While God does indeed offer mercy and forgiveness for our
sin, He nonetheless commands us to repent or turn from our sin having been set
free from the bondage to sin. (Romans 6:16)
Here is the second part of “John’s” response to my article:
Michael, when you realise that I am
far more than my gayness, and that my sexuality is but a portion of my whole,
you will realise that it is not MY sexuality that threatens you, or your family,
or your community, or your country for that matter. It is the love of Christ
which addresses YOUR pain… I am a member of a local Methodist Church
where I and my partner are welcomed and are in active service as church
members. Our church follows the teachings of Jesus Christ – spreading a
message of love, forgiveness and inclusion into the Kingdom community. We do
not practice any form of exclusivity, once again taking our example from Jesus
Himself… The church has to change as society moves on, evolves and changes and
so our understanding of God’s word also changes.
The following is an edited version of my response to “John.”
Thank you for taking the time to share your comments. If I understand
you correctly, you are stating that homosexual behavior and following Christ
are not opposed to one another. While I cannot know your heart and I do indeed
hope that you have experienced the saving grace of God, we can know that
certain behaviors are expressly forbidden in Scripture. These behaviors include
homosexual acts in the same way Scripture prohibits sex outside the covenantal
commitment of marriage. (1 Cor. 6:9-11 and 6:18-20) The theology of sex given to us in Scripture
conforms to a particular understanding that is compatible with nature, limited
to monogamous couples of the opposite sex, and procreative in its intent.
Nowhere do we find biblical support for engaging in homosexual acts and there
are numerous passages where such behavior is expressly forbidden. As followers
of Christ, we come to faith as sinners in need of redemption and while God does
indeed love us, He also commands us to turn from our sin. Salvation demands
repentance. We cannot continue in our sin and hope to justify this through
agreement with the ever-changing culture. God’s truth transcends time and
culture.
My dear brother, I am not in anyway
“threatened” by your homosexual behavior; I grieve for my own sin as well as
the sin of others. But, I am particularly grieved by efforts to legitimize that
which God calls sin, and as followers of Christ we are called to speak the
truth in order that our ‘brother may be saved,’ in the same way that Nathan
confronted David. This is love! Secondly, I am grieved because sin inevitably
and always hurts people, including you. I do not judge you, judgment is the
Lord’s, but His word is clear on this matter, and therefore I exhort you to
turn from your sin and stop deceiving yourself into believing that the Lord is
unconcerned with your sin. He loves you, yes, but He died to atone for your
sins and mine. It is our sin that we must turn from if we want to truly follow
Christ.
While I have focused on the subject of homosexuality
in this particular situation, we have a responsibility to call a brother or
sister, who is under the domination of any
sin, to repentance. (James 5:19-20) There are a multitude of sins which
dominate us, and the challenge for those who truly love is to show grace and
yet call the wayward to repentance, being open to this exhortation in our own
lives.
© 2007 by S. Michael Craven
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S. Michael Craven is the Founding Director of the Center for Christ & Culture, a ministry of the
National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families.
The Center for Christ & Culture is dedicated to the renewal and
reformation of society through the renewal and reformation of the
Church. For more information on the Center for Christ & Culture,
additional resources and other works by S. Michael Craven visit: www.battlefortruth.org
Michael lives in the Dallas area with his wife Carol and their three children.
