Christ First Forum

SADNESS FOR “GAY CHRISTIANS”
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Apr 22, 2009 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Emergence Christianity, Emergent Church, Features, Homosexuality/"Christian", Youth Ministry

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the Kingdom of Heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23:13)

If You Truly Loved Someone, Then You Would Care Enough To Tell Them The Truth

A couple of years ago in his Courage and Compassion on Homosexuality Dr. Al Mohler, “Author, Speaker, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,” pointed out:

The church’s engagement with the culture involves a host of issues, controversies, and decisions–but no issue defines our current cultural crisis as clearly as homosexuality. Some churches and denominations have capitulated to the demands of the homosexual rights movement, and now accept homosexuality as a fully valid lifestyle. Other denominations are tottering on the brink, and without a massive conservative resistance, they are almost certain to abandon biblical truth and bless what the Bible condemns.

Within a few short years, a major dividing line has become evident–with those churches endorsing homosexuality on one side, and those stubbornly resisting the cultural tide on the other. (Online source)

Just a year before that Emergence Christianity theologian Brian McLaren had written:

Frankly, many of us don’t know what we should think about homosexuality. We’ve heard all sides but no position has yet won our confidence so that we can say “it seems good to the Holy Spirit and us” … Perhaps we need a five-year moratorium on making pronouncements.

In the meantime, we’ll practice prayerful Christian dialogue, listening respectfully, disagreeing agreeably… We also need to be wise. And loving. And patient. (Online source)

By now many already know that McLaren’s friend, and fellow Emergent, Tony Jones apparently feels he has been “loving” and “patient” long enough. In the Apprising Ministries article Emergence Christianity Theologian Tony Jones And His Unrepentant Homosexual Christians we reminded you that last November he announced his own “it seems good” when he said:

I now believe that GLBTQ can live lives in accord with biblical Christianity (at least as much as any of us can!) and that their monogamy can and should be sanctioned and blessed by church and state. (Online source, bold his)

A couple of months later Jones would also introduce us to practicing lesbian “Christ-follower” Adele Sakler, co-leader of Richmond Emergent Cohort, who also heads up the Emergent Church group Queermergent as well; so For Emergence Christianity Out Goes The Bible And In Comes “Queer Christians”. It’s also interesting to note that Sakler is close with Peter Rollins, a friend of Emerging Church icon Rob Bell. Because Bell is so influential now within evangelicalism AM has written to Mars Hill Bible Church, where he is “teaching pastor,” asking what his position is re. homosexuality.

But as you can see in Rob Bell We Want An Actual Answer To Your Position Concerning The Practice Of Homosexuality all we received is a nebulous form letter. This issue happens to be close to me because I have family, and friends, who are involved in practicing homosexuality, which the Bible condemns as sinful and deviant behavior. We can clearly see, from the above, that this alleged new reformation [read: de-formation] of Christianity—morphing into something now known as Emergence—is embracing the homosexual lifestyle as acceptable behavior for the Christian.

I don’t always see eye-to-eye with Dr. Ron Rhodes, but he was very kind to me when I was just starting out in ministry, and he is a solid evangelical scholar. The point being, he’s certainly not someone we would ever call a radical. In his helpful quick reference guide Homosexuality: What You Need To Know Rhodes is dead-on-target when he says:

In a Bible-believing evangelical church, church discipline is appropriate for a person living in unrepentant homosexual sin. If a member of a church chooses—without remorse, and without willingness to change— to remain a practicing homosexuality, then it is appropriate that this person be put out of fellowship with the rest of the church as a means of church discipline (Mathew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13). The goal is not punishment but restoration to right living. (emphasis his)

Men and women, we have a very serious problem currently brewing within the mainstream evangelical community of the visible church. Not only is Emergence Christianity embracing those unrepentant in their practice of homosexuality, but as you can see here, in addition the Emerging Church is openly and aggressively promoting people who are living in sin as in the case of Adele Sakler. Am I suddenly a mean-spirited unChristian Pharisee to say so; no. Should we embrace a heterosexual professing Christian who’s living in open adultery; no. Isn’t sin, sin anymore; today in evanjellyfish, no.

So indeed we should be sad for “gay Christians” because they are being lied to; and those who continue to do so are really the ones who are the hard-hearted Pharisees slamming the door to the Kingdom in the face of these who need Jesus. Having once been one of those trapped in my sin and feeling so helpless, in my song Hellbound, I would later write to the Church, ”They need Jesus just as much as you do.” Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989), whom Dr. Ron Rhodes once worked with, used to say: “It’s not unloving to tell the truth; you can get in a lot of trouble for doing it, but it’s not unloving.”

John Lanagan, who is a dear friend of mine saved and delivered by Jesus, knows this issue of homosexuality; John knows it very well, and, he knows it quite personally. I’ll close this piece echoing his heartfelt plea:

A division is occurring within the very House of God, within the very Body of Christ. Homospirituality has made its entrance, first through mainline Protestantism, then through the increasingly bold leaders of the Emergent movement. The Holy God looks down upon us all. He sees, and is longsuffering, and will do as He has promised.

All around us are the unsaved. They are in Alcoholics Anonymous, convinced “god” is whatever they please. They are in nursing homes, in wheelchairs, with eternity getting closer and closer and closer. They are the homosexuals and lesbians the world celebrates and placates.

When will we send missionaries to these people? When will we remember that we too were unsaved sinners? (Online source)

http://apprising.org/2009/04/sadness-fo ... hristians/

is someone being gay a product of mankinds sin?

You might find a few people who participate in a homosexual lifestyle who are
playing with something they find forbidden or exciting. A few others may have
been subjected to chemicals which altered them as they developed in utero.
However, the main reason we find described in Romans chapter one.

There is a consequence for rejecting even the knowledge of God. A reprobate
mind is not something pleasant. A consequence of this judicial punishment from
God is homosexuality. People can see their compulsions as so intense that they
feel as if they had been born that way. Its like an alcoholic saying that his drinking
is an endorsement from God.

The significant increase in homosexuality and homosexual apologetics is only a
measurement of the rate at which we as a society are rejecting Christ and even
the knowledge of Christ. Public education has accomplished the goal that Satan
established for it. If you raise children in an environment where the name of Jesus
is forbidden to be mentioned, you should get successive generations for whom
Jesus is not even a distant memory.

Good article,Frank. It puts homosexuality in it's proper prospective. . .compassion for the unsaved and yet standing firm for God's principles.

There is a consequence for rejecting even the knowledge of God.

Ann Graham was speaking once about the Twin Towers attack and said, "we have been kicking God out of our lives for years now and then we wonder where He is when something horrible happens." I, too, believe that we are facing a great many consequences for our nation turning it's back on God and His laws. There is a spiritual battle going on for the souls of men and homosexuality is it's favorite tool. This spirit is very heavy over our country today and we, as Christians, need to be in our Word and address homosexuality the way God would have us to. A gay "Christian" does not know the God of the Bible. He has created for himself a "God" who fits into his compromised way of thinking. Saved, but no consequence for his habitual sin because, after all, his "sin" is just love in another package.

I do know 2 homosexual Christian men who have chosen celibacy (they are not a couple - they don't even know each other). They are 2 blessed men who are living spirit filled lives in their obedience to God and His Word. Praise God.

januarie wrote:I do know 2 homosexual Christian men who have chosen celibacy (they are not a couple - they don't even know each other). They are 2 blessed men who are living spirit filled lives in their obedience to God and His Word. Praise God.

Januarie, If that be the case then they would no longer be homosexuals! Hopefully they are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness.

Thats a good article.

Januarie I also know a lady one of the honest God fearing lady's i know she was homosexual but once realizing how wrong it was got out of it and now lives on her own. She said at first when she begin living that lifestyle she let herself believe loving someone and wanting to be with them as a partner and then God is a God of love then its alright. Said this was her reasoning and compromising with God's truth. God opened her eyes, she now lives a life strictly for God and His truth.

Remnant wrote:
Januarie, If that be the case then they would no longer be homosexuals! Hopefully they are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness.

That is correct. Neither are they heterosexual. They live for the glory of God.

Heaven, that is a good testimony.