.In July The Episcopal Church (TEC) willfully dived off the edge of an immoral abyss by sanctioning the ordination of homosexuals and lesbians into every leadership position within the denomination. Schism within this 2 million member denomination that had been simmering for decades now became widespread. Thousands of Episcopalians awoke to the reality that their denomination was afflicted with advanced apostate cancer. Their earlier attempts to cure her from within by radiation (the Light of the Word) and surgery (the Sword of the Spirit) had failed. Through tears of mourning and agony of heart they realized that in order to save themselves from this spiritual death they must heed the call from heaven: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (Revelation 18:4-5 NASU). But cancer is an insidious disease with an insatiable appetite. That was proven in August.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) held their Churchwide Assembly, the chief legislative authority of their denomination, in Minneapolis, Minnesota the week of August 17th. During that assembly the 4.6 million member denomination voted to pass a social statement that was eight years in the making. It was entitled “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”.

According to the ELCA website, “ELCA social statements are theological and teaching documents that assist members in forming judgments on social issues. They offer a framework for moral discernment. They also set policy for this church, guide its advocacy, and aid its life as a public church. Social statements result from an extensive process of deliberation throughout this church, and are adopted by a two-thirds vote of an ELCA Churchwide Assembly.”

 The passage of this social statement on human sexuality requires ELCA policies that currently forbid practicing homosexuals from assuming leadership positions to be modified to allow couples committed to “lifelong monogamous same-gender relationships” to serve as pastors of congregations and other professional leadership roles. Obviously, the “moral discernment” and “extensive process of deliberation” that gave birth to this social statement reveals that the ELCA has been infected with the same disease as The Episcopal Church: apostate cancer. She has become a “synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9 NASU) and has joined her sister in sin. She and TEC are now both in free fall into the abyss of spiritual oblivion.

 Nevertheless, there are some within the ELCA, as there are in TEC, that mourn the inclusion of depravity that has been foisted upon them by those who make up the head of the denomination. Of the 1045 voting members of the churchwide assembly, 676 (exactly 66.67%, the minimum number needed to pass social statements) voted in favor of the social statement, but 338 voted against it, a small but significant minority.

This has raised fears within the apostate majority of the course of action the scripturally-faithful minority will take. Will they stay and attempt to work within the ELCA as Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson wishes: “Are you willing to stay engaged with us in the conversation about how you can, with integrity, stay in this church body so that we might respect your bound conscience?” or will they leave as Robert Benne, a voting member of the Virginia Synod predicted: “Many congregations and individuals will leave the ELCA” or will they attempt to cure the ELCA’s apostasy by working from within the denomination even though they believe the church made a decision in contradiction to the Scriptures as exemplified by the Rev. Mark Chavez when he stated: “I’m not leaving”?

I believe Chavez and those who share his optimism have good intentions, but I also believe they will find the apostate cancer that afflicts his beloved denomination will be impossible to cure from within. It is difficult to clean a sewer while swimming in it.

The mixed reaction of the passage of this contentious social statement was given voice by several of those at the churchwide assembly. Rev. Rebecca S. Larson said, “I am very proud of this church.” Emily Eastwood, director of Lutherans Concerned/North America said, “Today, I am proud to be a Lutheran.” Bishop Gary Wollersheim, justifying the inclusion of practicing homosexuals in leadership positions within the ELCA said, “It’s a matter of justice, a matter of hospitality, it’s what Jesus would have us do.” But this same passion was expressed by those who have not succumbed to the cultural pressure to compromise the truth. Curtis Sorbo, a voting member of the Eastern North Dakota Synod said, “Our church needs to address this issue based on the authority of the word of God, not a description of public opinion and personal desires.” Ryan Schwartz of Washington D.C. and a member of CORE (a conservative organization within ELCA) said, “The church should not be voting on whether or not to following the teaching of the Bible.” Pastor Richard Mahan of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod said: “I cannot see how the church that I have known for 40 years can condone what God has condemned. Nowhere does it say in scripture that homosexuality and same sex marriage is acceptable of God.” But the voice of Satan drowned out the voice of God. I know that sounds harsh, but with Christianity under such a vicious and demonic attack by those who falsely claim to be Christian it is warranted.

The argument that passing this social statement would cause a schism equal to TEC was countered by the Rev. Bradley Schmeling, an Atlanta pastor who faced disciplinary action from the ELCA in 2007 for acknowledging being in a relationship with another man. He said “What they don’t say is that we’re losing people now who see the exclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals by the church is unloving and hypocritical.” What is unloving is teaching people who identify themselves as Christians that to continue to engage in behaviors or lifestyles contrary to the Scriptures is not sinful. What is hypocritical is adopting a policy that allows couples committed to “lifelong monogamous same-gender relationships” (homosexuality) leadership positions within the ELCA while requiring “heterosexual clergy and professional lay workers [to] abstain from sex outside of marriage” (fornication). Given the fact that the Bible condemns both as sin in the same verse reveals the darkness the ELCA has entered. “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NASU).

With the legitimization of homosexuality as equivalent to heterosexuality by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (and TEC) it will only be a matter of time before she commits spiritual adultery with those who practice what today are considered to be sexually abhorrent behaviors or lifestyles: polygamy, incest, bestiality. Indeed, part of the “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” social statement says: “While there is still much to be learned about the biological complexity of human beings, we have come to understand that this complexity suggests a variety of sexual orientations and gender identities.”

So, the question becomes: “What sexual orientations and gender identities will the apostate church(s) legitimize and which ones will she condemn?” We know those decisions will not be based upon the authority of Scripture. She has already proven that. Rather, they will be based upon cultural pressures that are formed by a world whose inhabitants do what is “right in [their] own eyes” (Judges 21:25 NASU), by people “whose consciences are seared” (1 Timothy 4:2 ESV), and by people who “will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV).

Apostate cancer begins when the belief in the inerrancy of Scripture is compromised. Therefore, it is the Truth of Scripture that Satan so passionately fights against. The magnitude of this is shown when Jesus stood before Pilate and said, “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37 NASU). Jesus came to testify to the truth. Of course, Pilate responded, “What is truth” (John 18:38)? The answer? Jesus plainly told us, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17 NASU).

We may not like the truth. It may cause us pain. But lies kill.