Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants. (Psalm 119:89-91)

Pete Rose And God’s Law

Pete Rose is one of the greatest Major League Baseball hitters of all time, with an astounding record of hits totaling 4,256. He is also an all-time leader in games played, at-bats, singles, and outs. Rose was part of three World Series championships with numerous other awards. In August 1989, he was accused of gambling on baseball games, including claims he bet on his own team. In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban Rose from eligibility for the Hall of Fame. In May 2025, he was posthumously reinstated and became eligible for the Hall of Fame. There can be little doubt he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The story of Pete Rose is not about whether he should be reinstated and admitted to the Hall of Fame. He was an incredible player on the field in terms of talent. The story of Rose is typical of the nature of human wisdom and the failure of human reasoning. In 1991, Rose was banned from the Hall of Fame because he had broken the laws governing baseball. Thirty-four years later, Rose is considered a candidate for the Hall of Fame because of the change of heart of the world. This may be a compassionate olive branch to a great player, but it does not change the fact he broke the rules and was punished. The danger of human reasoning is to believe that God’s laws are viewed in the same manner.

From the creation of the world, adultery is a transgression of God’s law. Premarital sex is a sin in the eyes of God. Homosexuality is the abomination God said it was. Lying remains a sinful act. Human reasoning convinces the world that adultery is an accepted part of society. Young people engaging in premarital sex is allowed by parents, and when a child is born, praise is heaped on the couple. Homosexuality demands acceptance. In the business world, lying is the business model. The world fails to appreciate that human reasoning can admit Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame – but God will not admit adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, and liars into Heaven. His law does not change from one generation to another.

A complaint is made against the Bible that it is out of touch with the modern world. What is true is the world is out of touch with the law of God. Time does not change the law of God. Sexual immorality holds the same penalty today as it did three thousand years ago. Societal norms, culture, personal beliefs, and humanism do not govern sin. What will damn a soul thousands of years ago will damn a soul in modern America. God does not change His mind about sin. The word of God is established in Heaven, and man cannot change the law of God. That is the fundamental failure of the reasoning of the world. People believe that God has changed His mind about sin.

The history of the Bible covers more than 1500 years. When did God decide to change His law toward sin? Did Jesus come to earth to change the law of God? When the writers of scripture penned the revelation of God, did they meddle with and change the law of God? God’s law remains unchanged regarding sin. Cain sinned when he killed Abel, and murder is still a sin. God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because sexual immorality was a sin; and it still is. Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and were struck down. Lying is still a sin. Don’t kid yourself. Sin remains the repugnant stench it has always been. What can we do about sin? Repent!