This post follows in response to my remarks about the Huffington Post "indoctrination" of youth accept gay marriage.
How should believers deal with the rise of homosexual marriage in the United States?
Two Pastors informed me wisely on dealing with this issue.
Pastor Ray Comfort of Living Waters Ministries asserted that when I share about my faith in Jesus Christ, never bring up the homosexuality issue with someone who is living out such conduct. For many people, they are "ready with their boxing gloves" to fight on the issue.
Then Comfort followed with:
"Give them the Ten Commandments (with Jesus' extended clarifications). Show them that he is damned, in spite of his perversion."
Pastor Joseph Prince of Singapore suggested something more blessed.
If someone asks "Is homosexuality a sin?" Answer with "How do you define sin?"
Throughout the Epistle of Romans, Paul never defines sin as a verb, or based on our actions, but as a noun, based on our status in this world.
Here is the first mention of sin in Romans:
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The answer is much more than breaking God's law, but a deeper problem, for everyone of us is born into this world dead in our trespasses, with sin in our flesh.
Paul explains this matter at length in Romans Chapter Five:
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What is sin, then, but a status of being separated from God. His grace and righteousness flow freely to all who are willing to believe on Him whom the Father has sent to die for us (John 6: 29; Romans 5: 8)
When we accept that Jesus died for our sins, and condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8: 1-3), we receive His life and God takes us from dead in our trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places in Christ.
When we become temples of the Holy Spirit, with Christ within us, our hope (confident expectation of glory), then perverse, sinful, and ultimately harmful choices no longer entice.
Paul reminded the Corinthians that they had been taken from dead to alive, from darkness to light:
"9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11)
Paul did not highlight homosexual perversion on a different plane.
People are seeking life, but they choose sin, and with sin comes death.
Righteousness gives us life (Romans 8: 10), and we receive this life through Christ Jesus (John 10: 10)
We receive the highest honor that man can ever attain: seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, where we receive the same unclouded, unruffled favor of Jesus Christ.
If we want to help anyone break free of any perversion, whether sexual or otherwise, the answer is not shoving the Gospel down people's throats, and certainly not compromising to let people do as they please with their bodies.
God did not send His Son to condemn the world, no matter what perversion men were caught in.
In fact, because God send His Son to die for us, the only thing that will send men and women to hell will be their refusal to accept Jesus as the propitiation, or the payment for all their sins.
"8And when he [The Holy Spirit, who witness of Christ Jesus] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16: 8-11)
The one sin that will send anyone in this world to hell will be not believing on Jesus Christ. Every Christian has been convicted of this one sin, and from that point on, everyone of us is forever convicted of righteousness.
Righteousness grants us life, and all spiritual blessings with it.
The truth which every person, even those who are caught up in homosexual conduct, needs to hear is that in Christ every sin is put away, and the gift of righteousness affords to every person the very need which they have, yet have been so deceived by sin against receiving.
God Himself did not create this fallen earth, and He sent His Son so that no one need suffer one minute more, and can enjoy eternity with Him, and receive all blessings with Christ.