Early in October allegations of sexual abuse by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein were made public.  Since then a plethora of women has been emboldened to publicly share their stories of sexual misconduct.  Famous Hollywood actors, professional athletes, successful businessmen, influential politicians, television personalities and even a 93-year-old former president are now facing consequences for claims ranging from sexual harassment to rape.

Time Magazine lists sixty well-known public figures who have been accused of sexual misconduct after Harvey Weinstein.  Unbelievable!  That’s probably just scratching the surface.  Some of the accusations are from incidents that occurred decades ago.

In the wake of the current political unrest, the avalanche of accusations has left most Americans totally unsettled.  Can any leader be trusted?  How do we know who to believe and who not to believe?  Are we supposed to forgive and forget when the character flaws appear so deep that they scar a person’s credibility for life?

The fact that our nation’s moral foundations are crumbling is additional evidence that we have been rejecting God and His Word for decades.  The Bible warns, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.   (Gal. 6:7)  We have collectively sown the wind of spiritual rebellion and hedonism, and we are now beginning to reap the whirlwind of chaos and collapse.  (See Hosea 8:7.)

The following is a list of ten Biblical principles that we have been violating.  These principles need to be quickly reaffirmed and reapplied if order is to be restored to our society.

1.  Men are to treat women with respect and dignity and not as objects for selfish sexual gratification.  

“But if out in the country a man happens to meet a girl pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. Do nothing to the girl…though the betrothed girl screamed there was no one to rescue her” (Deuteronomy 22:25-27). 

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life,…” (1 Peter 3:7).

2.  Sex is a privilege to be reserved for a committed marriage relationship.

“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).

3.  Flirtatious remarks, inappropriate touching, and sexual innuendo have no place among God’s people.

“But among you, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this, you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:3-5).

4.  Flagrant abuses can be covered up for a period of time, but eventually, the truth will be revealed.  

“…you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”  (Numbers 32:23)

“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:3). 

5.  Sins against children are especially egregious and will be punished severely. 

“If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me- to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). 

6.  Women are to dress modestly and make every effort to avoid communicating wrong signals.

“Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent” (Proverbs 7:10).

“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God” (1 Timothy 2:9-10).

7.  Wrong behavior is to be confronted immediately because delayed justice is ineffective.  

“When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong” (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

8.  False accusations are to be punished severely.

“When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. ’Look,’ she said to them, ‘this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house’” (Genesis 39:13-15).

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.”  ”Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty” (Exodus 23:1 & 7).

9.  A criminal accusation against anyone is to be verified by two or three witnesses.

“One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed.  A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deut. 19:15).

10.  God’s forgiveness is available to all who repent and turn to Christ, but earthly consequences are still to be paid.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  (1 John 1:9) 

”But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “ …if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.., ”  (Luke 19:8-9)

In 1849, U.S. Congressman Robert Winthrop made the following statement that, in a sense, has proven to be a prophecy on the current ills of America.

“All societies of men must be governed in some way or other.  The less they may have of stringent State Government, the more they must have of individual self-government.  The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint.  Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the Word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible, or by the bayonet.  It may do for other countries and other governments to talk about the State supporting religion.  Here, under our own free institutions, it is Religion which must support the State.”     Robert Winthrop – Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives – In an address to the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Bible Society, Boston, Mass: May 28, 1849

.

Follow BobRussellKY on Twitter and LIKE the Bob Russell page on Facebook