The way you have written third article and it’s ending sound very much like an appeasement to homosexuality. Jesus although not condemning says quite clearly go thy way and sin no more. You say this earlier yet your summation neglects that simple fact. By doing so you also gloss over Pauls comments regarding the use of our bodies for their non use. I.e. annul intercourse will never get you pregnant but it will land you in the mire.Yes their are hundreds of other sins that we all commit such as adultary, lies, deceit etc. The simple fact is that if we have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that (a) if we meaningfully repent of our sins or (b) better still live by Gods Laws because we have faith to know that that is the way to God, then we cannot continue to blatantly commit sin intentionally over and over again. It’s a bit like being in the Mafia and comitting murder or bombing people and then going to church with remorse (maybe) but doing the same thing again on Monday Morning. As you say no man is born a homosexual so to commit that sin because of the popular creed of if it feels good do it, is absolutely wrong. Judge no man lest thou be judged is also true but you can still fight for righteousness in all forms of life without judging because we are all sinners, Yet by faith we must try to stop sinning and as Jesus Says Sin No More. Lastly the New Testament States that the man/woman who cleanses their soul/house yet returns to their previous sin, then their state becomes worse than the original state.
Personally I think you’ve watered down the whole concept in your final paragraph as an appeasement for (in this case) homosexuality and the act of sodomy.
Jack Heckathorne’s Reply….
It was not my intent to appease or condemn homosexuals. The title is “Can Homosexuals Go to Heaven” Our sins do not determine our eternal destination. Our faith in Christ does. Until a homosexual accepts Christ as savior the Holy Spirit cannot work in his life to change him. I did say in my article that homosexuality is a sin worthy of death. What more can be said against it. However I will not condemn the homosexual himself because Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save it.
This business of holier than thou Christians condemning unbelieving sinners is the very reason the Church has failed to evangelize the world. They are so busy running down unbelievers sins that they forget that they are the only people that God has to preach the gospel to the world. We are not here to reform the world but rather to evangelize it.
Yes Christians should resist sin. Yes we should confess our sins (1 Jn 1:9) to be forgiven if we do sin.
When we condemn unbelievers all we are doing is driving them further away from God. Jesus did tell the prostitute to go and sin no more (habitually) but she was already a believer and he did not condemn her. I will not condemn homosexuals. I do not approve of it and I personally think its disgusting but my intent is to let homosexuals know that they can accept Christ and be saved like anyone else. Jesus said preach the Gospel to the whole world not just the people that we approve of. So, saying to them that they should sin no more is not the way of salvation. I choose to simply quote a salvation scripture.
You are confusing Salvation and the Christian way of life. Salvation is faith in the Person and work of Christ and the Christian life is learning, resisting sin, and teaching the Gospel of Christ etc. It is not condemnation of anyone or their sins. Salvation comes first then the Christian life. Some people accept Christ and remain carnal. Others accept Christ and choose to learn and live the Christian Life through the study of Gods word.
If we had evangelized the world as we should have in the last few generations many more people would be Christians living the Christian life and homosexuality would be far less prevalent today.
Thank you for your comment
Regards
Jack Heckathorne GJCN