Christian Love
If the love of God is in our hearts,
we will show it in our lives. The bible
says that "by this shall all men know us."
John 13:35
True Christians are to love everyone.
1 John 3:14-15
But that does not mean that we are to approve
of lifestyles and actions that are contrary to
Gods' Word. This includes homosexuality.
Christians who follow God's word know that
homosexuality is a serious sin, but that does
not mean they are to hate people who are gay.
True Christianity is opposed
to hatred of anyone.
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother,
he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom
he hath not seen? And this commandment have
we from him, that he who loveth God love
his brother also - 1 John 4:19-21.
God warns us in Leviticus 18:22-24; "Thou shalt
not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is
abomination. Do not defile yourselves in any of
these ways, because this is how the nations that I
am going to drive out before you became defiled."
Remember what happened to Sodom and
Gomorrah - Genesis 19:1-29. The outcry
to the Lord against this people was so
great - Genesis 19:13. They had detestable
practices and were depraved - Ezekiel 16:47.
They were arrogant, overfed, unconcerned,
they did not help the poor and needy, they
were haughty and they did detestable
things before God - Ezekiel 16:49-50.
Ezekiel 16:49-50, Genesis 18:20-21 and
Genesis 19:13 all show us that homosexuality
was a reason for their destruction.
The bible tells us in Jude 1:7 that Sodom and
Gomorrah and also the surrounding towns gave
themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.
These people are to be an example to us of the
ones who will suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
In Old Testament times, the punishment
for homosexuality was death.
It is in Leviticus 20:13:
"If a man lies with a man as one lies with
a woman, both of them have done what
is detestable. They must be put to death;
their blood will be on their own heads."
They were executed,
just as adulterers were.
When Jesus came, He did not overrule the
Old Testament Law on such sins as stealing,
idolatry, murder, or adultery, and He also
did not change God’s Law on homosexuality.
He rebuked the Pharisees for many mistaken
ideas they had, but He never corrected them
for the Scripture they studied or their view
of homosexuality. In the New Testament,
Paul also gave very explicit warnings
prohibiting homosexuality.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is very clear:
"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 nor thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers
will inherit the kingdom of God."
Romans 1:26-27 says that both men and women
sin terribly in exchanging natural relations
for unnatural homosexual relations.
All homosexual practices are sinful and they can
keep us from going to heaven. They are every
bit as bad as sexual immorality, drunkenness,
and other sins - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
We are all born with a sinful nature, whether
we are gay or straight. We must accept Jesus
as our Lord and Saviour because without
Him, none of us will be fit for heaven.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us:
"...You are not your own; you were bought at a
price. Therefore honor God with your body."
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 says:
"It is God’s Will that you should be holy; that
you should avoid sexual immorality; that each
of you should learn to control his own body in a
way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate
lust like the heathen, who do not know God."
But, homosexuality is not an unforgivable
sin. Reading on in 1 Corinthians 6:11, it says:
"And such were some of you. But you
were washed and you were cleansed."
This tells us that some of the Corinthian
Christians were former homosexuals,
sexually immoral, drunkards and such,
but that God forgave them!
You can't change yourself. So, let God
change you. 1 Corinthians 6:11 says that
God cleansed them. He changed them.
We are ALL, both straight and gay,
unclean to God. But when we repent and
come to Jesus, we are sanctified. It is that
special cleansing done by the Holy Spirit
in the lives of ALL who believe.
We cannot save ourselves, but those who are
truly saved work out their salvation within
themselves as God works in their lives.
Philippians 2:12-13 says:
"...continue to work out your salvation with fear
and trembling, for it is God who works in you,
to will and to act according to His good purpose."
So, to everyone, gay or straight, Acts 2:37-40
instructs us to "repent and be baptized, every
one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that
your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for
you and your children and for all who are far
off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."
So, repent of homosexuality, just like
we need to repent from all sins. You must
make up your mind to refrain from all gay
activities. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you.
1 Peter 2:11 says we must abstain from sinful
desires that war against our soul. Jesus died
and rose so that EVERYONE could be forgiven
and sanctified. He came to this sinful world
to make a holy people for Himself.
BibleQuery.org
"Thank you Lord for loving us so completely.
May we honor You by giving that love
back to others... Amen."
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