Evangelical Christians have become distracted from the Great Commission in order to engage in partisan politics. And for what purpose? Our corrupt culture will not be transformed for the better by political movements or pop culture anyway—that is the work of God’s Word; the Gospel, in particular. That’s what our ministry is devoted to (Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

In this current campaign season, however, politicians have stepped—overstepped—into spiritual and moral areas, promoting horrific wickedness and blasphemous immorality.

As you know, I am not one to talk about politics as such, but I was amazed that one of the historic political parties here in the United States adopted the sins of Romans 1 as their platform. This is a new day in our country. Parties that used to differ on economics now differ dramatically on issues that invade the realm of God’s law and morality.

In an ideal situation, their platform would mean that the government passes out condoms so people can fornicate at will. For those who happen to get pregnant in the process, the platform advocates that you kill the baby at the will of the mother, up to and including the ninth month. At the same time, it advocates homosexual marriage—which is an oxymoron, an utter impossibility and a gross violation of the law of God.

Add to that a platform that originally left God out. All that is Romans 1. Romans 1 says God will judge—and God has judged throughout human history— nations that experience sexual freedom. Romans chapter 1 lays that out clearly: The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against those who advocate sexual freedom—sexual conduct outside of marriage. And that’s an indication of the demise of a nation. Romans 1 also says God will judge those nations that advocate homosexual behavior, men with men and women with women, doing what is unnatural.

They are also haters of God. Leaving God out, advocating abortion, advocating homosexuality, advocating free sexual conduct and government-provided condoms so that everybody can do what they want. That is literally creating a platform out of what God hates.

This is not about politics, although there are things we could talk about. You are not voting for a pastor. You are not voting for a spiritual leader. You are voting for someone who has some sense of morality. Since the Bible says the role of government is to punish evildoers and protect the good, you’d better have somebody in power who understands what is good and what is evil.

And if you think homosexuality, abortion, sexual freedom and hating God are not evil, then you’d better go back and check your Bible again. How can people with that kind of agenda protect those who do good and punish those who do evil? (That’s the Romans 13 definition of the role of government.)

We could talk about foreign policy—should we protect as many defenseless people from evil aggressors as possible? We could talk about economics—is it right to get into irreparable debt? Is that being responsible? We could talk about that. We could talk about the economics of if you don’t work, you don’t eat, which is what the Bible says.

But those things are not what concern me here. I’ve seen something happen in these political conventions that is just stunning. The adoption of a Romans 1 platform: sexual freedom, homosexuality on an equal level with marriage, the murder of infants and the elimination of God. And, by the way, I didn’t like it any better when they put God back in, because that’s blasphemy. To connect God with that agenda is a horror. It is taking His name in vain. In fact, I don’t think God should be in either agenda. But when you have an advocacy of support for the slaughter of infants and homosexuality and complete sexual freedom, you have a formula for divine judgment. If we have any sense of justice, if we have any sense of righteousness, if we want to make a little bit of a voice heard about what is right and about the role of government being to punish evildoers and protect the people who do right, then we had better step up. I’m not sure what God has in the future, but I do know that we can take His side and give Him honor.

Romans 1 is not politics. The Bible is not politics. This has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with speaking the Word of God to the culture in which we live. It’s not about personalities. It’s about iniquity and judgment.

And why do we say this? Because this must be recognized for what it is: sin—serious sin, damning sin, destructive sin. You say, “Well our society cultivates tolerance, and you’re giving hate speech.” What I’m saying is not hate speech. What the Democratic Party is saying is hate speech, because they must hate homosexuals if they will allow them to go the direction they are going, if they affirm that direction, knowing that it will take them to hell. That’s hate speech. This is love speech. You either warn them or affirm them.

Romans 1 warns them. And any faithful Christian warns: this is dangerous, this is deadly. Better to warn them than to affirm them. You might be the nice guy to affirm them, but that’s not love speech, that’s hate speech.

Used by permission of John MacArthur,  pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif. MacArthur is also president of The Master’s College and Seminary and is heard daily on “Grace to You,” a nationally syndicated radio broadcast.