I was driving home listening to the John MacArthur program today that was actually talking about homosexuality. That has lately been a blog topic here and so I was listening with keen interest. MacArthur’s announcer spoke about churches that are coming to homosexuals and telling them that Jesus Christ accepts them as they are.
I thought about that statement and thought “That’s not worded the best.”
Why? Because that is the honest truth and we shouldn’t hide it! Jesus Christ does accept homosexuals just as they are! He doesn’t ask them to become heterosexuals before they come to him. He asks them to come as they are! The difference is that he does not want to leave them as they are. He will work to bring about change in the homosexual’s life.
Why? Homosexuality is a sin. It’s clearly shown to be such in both testaments and in both testaments, it’s shown to be a moral principle that all people should know innately. It violates the nature of sexuality. This has been shown in other blogs though and I have no desire to repeat it now. I will be glad to defend it if need be though.
Of course, we in the Christian community have to realize other truths. Gluttony is a sin. Sloth is a sin. Lust is a sin. Pride is a sin. Adultery is a sin. Lying is a sin. We have so many other sins. Now I do realize that we are told homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. (I take this to mean also, active homosexuals. I think the Christian who struggles with this and remains celibate knowing that homosexual intercourse is a sin is not under the wrath of God.) However, we have a fair number of sins too.
The good news is that the same applies to us. Christ accepts us as we are. However, he also refuses to leave us as we are and we are under the hand of the Potter constantly being reshaped into what we are to be. Unfortunately, many of us are very stubborn to change and we resist it at every opportunity that we get. (I am far more like Monk in this regard than many realize.)
If only we could step back and see the end goal. In the end, we will be a product that will look like Christ. Read Romans 8:29-30 sometime. We will be conformed to his likeness. There’s no might. There’s no “Those who work hard.” There’s no “Hopefully.” We will be conformed. It is presented as if it was a certainty. This is one of those passages that I wish I could grasp the reality of it for some time and really think that “Yeah. One day, I’m going to be like Christ.”
If only we could see that.
Yet I dare say it church. It will not start until we see the beginning truth. If we see we are loved as we are now and that this process of transforming us is an act of love, maybe we’d be more willing. Being sanctified is not so we will be accepted. It’s because we already are.
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