OK, I tried to post a few paragraphs on this issue, but I knew each word I wrote would get me in trouble with someone. I'll do my best to express myself in love. It is not my intention to cause unrest and I have no specific person in mind as I write this. I simply desire to be a reflection of Christ in whatever way I can, including how I look at homosexuality. This is my personal belief I have come to over time and you are free to disagree with me; I will love you anyway.
Yes, the homosexual act is a sin and sin separates us from God. It is, in fact an abomination, just as calling yourself religious but disregarding God's Holiness is an abomination (Ezekiel 8). My concern is Christians as a whole (there are exceptions, I know) are so judgemental on this issue that we have lost our ability to show Christ's love to those caught up in that lifestyle. If you were struggling with homosexuality, would you dare darken the door of a church for answers? I wouldn't!
Yet we feel perfectly OK waltzing into Sunday morning service knowing we are engaging in sin ourselves. Gluttony. Gossip. Envy. Unforgiveness. And much of our sin is "unrepentant sin," a term used often as a reason to ostracize people who seem trapped in homosexual sin. Isn't being trapped in the sin of gossip also unrepentant sin? Isn't refusing to forgive a brother or sister in Christ unrepentant sin?
I know that if you are part of a Bible believing church, the Bible calls us to lovingly hold each other accountable, up to and including asking a member of the church to leave if he/she refuses to turn from an ongoing sin. We need to do that. I am not asking for "tolerance," here. I am asking for us to consider what grace looks like, what love looks like.
Marty at SBC Outpost wrote a fabulous article on this subject today. So I'll just say; Yeah, what HE said!
link: Homosexuality, the Church and the Gospel
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