Two SBC presidents in a row appear to invoke Jen Wilken’s sentiments on homosexuality, that the Bible whispers about sexual sin. Ed Litton would join JD Greear in this sentiment and a sermon on Romans 1 delivers January 27th, 2020. However, the red flag statement that seemed to have set off the tripwires of the discernment world is not the worst thing that Ed Litton said in his sermon.
Teaching On Sin
Perhaps the most dangerous teaching of Ed Litton is the deconstruction on the hierarchy of sin’s offensiveness to God. Ed Litton employs a straw man fallacy to argue that homosexuality is not the worst sin. The Bible teaches that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin, therefore the worst sin to commit. Murder is a worse sin than homosexuality. That is why it is prescribed the death penalty in each book of the Torah. Ed Litton is leveling sin which is error.
Moreover, Ed Litton argues that people do not go to hell for homosexuality. This too is incorrect. And while Evangelical Dark Web does not believe that disagreements on soteriology are heresy (within reason), people who go to hell are punished their own sins, among them may include homosexuality.
False Teaching on Greed
Ed Litton believes that greed is a substantially worse sin than homosexuality. He claims that the Bible whispers about homosexuality but shouts about greed. The way that Ed Litton’s teachings on greed manifest is to condemn all rich people. He explains how we celebrate greed, thus giving approval to sin, by admiring or valuing our rich neighbors. He teaches that you cannot do business and follow Christ. This is legalism. He is adding to the gospel and rather recklessly. Being a head of a family is doing business. A family has a budget, income, and expenses. It has labor and produces. A family is a business. Litton’s careless teaching in condemning greed does not come from the Bible. It comes from Marxism. This is especially clear during a digression in which Ed Litton goes 1619 Project.
Belief on Homosexuality
Ed Litton makes it very clear that he believes that people are born homosexuals and transvestites, and he uses a Psalm to do so. It’s worth noting that the gold standard of scientific evidence on being born homosexual, identical twin studies, have disproven a genetic component to homosexuality. It is also worth noting that it is not immutable because people can be changed by Christ.
Ambiguity on Repentance
Ed Litton is very ambiguous as to what repentance looks like for homosexuality. He argues that repentance for homosexuals and transvestites is the same as repentance for all of us. He then explains that this means we must repent of the Original Sin of ye be like God. This sounds profound but it’s extremely trite. It does not provide a solid answer to the question that Litton begs. This ambiguity opens the door to the teachings of the Revoice Movement that you can be a homosexual Christian. This is dangerous.
Trojan Horse
The gospel is a simple concept. It is so simple that it can be used as a trojan horse for teachings that undermine the gospel, such as Ed Litton is teaching.
2 Responses
Regarding Greed, “He teaches that you cannot do business and follow Christ”:
First, for openers, Baptists are generally against booze of any kind, and gambling. But in regards to “business”, money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is, however. But to be a good steward of money, especially someone else’s money is important.
WE CAN DO BUSINESS AND FOLLOW CHRIST.
Luke 16
1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
Consider the last part of verse 8, and the first part of verse 9.
The UNRIGHTEOUS are WISER than the RIGHTEOUS, so make friends of the UNRIGHTEOUS!
In regards to SEXUAL SINS…Addiction is a STRONGHOLD. Addiction comes in many forms. That does not mean that the addicted likes the addiction. Addicts want to be free of the addiction. And having Christians JUDGE that person is NOT what Jesus would do.
You do know about the woman caught in adultery? What does the law of Moses say, regarding her punishment? STONE HER!
Hebrews 10:28
He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
WITHOUT MERCY.
God (Jesus) was giving MERCY to this woman, when the Law of Moses did not advocate for MERCY. By the law, the Pharisees was going to do to her what the law of Moses required them to do. To kill her. And they were right. But Jesus said, “Not so fast!”.
And that is NOT what I find in Baptists. They are HARD CORE, with no mercy, just like the Pharisees. They FORGET that they have sins, as well, that NOBODY but them and God knows about.
He, who is without sin, cast the first stone. God (Jesus) is the only one who could have cast a stone. But he didn’t.
Will there be homosexuals in heaven?
Romans 7:14-20
King James Version
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
You decide
Ed Chapman
You had said:
“Teaching On Sin:
Perhaps the most dangerous teaching of Ed Litton is the deconstruction on the hierarchy of sin’s offensiveness to God…Murder is a worse sin than homosexuality. That is why it is prescribed the death penalty in each book of the Torah. Ed Litton is leveling sin which is error.”
My response:
James 2:10-11
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
There is no hierarchy.