This picture is making its rounds and I am compelled to offer a little commentary. There is a pamphlet making its rounds too—both implying that Jesus said nothing gay people.
To this I respond…
Sure he did. He said all kinds of things about gay people, and straight people, and bisexual people, and even people who prefer animals. Jesus says to all people—whether gay, straight, or whatever—that they need to repent or perish. He lets all people know that their self-righteousness is nothing in the kingdom of God but the work of God is to believe upon Jesus Christ. He lets all people know that their fundamental identity is not leveled to a sexual choice/orientation/or whatever you want to call it. People’s fundamental identity is as creature in relation to Creator. He calls the shots—not you or I. And He considers us rebels that need to repent.
If you are not trusting in Christ for salvation I’m not really concerned at this point with arguing about whether homosexuality is right or wrong. Because I could convince you that it is wrong—or you could convince me that it is okay—and either way if you are not trusting in Christ you either go to hell for homosexuality and a host of other sins (if I’m right) or you go to hell innocent of the charge of homosexuality but guilty of other offenses. It really doesn’t matter.
I do know that you and I share common ground in that we are both prideful and given to self-righteousness, defensiveness, and deceptive hearts that worry more about justifying self than trusting in Christ. I also know that we both were created by God in His image. And I also know that the only way for us to not engage in God-belittling and joy-robbing rebellion and idolatry is for God to work in our hearts in such a way that we see Christ as more precious and beautiful than fleeting pleasures that may be tasteful morsels for a season but wind up empty in the end.
I urge you to trust in Christ and his own righteousness and not your own. The chief reason that you are walking around holding signs and telling people that being homosexual is not wrong is because you are wanting to be found innocent. The issue isn’t whether homosexuality is right or it is wrong. The key issue for you is to know that the only way that you will be declared innocent is through the finished work of Jesus Christ. That’s why he says repent or perish to gay, straight, bi-sexual, and everywhere in-between or left to right of that.
There's a real dangerous assumption there that passages dealing with homosexuality that don't appear in the Gospel (or aren't printed in red as the words of Christ) like Romans 1:18-32 is some how not "the words of Christ" in as strong a sense as what he uttered with His physical mouth.
ReplyDeleteI'm particularly troubled by that kind of dichotomy because I hear it not just from stupid graphics like the one above but from church folk as well.
I agree with you Jeff. I think the other thing that people forget is that Jesus was a practicing Jew. He came to bring fulfillment to the Jewish faith that was given to mankind by God. That's why the old testament (otherwise known as the Torah) is still vitally important to Christianity. The old testament is God's word which is just as important as Christ's.
DeleteJeff,
ReplyDeleteI had actually typed up another response earlier, that included this very point. What you read above was merely one point out of three points...but I decided to simply make this one particular point.
Thanks for the comment!
mike