It's Not About Pork Chops or Orientation

There are three additional issues to be addressed regarding things which are absolutely on the self-denial agenda. First is the matter of pork chops.

I smile when someone defends sexual immorality with a variation of the humbug that, “Pork chops are forbidden in the Old Testament. Check it out.” My smile fades when I look around and see heads nod as though they just heard something profound. They have, in fact, just swallowed snake oil.

Let’s "check it out."

God told Noah, “Every moving animal that is alive shall be good for you.” This dietary freedom remained in place until God gave his prohibitions to the people of Israel - and only to the people of Israel. On the other hand the narrative demonstrates that sexual immorality was abominable long before Israel left Egypt. When the era of the church began, God announced to the Apostle Peter the lifting of the pork chop restrictions. The Gentiles were going to be received into the church without being saddled with Israel's dietary code; but there was no such “cleansing” of sexual immorality.

The second issue regarding absolute self-denial involves the popular word “orientation.” It has come to mean, “God made me this way, therefore I am not only to be accepted but celebrated." The old word for this was “temptation.” It meant a lust embedded in my sin nature. When one repents and trusts Christ, that embedded orientation / temptation becomes a core issue of self-denial and a life-long battle ground of faith. 

“Orientation” as a way of saying, “that’s who I am,” is not a one-issue tag. It can apply also to stealing, bullying, killing and other embedded traits. When one trusts Christ, alleged “orientation” is not an excuse to abandon the battle against those things which God says should have no part in our practiced life-style. 

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