Back in August I wrote a post about Love and Relationship: or how you deal with a homosexual.
Basically I expressed my frustration with how so many Christians express themselves towards GBLT oriented people and that is still true. Jake aka the comment novelist made a comment there today that I replied to. Long story short I'm reposting my comment because it ended up being super long and it bears saying often.
~***~
Jake,
Thanks for being so open. I believe we need to do all that we can to try and reach people everywhere where ever they are. That is not a redundant statement. I specifically mean everywhere in the world where ever they are spiritually.
I think Christians really freak about certain sins as if they are more dirty than other sins and then they see the wrong thing as "sinful."
As a gay man I'm sure you can say that who you are attracted to is not a choice any more than who I am attracted to is a choice. We are who we are.
I do believe that being gay is not a sin any more than being straight is a sin. It is what we do with who we are that is sinful and so separates us from God.
Since we have all sinned in who we are then we are all living with a death sentence. Jesus came to restore us to God. He did an awesome job of it. I think the woman that was dragged before him as an adulteress is the best example. He sat there and drew in the sand while they were going on and on about how evil her sin was. Then they sat and watched while he continued to draw before he finally answered them.
"Let the one among you that is without sin cast the first stone."
BAM! He totally said that out loud. I know there are many times I've thought stuff like that and later when I tell the story I'll say, "and I was all like ..." then they'll say, "wow you said that?" So I have to respond, "No, but I thought it real loud."
Jesus actually said it though. Those guys started leaving. He completely diffused the situation and literally saved this woman's life right then and there. They wanted to throw rocks at her till she was dead and he stopped them. That is amazing, but it gets better.
After the last of them realized they couldn't go pick up a rock and chunk it at the lady Jesus turns to her and say, "where are your accusers?"
She replies, "they are gone."
"Neither do I condemn you," he says. He doesn't condemn her even though he is without sin. By his own statement he could have tossed the stone but he chooses not to. He chooses grace. That is powerful. It is the second most powerful thing he says in this encounter.
He finishes with the command "go and leave your life of sin." That is powerful. He doesn't condemn her but he doesn't want her to condemn herself with her continuing actions. He makes it clear here that she is in sin but he is letting her go. He also makes it clear that she needs to get out of it.
This is why Jesus changed lives around him. He loved people and so didn't condemn them. He loved people and so didn't leave them in their death and sin.
I really wish the church would get it. I wish Christians would stop making things either legalistic or sloppy agape. It isn't a question slapping all these rules on people and condemning them, but it isn't about saying grace covers it all so live life for today for tomorrow may never come.
We have to love people enough that we refuse to condemn them, but we also have to love people enough that we help them get up out of their sin.
Thanks for being so open. I believe we need to do all that we can to try and reach people everywhere where ever they are. That is not a redundant statement. I specifically mean everywhere in the world where ever they are spiritually.
I think Christians really freak about certain sins as if they are more dirty than other sins and then they see the wrong thing as "sinful."
As a gay man I'm sure you can say that who you are attracted to is not a choice any more than who I am attracted to is a choice. We are who we are.
I do believe that being gay is not a sin any more than being straight is a sin. It is what we do with who we are that is sinful and so separates us from God.
Since we have all sinned in who we are then we are all living with a death sentence. Jesus came to restore us to God. He did an awesome job of it. I think the woman that was dragged before him as an adulteress is the best example. He sat there and drew in the sand while they were going on and on about how evil her sin was. Then they sat and watched while he continued to draw before he finally answered them.
"Let the one among you that is without sin cast the first stone."
BAM! He totally said that out loud. I know there are many times I've thought stuff like that and later when I tell the story I'll say, "and I was all like ..." then they'll say, "wow you said that?" So I have to respond, "No, but I thought it real loud."
Jesus actually said it though. Those guys started leaving. He completely diffused the situation and literally saved this woman's life right then and there. They wanted to throw rocks at her till she was dead and he stopped them. That is amazing, but it gets better.
After the last of them realized they couldn't go pick up a rock and chunk it at the lady Jesus turns to her and say, "where are your accusers?"
She replies, "they are gone."
"Neither do I condemn you," he says. He doesn't condemn her even though he is without sin. By his own statement he could have tossed the stone but he chooses not to. He chooses grace. That is powerful. It is the second most powerful thing he says in this encounter.
He finishes with the command "go and leave your life of sin." That is powerful. He doesn't condemn her but he doesn't want her to condemn herself with her continuing actions. He makes it clear here that she is in sin but he is letting her go. He also makes it clear that she needs to get out of it.
This is why Jesus changed lives around him. He loved people and so didn't condemn them. He loved people and so didn't leave them in their death and sin.
I really wish the church would get it. I wish Christians would stop making things either legalistic or sloppy agape. It isn't a question slapping all these rules on people and condemning them, but it isn't about saying grace covers it all so live life for today for tomorrow may never come.
We have to love people enough that we refuse to condemn them, but we also have to love people enough that we help them get up out of their sin.
Posts
5 comments:
I wanted to add this addendum to what I am saying. I want it to be perfectly clear that I am not condemning Jake or anyone else in this. It is so important that we get that.
This past week I was asked to judge auditions for a talent show. One of the people decided to skip out because he heard a Youth Pastor was judging the auditions and he is gay. It made me sick to know why he felt that way. He told the teacher, "people like that just don't like me."
I mean on the one hand I'm offended to be condemned without the guy ever knowing me but it is more than that. I am sick that so many other Youth Pastors and other similar people have condemned this guy before he has even turned 18. That bothers me on so many levels. Why do we have to do that?
So, I don't know if I should be leaving this comment on this post specifically, since it's about your entire blog, but since this is your most recent post, here goes -
I finally had time to go back and read through your archives last night after the babies went to sleep (yes, I should have been doing laundry - oh well :) and WOW! Your posts are so funny or so thought provoking or tear inducing. I loved reading them. More than once, I read it out loud to my husband. We LOVE the SYP and we both took a lot of solace in something specific that you wrote about praying when you don't feel it. One of our best friends died this July and since then we have been victims of three crimes, my father-in-law had a serious heart attack, and a few other crappy things and all this while trying to take care of baby twins (which is hard enough on its own.) We are praying out of obedience and faith right now and not because we 'feel' God in this time. I don't know if that is exactly what you were saying in your post about your testimony, but in any case, it encouraged me.
And you've made me remember my own youth pastor from high school and he was awesome! I think I'll take the time to write him a letter and thank him for being such a rockstar and having such a great influence on my life.
Dang, Nick.
Are you sure you don't want to move to Houston?
Luckygirl,
This place is as good as any. I subscribe to the comments so I know when someone leaves a comment on something I wrote months ago. This is because I like to reply to people. It sounds liek soemthing I would say, about praying when it feels like you are just talking to the wall because God collects everything we say. I think we grow the most when we pray and don't feel God. Of course who knows I could be wrong. I do know that I've been wicked frustrated lately and haven't really felt like God was there and He has come through in a big way in the past week. I know it is a long road but those things really encourage me.
Katdish,
You know I was just thinking that I needed to move away from family to stifling summer heat. Seriously, I have fought the urge to run off to a place that is ready to embrace what God is doing, but then I remember that God has called me here and that there are some powerful ways that He has confirmed His plans so I better not run. I don't care for fish enough to live in one.
Nick,
I'd like to thank you for all you've done. I wish I could convey how much things have been moving in my life, due in part to your obedience.
http://inkohearantbabble.blogspot.com/2009/02/pull-up-chair.html
Please feel free to remove the comment after you follow the link.
Jake
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