Yesterday my two oldest kids came home from Weymouth High School and informed us that tomorrow (Friday) is “Gay Pride Day.”  Everyone is encouraged to where a Gay Pride T-shirt and to be silent throughout the day in honor of this special event.   Our initial response was “Well, don’t wear a T-shirt, and make sure you talk often and loud throughout the day.”
Of course there is a better, more biblical response than that.  But first, let me give you a quick overview of Youth Pride.  I paid a visit to the Massachusetts Youth Pride website and learned that “Youth Pride is the oldest and largest GLBT pride event in the nation.”  (GLBT stands for Gay, Lesbian, Bixesual, and Transgender.)  According to the Massachusetts Youth Pride Committee (MAYPC), Youth Pride is important for three reasons:
1) Youth Pride brings youth together to alleviate isolation: It’s an event where thousands (YES, THOUSANDS!!!) of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth (and their allies) realize they are not alone. Realizing that there is support and people alike in the world are hugely meaningful for an isolated adolescent.
2) Youth Pride works to alleviate the social stigma associated with being a GLBT youth: ‚Ä®In a world with so much hatred and animosity against things we don’t understand, Youth Pride is an event that works to push pack the social stigma heavily associated with being GLBT. Increasing visibility works to push stigma back, to increase understanding and tolerance of the GLBT community‚Ķ.
3) Youth Pride brings community, higher education and social support resources to the youth: 
Youth Pride is a program primarily rooted in suicide prevention. The two goals mentioned above help to alleviate the risks of suicide. 
The 2008 Youth Pride Rally and Festival is scheduled to take place tomorrow, May 10, at Boston Common.  The event officially kicks off at noon. 
Up until yesterday, Massachusetts was the only state to legalize gay marriage.  It did so in 2004, and since then, 9,500 couples have taken advantage of the law.  As of yesterday, California became the second state to legalize gay marriage.  This has huge implications for our nation, considering that California residents make up well over ten percent of our nation’s population.  (California has an estimated 108,734 same-sex households, according to 2006 consensus figures.)
What are we to make of all these Gay Pride celebrations, court decisions and such?  Let me suggest three biblical responses: 
Hatred:  Not for the people ensnared in such sin, but for the sin itself and the tremendous harm it does those who are in bondage to the sin of homosexuality.  I find it interesting that Youth Pride “is a program primarily rooted in suicide prevention.”  These kids and adults who are caught up in this sin are among the most miserable people on earth.   While celebrating their “sexual freedom” on the outside, they are bound by the cords of their sin on the inside. 
We should hate not them but the sin that enslaves them.
Humility:  In 1 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul reminds us that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Then he lists various categories of sinners included in the realm of the unrighteous.  Among them are fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners.  But then in the same breath he immediately goes on to say, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”  Then over in Titus 3, a passage I’ve been studying this past week, Paul says “to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.  For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures….  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (vv. 2-5).  Any righteousness or victory over sin that we have attained is all owing to the grace and mercy of God.  Let us not react to Gay Pride with our own sense of Christian pride.  That would steal from God’s glory and make a mockery of His mercy and grace toward sinners like us.
Hope:  Isn’t that what these poor souls need and what we can offer them?  In Colossians 1:23, Paul talks about “the hope held out in the gospel.”  In Lamentations 3 we read, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks Him.”  Instead of pointing our fingers at sinners, we should be pointing sinners to Jesus Christ.  I close with these words from a song that Steve Green sang a number of years ago:
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right.
What could be too great a cost,
For sharing life with one who’s lost?
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear.
They must hear the wor
ds of life
Only we can share. 
People need the Lord, people need the Lord;
At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord;
When will we realize — people need the Lord.
I particularly appreciate the “…and such were some of you.” part of that 1 Corinthians 6 passage. We tend to look at homosexuality as a “big” sin , when God sees it as plain-old-ordinary-separation-from-
Himself-sin, the very same sin that His Son was sent to die for.
Why is it so hard for us to respond to this sin? Because it is a perpetual sin, a lifestyle? So is addiction to pornography (which is adultery), lying, coveting, prostitution. Outside of the church, these things will not get better. Outside of the church, every lifestyle is a sinful one. Inside the church we need to be new creations, putting the “old man” to death behind us and living a new life in Christ.
I struggle with my perspective on this as I see the agenda being pushed in the public schools, libraries and media. There is no doubt that there is an agenda; but it is not the homosexual agenda. It is THE enemy’s agenda. The gay movement is merely one of his many tools. When I find myself still struggling to respond in a godly manner, I remember Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
This is such an interesting topic to bring up. I could probably write a whole blog article on it myself with what reactions you can find from Christians when the subject of homosexuality gets brought up. Thank you for writing what the response should be from us Christians.
What else is interesting is in the spirit of “inclusion” which I suppose this day is meant to demonstrate is really bringing ridicule to those who disagree. That isn’t very inclusive if you ask me.
Lastly, I agree with you on the “the most miserable people” comment. That feeling they have about themselves is really the conviction of the Spirit. If they were really “all right” with their sexuality AKA sexual sin then we wouldn’t need Pride Days, stickers, ribbons, websites and T-shirts that say “we think you are okay”. It wouldn’t matter what people think. When people are constantly looking for outside validation it is a clear indication that something is very out of balance on the inside.
Your initial response was to not wear a shirt and speak loudly and often, but what was your final determination: ‚Äúhate the sin, but not the sinner‚Äù — be humble — and point to Jesus?
That’s great, but it doesn’t go far enough!
Let me take a step back and say that the Day of Silence is very important — it‚Äôs worth thinking about, talking about AND praying about. Not just the day itself, but what the observance stands for –
There are many youth in America living in fear of being bullied, harassed, rejected, hated and targeted by fellow students, teachers, parents, the church, and even their own friends. The number of people that they can trust is very, very small, IF ANY, so they live in silence. They grow up where EVERY relationship they have is tainted by dishonesty and mistrust. They grow up believing they are worthless — that speaking the truth will prove it, and so they remain silent.
Then, there are those that have been physically silenced forever. Lawrence King and Matthew Shepherd are just two examples of people murdered for not looking like, thinking like, and acting like you and probably most of your readership. Some of there actions were sin, but were those sins grievous enough to be murdered for — to be silenced?
So, I say let them have their day to observe these tragedies. It would be fitting for you to show some respect. Be silent also — pray for those that find themselves in that place — pray to be one to help them out at whatever cost to you. — I dare say, at this point in the culture war in America, anything below giving everything will yield little to nothing.
Thanks for your comments thus far, everybody. Nathan, I don’t think we’ve met, but I appreciate your weighing in on this issue. In showing sensitivity to those who struggle with homosexuality, we do have to be careful that we do nothing to show our endorsement or support for the sin itself. We also have to remember that ALL sin (not just homosexuality) resulted in the murder of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Taking the law into our own hands, murdering others, vigilantism, etc., is inexcusable. But the penalty for ALL sin is death. “The soul that sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). Truth is, we all deserve death at the hands of a righteous God. But He in love sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for us, that we might be fully forgiven and reconciled by His grace. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). May we all do what we can, by the Spirit’s enablement, to point others to Jesus Christ in a way that communicates both love and truth, in accordance with the gospel.
It was difficult to attend public high school in the early 1980′s. Peer pressure worked to try to force teens to drink, smoke, attend wild parties, etc. But, there was not a push to embrace homosexuality then like there is today. The public high school has been a real battleground where spiritual warfare is waged on a daily basis.
Going to college in Boston exposed me to people practicing homosexuality. But, I also met people who were ‘formerly gay’. They explained that homosexuality was a powerful addiction, but by God’s grace and the help of support groups, they had repented from their sin. They rejected the idea that they were born as homosexuals, and ackowledged that they had made a choice. It would be great if groups that offered such services were more well known.
One other thought is that when placed in a hostile environment, the way the game is played, the first person to get upset and start shouting, loses. We need to be as wise as serpents, and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). People say: “Show tolerance for those who have beliefs different than yours”.
I think that in such a situation, it might serve us well to say: “Well, in the name of tolerance, let me share my beliefs with you. We are all sinners, myself included. Homosexuality is a sin, but so are a lot of other things that I’m guilty of. But the good news is, God loved so much that he sent His Son to die and pay the price for our sins. Those who embrace Jesus as Savior and Lord will have eternal life in His name. God is working to clean me up from my sins, and He is ready, willing and able to do the same for you.”
The word “tolerance” is a double-edged sword. It forces us and our children to listen to a lot of worldly, sinful ideas. But, if this is the environment, let’s not let the opportunity pass to use tolerance to promote the gospel of our Lord.
Well said, Eddie, especially on the issue of “tolerance.” Thanks for your insightful comments.
Condone sin? Never!
But what does that mean? Everyday a sinful culture whirls around us at every level. Was I condoning sin in high school when I merely listened to conversations going on around me about the wild drinking parties of last weekend and the ones that would occur next weekend? Am I condoning sin when I rent a movie with some bad language and questionable content? Am I condoning sin when I celebrate a season that many consider wicked, but I edit out some nasty parts and call it something else? Am I condoning sin when I attend a sporting event where 80% of the attendees use it as an excuse to get drunk, act belligerent & prideful?
Should I actively confront people on the wrong side of these scenarios? If I don’t, do I give tacit approval of their behavior?
For some reason, homosexuality gets a different set of criteria when it comes to what is considered ‚Äúcondoning sin.‚Äù We are taught to confront it politically — ban gay marriage — gay politicians — gay rights. We have to confront it personally — speak out in loving opposition during a solemn observance — tell complete strangers that homosexuality is sin — feel justified when a gay person loses a job or gets kicked out of their apartment for being gay. To do anything else would be condoning the sin.
Where are the political movements to stop all ‚Äúnight life‚Äù — drinking, carousing, etc? Where are the banners and signs telling the home team that they are prideful and going to hell? Where are the sermons telling people not to support Hollywood with money *at any level*?
I‚Äôm not asking for you to condone sin — I‚Äôm asking for fair treatment. Perhaps, that might mean the world will consider Christians to be even more obnoxious.
at school today a good amount of people participated. A few that I knew were really serious about it. Some were just participating in it because of the “no talking” part. but from my classes, lunch table. bus there are dozens who are saying that they participated and they greatly support it hearing one person say “let them be what they want them to be” in a posotive manner.
if only these people knew the gospel they could know about this sin issue. I pray that they do come to Christ so they can know this truth of homosexuality and other related matters. I told a friend that I wasnt supporting this one bit because its sin. I know that sex is a strong desire by others where some can use it in a perverted way. but these people must know God, not just that though thats more important but of His perfect plan for marriage.
Thanks, Matthew (my son!), for your comments. Getting back to what Nathan said, I would affirm that the homosexual community will not be won to Christ through political lobbying. I think Nathan raises a very good point in stressing the importance of PERSONAL interaction — and this is an area in which I myself would like to improve.
No, I don’t think Christians should actively confront homosexuals anytime they run into them, anymore than they would confront any other type of sinner in such a reckless and rude manner. But it would be just as wrong to give the impression by our actions or appearance that we stand in support of the sin. If I go to the ballgame where a bunch of other people get drunk, most people would not assume that I’m there to get drunk but to watch a ballgame. But if I participate in a Gay Pride rally, people would naturally assume that I approve of homosexuality (whether or not I myself am a homosexual.
The main thing to keep in mind is to reach out to sinners with the love and truth of Jesus Christ, while keeping ourselves “unstained by the world” (James 1:27). “But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Eph. 5:3).
Nathan,
One of the things that you need to keep in mind is that the reasons you stated for them being silent are not the reasons they themselves state for being silent.
You are right, we should not be picketing, all up their face, etc. That is not Christ like. But I would say yes to all of your scenarios that you laid out (conversations, rented movies, etc.). Each of us is called to deal with those things one by one.
We cannot change people’s hearts. We cannot legislate people’s hearts. All we can do, all we are called to do, I believe, is to love the people, show them that there is a different way, be the one they can talk to (without being judged), show them they are not worthless (by telling them how much God thinks of them).
We’re all sinners, and we all needed (and need) the One who is different. That’s who Jesus reached out to, and that’s who we should, too.
It is one tough area that we as Christians wrestle with all the time. How do we love the sinner but treat the sin as sin.
One recent occasion that brought this to the forefront was when I was on vacation. My father and this other man were both deacons (elders basically) of our church. As I worked with the other man on a building project – talk turned to my father’s neighbor. He made it quite clear that he would have nothing to do with that gentleman. This was due to the man running out on his wife – leaving with his secretary. I was struck that with that attitude of unforgiveness – he was never going to have a chance of leaving that guy to Christ.
I discussed it with my father afterwards. My father expressed the same belief as mine. We as christians cannot hold the sins of sinners against them. What else do we expect sinners to do but sin. It is because of this sin (and ours) that all of us are in need of a saviour.
What was true of this adulterer is just as true of the homosexual, robber, murderer or even child molester. We can hate the sin but we should not slam the door in their faces because of their sins – we need to befriend them.
1 Corinthians 5 appears to make a distinction between how you would treat a sexually immoral brother, and an unsaved person.
Where do we go from here? Loving homosexuals has been mentioned as the goal, but what does that look like?
First, I would suggest having a realistic view of them and their plight. Which one of you has actually participated in or has been tempted to participate in homosexuality? If not, then how do you know that your beliefs about homosexuals are even true? You may think that they must be true because of your understanding of the Bible, but none of you would say that that understanding is 100% accurate, right?
Hopefully I will be able to show where some things aren’t exactly accurate on a logical level & then you might be able to find out what that might mean regarding authentic biblical teaching.
First, there‚Äôs the belief that homosexuals are the most miserable people. This is evidenced by a high suicide rate and other self-destructive behaviors. I‚Äôll give you that evidence ‚Äì it‚Äôs easy to find — but I won‚Äôt let you assume that it‚Äôs universally applicable to all gays. AND I won‚Äôt let you assume the cause and effect relationship, either.
The situation is more complex than “sin causes misery – homosexuals are sinners – therefore, homosexuals are miserable.” If the Holy Spirit is convicting homosexuals of their sin and making them miserable, then where’s the rampant misery among cohabitating singles, remarried divorcees, and the like?
May I suggest that the misery comes from familial and social pressures placed on homosexuals? I’m not a psychologist & many of you probably don’t give much regard to the discipline, but I think that we can agree that people commit suicide when they feel trapped. When people are trapped they try and find an escape route. Why do many homosexuals choose to take such a drastic last resort? Why don’t they just choose an easier course?
The choices they are faced with are different than what you assume them to be. I tell you from personal experience that homosexuality is not a choice like choosing which color of pants to wear for the day. If it were, many would just ditch the pink pair for something else instead of killing themselves over it.
If you want to say that “homosexuality is choice,” then I believe you have to make it a broader statement and say that “sexuality is a choice.” If sexuality is indeed a choice, then please explain how and why you chose heterosexuality over homosexuality. Knowing the answer to this would help homosexuals make the same decision.
You are probably familiar with “every man’s battle.” Let’s say some pretty lady (on TV, in a magazine, on the street, in the choir, etc, etc, etc) that is NOT your wife shows up in your life for the time being & your reaction is “Wow!” That’s not a God-given reaction. That doesn’t follow the pattern in Genesis. It’s outside God’s perfect plan. It’s sinful (see Matthew 5:28)! Where did it come from? Did you put it there? Did you choose to have that reaction?
You probably didn’t choose to have that kind of attraction. If you had the power to will it away, you probably wouldn’t have to battle over it would you? That book would have never been written & your life would be easier.
A choice is made regarding what to do with that attraction. You can stop it from going further the second you realize it’s there. You can choose where you go & what you read and watch to help limit its occurrence. You can enjoy your wife more frequently to curb the physical side of things.
But what’s a homosexual to do? They get a Wow! response in the opposite direction & no response in the right direction. They can go down the wrong direction and feed that response. Or they can go down the right direction and. . .? Not experience emotional or physical closeness to another person that their body and heart is screaming that they need. That’s a tough decision to make.
To live right, a heterosexual has to choose one person to have a connection with. On the other hand, the homosexual has to choose to not have that kind of connection.
Sure, God can heal a homosexual, but I don’t think that that is promised. (the “and such were some of you” comment does NOT infer heterosexuality replacing homosexuality, it merely says that homosexual ~actions~ were stopped.)
Don’t oversimplify their situation and assume that the decisions they are faced with are exactly like yours. Understanding the different situations of others and having empathy for them can be a first step in being able to love them.
What are some practical & specific ways that you can show a homosexual that you love him?
Nathan, why don’t you suggest some practical and specific ways that believers can manifest the love of Christ to homosexuals. It seems, based on your comments, that the answers I and others have offered are a start but are insufficient, so far as you see them. You must already have certain answers or at least suggestions in mind. So please go ahead and share them, if you’d like.
The great thing about the gospel is that its applicable to sinners of all types. Titus 3:3 says that we all, prior to being saved, were “slaves to various passions and pleasures.” But then when the grace and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, HE SAVED US (vv. 4-5). The gospel is the great answer to man’s sin dilemma. I don’t think Paul had to preach a hundred different messages or act a hundred different ways to minister to a hundred different types of sinners. I’ve seen God save all sorts of sinners, without me even knowing what particular sins they were enslaved to. So while I’m sure that there are some practical suggestions we can all keep in mind for the homosexual in particular, let’s remember that our most effective means of witnessing is living godly and gospel-centered lives ourselves (Titus 2:11 – 3:2), for these things are “good and profitable to men” (3:8).
Nathan,
Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like, at the beginning of your last post, that you are actually suggesting that a person cannot really relate to a homosexual unless they have either participated or been tempted to participate in a homosexual act. Seriously?
So, by that logic, in order for me to relate to any sinner with a particular sin, I have to be able to relate to that sin by experience, or at the very least, the temptation of that sin. There is no way that that holds water scripturally!
And that’s really the point, isn’t in Nathan? When you say “how do you know that your beliefs about homosexuals are even true?”, and follow that up with “You may think that they must be true because of your understanding of the Bible, but none of you would say that that understanding is 100% accurate”, you sure seem to be saying that we cannot trust what the Bible says about homosexuality to be accurate, that maybe there’s a different way to look at what the Bible says about homosexuality.
Can you give chapter and verse to back that up, Nathan? Can you show that homosexuality, like every other sin, can only be understood by us
Got cut off there, Nathan. I just wondered about the scriptural basis for the reasoning of having to participate in a sin in order to understand people who sin that way, no matter what the sin is (since surely homosexuality needs to be treated as every other sin).
I also would love to hear the scriptural reasoning behind the Bible offering us a different understanding than what we think it is in regards to sin.
I wonder if we’re missing something. God “knit us together”. He created us with a hunger, a need that only He can fill. We are miserable as infants, even before we sin, sometimes because we have a physical need… but sometimes because we need love. That misery does not ever truly go away until we are filled by the One who created the need in us.
The need to understand the homosexual mind is too narrow; the truth of it is we need to understand the broken mind. That is the mind of every single person… In our flesh, we are all broken-minded. Homosexuals do have a choice. They can choose, just like any other broken-minded person to sit at the feet of Jesus. They have to wade through the same psychology and pharmacology that any other broken-minded person has to wade through. The world has many offerings to fill our needs: drugs, alcohol, sex, food… even works.
I am a broken-minded person (is that my choice? did I choose my circumstances?), by the grace of our Creator, the hole in me is filled whenever I remember to go to Him and ask for what I need.
Nathan,
When I went to BU, I was friends at that time with people who were homosexuals, and I also knew people were were formerly gay. Those who were formerly gay explained that homosexuality was like a powerful addiction, but by the grace of God they were able to turn from this sin and win the victory over it. It is not unlike someone who recovers from alcoholism.
You ask that we talk about ‘realistic’ things. At the core of the matter is that you, me, and everybody else has our own set of sins that we deal with. Just because someone else’s sins are different than mine doesn’t make them any better or worse than me. In God’s eyes, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
Hopefully, we can reach out to you in love. The man who loves God must love his brother. (1 John 4:21) And in love, we point you to the Lord Jesus Christ as the means of eternal salvation.
>>Donn said: Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like, at the beginning of your last post, that you are actually suggesting that a person cannot really relate to a homosexual unless they have either participated or been tempted to participate in a homosexual act. Seriously?< <
Not at all. I was referring to these assumptions:
* Gay people are the most miserable people
* Gay people are out of balance
* Gay people suffer from profound brokenness
* Being gay is a choice
* Being gay is a powerful addiction
* Gay people can become formerly gay
Each one of these is debatable. Please realize that the best people to either confirm or deny these assumptions are gay people themselves — for themselves. All I‚Äôm saying is that you are going to find it difficult to relate to gay people and show them love if you carry on like you know more about their condition than they do.
I will agree that you are informed by God about the sinfulness of homosexuality, but to assume someone’s back story of how they got there and what specific effects it has on the person is ill-mannered and arrogant.
For example, I can sit down with a fat man and start talking about his enslavement to emotional eating — or his lazy, distructive lifestyle — or his addictive behaviors — or his poor judgment regarding his food choices — and how his miserable situation makes him feel ineffective and unattractive, but don‚Äôt you think that would be rude to assume those things about him without letting him tell me which ones, if any, apply?
Being considerate of this fat man’s feelings doesn’t change the fact that gluttony is a sin, that the fat man needs to hear that message, and that if he would come to Jesus he can (and will) become formerly fat.
I‚Äôm not trying to be snarky — I honestly think that these sins are pretty much parallel situations. But fat people (the gluttonous) and homosexuals are viewed and treated completely different. . .
On the analogous side, I’m not saying that one has to have been fat to help a fat person, but that having an effective relationship with a fat person will probably require careful attention to one’s views and attitudes towards fat people.
>> Eddie said: And in love, we point you to the Lord Jesus Christ as the means of eternal salvation. < <
Thank you, Eddie. Please realize that I am a saved person. Why? Because Jesus paid the penalty that I deserved when He died for my sins (all of them including homosexuality)
While I can agree that gluttony and homosexuality are both sins, no one is holding up the fat person and saying “This is perfectly natural. You might feel this way and if you do, it is just fine.” In school, they are revamping lunches, taking out vending machines and pushing phys.ed. classes to steer people into a healthy lifestyle. There are doctors who are telling fat people that their fat mindset and poor choices will lead them down a destructive path.
I think this is a big part of why Christians are so touchy in this area. Not only are we morally wrong to think that homosexuality us unnatural and against God’s plan for us, homosexuality is being PROMOTED and encouraged and protected in school, in the media and in politics.
Nathan,
I follow you now. However, I would disagree with your assertion that we cannot know whether or not homosexuality is a choice. All sin is a choice. Being fat is not necessarily a sin, because some people have bad thyroids or whatever. A person who is a glutton is fat (if they are fat) because they choose to be.
Adultery is a choice. Lying is a choice. Homosexuality is a choice.
No difference.
You are right to say that not all gay people are miserable, etc. However, God would never call something a sin that is not a choice. How could He? Nor does He.
Nathan, I don’t believe I was assuming anything when listening to formerly gay people tell me that homosexuality was like a powerful addiction. How many such people have you talked to?
Christians don’t get blown around by winds of current cultural norms – we depend upon the Bible for the source of their doctrine. That’s the very point – we don’t make assumptions about what God wants us to do, we read His word to find our His commandments for us. And the Bible plainly labels homosexuality as something that displeases God – a sin. To take the position that someone was born as a homosexual and had no choice is at best willful igornance of the scriptures, or at worst, labelling God as a liar.
When we read God’s word, or listen to it preached, we need to listen with humble hearts and submit to God’s teachings for us. One of the challenges that then faces Christians is to speak the truth in love in a world that wants to accuse them of bigotry. But Jesus said: “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how the fathers treated the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23)
The reasons why homosexuality is a touchy subject on the other side:
* Homosexuality is said to be a choice, but everything within some homosexuals shows them that they did not choose their attractions and attempts made to make the opposite choice have failed
* The push for homosexuality to be banned or excluded in some way based on religious reasons in a country that claims freedom of religion
* It is said that one can change their orientation, but what that means and how to achieve it are ill-defined.
* The requisite changes often include conformity to a stereotypical gender ideal
Some observations & comments:
РMany Christians say that it’s a choice, but then turn around and say that unregenerate people don’t have a choice to sin.
– Millions of gays say that their experience shows them that it is not a choice — they don‚Äôt remember making the decision to deny an innate sexuality to pursue the opposite AND IN FACT the choice and attempts to deny their homosexuality have failed.
РI don’t deny that ex-gay people exist. Perhaps, the reason for their homosexuality falls into a different situation than the millions of others.
РThe situation is more complicated than showing an example of change, because for every example you show me, I bet you I can show you at least 10 where that wasn’t the case.
РGood question regarding how many ex-gay people I’ve talked to. I’ve talked to plenty that have tried to change and have failed, but haven’t found anyone that’s been successful.
These observations tell me that the situation is not exactly as you portray it to be. The following might be a crazy idea & I would love for Pastor Fletcher to weigh in on this it:
Fallen people have what’s called a “sin nature.” In the KJV, it’s called “the flesh.” There is something that is part of us (at birth) that ~naturally~ denies God and rebels against Him. We want and actually commit all kinds of sin gratifying ourselves at whatever cost. Then, at conversion (based on faith, we repent of doing those things & accept God’s free gift) we are changed. Somehow we are freed from being a slave to that sin nature BUT it is still there (I believe it is part of or connected in some way to our body) We (as Christians) have the power to deny those longings/cravings/desires/attractions/etc., but we live in a body that is going to run that way every chance it gets. We won’t be completely free from that pull regardless of our choice until our bodies die and we are given a new one that doesn’t have that nature. See Romans 7.
So, when you say, “Homosexuality is a choice,” I can agree on the activity level of things, but not necessarily at the core. For whatever reason, some people’s flesh encompasses homosexuality and they will never be rid of it and be exactly like those whose sin nature doesn’t encompass homosexuality until the next and final step (which I am SO looking forward to).
I graduated from an inner city school in 70′s. The biggest thing going on then was the Vietnam War and the Women’s Rights movement. These two big events did change the family as I knew it as a kid. My children graduated from public school in the 00-06′s. What a difference I saw in the way children are taught to think, than we were. No longer can you think independently. If you dare to oppose the agenda of the day you are called intolerant. We had gay people in school in the 70′s. We tolerated their behavior. But more than that, we also became friends with them. We knew that they were different, but we did not condone what they did. But we didn’t ridicule them either. Growing up Catholic we were taught to “love one another” – would you call that being tolerant?
My children entered the public school having to endure the agenda of why homosexuality should be tolerated and that we should not condemn it, even though our beliefs condemn it (as well as all sin). We have taught our children as well that sex outside of marriage is a sin. Now you have to accept/embrace it. So now the tables are turned…what is truth anymore? No wonder kids today are confused and having a hard time.
Is it a wonder that the world (Satan) has captured the minds of our young people with this agenda. The young and innocent who soon become ensared in homosexual sin, thinking that that is what they must be. High school years are such a tender age. It makes me angry that the high school has become such a platform for the agenda of the gay and lesbian movement.
I am told by my own kids, now graduated, that many kids seek out homesexual/lesbian sex (not a relationship) just for the fun of it or on a dare from their friends. If you only knew what happens at high schools, your hair would curl. Kids at these ages try all kinds of things. So now that homosexual promiscuity is more accepted, the agenda is try it and see. What happened to Godly moral boundaries. Even the unsaved used to practice those.
I now have many nieces and newphews who are being sold the gay/lesbian agenda…I think this is very sad. Of course Satan will go after those who are easy to pray on…and that would be our young people. So why not put the government seal on Satan’s agenda and really give it a good send off!! And of course my tax dollars are paying for it as well. I could go on.
In the school I graduated from there were 2000 kidsj,grades 9-12. We had maybe 2-3 openly gay kids. No one laid a hand on them. Province Town, Cape Cod was rife with them when I visited their as a kid. I really think that many homesexuals have become so because it has become like a drug of choice.
Don’t get me wrong, I think we should love the sinner, and hate the sin. I think though, that of all the sins, God did call this one an “abomination.”
Having read Nathan’s most recent comments carefully, I’m inclined to agree with virtually everything he said. Since the Fall, every person has been born with a sin nature. Actually, it is part of us at conception (Ps. 51:5). As Nathan said, the flesh “denies God and rebels against Him. We want and actually commit all kinds of sin gratifying ourselves at whatever cost.”
Then, “by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” we believe in Christ and repent of our sin. “Having been freed from sin and enslaved to God [we] derive [our] benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life” (Rom. 6:22). Nevertheless, the flesh is still operative within us. That is the Romans 7 struggle that Nathan referred to. This struggle is real: “The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Gal. 5:17). No believer is as holy, pure or righteous as he wants to be – or will one day be (1 John 3:1-3). Yet at the same time it is a holiness that he DESIRES. Sin is pleasurable, but the believer hates when he gives into it. He doesn’t want to do it. He doesn’t have to do it, yet he does at times. Like Nathan said, the flesh will fulfill its sinful desires the moment we give it opportunity.
Look now again at what Nathan wrote: “When you say, ‘Homosexuality is a choice,’ I can agree on the activity level of things, but not necessarily at the core. For whatever reason, some people‚Äôs flesh encompasses homosexuality and they will never be rid of it and be exactly like those whose sin nature doesn‚Äôt encompass homosexuality until the next and final step (which I am SO looking forward to).”
I am inclined to agree with Nathan all the way on this, as it concerns some believers. That is to say, God sometimes mercifully takes away the sinful desire, and sometimes in accordance with His own purposes, He allows it to stay there for life, perhaps to show the believer that His grace is perfected in weakness.
I remember at my last church I had two men who were alcoholics in their pre-conversion days. The moment that one of the men trusted Christ, he was delivered from having a desire for alcohol from that day forward. The other brother struggled with tremendous temptation till the day of his death (which was only a month or two ago, by the way). The one brother couldn’t see why the other brother struggled so – but that’s because he was no longer walking in his shoes, so far as that particular temptation was concerned.
The struggle with the flesh is real, and we all have our own “besetting sins.” Nathan is right in saying that IN CHRIST we have the ability to deny the flesh, to say “no” to sinful pleasures. Those pleasures differ from person to person. We have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. We should also sympathize with one another, even if we may not understand the nature of any particular person’s temptation.
Having said that, I think it’s very important that all of us, whatever our sin, do not become fixated by all the intricacies pertaining to it. Rather, we are to keep our eyes focused on Christ (Heb. 12:2). We should meditate much on the gospel and the victory Christ has won for us, using scriptural truth to battle the temptations of the flesh. “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
One more point, then I’m done for now: I think it’s important that we differentiate between the “militant homosexual” and the average homosexual. While I am not well-versed in the homosexual culture, my understanding (based on the limited reading I’ve done) is that maybe 5% of homosexuals are the “in your face, fighting for their rights” kind of people. The vast majority of them are simply lost and looking for answers, just like every other sinner on the planet. May God give us a heart of compassion for people – even if we can’t fully understand them – knowing the depths of our own depravity as well as the amazing mercy and grace of God that so wondrously delivered us.
Our attitude should be that of Paul, who saw himself as the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15-16). If God saved me, then He can save anybody.
One more thought (I forgot to clarify one thing on my last comment). Christians at the “core” are new creations in Christ. The flesh is still operative, but in a very real sense it is not the “core” of who we are. Christ is at the core. We are new creations in Him. That’s why we have become slaves of righteousness instead of sin. However, the flesh still hangs on to us like a stubborn (though doomed) enemy, fighting till his last breath – which will take place on that glorious resurrection day, when death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:56-58). That’s why we can remain steadfast in our fight against sin.
Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up, lest there be any misunderstandings from my/our most recent comments. Thanks again, everyone, for your input!
Pastor Matt,
While I agree with everything you said, I think the number one thing we as Christians miss is not that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but that He also died on the cross to break the power of sin. There is a difference. We do not have to sin anymore, no matter the sin. One of my favorite national pastors to listen to likes to use this phrase, “choose to sin, choose to suffer”.
As one of the verse to O For A Thousand Tongues says, “He break the power of canceled sin”. Yes, Romans 7 speaks greatly to this. But there comes a point where a Romans 7 believer should slowly, but surely, start looking like a Romans 8 believer.
That, to me, is the spiritual growth that God calls all of us to. I should not be struggling with the same sins I always do (let’s use swearing as the example) as often as I used to. Christ in us will help us accomplish that, and, in fact, is the only way we can accomplish that.
My biggest fear is that we are leading people to believe that they can be a practicing homosexual and a Christian, a practicing blasphemer, liar, etc., and a Christian. We must be careful not to water down the word. To me, the Bible is clear on this subject, and we must watch out for people who are looking for the promise of heaven without any real changes in their lives. They are no longer outside of the church.
Yes, Donn, thank you for that follow-up comment. I trust that nothing I said in my last few comments were taken as a watering down of the Word in any way. One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is Titus 2:11-15, which reminds us that the grace of God that saves us also sanctifies us. It teaches us to “deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, godly, and righteously IN THIS PRESENT AGE.”
Christians are new creation in Christ. (That’s why I added that qualifier to my last remark about who we are at the “core.”) We are no longer slaves of sin but slaves of righteousness, thanks to the grace of God. Grace not only gives us PARDON; it gives us POWER to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.
It’s difficult for us blog contributors to say all that we would like to say on a comments page such as this, and that leaves us open to being misunderstood or not communicating things clearly ourselves. Nevertheless, I think the pros outweight the cons in presenting an opportunity such as this to be a voice for truth and have others weigh in on the issues addressed on this site. So thank you, and everyone else, for your contributions.
Let’s say your child had a classmate living in a household lead by a same-sex couple. As if the classmate has any control of it, what would you suggest your child do with the classmate? Stay away? Become friends so that they can be a witness? Speak up about the sin of homosexuality? Not be allowed to visit that house? What about you & your reactions? Do you let them come to church? Do you let them join the church?
Take some time and think of appropriate, Christian reactions. A general answer of “be a Christ-like example” isn’t specific enough. Same-sex parenting is new and kind of weird and scary. They are living in sin. How can we keep a delicate balance of being a witness but not condoning/encouraging the sin?
Would you/do you have the same perplexing questions regarding remarried divorcees? I know I’m *assuming* that you would pull back some from allowing your child access to the house, but would you have the same hesitations with a household lead by what the Bible calls an adulterous relationship? Would you/do you feel as compelled to make some kind of point about the opposite-sex parent’s situation being sin that (I’m assuming) you do with the same-sex parents? Who in your church, if any, are members and living in open, sexual sin like this?
I am not pointing fingers at you, specifically (I have no idea of your stance on divorce). Nor am I suggesting that if there’s been allowances in one area, that makes it OK to make allowances in another area. I’m merely pointing to a contradiction in the church *in general* regarding this topic and alerting you that while you admonish vigilance in keeping sin out of the church you should be careful not to make the same mistake.
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On a more important topic, how do you meld the idea of Christians being “new creatures” but creatures that can (and do) still sin?
There‚Äôs the idea of progressive sanctification. At conversion, we are freed from the bondage of sin — we have the power to make the right choice rather than gratify the flesh. In some ways, complete victory is given instantaneously, while in other ways we have to discipline ourselves to keep away from certain sin; we will be victorious sometimes and other times not so much, but we will experience more and more victories over time.
It’s been intimated here and is a common idea elsewhere that someone that participates in homosexuality hasn’t been sanctified at any level and can’t possibly be a Christian. Homosexuality is categorized in a special class of sin where it’s assumed that this is an area that God will always give the instantaneous (or REALLY quick) victory.
My personal experience says that isn’t the case.
Matt,
Yes, I was not at all suggesting that you water down the word. I know enough of you to know that is not the case.
Nathan,
In regards to your final point about homosexuality being a special class of sin in the eyes of many, I think you are right. Sad, but true.
In reagards to your questions about kids visiting, etc., same sex couples or even those in an adulterous relationship, I can only tell you how I would handle it with my own kids.
I would handle (and do) both the same. My kids are too young to witness to a child of either kind of a couple, so I do not expect them to. I do not allow my kids to go over to anyone’s house where there’s some kind of sexual sin going on (yes, I realize that I may not know when there is or not, but the ones I know, they cannot go). The kids of those couples can come over any time they want, where they will be showed the love of Christ, without words, usually.
As far as the church goes, again, I can only speak for ours. We would welcome a homosexual couple, as we would any other couple. However, I find that most homosexual couples do not tend to stay in churches where sin is talked about, along with such things as repentence, etc.
We do have several couples, floaters, really, that are living together (that we know of). While they cannot serve in ministry with kids, especially teens (no one with open sin, revealed habitual sin, can), we are doing everything we can to help them out tangibly, as they have come to us convicted of the way they’re living. Convicted because the Bible is taught, not because we go out of our way to mention any particular sin, including homoesexuality. But when we get to it in the Word, be it a Sunday morning setting, mid-week, etc., we talk about it.
Nathan,
One of my concerns with homosexuality is that they can not procreate, obviously, which means that the only way to add to their community is to recruit, which I believe they mainly do through their stance that people are born with some kind a “gay gene”.
Nathan – you wrote some questions about how we should raise children. I’ve just become a parent myself, so I gave the matter some thought. What I came to realize is that the questions I would first ask is whether friends of my children come from Christian households, or non-Christian households. That’s the first criteria. Then, you think about the possiblity that a house may be filled with Christians who are back-slidden, and actively and without repentance practicing some sort of sin, such as gambling, drug or alcohol use, etc.
Since homosexuality is a sin like any of these others, let’s take a stab are rewriting your questions, to think about them on a higher, more general level, that doesn’t focus on homosexuality, but rather on saved people, unsaved people, and questions of sin. I came up with this:
1) Should my child hang around with unsaved friends?
2) Should my child tell unsaved children about the Lord Jesus?
3) Should unsaved people go to a church?
4) If a practicing believer falls into an unrepentant pattern of ongoing sin, should he fall under church discipline?
No doubt I oversimplified or missed something, but if so, I believe this could be remedied by adding to the list above a question of the same flavor. Of course, the ultimate answer to all questions such as these comes from studying the Bible and praying over the matter at hand.
I was trying to compare and contrast the church’s reaction to divorce & remarriage to its reaction to homosexuality. Both homosexuals and divorced people that are remarried have been likened to those living in an adulterous relationship. Since the divorce rate is so high, churches today are bound to have remarried divorced people in them. How are they treated? If it is not exactly like you are suggesting for homosexual couples, then I think there is an inconsistency.
The other thing I tried to address is the idea that homosexuality and Christianity are completely separate. Sure, I agree that a perfect Christian won’t participate in homosexuality, but there’s no “wiggle room.” By wiggle room, I’m not suggesting that there should be a level of acceptance, but of understanding. I am not like you in many ways, but I am a Christian. I have no idea why God didn’t perform a miracle and make this sin impossible for me to commit; then I wouldn’t have to contend with that common misconception of many Christians.
Anyway, for me, it‚Äôs a very sensitive issue. From what I‚Äôve seen, an abrasive barrier is put up — an attempt to protect the church, I assume. It‚Äôs to the point where I don‚Äôt necessarily trust the church because it‚Äôs not necessarily a safe place for me. I‚Äôve been in the church for more than 30 years, and the things I have (and have not) seen and heard in church, from the top down, tell me to be careful.
Very few seem to think this is a problem: the church is not the go-to place for help for homosexuals that are anywhere from unrepentant to struggling.
It was requested earlier for ways that the church can show love to homosexuals. Here is a place to start — from Donald Miller:
Thirteen Paradigm Shifts we encountered doing Christian ministry in a pagan environment…
1. Other People Exist: Simply coming to the understanding that the world does not revolve around “me” but that everybody is having an experience, created by God, loved by God, and that we needed to repent of showing partiality…
2. Nobody will listen to you unless they know you like them: We began to understand that people, subconsciously, merit a religious or philosophical idea not on logical conclusions, but on whether or not the idea creates a “good person”…the definition of a good person being whether or not a person is kind to them, tolerant and understanding, able to listen without arguing and so on.
3. Nobody will listen to God unless they know God loves them: We came to believe there was usually a hidden pain behind hostility, that many people have been hurt by the church, or people or perspectives they believed to represent God. Many times it’s as simple as an interview they saw on CNN, but an apology and kindness went a long way in helping people understand God was loving.
4. Other people have morality and values: We came to understand that Christians do not own morality, that everybody lives by a moral code, not always informed by an ancient text, and yet it is there. Calling people or even thinking of them as immoral was, then, inappropriate. In fact, we often found that people who did not know Christ lived a morality close to His heart in many areas we had ignored, ie; community, tolerance, social justice, fairness and equality, freedom, beauty and so on and so on.
5. Find common ground: Often the morality of others overlapped Christian morality, and we came to understand that in these cases, we would focus on the overlapping issues. We came to see this as kindness, just as though we were on a date or making friends, we did not focus on what we didn’t have in common, but rather on mutual feelings about life. We would not say or do anything to combat people unless they knew we loved them, and this takes a great deal of time.
6. Define terms in their language: We were careful about Christian sayings and phrases that might be offensive: Crusade, sin, immorality….we came to understand that concepts were more sacred than terms…
7. Telling somebody about the gospel is about them, not us: We were careful not to try to “build our organization” and respected peoples freedom and space. Sharing the gospel became an exercise in friendship, rather than an attempt to grow a machine. Often, people feel used if they feel they are being recruited. The gospel, we learned, is really about them, their feelings about God and truth, about sin, about life
8. Don’t let spreading the gospel feel any different than telling somebody about a love in your life, about your children or a great memory: We realized that in telling somebody about Jesus, we were telling them about somebody we have come to love and need, and about something that had happened to us, an encounter. This keeps us from sounding preachy, and allows us to share part of ourselves in a friendship.
9. Include lost People in Your Community: Our organization was not exclusive. We invited non-believers into the community if they wanted to be invited. We were careful not to not be ourselves with them, but they were certainly invited and enjoyed being a part of the group. We explained terms that we used, what we believed, but other than that, continued as normal.
10. Apologize for what you represent: We discovered that many people have been offended or hurt by what they perceive Christianity to be. We allowed ourselves to stand in the place of “Christianity” and apologize whenever necessary.
11. Be authentic: We discovered the need to be as honest about our lives as possible. We did not feel the need to sale Jesus, as much as share what He has done in our broken lives. We had no problem sharing our doubts and fears about faith, along with our commitment and appreciation for what God had done.
12. Pray for the Salvation of others: We discovered the need to pray for others. This would insure God was working in peoples lives, as we asked Him to. We discovered the work of evangelism is something God lets us watch, but very little of it is what we manipulate. We repented of not believing evangelism was a spiritual exchange between a lost person and God, rather than believing it was a series of ideas we were supposed to convince others of.
13. Ask people if they would like to know Christ: We decided to initiate, whenever the relationship called for it. We were not afraid to ask people if they would like to know God.
Here are some specific things that you can do / realize while you try to show love to homosexuals:
Stick up for gay people. Speak up when you hear derogatory statements being made within your sphere of influence. Speak up when you hear misinformation being given.
Keep the presumptions to a minimum and to yourself. Nothing will kill trust like a Christian wielding a stereotype. Lifestyle — Recruitment — Choice — Agenda — etc. are all buzz words to steer clear of.
Reserve confrontation. If you’re not comfortable enough with someone to tell them they have broccoli in their teeth, then I would say confronting them about such a personal sin ~specifically~ isn’t going to go very well. Another test is if you can’t talk about your own life and your own sin at a deep and personal level with a homosexual, then confronting the homosexual regarding his life and sin at a personal level probably won’t go too well.
Find out more about gay people. Go to your local gayborhood (the South End) and interact with the people there with the goal of seeing them as people. Listen to them talk about how they feel about themselves and how people view them. (No, I’m not asking you to go to the Eagle. I’m sure there are coffee shops, home stores, restaurants, bookstores, etc. there) You could even read up on it — lurk on message boards on the interenet & finds some serious gay-issues blogs.
Realize that church is for married people. Don’t deny it, the older the age group, the more family oriented the activities (if there are any). A gay person attending church is likely to be single and not comfortable with being “encouraged” (a.k.a. pushed) toward straight relationships. Being a single adult at church is difficult enough, but throw in being gay and single & it becomes a mine field.
Realize that a typical gay male is not going to fit into the typical male groups offered at church. The group male bonding thing doesn‚Äôt make sense to me. I typically come away from them feeling more like an outsider than belonging to something. I don‚Äôt do competitive sports. I don‚Äôt do ‚Äúroughing it.‚Äù I get weird looks whenever I contribute to the conversation. The men‚Äôs activity at my church during the mission‚Äôs conference is rifle shooting — too scary for me. I like breakfast, though, but not messages on how to become a better husband or father.
Pray for the right attitude within yourself. Pray that you can be the one to make the right kind of connection.
Love the sinner, then hate the sin, if you have enough time to do that after loving him. . .
Nathan, I’m astounded at just how man-centered your approach to evangelism is. Where is God in all of this? You talk about sticking up for gay people. What about sticking up for God and the gospel and the biblical view of sexuality? I’m not nearly as interested in “finding out more about gay people” as I am in having gay people find out more about God. While I hope that your intentions are pure, I must say that your approach in evangelizing the homosexual community is way too fixated on the sin instead of the salvation in Christ that forgives us and frees us from such sin – and any sin, for that matter.
This man-centered approach is reflected in Donald Miller’s approach as well. I would like to respond to the so-called “Thirteen Paradigm Shifts” you mentioned earlier by offering thirteen corresponding shifts that get us back to a biblical approach:
1. God exists. You are right in saying that the world does not revolve around us. But it doesn’t revolve around others, either. God and His glory is to be the center of our universe. Everything we as believers do – including evangelism – should be done with His glory in mind.
2. Nobody will listen to you unless God opens their ears and heart. Read what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 13:13-17, and hopefully you will understand what Scripture teaches regarding this.
3. Nobody will listen to God unless God gets a hold of their hearts. Despite God’s love for sinners, sinners don’t naturally love God in return. In fact, they hate Him. The love of God was manifested perfectly in Christ, yet He was crucified by the very sinners He came to save (“you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death” – Acts 2:23). The only way for a sinner to love God is if God turns the sinner’s heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
4. Other people have morality and values only because the law of God is written on their hearts (Rom. 2:15). Yet this does not commend them to God but rather condemns them before God. That’s the whole point of the first three chapters of Romans.
5. Find common ground. I find no argument here, in the sense that we are ALL sinners, totally depraved, and in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace.
6. Define terms in their language. Thankfully, God’s Word communicates to people of all types. That’s the power of the gospel. Certainly we can and must explain the meaning of biblical terms in a way that people can understand them, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
7. Telling somebody about the gospel is about both them and us, and it’s ultimately about God. “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
8. Don’t let spreading the gospel give people the impression that God is just another love in your life, like your children or a great memory. As much as we love our children, great memories, and other loves, the Lord is our greatest love of all, and nothing else in life compares to Him and His glorious gospel. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).
9. Exclude lost people from church membership. Love them; befriend them; invite them to church; take the gospel to them as God gives you opportunity. But protect the purity of the church by accepting into membership only those who have repented of their sin and trusted in Christ alone for salvation. Practice church discipline so that no one questions the church’s commitment in pursuing and practicing holiness. Please, please, please read Ephesians 5, which is written to the church. Then read passages on church discipline, like 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18:15-20, etc. Notice the effects that church discipline had on the unbelieving community, when done properly, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira: “Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly” (Acts 5:13).
10. Proclaim unapologetically the God and the gospel you represent. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Rom. 1:16-17). Repent and ask forgiveness for anything you’ve done individually as a Christian or corporately as a church that has not reflected the love and truth of God as revealed in the gospel.
11. Be authentic. Amen.
12. Pray for the salvation of others. Amen.
13. Ask people if they would like to know Christ. In fact, don’t just ask them; plead with them and implore them on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).
I think that’s about all that can be said at this point, Nathan. We’ve covered this issue quite extensively – certainly enough to share our viewpoints. At this point I will most likely curtail any further discussion on this posting for the sake of promoting and preserving the truth of Scripture (hence the name “TruthWalk”) for the benefit of our readers. Thank you for your contributions.
Nathan, I should have added in my last remarks that if you would like to maintain a personal dialogue regarding these matters, you can e-mail me at fbcmatt@cs.com. My intention is not to stop ministering to you but simply to “move on” so far as the blog itself is concerned. Just wanted to make that clear.