Thanks for your perspective Scot. Listening to Scot talk about Homosexuality is like reading Paul's letter to Philemon addressing slavery in God's Kingdom. The contemporary question was did Paul go too far? The historical question from our context is did Paul go far enough? That debate took about 1800 more years, 62 AD --> 1863 AD. I look forward to hearing opinions about homosexuality in the church in 3823 AD if Scot should've gone beyond the cusp of an idea. The bible is our history book of how we apply the messages God has revealed to us *in our context*. If it were easy, we wouldn't need to meditate on it so much. However, it's easy to spot some mistakes we have made so far. Thanks for starting to more the arrow in a better direction. The one to whom it is given, should accept it
My heart breaks hearing this. If you see someone walking in sin and say nothing, it's like handing them a ticket to hell and not feeling one bit bad. We were made to be the salt and light to the world! Ezekiel 33:8-9 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
Oh I agree. We should really fight against evil and really try to help people step away from sin. I mean how many republicans will go to hell in their sin if we don't try to help them become progressive.
I didn't hear Scot say to not talk to them about sin (or even their potential sin). To me, Scot laid love them and like them first. Point them to Jesus. If they want to talk to Scot about their concerns or thoughts on the subject of their (potential) sin, then they can do that and I'm confident Scot would respond lovingly and with grace, but as he said, he would answer to the subject on the conservative side and give his testimony. My takeaway is that Scot is not in their face with their (potential) sin, but he wouldn't shy away from a discussion of it either.
Trying to "fix" a sinner is IMPOSSIBLE. Sure, as Christians, we try to make the world a better place, give good advice, and let people know our moral views. So we might have a gentle word with our "gay" friend about his lifestyle. But make no mistake, you cannot save a "gay man" by persuading him to change his lifestyle! The reason sinners die is NOT because of their lifestyle - sinners die because the entire human race dies, because they are from Adam, cursed to die. Their names are not written in the Book of Life and so they will be thrown into the fire. The only way to pass from death to life and live forever is to follow Jesus. So as Christians our priority shouldn't be to try to "fix" the incurably evil world by lecturing friends about their lifestyles. That is to focus on the SYMPTOMS of sin and not fix the actual PROBLEM. The world is evil and cannot be fixed. There are 8 billion sinners sinning right now. We can't stop that. Unbelievers who "behave themselves" are still going to live empty godless lives and die. No matter how well they behave, their lives are still ultimately going to be meaningless. Besides, sinners don't need to be TOLD that what they're doing is wrong. They know. What gay men do, they do precisely BECAUSE it's wrong and kinky. That doesn't mean there is never any call for a Christian to persuade his unbelieving friends to turn from a particular sin. It might be very important in some cases, especially if it puts someone at risk. But every case is different. Instead of trying to prevent men from sleeping together, which really achieves nothing because however they live their lives, those men are still going to live empty lives and die apart from God. Instead, our priority should be to be a witness to the world, to preach the Good News, to show the goodness of God through our lives in all its many forms. We should love our enemies, do good deeds, perform the works of God, and demonstrate the Spirit of God through our reformed character, as a witness to the Kingdom of God in our lives. This will generally involve telling people about the Truth of Jesus, and helping them to get born again and become a new creation in Christ. Jesus did NOT have a ministry of condemning sinful lifestyles. His ministry was about preaching the truth and bringing about forgiveness and salvation to others: John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
”That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.“ Romans 1:26-28 NLT
I agree. How can people find Jesus, if the Believers they meet don't show the love of Christ ?
Thanks for your perspective Scot. Listening to Scot talk about Homosexuality is like reading Paul's letter to Philemon addressing slavery in God's Kingdom. The contemporary question was did Paul go too far? The historical question from our context is did Paul go far enough? That debate took about 1800 more years, 62 AD --> 1863 AD. I look forward to hearing opinions about homosexuality in the church in 3823 AD if Scot should've gone beyond the cusp of an idea. The bible is our history book of how we apply the messages God has revealed to us *in our context*. If it were easy, we wouldn't need to meditate on it so much. However, it's easy to spot some mistakes we have made so far. Thanks for starting to more the arrow in a better direction. The one to whom it is given, should accept it
My heart breaks hearing this. If you see someone walking in sin and say nothing, it's like handing them a ticket to hell and not feeling one bit bad. We were made to be the salt and light to the world! Ezekiel 33:8-9 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
Oh I agree. We should really fight against evil and really try to help people step away from sin. I mean how many republicans will go to hell in their sin if we don't try to help them become progressive.
Your heart breaks because Scot suggests we take on the characteristics of Jesus ?
I didn't hear Scot say to not talk to them about sin (or even their potential sin). To me, Scot laid love them and like them first. Point them to Jesus. If they want to talk to Scot about their concerns or thoughts on the subject of their (potential) sin, then they can do that and I'm confident Scot would respond lovingly and with grace, but as he said, he would answer to the subject on the conservative side and give his testimony. My takeaway is that Scot is not in their face with their (potential) sin, but he wouldn't shy away from a discussion of it either.
Trying to "fix" a sinner is IMPOSSIBLE. Sure, as Christians, we try to make the world a better place, give good advice, and let people know our moral views. So we might have a gentle word with our "gay" friend about his lifestyle. But make no mistake, you cannot save a "gay man" by persuading him to change his lifestyle!
The reason sinners die is NOT because of their lifestyle - sinners die because the entire human race dies, because they are from Adam, cursed to die. Their names are not written in the Book of Life and so they will be thrown into the fire. The only way to pass from death to life and live forever is to follow Jesus.
So as Christians our priority shouldn't be to try to "fix" the incurably evil world by lecturing friends about their lifestyles. That is to focus on the SYMPTOMS of sin and not fix the actual PROBLEM. The world is evil and cannot be fixed. There are 8 billion sinners sinning right now. We can't stop that.
Unbelievers who "behave themselves" are still going to live empty godless lives and die. No matter how well they behave, their lives are still ultimately going to be meaningless.
Besides, sinners don't need to be TOLD that what they're doing is wrong. They know. What gay men do, they do precisely BECAUSE it's wrong and kinky.
That doesn't mean there is never any call for a Christian to persuade his unbelieving friends to turn from a particular sin. It might be very important in some cases, especially if it puts someone at risk. But every case is different.
Instead of trying to prevent men from sleeping together, which really achieves nothing because however they live their lives, those men are still going to live empty lives and die apart from God. Instead, our priority should be to be a witness to the world, to preach the Good News, to show the goodness of God through our lives in all its many forms.
We should love our enemies, do good deeds, perform the works of God, and demonstrate the Spirit of God through our reformed character, as a witness to the Kingdom of God in our lives. This will generally involve telling people about the Truth of Jesus, and helping them to get born again and become a new creation in Christ.
Jesus did NOT have a ministry of condemning sinful lifestyles. His ministry was about preaching the truth and bringing about forgiveness and salvation to others:
John 3:17
"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
No - How can two walk together - lest they be agreed. Scot has announced his allegiance is in opposition with the Truth in Christ. #Maranatha
”That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.“
Romans 1:26-28 NLT