Christian Living

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Part 1:
There is this thought process floating around the Christian community that there is a sin that is worse, or more worthy of condemning, than all the other sins. I have no idea where this idea came from, in my study of the Bible I am yet to see a verse that says that one sin is more painful to God than the other. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He died for all sins. One sin did not hurt more than the other. The "lying sin" whip did not hurt more than the "adultery sin" whip. Where did this concept come from in American Christianity? I do not understand it, no matter what our sin is, it breaks God's heart. And no matter what sin we commit, Jesus still felt the brute of our punishment.

Having said that, I have to clear the air of something. Homosexuality is not the sin that deserves abomination and isolation from the church. I think it is completely ridiculous when I hear a fellow brother or sister in Christ speaking ill of a homosexual person or when careless jokes are rattled off at the expense of these people (who are also God's creation). Am I condoning homosexuality? Absolutely not! But, when Christians are critical of these people it reminds me of a verse that comes straight from Jesus' mouth. Remember the one about the speck of dust in someone's eye and the plank in your own? (Matthew 7:3) We, myself included, as Christians need to open up our eyes to this truth. Is homosexuality a sin? Yes, the Bible makes that clear (Romans 1:18-32) but there are so many other sins described in the Bible that are committed by Christians on a daily basis. There are the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) as well as ones described in Galatians 5.

As Christians, myself included again, we need to, first, remove the plank from our own eye before we start condemning others and telling them "how wrong" those people are. I do not want to dwell on negatives or be a Christian that focuses on the sin of others, I believe in a happy God. However, there is clear instruction in the Bible on how to live a holy and pleasing lifestyle. As a church in the Western Civilization, we are lagging behind. The society in the West is changing and moving farther away from God. But if the church is condemning homosexuals, how are we being the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13-14)? We are of the world but not a part of it and it is time that the church rises up and starts acting on it.

Once again, I am in no way condoning homosexuality because my study of the Bible and conviction is that it is wrong and displeasing to God, but I am not about to shun them from the church or even from relationship because they are God's children too, just like you and I and we need to treat them as such (Romans 8:19). There are plenty of instructions for how Christians are supposed to act, especially around sinners, since we all are them (Romans 3:23). It is time we delve into what the Scriptures are actually saying and then act on it with our lives. How can we make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) if we do not love them with the love of Christ?

I implore all Christians to rid themselves of their fleshly desires and begin to live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And I guarantee He will not guide us to disliking or removing these people from the church. How are these truths going to change you as a Christian, or even as a person who understands the destiny of each person on this planet? We need to love them just as Christ loved us (1 John 3:16). How well are you following this Scriptural truth?

Part 2:
In my previous post I attempted to tackle the misconception of homosexuality that Christians seem to have. It is difficult to find the happy median of how to treat someone living in sin. As Christians, and for the sake of our society, we cannot continue to ostracize this group of people from the church. However, as similar as the trend to separate homosexuals from the church, I see the church accepting and condoning the actions of these people.

The Bible is clear with homosexuality, as well as all other sexual sins, and that repentance is dire to salvation and this in itself is a truth that needs to be learned and acted upon in the church. I have had discussions with ministers that are for homosexuality and I know the arguments they use and the passages that "back up their beliefs". The story of David and Jonathan is not a story about sexual relations between two men, it is a story about the intimacy (for clarity not a sexual definition) between two close friends. The story does not say they had sex. It said they were intimate. Definitions of the word are as followed: "having mutual affections, marked by close familiarity and thoroughly acquainted through study" (Websters Dictionary, 2011). To sum it up, I am aware of the Biblical passages that people use to support homosexuality. But, if we read the Bible in full context and refrained from picking out certain phrases and verses, we would begin to learn the true meaning and fullness behind God's Word.

Separating a homosexual person from the church is not right, nor is welcoming them in just as they are (let me clarify). If you are a pastor, what is the point if you welcome people in just as they are and not expect them to make a change? The goal of our Christian lives is to continue to be challenged to go deeper with God. If we go to church and nothing changes then we are dumbing down the Word of God. Every time we go to church, get into His presence, pray, read the Scriptures, worship, etc. we are doing it to become closer to Christ by modeling our lives after His. The church is supposed to invite you in as you are, but you are supposed to leave changed because of what Jesus did on the cross for us.

Since Scripture is clear about the sin of homosexuality (Romans 1, Genesis 19), as a church, we cannot continue to invite people into the church "as they are" and not expect them to remedy their sin. The same goes for the teen who watches pornography, and the women who lives in vanity, and the father who has anger and the wife who holds on to resentment. If people continue to come into the church accepted as they are, then the Gospel will be diluted and meaningless. This is a truth that must not come true!

I am not condemning any church that has a pastor, member, elder or whomever that agrees with homosexuality. The church is not a single location, it is the body of believers demonstrated in Acts 2. I am challenging those churches to awaken and realize that accepting a homosexual into you church and not expecting God to intercede and convict them of their sin is not the same as loving them. We are called to make disciples, and making disciples incorporates teaching and discipline. Teaching about what the Bible says about sin and providing opportunities for people to vacate their sin.

Hebrews 12: 1-12 is a great passage about discipline and the love that is present within it. If a parent truly loved their child, they would not let them do what they want to do all the time. The reason is because, by nature, we sin. Parents display true love by disciplining their children and showing them the light in truth. As a church we need to be doing the same thing. Not only with homosexuality, but with every sin described in the Bible. Discipline is unpleasant at the time, but the end result is purity, holiness and righteousness, which are all attributes our Father in Heaven desires us to have.

Love must never fail or end in our lives. When we stop showing love, we have failed as the church. Have the tough conversations, rid yourself of your pride and delve into Christ and the fullness of His Word and presence. Homosexuality cannot be taught and accepted in the Western Church because it is sin. Be on guard to not mix up loving a person and allowing them to remain in sin. But be careful, because the Church cannot start barring "sinners" from church. Repentance is key to salvation. Please read 1 John and do not forget about Luke 6:41.

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