Let's get one thing straight before I comment on a statement made by Steven Anderson. I OPPOSE HOMOSEXUALITY. I do love the homosexual community with agape of course, and because I have a love for them, I want them to know the truth. I desire their repentance and want to see them get saved.
You can read my article on this topic here: http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/does-bible-condemn-homosexuality.html
"Author's Note: I have never called for people to rise up and
kill homosexuals. I believe that the GOVERNMENT should put them to death
as the Bible lays out in Leviticus 20:13. We as Christians should NOT
accept homosexuals. Am I going to harm homosexuals? NO. Should they be
put to death by the legitimate authorities (i.e. our government). YES"
Why? Why is a secular government to put homosexuals to death? I am not saying that homosexuality is an acceptable practice at all, but what justification does Anderson have to suggest that the government should put them to death?
Also, The Christians are to reach out to the homosexual community, witness to them and tell them that they need to repent and turn from their sins. If anything, Wanting the government to put homosexuals to death is going to prevent and hinder the gospel being given to them. It's one thing for an unrepentant mass murderer or murderer to death, but to call for the death of a homosexual by the legitimate authority isn't going to happen.
Furthermore, why isn't Anderson saying that secular authorities can put sorcerers, adulterers, zoophiles, fornicators, idolaters, disobedient children, blasphemers, abortionists and other groups that do things worthy of death to death? Care to give a justification Mr Anderson?
Also under the new covenant Christians are NOT to hate their enemies but pray for them. The Christians are to bring sinners to Christ, and the redeeming power of the Holy Spirit will begin to work in their hearts.
Do we accept them into congregations as they are in the sense of being unrepentant? No.
"1 Corinthians 5:4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you.""
Yes we should be kind to them and bring them to repentance, but we shouldn't accept them as brothers if they continue in their sin and do not repent. If they desire repentance and want to actually abandon their lifestyle of wickedness and consecrate their life to God, then we can accept them into the fold. Former homosexuals and lesbians have been saved and set free from that evil, as have many others.
"1 Corinthians 6:9 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 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And 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. "
Here we have a congregation that had been involved in these wicked practices, homosexuality included and they have WASHED CLEAN and taken out of these sinful backgrounds by Christ's redemption and his work on the cross and the power of the Spirit granting new life, with them being reconciled to the Father. Such is a great work accomplished by YHWH, The one God, the Blessed Trinity.
It is very easy to get unbalanced. One the one hand, it is easy to become liberal and end up not hating the evil in the world and just accept it. But on the otherhand, it is easy to end up driving people away, not because of the truth, but because we are being actually hurtful for a different reason.
It is one thing to hurt someone with the truth, that they need Jesus to be saved from the sin and the church needs to be reminded that they are not exempt from giving an account to God. It's one thing to give the truth to a polluted world, but quite a different matter if you go out of your way to be spiteful and hurtful.
Truth hurts, but it's the kind of hurt that may bring eventual healing or even make the person bolder (should they accept the truth that is regardless of it being attractive).
Answering Judaism.
PS. If the Lord wills, I may respond to Anderson's other points in a future article.
No comments:
Post a Comment