Christian
Part 2
Scriptures: John 8:2-11; 1 Corinthian 6:9-10
Introduction
This is part two of my message I’ve titled “Christian.” Last week I shared with you the comments made by two pastors in reference to the Orlando shooting and how they were happy about it. I told you that some people who heard these comments were so offended that they no longer wanted to be identified as a Christian because of the image that the world is developing of Christianity. In part one I shared with you that the label Christian does not adequately define the Christians who were originally given that label some two thousand years ago. The original Christians were actually “disciples” who by definition followed the teachings of Christ without variances. In other words, they interpreted Christ’s teachings and lived their lives in the manner in which He wanted them to. Two-thousand years ago Christians were the followers of Christ. Today, because of all of the variances within Christianity, the label is used to describe those who associate with the cultural aspects of Christianity, irrespective of personal religious beliefs or practices. This is the reason we can have people who calls themselves Christian support violence against others who might not believe or behave the way that they do. Today some Christians are so loosely aligned to what the Word of God says that they are allowing their acceptance of His Word to be dictated to us by society and this is a problem. During our prayer circle last week my daughter shared a discussion that was happening on social media. The discussion was about the mother who supposedly killed her two teenaged daughters because they were dating boys outside of their race. Some posts congratulated the mother and said that God honored her decisions because the Bible clearly states that you should not marry outside of your race. This represents another example of Christian beliefs that could be assigned to all Christians.
In my message last week I shared with you that the issue surround the LGBT community and Christianity comes back to the belief of sin – is the gay/lesbian lifestyle a sin in the eyes of God? Some Christians believe that it is, but someone living that lifestyle will still go to heaven. Other Christians believe that it is a sin and they will not go to heaven. Finally some believe that it is not a sin at all “today” because God accepts everyone. I want to share with you two conversations that I had this week with two individuals who are not members of this Church. The question that I was asked is this: “Is there a difference between someone living a gay/lesbian lifestyle and being told they are going hell versus someone who is a member of the Church, singing in the choir, preaching God’s words and are having sex outside of marriage whether it’s adultery or fornication? Their follow-up question was – why can one be saved and participate in Church leadership and the other can’t?” These are very good questions that should be on all of our minds when we think about what we believe. You see, part of our problem is that we do delineate between sins when it comes to who is actually committing them. So my initial response to her was a question pertaining to her last question. I asked her why she thought the church goer who was living in sin was saved. When she just looked at me, I told her how when Jesus interacted with “sinners” He did not condemn them but He did tell them to “go and sin no more. Let’s look at a couple of examples.
In the fifth chapter of John there is a story of the man at the pool of Bethesda. This man had been sick for thirty-eight years, coming to the pool hoping to be healed. When Jesus healed the man, He did not ask the man to do anything but rise up and walk. The man was instantly healed. The man who was healed did not know that it was Jesus who had healed him. Verse fourteen records what Jesus told the man. It says, “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” (John 5:14) Jesus told the man to stop sinning or something worse would happen to him. Turn to John chapter eight. In this story a woman, caught in adultery, was brought to Jesus. Let’s begin reading at verse two.
“Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?’ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." (John 8:2-11)
Jesus was confronted with a test by the scribes and Pharisees. Someone had caught this woman committing adultery and according to the Law of Moses, she was to be put to death. When they brought her before Jesus, He told them the one without sin should cast the first stone. As each man thought of their own sins, they slowly walked away without throwing a stone. When Jesus looked up and saw the woman standing there alone, He asked her where her accusers were and if any of them had condemned her. She said they had not and Jesus said, neither would He condemn her. Jesus demonstrated true love towards one of God’s children who had been caught in sin. Jesus had confirmed on several occasions that adultery was wrong and should not be committed. However, when He could have judged this woman, He chose instead to forgive her and give her another chance. But the story did not stop there. In verse eleven Jesus told the woman to “.....Go. From now on sin no more.” Everyone loves how Jesus forgives and loves us, but we forget that one small line when He says “go and sin no more.” Could Jesus have lied or was he literally telling the woman to go and stop doing what she was doing? I believe He gave her a chance to repent (to stop doing something) and I also believe that the woman accepted His offer.
After I shared this story, I told the young woman what was recorded in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 where Paul lists several sins of a carnal nature that would cause someone not to inherit the Kingdom of God. After I shared this I asked her if she thought God would make a difference between the homosexual, the fornicator and the adulterer. I wanted her to understand that because some things are done in the Church it does not mean that God is happy about it, approve/accepts it or that the person is saved. I told her only two people can ever truly know if someone is saved or not – the person and God. We cannot look at a person and know what is in their heart. What is truly scary is that we have taken God’s word and picked and chose what sin were and what was not. We have decided what will send someone to hell and what will not. Because we have gone down this path we have many who believe that as long as you “accept” Jesus as your Savior there is nothing else that needs to be done and you can live your life according to your religious beliefs and practices. After listening to me the young woman had a final question.
She asked how I would handle that situation – a homosexual and someone who was living in sin but was a Church member. She stated that a person’s homosexuality is visible where others who may be doing something can be hidden. I reminded her that while nothing is hidden from God, I can only act on something if I am made aware. I told her that God did not call me to be the “sin police” where I inspect people homes to ensure they are living right. I told her that once I am aware of something I would make no difference between the two because I can’t. I told her that unlike some Church, a homosexual is welcome to come here, but they must know and accept that this Church believes that their lifestyle is sin along with all of the other “acceptable” sins and because they are living in sin as defined by the Bible there are positions that they cannot hold in this congregation. It’s not about them as a person, but the sin itself. When we choose to live a lifestyle of sin that represents rebellion against God. How can I preach, teach, sing in the choir or praise team if I am living in sin? I could if no one knew about it, but internally I would know that God was not approving of my choices. I would explain this clearly to the person because the ultimate goal is for them to be saved and not living in sin. The same goes to everyone else. As I have said before, our problem is that we have accepted sin if it is done by a believer even if God does not. Because we have a reputation of accepting sin committed by a Christian heterosexual and crucifying the homosexual for their lifestyle the world (and even Christians) see Christianity as hypocrites. Why is one so much worse than another? It’s because of who committed it.
I want to close with what the Bible says. There is an old song that says “the Bible is right, somebody’s wrong.” I have been asked many times if the Bible truly says that homosexuality is wrong especially in cases where people believed they are “obviously” born that way. I want to be clear that the God says sexual immorality of any nature is wrong. If God says it’s wrong it’s wrong. If God says it’s wrong and then allows it for certain individuals, then we serve an unjust God. Here is a short summary of what the Bible says. Please note, homosexuality is never mentioned alone so the other sins that we tolerate carries the same penalty so as a Church we need to examine if we really believe what the Bible says about what is and is not sin.
• Genesis 19: The story of Sodom and Gomorrah and the men of that city.
• Leviticus chapters 18 & 20: God speaks against Incest, homosexuality, adultery, and bestiality (sex with animals.)
• Romans 1:24-27 speaks against lesbian and homosexuality.
• I Corinthian 6:9: Paul lists several sins which would cause an individual not to enter the Kingdom of God. His list included fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, and homosexuals to name four.
• 1 Timothy 1:10: Paul writes to Timothy and lists the things addressed by the Law of Moses and homosexuality, liars, etc. were mentioned in the list.
Conclusion
Last week I shared with you the outrage that many had in reference to what those two pastors had said. Their words were filled with hate and as a Christian, I was disgusted with them because I know in some sense I will be judged as a Christian by their beliefs which are wrong Scripturally. But what about Christianity as a whole? Are we changing what God has said to fit within the confines of society? How can we expressly show the love of Christ to all without accepting the sin? How can we bring people into the family of Christ and still show them the truth of their lifestyle? This does not just apply to gays and lesbians, but everyone who are living lifestyles contrary to the Word of God. It applies to you and it applies to me when I was doing things I should not have done.
Maybe I am naïve, but I truly believe that if we stood and acknowledge sin for what it is and treated it the same – having an end goal of converting the person to a life of serving Christ, maybe we can change things. But this can only happen when we first agree that the Bible is right. If you take the person out of it and look at the action only we can do this. However, whenever we look at the person we love and see the goodness within them, we struggle with telling them the impact of their lifestyle. We do not want to judge because of our past and we do not want to hurt them. But if the Bible is right our unwillingness to speak could carry everlasting implication – if the Bible is right.
In Romans 6:1-2 Paul asks the question that each of us must answer for ourselves. It says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”
If we answer this question and then live it, we will not be conflicted when we are faced with lifestyles that contradict God’s word. We will see it for what it is and as a disciple of Christ, we will walk in love and compassion towards that person so that they understand we are not condemning them, we are just accepting what the Bible says. But it goes both ways. What those pastors said about the Orlando shooting was wrong. There is no hate in Christ for any person – saved or not! Maybe we should start here.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
