Q&A: Question 3

Hannah asked:

I, like Taylor, do not have homosexual feelings or hatred, however I am also interested in how you can be gay and a Christian. Upon seeing your claim I automatically turned to the Bible to see what it had to see, though I was provided with verses of acceptance and love I found verses like the following:

Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"

1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

I do not condemn you for being gay, but I do condemn the acts of homosexuality. One person offered the defense of if you cannot be gay and a Christian you can't be a sinner and be a Christian. You can be a sinner and be a Christian because the Lord covers our sins with his blood and we are continually trying to move past our sins and live in righteousness; but if we know that something is a sin and we continue to live in that sin and to follow that which makes us feel good, is not that living in perpetual sins. We should not live life expecting God to forgive us for every sin that we do and just keep doing them. We are supposed to live a life which has us trying to radically change our lives and the lives of others for and through Christ. I do not hate gays, I love them because Jesus loves them.

MY RESPONSE:

Hannah, in all respect and love, may I suggest you read what has been posted before you state those verse. You said "upon seeing your claim" I doubt that you have read it. Because if so, you would have known we too "automatically turn to the Bible" to find not just love and acceptence but the Truth that also set you free, has set us free indeed. Amen.

Also Hannah, you state the same slogan many Christians scream at the top of their lungs "Love the sinner hate the sin" but if you actually read the Gospels and studied Christ (more then you have), perhaps you would see that Christ, in word and deed, "Loved the sinner and forgave the sin." (no NOT excuse it, but forgave it. A difference)
"if we know that something is a sin and we continue to live in that sin, and to follow that which makes us feel good, is not that living in perpetual sins." That whole statement is full of assumptions and sadly false teachings in regards to being a homosexual.(which I am offended by them all)

1) We do NOT (base on Scripture) understand that homosexuality is a 'sin'. If we were 'convicted' of it as being so, a good and devoted follower of Christ (as you said) would see it and walk away from it. As Christ said "Go and sin no more.".

2) Homosexuality makes us "feel good" as much as be heterosexual makes one "feel good". One member of my home baptist church once said as being against homosexuality "You can't live by feelings, that is what being gay is all about." I said "Do you love your husband?" She obviously said "Yes." I asked her why and she said "Because I feel that inside of me." I told her "Well thats wrong, cus you can't go by feelings." Point taken.

You state, and you are right in saying so, that we cannot continue living in sin, expect God to forgive them, and keep on doing them. "Of course not!" Paul boldly states. He addresses this very thing. A follow of Christ who has Jesus as his personal Savior and Lord who continues in sin is taking advangage of God's grace and pity on humanity.

We see this when Paul says:

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

So as sad as we see it, and sometimes difficult for us to see it, God's love is eternal and there isn't anything we did to have this free gift of Salvation and so there isn't anything we can do for it to be taken away--including taking advange of His grace.
You state a few times that you don't condemn or hate us for being 'gay' but hate us for our 'sin'. Sorry Hannah but being gay and the 'sin' you speak of IS "GAY", so you therefore, if you want to admit it or not--condemn us.

The BIble says that if a man says he loves God yet hates his brother, the love of God is not in him.

I believe that as "Christians" we have got to a point where we believe that standing boldly against homosexuals and their 'agenda' be it "political" or "biblical", we have got to a point where we believing doing so is "defending" our 'traditions' when all the long HOW we act as "Christians" have be doing that all along. You don't believe me do you? WHO are the number one today to file for divorce? Look it up, the answer is: CONSERVATIVES. What are "conservatives/christians" number one to be known for? ANTI GAY.

And when we read about our Jesus what we He mostly known for Honnah?

• "Friend of Sinners"
• "Prince of Peace"
• "Son of Man"

He was in human form, God who came to call the spiritual sick not the spiritual healthy. He came to not condemn but through Him, save it. He didn't come to make the rightious MORE right, but for the poor to become rich in Him, and the lame walk, the deaf hear again, and the homeless shelter. He came so they may have life. It is even recorded in black and white in the book of Matthew that Jesus ate with Levi (Tax Collector), other tax collectors, scums and wicked people of His day. ALl the while when the "righteious" whispered to one another "Why does He eat with such scum and wicked people?!"

You see we are NOT being at all what we are called to be anymore? We have lost what has set us Free...Truth. The Truth that mingled with the outcast. When the poor little rich man came to Jesus and wanted to know how to have this eternal life which Christ spoke of, Jesus said "You lack one thing." And I can only imagine the Rich man's face! Jesus said for him to "sell all your things to the poor and follow me." He went away in his wealth. Jesus didn't run after him pleading and lowering the command. Jesus didn't do what we do today, sugar coat the Gospel that sets man free from the bondage of sin and the chains of death. It was love--clear as day. In the book of Acts the followers of Christ wasn't known by what they wore, or the songs they sang in church... or even their stances Biblically or Politically, but the very fact they SHINED.

I mean, for crying out loud Jesus brought together fishermen, tax collectors, and tent makers... who found a glorious thing in common---Jesus Christ. YET we can't even find common ground on what color the carpet is to be in church, the music style of our worship... let alone how to LOVE one another.

We as "Christians" has fell asleep! ANd Christ is using the Spirit to stir the hearts of His people, to revive His church and recapture the heart beat of what it means to be His.