Unconditional love and the church's approach to homosexuality
- Thread starter Unearthed
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
I guess you never took Anthropology Jerry. I did. but here is a primer for you
If someone asked you to describe your identity to them, where would you begin? Would it come down to your skin color or your nationality? What about the language you speak, your religion, your cultural traditions or your family's ancestry?
This bewildering question often pushes people to separate their identities into two parts: race versus ethnicity. But what do these two terms actually mean, and what's the difference between race and ethnicity in the first place?
These words are often used interchangeably, but technically, they're defined as separate things. "'Race' and 'ethnicity' have been and continue to be used as ways to describe human diversity," said Nina Jablonski, an anthropologist and palaeobiologist at The Pennsylvania State University, who is known for her research into the evolution of human skin color. "Race is understood by most people as a mixture of physical, behavioral and cultural attributes. Ethnicity recognizes differences between people mostly on the basis of language and shared culture."
If someone asked you to describe your identity to them, where would you begin? Would it come down to your skin color or your nationality? What about the language you speak, your religion, your cultural traditions or your family's ancestry?
This bewildering question often pushes people to separate their identities into two parts: race versus ethnicity. But what do these two terms actually mean, and what's the difference between race and ethnicity in the first place?
These words are often used interchangeably, but technically, they're defined as separate things. "'Race' and 'ethnicity' have been and continue to be used as ways to describe human diversity," said Nina Jablonski, an anthropologist and palaeobiologist at The Pennsylvania State University, who is known for her research into the evolution of human skin color. "Race is understood by most people as a mixture of physical, behavioral and cultural attributes. Ethnicity recognizes differences between people mostly on the basis of language and shared culture."
You're free to agree with man-made social/racial constructs. I will stick with what God's word declares: we are all of man, created in God's image and after His likeness. We are all human, though we have been divided and made separate by God's sovereign choice of Israel (there is Israel and there are goyim, or nations not Israel). However, all are human and therefore related one to another by their humanity.
When Adam and Eve were created, they must have possessed every possible genetic combination that accounts for the various levels of melanin, various heights, sizes, shapes, colored eyes, etc, all of which are human.
From the time God instructed and saved Noah, to the time when Nimrod ordered the tower built, to the time when God confounded the languages of the men at Babel, to the time when God chose Abraham, there is one human race.
From Abraham to today, there are many nations (one Israel and many goyim), but all are human, and therefore one.
-
1
- Show all
1 John 2: 18 & 19
"Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us."
It's easy to claim to be a Christian. Statistically, somewhere around 4% of church attenders are actually born again. Making the claim is one thing, what God says about them another. There is nothing new about this. I was involved in a fellowship where the people seemed on fire for the Lord. Most of them fell away when the pastor went overseas for 3 weeks. I asked the Lord why, He just said, "The parable of the sower".
I know from personal experience. I went out the front at a Billy Graham meeting, made a decision, signed the card, did the follow up program and - nothing. I was just as lost as before I went to the meeting. When I was born again a few years later, I knew it was for real. Eternal life is just that - eternal. If someone is born again and falls away, they will come back. I met someone I knew 30 years ago who backslid completely. Lord Jesus had just brought her back. The born again are like corks on water, they can be pushed down, but they will rise to the surface again.
What backsliders suffer is the loss of kingdom rewards. They get into heaven by the skin of their teeth, so to speak. It's a shame that there is so little emphasis on the Kingdom of God. It's supposed to be priority number one. Instead we get arguments about doctrine, disunity, spiritual pride and a lack of love. A good deal of the problem goes back to the point I made before. Many churchgoers are Christians in name only. The Bible says that God puts us into Christ. And only God can take us out of Christ. So we need to be sure that we are in Christ in the first place. Then we can depend on the keeping power of Christ. John 17 is Jesus's prayer for all Christians. If ever there was prayer that God would answer, it was that one.
"Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us."
It's easy to claim to be a Christian. Statistically, somewhere around 4% of church attenders are actually born again. Making the claim is one thing, what God says about them another. There is nothing new about this. I was involved in a fellowship where the people seemed on fire for the Lord. Most of them fell away when the pastor went overseas for 3 weeks. I asked the Lord why, He just said, "The parable of the sower".
I know from personal experience. I went out the front at a Billy Graham meeting, made a decision, signed the card, did the follow up program and - nothing. I was just as lost as before I went to the meeting. When I was born again a few years later, I knew it was for real. Eternal life is just that - eternal. If someone is born again and falls away, they will come back. I met someone I knew 30 years ago who backslid completely. Lord Jesus had just brought her back. The born again are like corks on water, they can be pushed down, but they will rise to the surface again.
What backsliders suffer is the loss of kingdom rewards. They get into heaven by the skin of their teeth, so to speak. It's a shame that there is so little emphasis on the Kingdom of God. It's supposed to be priority number one. Instead we get arguments about doctrine, disunity, spiritual pride and a lack of love. A good deal of the problem goes back to the point I made before. Many churchgoers are Christians in name only. The Bible says that God puts us into Christ. And only God can take us out of Christ. So we need to be sure that we are in Christ in the first place. Then we can depend on the keeping power of Christ. John 17 is Jesus's prayer for all Christians. If ever there was prayer that God would answer, it was that one.
E
I was not even directing anything to you
as for what you believe, I already proved your pride will not allow you to get on your knees and give it all to Christ, you believe god demands we must maintain our salvation by works
now yu can either back away like a smart man. It I will repost what you said.
your forgiveness means nothing, because I have done nothing wrong,
as for what you believe, I already proved your pride will not allow you to get on your knees and give it all to Christ, you believe god demands we must maintain our salvation by works
now yu can either back away like a smart man. It I will repost what you said.
your forgiveness means nothing, because I have done nothing wrong,
You've done no wrong? 👏 You don't examine yourself at all, it seems. I have, I do, and I will continue to examine myself, for repentance and the Lord commands that we examine ourselves. You can go on believing you've done no wrong, though.
You have my permission to repost all of what I wrote. I am neither in fear of being right on some things nor wrong on some things, for God knows my heart. As to you, however, since you are right on all things, you have nothing at all to worry about: You've done no wrong. 👏
You have my permission to repost all of what I wrote. I am neither in fear of being right on some things nor wrong on some things, for God knows my heart. As to you, however, since you are right on all things, you have nothing at all to worry about: You've done no wrong. 👏
I do examine myself, and when I do, this is what I find: I am saved, I am being sanctified, and one day I will be eternally glorified with my Lord Jesus and every other saint. God willing, you might be, too.
I have repented and confessed, I do repent and confess, and will continue to repent and confess the rest of my entire lifetime until I am at home and present with the Lord. How about you?
I have repented and confessed, I do repent and confess, and will continue to repent and confess the rest of my entire lifetime until I am at home and present with the Lord. How about you?
Brother or sister, no one who is saved is homosexual, and in church, me personally I wouldn’t allow a homosexual, not that i don’t love them but, how about the bride of Christ to be kept pure? this is my point, if that person is overcome by sin as Galatians 6:2 says seeking help, then i can allow that kind of person, but if it is like the brother in 1 Corinthians 5, as Paul himself says our responsibility is to judge these type of people among us. We can’t help a person who is unwilling to get help similarly the Lord said in Matthew 7:6 “don’t throw what is sacred to the dogs..” Not that the Lord hates these people, in fact He loves them enough to die for them but the meaning here is similar to the one in Proverbs 26:11 the unrepentant, people are the ones to be not kept, the only love act we can have is pray for them. We don’t play God sister or brother some might be trying to play God honestly , our responsibility is to judge the unrepentant among us, just as the unrepentant go to hell, and the woman that the stones weren’t cast was herself repentant, and humble. The Lord said go and sin no more, He didn’t say you are a sinner or condemn, maybe this is the point you are trying to make that instead of saying youre a homosexual, your this your that, we should say repent, because this isn’t good?
romans 6:1-4 “what shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Those who are baptized are baptized into new life, not living in the old. Repent from your dishonorning contradiction of the unconditional love of God.