It’s one thing when a false teacher twists the Scriptures out of context. But it’s a completely different ballgame when he does us the courtesy of implicating himself with his own words by simply admitting the truth outright—that the people he claims that hel loves are more important to him than the Word of God.

That’s what came out of Josh Hilburn’s mouth at Gather Houston: “My LGBTQ friends and family members are more important to me than what the Bible says.”

Yep, he literally said those words…from the pulpit. No camouflage, no theological gymnastics, just the plain admission that Christ does not come first. And Jesus already answered such a confession:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26).

Hilburn has condemned himself by his own words. He has announced publicly that he is no disciple of Christ and, as a matter of fact, cannot be one.

But then he rolls out the manipulation tactics. He claims the Bible mentions homsexual sin only six times, while greed and oppression show up more than a hundred. Sound familiar?

But what is this except witchcraft? Scripture does not rank sins by frequency like a grocery list. One act of rebellion condemns. And the fact that homosexuality is not given entire treatises proves nothing except that it is such an obviously unnatural act that God didn’t need to belabor the point.

Natural revelation itself testifies against such perversion. Paul calls it “contrary to nature” (Romans 1:26). Leviticus calls it an abomination. Even if it were only mentioned six times, which is false, those six mentions (even one) are more than enough when every fiber of creation already declares it.

This is how rebellion swathes itself up as “kindness” and “compassion.” He waves suicide statistics like a bloody shirt, as though eternal truth must bow to emotional manipulation.

But affirming sin doesn’t save lives—it damns souls. It is not love to tell a slave that their chains are jewelry. It is not mercy to hand the perishing a pillow for their deathbed while withholding the gospel that alone saves.

In the end, what Hilburn said is nothing new. It’s Saul, fearing the people and obeying their voice (1 Samuel 15:24). It’s Aaron, throwing gold into the fire and calling the calf a god (Exodus 32:24). It’s the same idolatry dressed in skinny jeans and paraded under rainbow lights. It’s the creature exalted over the Creator.

And God will not be mocked. His Word will not be subordinated to the tears of sentimentalism or the applause of rebels. Christ demands first place or none at all. And anyone who says otherwise has already pledged allegiance, not to the Lamb, but to the world.