The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia

I ran across Mark Robert's blog based on someone else's blog posting. Still checking it out, but he has some interesting stuff. He is doing a series on how the church should react to homosexuals and I think he has a good blend of standing on biblical authority and it's utter condemnation of homosexuality as well as a Christian understanding that we all sin. This passage was one of the best I have read on how the church is seen by and sees homosexuals....

A common objection to what I’ve just goes like this: “So you’re telling me that I can come to your church, but I can’t be openly gay. And you’re telling me that you will love me, but not affirm me. And you’re telling me that I can be in your church, but that I cannot be an elder or a pastor. This is a double standard. It’s not loving and it’s not inclusive.” My response is to point out that we aren’t singling out gay and lesbian people for special treatment (or mistreatment, as they might claim). This is exactly how we deal with all sinners (and we all are sinners). We invite sinners to church, but don’t affirm their sin. We seek to love sinners, but not accept their sinfulness. We allow sinners to fill our pews – otherwise nobody would be in church, including pastors – yet we do not ordain those who say that they intend to keep on sinning. To this the gay person would object, “Yes, but I don’t think my behavior is wrong!” To which I would say, “Yes, that’s the rub. That is indeed the difference. But it’s a real difference, not something we can pretend doesn’t matter. If we believed that your sexual behavior was okay, then we’d be in a completely different position altogether. But my church and I have chosen to stand on the bedrock of biblical authority. So, here we stand, and we can do no other. I’m sorry this seems so unloving to you.”

Well said. We cannot turn away homosexuals who are hurting and seeking Christ, but on the other hand we must never seem to be affirming their choice of a homosexual lifestyle. Homosexuality is a sin, like many others, but it seems to be one where people want it both ways. I get angry or jealouos and recognize it as sin. Not that it is less sinful but I recognize it and seek to avoid it. Many homosexuals seem to demand that the church ignore their sinful behavior and refuse to even admit homosexuality IS a sin. To be a Christian, one needs to turn from sin not demand sin be accepted. We all sin and always will, but you can't be forgiven if you don't think you need forgiveness.