Christian Living

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Compromising Faith - Part 2:
Homosexuality in Perceived ‘Mainstream’ Christianity
By: Mark A. Becker

I’m deeply saddened by Christians compromising their faith. These individuals have been deceived by the lies of the Accuser and the failed wisdom of man. I would like to cover several areas of compromised faith in this series.

Homosexuality in Perceived Mainstream Christianity

It is apparent the Enemy and his cohorts are having an all out assault on the basic tenets of Christianity, and the issue of homosexuality is no exception.

Leviticus, chapter 18, gives us God’s Law with respect to ‘Unlawful Sexual Relations.’ I encourage all sons & daughters of God to absorb every warning of sexual immorality therein.

While it is true that this chapter was written for the Israelites to prepare them for the promised land, these verses are just as applicable to the believer today. Of course, as Christians, we know these laws can be summed up this way: "Any sexual behavior outside of marriage between one man and one woman is sin."

All children of God are not to partake of these sexual improprieties, but for the sake of this essay, we will remain focused on verse 22.

"Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." - Leviticus 18:22 (NIV)

The United Church of Christ (UCC), The United States Episcopal Church (ECUSA) and Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUSA), to name a few, are essentially liberal social clubs masquerading as ‘Christians.’

These churches and others have openly endorsed and embraced the ‘gay’ agenda and closed their eyes to the physical, moral, mental and more importantly, spiritual consequences directly linked to this lifestyle. In the name of ‘tolerance’ these ‘social clubs’ look the other way, not only giving credence to, but promoting within the church what God has always identified as ‘detestable.’

Here are their documented examples:

The United Church of Christ (UCC) website supplies us with its own resolution from 1969. [1]

And I quote:

"We believe that the Church, which has long honored both chastity and marriage as vocations, must also learn to cherish, and not merely to condemn, those whose sexual need and loneliness may prove importunate—though unmarried, unmarriageable, widowed, or homosexual." (Emphasis mine)

‘Learn to cherish?’ Hello! Since when is the Church to ‘cherish’ what God has condemned?

To the souls who are slaves to this sexual sin - absolutely YES. To the sin itself - an emphatic NO!

The resolution continues with its subtle and not so subtle distortions:

"Among these conditions, homosexuality has proved by far the most difficult for most of us to accept and to accord respect and freedom either in the church or in public life. Fortunately, new insights is available. For example, modern Bible scholarship suggests that, while homosexuality is condemned in the Old and New Testaments, its seriousness has been exaggerated by wrenching scriptural verses out of context. As elsewhere, e.g., Ephesians 6:5, "Slaves be obedient to those who are your earthly masters," censorious and self-righteous selection and use of Scripture has further obscured the truth as well as betraying canons of Christian charity." (Emphasis mine)

Really?!?

Lets examine Paul’s God inspired take on homosexuality to see if we are ‘exaggerating and wrenching scriptural verses out of context,’ and discern if our ‘censorious and self-righteous selection and use of Scripture,’ is in fact, ‘obscuring the truth.’

"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things, rather than the Creator - who is forever praised."

"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." - Romans 1:24-28 (NIV)


I don’t get it. How is it that we are, ‘exaggerating and wrenching scriptural verses out of context?’ I’m seriously confused. Somebody, please help me understand!

Of course I’m being cynical. If it wasn’t so distressing, I would be rolling on the ground in unconstrained laughter.

You yourself can read past sermons on homosexuality approved as educational resources for the United Church of Christ. [2]

The fierce spiritual division between The United States Episcopal Church (ECUSA) and the worldwide Anglican community over homosexuality is well documented.

Gene Robinson was the first openly gay, non-celibate clergy to be promoted to Bishop.

A July 27, 2007 Times Online article by Ruth Gledhill, ‘Without Gay Priests Church Would Be Lost Claims Bishop Gene,’ [3] sums up the church’s heretical doctrine and says in part :

The openly gay bishop whose ordination sparked the crisis in the Anglican Communion has claimed the Church of England would be close to shutting down if it was forced to manage without its gay clergy.

The Bishop of New Hampshire in the US, the Right Rev Gene Robinson, who is divorced and lives openly in partnership with a gay man, said he found it "mystifying" that the mother church of the Anglican Communion was unable to be honest about the number of gay clergy in its ranks…..

"It’s a terrible way to live your life and I think it’s a terrible way to be a church. I think integrity is so important. What does it mean for a clergy person to be in a pulpit calling the parishioners to a life of integrity when they can’t even live a life of integrity with their own bishop and their own church? So I would feel better about the Church of England’s stance, its reluctance to support The Episcopal Church in what it has done if it would at least admit that this not an American problem and just an American challenge. If all the gay people stayed away from church on a given Sunday the Church of England would be close to shut down between its organists, its clergy, its wardens.....it just seems less than humble not to admit that……" (Emphasis mine)

And you’ve got to love this line.

He (Robinson) also emphasised his roots in evangelicalism. "As a matter of fact I’m more evangelical than almost anyone you would run into in the Episcopal Church... When I speak to gay and lesbian groups I don’t talk to them about gay rights, I talk to them about their souls. My goal is to get them to church and bring them to Jesus." (Emphasis mine)

Excuse me Mr. Robinson. How do you bring them to Jesus when you and they are living life contrary to Biblical teaching; deceiving and convincing yourselves of false Salvation?

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV)

On June 28, 2008 the Presbyterian Church (ECUSA) lifted the ban on gay clergy. According to One News Now, Eric Gorski of the AP reported in part [4]:

WASHINGTON - The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), bitterly divided over sexuality and the Bible, set up another confrontation Friday over its ban on ordaining non-celibate gays and lesbians.

The denomination's General Assembly, meeting in San Jose, Calif., voted 54 percent to 46 percent Friday to drop the requirement that would-be ministers, deacons and elders live in "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between and a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." (Emphasis mine)

It goes on to say:

That vote was an "an authoritative interpretation" of the church constitution rather than a change to it, so it goes into effect immediately. The interpretation supersedes a ruling from the church's high court, issued in February, that said there were no exceptions to the so-called "fidelity and chastity" requirement.

"This week the General Assembly voted from faith rather than fear," Lisa Larges, minister coordinator of the advocacy group That All May Freely Serve, said in a statement. "They voted for a vibrant future of our church ... " (Emphasis mine)

Vibrant future? According to Scripture, your future does not look so vibrant. On the contrary:

"Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. - Romans 1:32 (NIV)

Conclusion

The issue of homosexuality is creating a huge division and chasm in the Body of Christ; as it should.

I think of the Words of Jesus:

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household."

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more that me is not worthy of me; anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." - Matthew 10:34-38 (NIV)

Do not make the mistake of limiting these verses to just the family.

The fact of the matter is this: The Truth of Jesus is a sword that not only divides the believer’s familial and personal relationships; it also divides the Church into what is and what isn’t the ‘true’ Body of Christ.

The closer we get to Christ’s return, the hotter the Refiner’s fire; not only for His children individually, but for the Body as a whole.

The line in the sand is drawn and there is no gray area. Active homosexuality, and fornication of any kind, has never - and will never, have an active role in His Church. Yet these ‘churches’ are not only condoning damnable behavior; they take it a step further and lift up within the church hierarchy those same individuals who live in direct opposition to the Word of God!

Our eyes are open to the lies of Satan and man through the Sword of His Spiritual Truth.


"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:17 (NIV)

If you know of any individual who struggles with same sex attraction there are many helpful resources at your disposal. The following web site links should prove useful in your ministry to those who are floundering and seemingly trapped in the homosexual lifestyle:

http://www.lovinaction.org/
http://www.pfox.org/
http://www.janetboynesministries.com/
http://www.dawnstefanowicz.com/
http://www.desertstream.org/
http://www.venusmagazine.org/about.html

If you are in a position to share the Word of God with someone ensnared by this deviant immorality, please do so with love and compassion. Remember, you are saved, and chances are, they are not.

While their life choices are not to be respected - they are.

Look deep in the darkest recesses of your mind and heart, be honest with yourself and acknowledge that you are no better than they. The only difference is our sins are covered by the blood of the Lamb and theirs is not.

Consider the Words of Jesus:

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)

One of my dear friends and Sister in Christ shared with me an article, written by Tim Wilkins, that expands on this premise of preaching, sharing and witnessing to those lost in their homosexual tendencies and behaviors. You can access it here:

http://www.crossministry.org/articles/preaching

Love and blessings in Christ who is Knowledge and Truth!

JJB

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Footnotes

[1] http://www.ucc.org/assets/pdfs/1969-RESOLUTION-ON-HOMOSEXUALS-AND-THE-LAW.pdf
[2] http://www.ucc.org/assets/pdfs/emr20.pdf
[3] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2155148.ece
[4] http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=158556

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