Answer: Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
2.) Why are they condemned foe their nature?
Answer: The second one is easy to explain because it’s the reason of the fall. Man fell because he sinned and thus sin separated him from God. God said that they would die which is restated in the book Romans “The wages of sin is death”. Thus for their rebellion man receives death and is condemned. Also why would we need the remedy of salvation if our sin didn’t condemn us?
Also an example in scripture is: Rev 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
So those who said one or the other could you defend your position from scripture?
As I ask this question please keep in mind a few things: 1.) Jesus is King, Sovereign God!! 2.) Don't let this question sway you from your pursuit of God because it does have an answer.
Is a person condemned to hell for their essence for who they are at the core of their being(dead in sin rebels against God) or for their unbelief in Jesus Christ as their savior and only way to heaven?
By giving the following answer I am attempting to combat the idea which says You can be a christian and still live however you want. So I believe the answer is No, a Homosexual cannot be a Christian. But a Homosexual can become a Christian. The reason for this impossibility is shown in the identity of the person or what the person is identifying with. For when someone calls themselves a homosexual they are saying that their greatest joy is found in same sex relationships. They are placing their whole identity under the domain of that lifestyle. And in a biblical sense when someone was called a Christian of follower of Christ what they were saying was that their greatest joy was found in Jesus Christ part of the Trinitarian God of the bible.
So how could there be two greatest joys in one’s life? Or how could one really say that they are a follower of Christ and yet live a life not identified with Him? You can’t, It’s impossible. This is like saying can an elephant be a mouse at the same time, or an apple an orange, or a light bulb a radio. It’s a matter of the identity of these objects as it is a matter of identity with a person. In this taking of Identity you are choosing to submit to that particular title in your life and thus it shapes the rest of your life.
In a Christian’s life he is submitting to the title of Follower of Christ the God/man and the Trinitarian God of the bible. Thus in a Homosexuals life they are choosing to be wed to the identity of passions and love towards people of the same sex. This shapes their drives, motivations, thoughts, friends, hobbies, etc. And in comparison when a Christian takes on the identity of a follower of Christ he is to love God by obeying his commands, find rest in God and hope and pleasure, He is to love his neighbors who are made in the image of God.
But sadly to make a disclaimer not all Christians submit to this truth and even in my own life if I had to be totally honest I don’t always pursue God and submit to him and obey Him. But this is the idea of Grace, that God draws us in and love us based off of the sacrifice of this son. God’s Grace or God giving us what we do not deserve in the sacrifice of his perfect sinless son Jesus for our sin is what draws us into a pursuit of Him. For we are not perfect but our God is and desires to draws us closer and change us to be more like Him.
But hear me out before you stone me. What I’m not saying is that a person who is a follower of Jesus doesn’t struggle with attractions to a person of the same sex. But if they were once a homosexual and now are a follower of Christ they will struggle with these desires. But ultimately their identity is not in submission to the lifestyle characterize by homosexuality but to be characterized by a lifestyle in the pursuit of God which leads to a love of Him and obedience to what He commands.
Now many maybe question: How & why is Homosexuality a sin and opposite of the bible?
1.)In Genesis God makes man & woman and all throughout scripture marriage is defined by a man & a women.( Genesis 1, Matthew 19:4, Mark 10:6 Ephesians 5:22-33,6:2, Colossians 3:18-19) Two of them form Matthew and Mark are straight from Jesus’ mouth.
2.)Some would say well what if they don’t get married? Well then that is adultery and is condemned all throughout the scriptures. Even to lust after a women or person in your heart is sin.( Matthew 5, Matthew 19:9, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:19,James 2:11) Its also fornication and you can look it up in http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/ it will show you how it is condemned by God.
3.)God’s way is Marriage and sex inside of marriage. Anything else is sin and not his way. It will breed problems in your life and cannot be tolerated if you are to follow Jesus.
4.)Also Homosexuality is outright condemned in the bible. ( 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 timothy 1:10, Romans 1,Revelation 21)
Clearly God has set up sex to be only in marriage. This clears up any other arguments which would stem. And clearly He had shown us that to identify with Homosexuality is just like identifying with any other sin of Choice. They are equally sinful as shown in my past blog. One must Trust Christ to save him from the coming wrath due to our rebellion and sin and trust in His death on the cross to cover our sins and restore us back to God.
So will you identify with God or your sin? Will you choose Death or Life? Sin or God? God promises life thru him and loves us so much to come and die that we might have true life in Him and forgiveness or sins and a relationship with Him. This is what he promises, Life in Him and thru him, True joy not just temporary pleasures that fleet away, Forgiveness of Sin, And eternal life with Him who loves us.
Colossians 1: 20-23 “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister”.
As Christian we are Children of the most high, The Bride of Christ, His Beloved, His Redeemed, Friends of God, Lovers of God, Rescued and so much more. God has came in the form of the man, Jesus, 2000 years ago, to live a sinless and perfect life in Obedience to God the Father, that he might die a humiliating death on the cross, from which wood he created and was spit upon by man whom he created and was holding together at that very moment. That on that cross he might take All of Our sin and shame and rise again on the third day to prove he had defeated Death and was the author of Salvation. That now we who trust in Him should not die but live forever more with Him!!
So we claim these things as truth. That God was the reconciler of the rebellious even when they didn’t was him.
Col 1:19-23 “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
O what a Great God we have that even though we were Hostile towards Him he brought us into His home to be His Children! Have you ever had anyone blow up with hostility towards you? I know I have and I didn’t exactly overflow or even feel remotely love towards them. But if only I would seen it from Gods perspective that All are or were once hostile towards Him then my love would flow towards them. When I meditate on this what he has done for me I can help but share!
2Co 5:11-19 “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. “
My Point is that now since we have been reconciled to God He has given us this ministry. Every Christian is entrusted with this ministry! Meditate on what he has done. Do you truly believe it? If you do you will share is. Let the Love of God control you and compel you!!
God has been convicting me more and more about this. Thru not only witnessing but also restoring sinning brothers if you will read my note on Confrontation it will explain it more. See my generation makes fun of “track boomers” and people who stand out with signs, yet we do nothing ourselves. Who are to judge them if we aren’t doing anything ourselves? I do agree that just passing out tracks to get it out there is missing the point of the person and letting love compel us. But let’s look at Jesus:
1.)With the woman at the well he took time to talk and know where she was coming from, cross cultural barriers and dialogue with her. John 4
2.)He Spent time with “Sinners” eating and drink and sharing the truth. Imagine if we got this idea that Jesus had of not only talking with unbelievers but eating and building relationships with them. He also wasn’t afraid of his reputation because of the accusations of the Pharisees towards him. Jesus came for the sinner not the righteous. Matt. 11:19
3.)Also one of the keys of church leaders in the book of Titus was Hospitality which is inviting unbelievers into your house. Also in Romans 12:13, Hebrew 13:2, 1 Peter 4:9
4.)Jesus shows us continuously about his love and patience with all of the people around them. He told the truth even when it diminished the crowd. John 6:53
So my challenge to you is this Be Intentional in your witness and love of non-believers, find a group or talk with your group of fellow believers to keep each other accountable and spur each other on. This is something I need desperately more and I hope you will wrestle with it in your heart and pray and search the scriptures of how God can use you. We need to be compelled by His love and desire to reconcile others to the God he love and claim as Truth!! Let the Love of God Compel you to Him and him ministry of Reconciliation!!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Here is some better explainations of why the shack is heresy:
I love homosexual people. I have a good friend who is one and an aunt. They are just like everyone else in the fact that they are people made in the image of God. All peoples are made in the image of God no matter who you are and should be thus treated with value. Not even a full blown evolutionist could say that because in the system of evolution: the strong prevail over the weak and what doesn’t allow for the furtherance of a race is allowed to die of. Thus also from a Christian perspective All of us share the same heritage coming from our father Adam.
So this brings me to my next point of our Father Adam. In the book of Genesis chapter 1 God makes man from the dust of the earth and breathes life into him and makes male and female in his image. So why aren’t we all perfect if God is perfect you might ask? Well God is a just God and is not a dictator who forces people to love Him but gives them a choice. Thus he set a tree in the garden which he commanded them not to eat from. But they ate and then because God is perfect and His person demands in and of itself perfection man was cursed for his disobedience and sent out from the Garden.
Thus “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All peoples were thus born separated from God and sinful. No one sin was greater than another. And so the sin of lusting after or having sex with a person of the same sex is just as sinful as lying, stealing, having sex outside of marriage, and many other. See sin is the opposite of God’s character and thus since we sinned we were all marred. If I lust after a women in my heart it is no different than another person lusting after someone of the same sex. Before God we all stand equally guilty and there is no way to pay God off with works because God’s person demands perfection.
Thus all persons are left hopeless if we are left to try to please God on our own. But God loved us so much that He came in the form of a man and died for us!! That if we believe that the only way he can stand before God is based solely off of the death Jesus and not our own works as:
Ephesians 2: 8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
So its by Grace which is defined as “God giving us something freely that we don’t deserve”. Through Faith or Trust or Belief in God to save us, Not by our own Works or effort, But solely based on God’s Gift we are be saved and brought back to God.
So all are equal before God and should be treated as so. It is no harder for a person who struggles with same sex issues to be saved then is a man who struggles with chronic masturbation. They both have to deal with their lifestyles as sin. So I don’t believe I should call people who struggle with Homosexuality Homosexuals or gays anymore because that is like calling a man who masturbates a Masturbator or labeling a person who lies as a liar.
For we are all sinners before God. But God loves us so much that he calls us into a relationship with him. And instead of labeling us Homosexual or Liar or Thief He wants to call us Sons and Daughters of the Most High God. He calls us thus into a relationship with him who is Creator, All-powerful- All-knowing, love and holy. He will meet all are true needs that the things of this earth can’t trust in Him for He is perfect and knows best and loves you, for he made you to dance in his presence and to enjoy him and his creation. And the real reason He has these standards is because it lines up with who He is and the way He wired the Universe. So will you embrace this loving God who desires to call you His Sons and Daughters?
I'm Josh Brown and am a student at The college at Southwestern in Texas. If you wanna know more just check out my facebook. In this blog I desire to flesh my thoughts and bounce some ideas off of others.
