The media today is ripe with calls for Christian churches to accept homosexuals because the message of Jesus is available for all people. What they are really asking for, is for Churches to condone their behavior because they were "Born that way.". They are asking Christians to embrace homosexuals and not expect them to change.
Central Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA is one such church. Their "About us" section states this:
We are clear that the Gospel is for all people. We affirm and joyfully welcome people who are gay or lesbian, offering the full life of the church in blessing them, and we gratefully receive the special gifts of all. - http://www.loveiscentral.org/about.html
They willingly accept homosexuals and embrace them in their condition and tell them that they are OK in God's sight just as they are. No need to repent and be transformed. They are dead wrong.
It is true that Matthew 11:19 says that Jesus was a friend of sinners. Does that mean that he allowed his friends to remain in their state of sin? Absolutely not. He called them to be "Born Again" (John 3:3). They are to repent (Matthew 4:17) and be transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2). The church quoted above thinks that being a friend of sinners means that you allow them to happily remain in their sin. That is not what Jesus did. He called them to repent, and he gave them what they needed in order to repent.
Christ and His church love all people, including homosexuals. Homosexuals are more than welcome in our church. They are welcome the same way that adulterers, thieves, liars, murderers, blasphemers, rebels are. With open arms and a call to repentance. They are called to be NEW creatures in Christ.
When a sinner joins our church, we begin the process of discipleship which allows the Holy Spirit to bring about the necessary changes that occur during sanctification. While the sinner may continue to struggle and fall back in, they never embrace the sin and try to justify it as "OK" in God's sight.
A great case in point: Recently, a famous porn star, Jenna Presley, was called by God to repentance and pronounced her Faith in Christ as her Savior. You can read the whole story here: World's 'hottest' porn star gives life to God
When the Savior was revealed to her she declared:
"“Thank you, Jesus! I found Him, I’m home!” she declared, announcing that she has become a born-again Christian. ... I have finally encountered the unconditional love of God, and I will never go back"
What you don't find are Christians screaming that she should be allowed to continue her life as a porn star and still be considered a Christian. No. The church is welcoming her with open arms and are ready to help her fight through the difficulties that are still to come. The true mark of a Christian is one who puts his/her hand to the plow and never looks back (Luke 9:62). The true mark of a Christian is also one who puts his/her hand on the shoulder of a brother or sister who struggles with a particular sin and to lovingly help them fight the fight.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2, ESV)Christians are called to help each other bear our burdens. That does not mean that we are called to allow people to continue in sin, but rather to help them battle against it.
The bible says this about homosexuality:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, ESV)
You can see from the text that many of the Christians being addressed by Paul were former homosexuals. But he does not condone their former lifestyle. He does not say that they can remain in the sin of homosexuality as a born again Christian. Instead, he calls their attention to the restoring power of Christ who "washed them" and made them new.
Does Jesus have anything to do with porn stars and homosexuals? Absolutely. He calls them out of a life of sin and embraces them into a life of holiness through the Holy Spirit. Are porn stars and homosexuals worse sinners than any Christian in any church? Absolutely not. We are all sinners. We are all born that way. And Christ calls us all to be born again. Not to continue in our former way of life and not to justify it as somehow pleasing to God, but to repent and turn from our old way and embrace the Savior.
If you are a Christian who condemns homosexuals and porn stars as worse sinners than you, or if you are a porn star or homosexual who think self-righteous Christians are worse sinners than you, than visit this site and check yourself to see if you are righteous enough to enter God's kingdom, regardless of how sinful others may appear: www.NeedGod.com.
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