Both too much, and too little have been made of homosexuality as an issue in America. From a biblical standpoint, a homosexual is no better or worse than any other person. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Me, you, my wife, my mother... all of us.
Our acceptance of Christ as Saviour and Lord says something though.
Saviour... I accept his sacrifice as atoning for all my sins. Homosexuality. Greed. Anger. Failure to love. In word. In thought. In deed. All are equally sin, and all are equally forgiven through Christ. Because of Christ's sacrifice, I can fall honestly before God and say, 'Lord I am a man of unclean lips', yet know that he sees me as as clean, because of what He chose to offer, and what I chose to accept.
Lord...I turn away from what I was before. I turn to you Lord, and admit that your ways are greater and wiser than mine. Your ways are right, and I will follow and serve you. The Apostle Paul often referred to himself using the term 'doulos', which implies a willing slave.
By all means encourage homosexual Christians to bless one another. By all means encourage them, and every other sinner walk into our churches knowing they will be loved, because that is what Christ commanded of us.
Yet after accepting Christ, we are also to allow a real, living Spirit of God to enter into our lives and change us. Though I am a sinner, and will never be perfect, I daily pray, submit and strive through falling on God, to allow the Spirit to change my life. This is often called 'sanctification', which I find too high a title for me. I know my sins and failures too well to be comfortable being called a saint.
The issue with homosexuality or any of us who sins, is leadership and obedience to God. I would not want a person who leads me in church to stand up and say, 'I am actively going against what God lays before me in scripture, but I want to lead you.' Our church leaders are never perfect, but they should be people who are actively and intentionally walking with God through the Spirit that he promised to all who follow Christ.
Do people want to hear God's word or my own? They probably WANT to hear what makes them happy... but the role of a minister is not to lay out his own opinions. A minister in a Christian church is there to present scripture clearly, to tell us what God has to say. If the minister cannot present scripture rationally, then may I ask; why is he at the front teaching? If scripture is not rational to you in a setting you are in, then perhaps you should submit yourself to God, ask His guidance, and read scripture more closely.
I have found that the closer people are to knowing their sinfulness, the more they crave the words of scripture. We may think that they don't, because bravado, fear, pride, or hurt cause me to put on my mask so that you cannot touch me. But faith comes through hearing Christ's words... not our own, no matter how eloquent, arranged, or presented.
I became a Christian because I met a real, living God, who made rational sense, and who is not just a product of human wishes.
He lives. He loves us. He wants us to follow in his ways, not because he hates pleasure, but because he made us and knows where true pleasure lies.
Both too much, and too
Both too much, and too little have been made of homosexuality as an issue in America. From a biblical standpoint, a homosexual is no better or worse than any other person. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Me, you, my wife, my mother... all of us.
Our acceptance of Christ as Saviour and Lord says something though.
Saviour... I accept his sacrifice as atoning for all my sins. Homosexuality. Greed. Anger. Failure to love. In word. In thought. In deed. All are equally sin, and all are equally forgiven through Christ. Because of Christ's sacrifice, I can fall honestly before God and say, 'Lord I am a man of unclean lips', yet know that he sees me as as clean, because of what He chose to offer, and what I chose to accept.
Lord...I turn away from what I was before. I turn to you Lord, and admit that your ways are greater and wiser than mine. Your ways are right, and I will follow and serve you. The Apostle Paul often referred to himself using the term 'doulos', which implies a willing slave.
By all means encourage homosexual Christians to bless one another. By all means encourage them, and every other sinner walk into our churches knowing they will be loved, because that is what Christ commanded of us.
Yet after accepting Christ, we are also to allow a real, living Spirit of God to enter into our lives and change us. Though I am a sinner, and will never be perfect, I daily pray, submit and strive through falling on God, to allow the Spirit to change my life. This is often called 'sanctification', which I find too high a title for me. I know my sins and failures too well to be comfortable being called a saint.
The issue with homosexuality or any of us who sins, is leadership and obedience to God. I would not want a person who leads me in church to stand up and say, 'I am actively going against what God lays before me in scripture, but I want to lead you.' Our church leaders are never perfect, but they should be people who are actively and intentionally walking with God through the Spirit that he promised to all who follow Christ.
Do people want to hear God's word or my own? They probably WANT to hear what makes them happy... but the role of a minister is not to lay out his own opinions. A minister in a Christian church is there to present scripture clearly, to tell us what God has to say. If the minister cannot present scripture rationally, then may I ask; why is he at the front teaching? If scripture is not rational to you in a setting you are in, then perhaps you should submit yourself to God, ask His guidance, and read scripture more closely.
I have found that the closer people are to knowing their sinfulness, the more they crave the words of scripture. We may think that they don't, because bravado, fear, pride, or hurt cause me to put on my mask so that you cannot touch me. But faith comes through hearing Christ's words... not our own, no matter how eloquent, arranged, or presented.
I became a Christian because I met a real, living God, who made rational sense, and who is not just a product of human wishes.
He lives. He loves us. He wants us to follow in his ways, not because he hates pleasure, but because he made us and knows where true pleasure lies.