because its life source had been taken away.
Perhaps we need another modern Bible version to fit the fruit of modern evangelistic methods. Then we could quote verses that suit our converts: "Therefore, if any man has made a decision for Christ, he is nearly a new creature. Old things are more or less passed away; behold, almost all things are become new." Of course, God's Word doesn't say that. It instead says "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17--italics added). That means a homosexual who is truly in Christ is no longer a homosexual. He is a new creature. He is born again. His old sinful nature is gone. It has passed away. It's dead.
Does that mean that he won't have homosexual temptations? Of course not. Before a straight person becomes a Christian, he gives himself to heterosexual sin, whether it is in the form of lust or of fornication. He comes to Christ and becomes a new creature. Does that mean that he will no longer have sexual temptations? Of course not. He will no doubt find the sexual realm to be more of a battle than before he came to Christ. This is because there was no "battle" before his conversion. He had surrendered to sexual sin. It was his master. Now he fights it by reckoning it as dead, and the same is the case with a homosexual who is truly born again. He reckons the old sinful nature dead.
I shared the gospel with a couple recently, using the Law to bring the knowledge of sin.* They were humbled by the Commandments, so I shared the cross and the necessity of repentance and faith. Then I exhorted them to seek the Lord, and asked, "Are you two married?" They smiled, snuggled together and said, "No, but we've been living together for sixteen years!" Then they realized what they had just said. It was as though they had been in a habit of unashamedly boasting of the fact that they had been faithfully fornicating for so long. But this time they suddenly looked guilty for what they had just admitted, and nodded as I told them that fornicators would not inherit the Kingdom of God.
While there are degrees of sin, both homosexuals and fornicators will not be heirs to Heaven (1 Cor. 6:9). Homosexuality and fornication are evident branches on the tree. If we focus on these, the person to whom we are speaking may allow the branches to be pruned... but sin is still alive while the root remains. So don't be fooled into giving your attention to the branch. Ignore it, and instead put your energies into the cause rather than the symptom. Again, it is the sinful nature that feeds the sinful life.
So never leave home without the axe of God's Law. You need it to attack deep and strong roots. Keep it sharp. Hold it tight. Learn how to swiftly use its shining blade, then stand back and watch the branches wither. When the groundwork is thoroughly done, the reward of your efforts will soon be evident.
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Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the dilemma faced by Christians regarding homosexuality. - The importance of addressing the root of sin rather than just the branches. - A personal story of a young lady's struggle with her faith and sexuality.
- II points: - The misconception of modern evangelism and its focus on superficial change. - The necessity of understanding true transformation in Christ. - The role of temptation after becoming a new creature.
- III points: - The importance of using God's Law to reveal the knowledge of sin. - The realization of sin in personal relationships. - The need to address the root cause of sinful behavior.
- IV points: - The significance of not being distracted by the branches of sin. - The call to focus on the sinful nature that feeds the branches. - The practical application of using God's Law in evangelism.
- V points: - Encouragement to keep the axe of God's Law sharp. - The promise of watching the branches wither when the root is addressed. - Conclusion and call to action for Christians.
Key Quotes
“If the core of her sinful nature had been destroyed, the branch of homosexuality would have withered and died.” — Ray Comfort
“So don't be fooled into giving your attention to the branch. Ignore it, and instead put your energies into the cause rather than the symptom.” — Ray Comfort
“When the groundwork is thoroughly done, the reward of your efforts will soon be evident.” — Ray Comfort
Application Points
- Focus on the root of sin when sharing the Gospel, rather than just the visible behaviors.
- Equip yourself with the knowledge of God's Law to effectively reveal the need for repentance.
- Encourage others to seek true transformation in Christ, which empowers them to overcome their sinful nature.