Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of the Left Hand …
Religious pondering should never be done in a vacuum. If it has no “real life” application within the Church or the world, why bother doing theology?
With that in mind, I refer you to Aardvark Alley’s question, Hate Crime?
This discussion focuses on a bill passed by the House of Representatives and now before the Senate. The legislation’s original intent was to protect children from sexual predators. As ammended, it also extends special coverage to homosexuals and others. Does the Church need to stand against government on this issue? Do individual Christians need to involve themselves with their elected officials? Read the essay, check the links, and make a decision.
posted by Xrysostom | 12:14
1 Comments:
My Father who lives in Heaven, My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit who live in me does not share the same blind hatered that many have of those who are different.
Some one on another forum mentioned a couple of verses that have clearly been taken out of context. Galatians 5:19-21 and Corinthians 6:9-10. In both examples paul is talking about the differents of the sinful nature vs the spiritual nature. He calls upon us to put to death all of the deeds of the body not just a select few. Now if homosexuals were first on his list of people not getting into heaven then why does it say
John 3:16-18 (NIV)
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[c] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[d]
In these verses it clearly states that all who believe shall be saved not just the ones who were good enough or who some how managed to stay sexually pure.
In Galatians it lists sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. So in Gods eyes rage, envy drunkeness along with sexual immorality is just as bad as homosexuality.
In 1 Corinthians 6 it states :
9Do 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 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Again drunks, slanderers or swindler are listed along with homosexual offenders. And it also goes on to state that some of them were like that but that they were justified and sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see a pattern here as I surely do. God hates all sin, all of the deeds of the human nature the same.
To single out one sin and put it above the rest creates a situation where Gays and Lesbians feel singled out by us and creates a situation where they feel hatered from us and therefore are not going to listen to any one because of it.
Do you want their blood on your hands because of your blind hatered? I don't. You can't reach people who you hate and we are told to love all equally.
Concerning the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah Their sin was so much more than homosexuality as indicated in Romans 1:21-25 and Jeremiah 23:13-14. They neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, They prophesied by Baal and led Israel astray and they committed adultery and lived a lie and They strengthen the hands of evildoers,so that no one turns from his wickedness.
Would Jesus approve of all of your actions and hatered of these people? If Jesus was around us today who would He be having supper with? Read the verses below and reconsider the errors of your ways.
Job 38:2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?
John 8 (NIV)
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
and again
Mark 2 (NIV)
15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Refrences to original verses:
Galatians 5:15-30 (NIV)
15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other
.
Life by the Spirit
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
1 Corinthians 6 (NIV)
Lawsuits Among Believers
1If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church![a] 5I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!
7The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.
9Do 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 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Sexual Immorality
12"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Romans 1:10-26 (NIV)
God's Wrath Against Mankind
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
Jeremiah 23:13-15 (NIV)
13 "Among the prophets of Samaria
I saw this repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.
14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen something horrible:
They commit adultery and live a lie.
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from his wickedness.
They are all like Sodom to me;
the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah."
15 Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty says concerning the prophets:
"I will make them eat bitter food
and drink poisoned water,
because from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness has spread throughout the land."
_________________
May God bless you and keep you always.
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