Here’s a parable Jesus told.
Luke 18:9-14 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Here’s a video clip of a pastor (the “him” in the title of this post) from North Carolina.
How’s that for missing the gospel? That kind of preaching makes me “puking sick.” You might as well say, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, homosexuals …” Look, let’s get a few things right. The Bible, despite the interpretational olympic-like gymnastics of many, including our President, is clear that homosexuality is a sin. Indeed, according to Romans 1 it is the indication that God has given a person (and society) over to itself to do as it pleases, which of course is a form of judgment. As such, an unrepentant homosexual must repent, or die in their sins and be condemned. He must beat his breast and say, “God be merciful to me a sinner and one of those sins is homosexual practice.”
So why does this particular sin evoke such heat? I think because it is unnatural. Think about what the Scriptures say in Romans 1: “26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.” Do you see it? Homosexual relations are both sinful AND unnatural. It’s the unnatural that makes the man “puking sick” or as others might say it more gently, “it gives me the heebie jeebies.” If a man has sex with a woman outside of marriage, either as unmarried teens or adulterers, it is sinful but not unnatural (at least not in a fallen sense; one could argue that any sin is unnatural to us in that we were made to image forth God’s beauty perfectly but since the fall this is not possible; so man was intended to live in a way that any sin would be unnatural; enter sin and this is no longer possible; now, all sin is as natural to us as breathing, until we are born-again and even then there remains indwelling sin; ah, I digress …).
But listen. It’s not the “unnatural” part that condemns a sinner. It’s the “sin” part. So, an unrepentant heterosexual fornicator or adulterer or clean-cut, loud-mouthed preacher is condemned as well. Jesus is so clear on this. He came to save, not to condemn. And that’s not a softened, Jesus-is-my-buddie-who-just-wants-me-to-be-happy theological take on the gospels like some want it to be. The reason he came not to condemn is because man is condemned already. See John 3:16-36. He didn’t have to condemn because sinful man is already under God’s judgment. The reason he came was to make a way to have all our sexual immorality, judgmentalism and all the other multitudes of sins we enjoy or don’t enjoy, forgiven, and to cover us with his righteousness (his non-sexual immorality and non-judgmentalism). And if that happens, if a person receives that forgiveness and righteousness, it’s not by their works but by his grace lest any man should boast (see Ephesians 2:8-9). If you are saved by God’s grace it is not your doing – you have no boast nor reason to think yourself better than others. [Indeed, I think I felt in my heart, “Lord, thank God I am not like this pastor who said these things …” But the only reason I haven’t said something like that is not because of my righteousness but because of God’s grace worked in me.]
So, preach the right gospel. And preach the gospel rightly, in a way and tone that communicates the love of Christ. Remind them that no matter who they are they were made in God’s image. Tell them that God hates the sin they do. Tell them that God hates what they have become. Tell them that even if they feel they have been made that way or driven to their sin by someone who has sinned against them. (Responding to sin with sin is not an excuse.) Tell them of the great heart of God. Tell them that Christ died for sinners, is a friend of sinners, and came for sinners – not the righteous. And tell them that God wants to make them into something so much better than they are even if they can’t imagine what that might be. Tell them they must turn from their sin, whatever that might be and it just might be self-righteousness, and rest fully in Christ. And as you tell them know that but for the grace of God you too would be unrepentant, dead in your sins, either as an unrepentant homosexual or self-righteous prude. Tell them knowing that if there is no hope for whoever you think is the worse sinner of all then there is no hope for yourself.
Reblogged this on Publican's Progress.