While warning the world of sin and judgment, the Lord in His infinite mercy and grace does not leave you with the pronouncement of death for all your perversions. Yes, He tells you that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight (Romans 3:20). Yes, He says sodomites and homosexuals and boasters in the flesh and haters of God will not inherit eternal life. But He does not stop there. That is where we in our sin – apart from Christ. But then the glory is revealed. But now… You, who cannot find life or salvation on your own, have this glorious message revealed, life and salvation come to you. By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight… But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed…even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. Romans 3:20-22 NKJV

Do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before He causes darkness.
Jeremiah 13:15-16 NKJV
More than 2,000 years ago a king named Herod made a speech at the occasion of a peace treaty. Those that heard him speak said that his voice was that of a god and not of a man. Rather than giving glory to God, King Herod took the praise for himself. In his pride, an angel of the Lord struck him, and he was eaten by worms and died (Acts 12:20-24).
Pride – a great sin among the nations throughout history is a sin that afflicts us today. Pride was involved when Eve in the garden listened to the serpent and gave the fruit to Adam so that he sinned against God. (Genesis 3:1-19). With all our advances in technology and understanding of the creation, we have not humbled ourselves before the Creator who is blessed forever, but we worship and serve the creature who is passing away.
Sodom, that infamous city of Canaan was notorious for its sin of pride. She was a city full of wealth, idleness, and in her pride she committed abominations before God. Therefore, God took her away through fire and brimstone from Heaven (Ezekiel 16:49-50).
Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, the conqueror of Judah, the destroyer of Egypt, was full of pride. When he was repented, he made this confession of God, His “works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (Daniel 4:37).
Nebuchadnezzar’s son repeated his father’s sin. Full of pride, relishing in his wives, treasures, and friends, the Lord brought the Medes and the Persians into Babylon and destroyed Belshazzar and his kingdom in a single night. For the Lord said, you have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting (Daniel 6:27). For [Babylon] has been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel…the most proud shall stumble and fall… I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it will devour all around him” (Jeremiah 50:29-32).
The empires of the ancient world, from the Greeks and Carthaginians to the Romans whose emperors were supposed to be gods, all were full of pride and were destroyed. Modern history is much the same. The 1,000-year Reich of Nazi Germany lasted less than 15 years. The glory of Mussolini’s Italy ended with his body defiled. All the proud have been brought low by the God they denied, while His Word which they hated has endured.
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble
James 4:6
Many major cities around the world celebrates the great evil of pride. Rather than confessing we are but men who are here for a moment and perish, they act like they will live forever, delighting in evil, and condemning good. And yet the Lord cries out a warning that the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up – and it shall be brought low (Isaiah 2:12).
The world’s prophets tell you not to worry about pride, rather, celebrate it. Your friends and family members celebrate your pride with you. Though all the world join with you in pride, the Lord will still be against you. For this reason, we do not come to you today telling you Peace, Peace when there is no peace and you are on the path to destruction. Rather, we come to you crying Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand!
The Lord will destroy the house of the proud
Proverbs 15:25
The matter of destruction ought to possess your greatest attention. The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah in one night were destroyed by God with fire and brimstone. The judgment of the Lord is coming again and is being revealed now as a warning to the living. Death has come and is coming upon you and all people, for all have sinned (Romans 5:12).
The judgment that is coming on the proud is a place of great terror and torment. It is the place Jesus refers to as Hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44).
We plead with you… Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19).
The Bible on PRIDE
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.
Mark 7:21-23 NKJV
Hear and give ear: Do not be proud, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before He causes darkness.
Jeremiah 13:15-16 NKJV
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.
Psalm 101:5 NKJV
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18 NKJV
When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2 NKJV
A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.
Proverbs 29:23 NKJV
These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood.
Proverbs 6:16-17 NKJV
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.
Proverbs 8:13 NKJV
For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
I John 2:16-17 NKJV
Homosexuality: God Gave Them Up
What is good? You are living in a time where the answer to that question is generally, “whatever you say it is.” When it comes to a mother murdering her child, the world tells her, “Your choice is the right choice,” and “Your body your choice.” When it comes to sexuality and identity the world tells you, “You are how you feel” and “love is love.”
A problem with these slogans is that the underlying truth they present is “you” and you are always changing. Therefore, what is good is not stable but is constantly in motion, always changing, never certain, and will eventually die.
God who is good has not left you to determine good according to your own ideas but has rather shown you, O man, what is good: And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).
If you love God, you will humble yourself before Him and seek to keep His commandments. If you hate God you will walk in pride, not only sinning against God but approving of those who do the same (Romans 1:32).
You know God today because you are made in His image. But do you glorify God as God? For much of the world the answer is “no.” Professing themselves to be wise, the world has exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible man and worshipped the creature instead of the Creator who is blessed forever, Amen.
For this reason, exchanging the truth of God for a lie, God said He gave them up to vile passions, men and women practicing homosexuality, given over to pride, haters of God, and similar sins.
These acts, activities, and lifestyles that you may engage in or celebrate as an ally are perverted pursuits. The word perverted is not meant as a slur but rather a statement meaning to turn aside or away from what is good and morally right.
Leaving what is good, that which is from God, you have become perverted in your ways. God refers to this perversion as a reprobate mind and is His judgment against a wicked people.
In similar manner God speaks concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. It is from Sodom of course that the name “sodomite” and “sodomy” are derived. Of these cities, God said, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 1:7).
Sodom and Gomorrah gave themselves over to sin and God gave them up to their sin. This is the reality of homosexuality and LGBTQ+ culture, God has given over to perversion those who have given themselves over to sin.
It is not the goal of this short pamphlet to convince you of your sin and misery in this perverted and sinful condition. Rather, this condition is known to you. Those who were in homosexuality before you and have been born again of the Spirit and saved by the blood of the Lamb of God have had this testimony – that they heard the Word of God from faithful witnesses and knew their own sin but for some time, perhaps years, they suppressed the truth, crying out louder against it and blocking their ears from it until God by His Word and Spirit convinced them of their sin and misery enlightened their minds to the knowledge of Christ and renewed their wills so that they could  embrace Jesus Christ who is freely offered to us in the Gospel.
The arm of the Lord is stretched out today toward you sinner by His Word. He has shown you what is good. Will you listen to Him who is good, hear the call of God today, and heed His call?
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To preach God’s counsel in these ways requires boldness. Paul was humble, but he was also bold: “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable” (Acts 20:20; see also Acts 20:26–27). The temptation can be to shrink back to maintain popularity, but that was not Paul’s way. Rather he unfolded God’s counsel with confidence and boldness: “declaring . . . teaching, . . . testifying, . . . proclaiming, [and] . . . admonish[ing]” (Acts 20:20–31).

What does it mean to “preach the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27)? That question surely occupies the hearts of all gospel preachers. Perhaps the best way to answer this question is to consider the context of Paul’s statement to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. When we do this, we see three things clearly involved in preaching the whole counsel of God: the life of the preacher, the content of preaching, and the method of preaching. Additionally, we see that preaching God’s Word faithfully brings consequences—that is, it is effective.
The Preacher’s Life
Acts 20:17–38 contains Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders. As he bids them farewell, Paul reflects on his life among the Ephesians, and he makes clear that his call as a preacher was intertwined with his life. The context for preaching the whole counsel of God is a life that is consistent with the message preached.
Paul makes this explicit when he directs the elders, “Pay careful attention to yourselves” (Acts 20:28). Only someone living a godly life can go on to faithfully declare the whole counsel of God. This is the constant message of the New Testament (1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).
Paul specifically highlights several important features of his life:

Consistency. “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia” (Acts 20:18). He essentially says to them: “You know I have lived a consistent and transparent life. My life is an open book.”
Humility. “Serving the Lord with all humility” (Acts 20:19).The calling to preach God’s Word is a calling to humble service, which marked Paul’s life.
Endurance. “Trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews” (Acts 20:19). Paul had to endure. Hard times came upon him, and he was tested. But he endured.
Compassion. “I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears” (Acts 20:31). Here we have the heart of a pastor. His words are not harsh. He does not stand indifferent to the sufferings and well-being of his people. He weeps over them.
Self-denial. “I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel” (Acts 20:33). In other words, “I am not in ministry to enrich myself. I am not one of those who peddle God’s words for gain” (see 2 Cor. 2:17).
Prayer. “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all” (Acts 20:36). Paul praying for his flock was as natural to him as breathing.

So, Paul tells the Ephesian elders that preaching the whole counsel of God is bound up with the life that the pastor lives.
What Is the Whole Counsel of God?
Entirely in harmony with his life, Paul had a message to proclaim. He has been entrusted with a revelation from God, which for us today is found in all its completeness in the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Paul was to declare all the counsel of God. He could not ignore the truths that press on the sins of society and of the church. He had to proclaim the truths of God’s sovereignty in salvation that humble man. He needed to drive home the application of God’s Word to all areas of life, and it is the same for any who would preach today.
Paul preached God’s whole counsel in a specific way: “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable” (Acts 20:20).
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Human beings will always worship, and that impulse to worship will always find expression at the political level. Either, then, the government will endorse and safeguard conceptions of religiosity that are chaotic and idolatrous, and thus corrosive and immoral, or it will endorse a religiosity that results in the genuine moral unity of the State’s members. The only reason why we assume that the political arena can be secular or religiously neutral is because in the West we were until comparatively recently a Christian people.

The case below presupposes several assumptions, with which one may or may not agree, but it is necessary to declare them from the outset for the sake of clarity.
I take it as a given that human nature exists. We are not self-creating beings, and nor can we change our nature. We can warp our nature, mutilate it, and depart from its laws in innumerable ways that as a civilisation we are currently exploring with great dedication—but that is to do violence to our nature, not to change it. Such a view entails that there is indeed a law of human nature, with which we can seek to align our lives in our pursuit of flourishing—or indeed by our own volition we can depart from that law. The ways by which we may align ourselves with that law are diverse and dynamic, but such dynamism presupposes the acknowledgement of such a law. I further take it as a given that political life—by which I mean the moral or practical ordering of our lives in community, and its regulation through leadership and positive law-making—is proper to human nature. As individual persons, we emerge out of, and naturally maintain, corporate persons. 
Such communally reliant flourishing is not accidental to the kind of things we are, but rather it is proper to our nature. Humans are not found to be solitary, non-political animals anywhere on earth, nor have they ever been such. All philosophies that begin from the assumption that human beings are by nature solitary, and merely opt into synthetic communities with accidental forms for some prior, rationally apprehended reason, are flawed in their first principle.
Finally, I take it as a given that we are by nature question-asking and meaning-seeking beings, and hence, we are religious by nature. We ask questions about our origin, our purpose, and our ultimate destiny, and we come up with workable answers to those questions. More importantly, we develop art, mythology, and ritual by which we both seek to embody our quest for meaning and seek some personal encounter with the God or the gods who form the object of our devotions. Religion is baked into our nature.
Thus, because human beings are both political and religious by nature, there has never been such a thing as a secular society. Societies have always been religious. The moment society was declared secular in the 18th century by the French philosophes and their political activists, that society immediately erupted in a religious frenzy of sacrifice, paraliturgical activity, and the deification of the State as a new providential deity, with all the ritualistic expressions proper to religion subordinated to such anti-religious religiosity.
Given that religion is natural to mankind, and political government is the highest natural authority that exists over mankind—that is, mankind instantiated in his communities, nations, and empires, etc.—the proper authority over the religious life of any given natural community is its government. This fact has always been recognised. The Roman Emperor was arbiter over which were the public gods and which were the hearth gods, and eventually he even placed himself among the former. The Athenian statesmen were the protectors of religious life in their polis, and they lawfully executed Socrates for corrupting such religiosity among the young. The barbarian warlords of the north appointed their sacrificial priests and druids just as they appointed their lesser chieftains.
Why, then, is it so alien to us to think of political leaders as the apposite authorities over the religious beliefs and practices of the citizenry? The answer is simple: we are all stumbling about in the shadow of Christendom, and simultaneously we are attempting to run on its fumes.
Political leaders, as the highest authorities in any natural society, are the proper authorities over the religion of their people, which is always some manifestation of natural religion. But our civilisation has historically held that this is the age of Jesus Christ, and consequently supernatural religion has entered the world. Christians claim that their religion does not have its origin in the natural religious impulse of human nature, but has come into the world from without, and in doing so has assumed into itself that natural religious impulse, has transformed it, and superseded it. 
In short, Christians claim that their religion is not a natural religion, but a supernatural one. Thus, they claim it requires an institution of purely supernatural origin to be both its interpreter and promulgator, namely the Christian priestly hierarchy. Political leaders, whose role is rooted in the requirements of human nature, are simply not competent to be the highest authorities over this supernatural religion. Thus, in a Christendom model, we have two authoritative institutions on earth, one of natural origin, customarily called the State, and one of supernatural origin, customarily called the Church.
The terminology of Church and State, however, is deeply misleading. States, once they are Christian political communities, are no longer deemed by Christians to be merely natural communities. They are supernaturalised natural communities by virtue of the baptism of their members and the recognition of Christianity by their existent political and legal organs. Thus, in a Christendom model, what we customarily call ‘Church and State’ are more accurately called the spiritual and temporal divisions of the one supernatural community of Christians called the Church. The monarch or prime minister or president of a Christian nation, then, is as much a leader in the Church as any bishop, except as a layman he is ordinarily competent in the temporal matters of that supernatural community, and only extra-ordinarily competent in spiritual and doctrinal matters—whereas this is the reverse for a bishop.
If the Church’s kerygmatic enterprise withdraws from the public arena, or it is excluded from that arena by a political movement of apostasy, this has several harmful effects from a Christian perspective. First, the Church atrophies, as it cannot fulfil its own mission, and it increasingly attempts to justify its own existence by presenting itself as a club committed only to temporal concerns, within the jurisdiction of an increasingly anti-religious State. Second, this situation leads to a kind of moral schizophrenia among the baptised—especially baptised statesmen—who are expected to be Christians at home and secularists at work. Third, such an arrangement does not lead to what is widely claimed—namely a religiously neutral public arena. 
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