With statements like this, I might as well stay a methodist.
When you adopt the language of the sodomites as legitimate, they’re half way to having you.
To a certain extent he’s correct. The temptation to engage in homosexuality is not purely a matter of choice. Temptation can be managed and even redirected in Christian ways, but that usually takes faith, time, and discipline. In other words, I can’t entirely control it if I’m attracted to a pretty woman who is not my wife.
Fortunately, temptation is not sin. What is a matter of choice is how I react to the temptation. If I choose to act on it or even wish I could act on it, that’s sinning. Sometimes I wish I could turn off temptation—it’s annoying—but I know God will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can resist. He’s promised that.
As for bringing homosexuals into the church, I see nothing wrong with it so long as they’re repentant. However, I believe homosexuality is a disorder so pernicious I would be very, very hesitant to put even repentant homosexuals in leadership positions. That’s not incompatible with scripture, because scriptural says only the best of the best should be given such leadership roles in the church.
It’s not shocking at all. Christians must share the Gospel. Homosexuals are not beyond redemption.
“...unless we understand that only the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ gives a homosexual person any hope of release from homosexuality.”
Guess what? the Lord is our only hope against any kind of sin.
I never understood the phobia thing. I’m homoPHOBIC if I think the lifestyle is a sin? And why isn’t this so-called phobia treated with the same patience and tolerance that other phobias are?
The error I find in what this otherwise intelligent man has said — is this he neglects to consider that the reprobate mind of the homosexual demands that to have them sitting among us in our churches means we accept their lifestyle choice-and do not expect change. The Gospel according to John clearly shows in John Chapter 3 that a man must be born anew/born form above. That a man must be dead to sin and alive in Christ a new creation is central to what I believe and leaves no room for the unrepentant homosexual. Now if one is struggling with that demonic orientation and that John 3 experience has not
manifest yet they can sit among us -but not if they continue in their sin that Gods Grace be increased.Sometimes the sinner must be utterly cut off lest that leven leven the whole loaf.
I’ve been to many churches in my life and not one of them asked my sexual orientation before entering.
All heresies “go wobbly”, eventually.
In our SBC church in So. Cal., we’d have gays and lesbians visit. Sometimes they came with the intent to disrupt the service.
Once, about six transvestites dressed like hookers sashayed in after the service had started, creating a ruckus and expecting to be thrown out. (We in the choir had a panoramic view of the complete incident.) Instead of asking them to leave, the ushers escorted them to pews, and nobody in the congregation reacted to the weirdness. When they realized they weren’t getting the reaction they’d hoped for, they left.
Anyhow, we should welcome anyone to into the church services as it may be the only time they’ll hear the gospel. They shouldn’t be accepted as members while practicing sin, though. The old, “Hate the sin; love the sinner” saying.
“Homophobic” is the FEAR of homosexuals, not the hatred of homosexuals. We shouldn’t fear or hate them — just pray for them.
And it sounds like he still holds that position.
As anyone who has read the article would have noticed, he said that homosexuality is a sin. He basically said the equilivant of: hate the sin; love the sinner.
Why are Christians even attentive to the gay community’s opinions regarding homosexually???
Ignore them. I could care less if they call us homophobes.
Most gays I know are hard core atheists and will NEVER give up their deviant lifestyle until they discover God on their own.
JMO...
Homosexuality is sin. So are gluttony, lust and lying. Anyone here on FR guilty of those?
Churches should reach out to homosexuals in Christ's love, but should never condone or approve of their sin. Instead we need to inform them of what God says, show how sin can be defeated with the power of the Holy Spirit and how to live a moral and upright life before the Lord.
If we truly love the sinner, this shouldn't scare us or cause us to hate these people any more than alcoholism or drug addiction. However, Christians should NEVER put a homosexual in any sort of leadership or ministry position. This includes choir director or organist.
Finally, we need to remember that homosexuality is demonic and must be countered through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The homosexual sex acts are an abomination to God, period! They are are absolutely a CHOICE. A sober alcoholic still wants a drink, but refrains. With God, all things are possible. BUT, the sinner has to hear about it.
Mohler is saying that many Christians will not reach out to homosexuals. He clearly affirms that homosexuality is sin, but also is affirming that it is not the unforgiveable sin.
It sounds as if he is recognizing that it is a difficult lifestyle to escape from for those who will listen to the message of Christ. I agree with that. I consider it a lot like alcoholism....there might be fits and starts before one gets it right.
The line in the sand, though, is that it always and forever must be acknowledged as sinful and destructive. It must never receive a positive representation.
Looks like the Southern Baptists are getting ready to fall apart.
Look into Mohler’s background. I suspect there is something there to make him say this now.
I love Dr Mohler. I do not love the word: "homophobia" because it literally means: "the fear of man". It is commonly used to falsely accuse those who are not under the curse of sodomy and still have a natural revulsion for it of being "irrationally afraid". While it is true that my revulsion for sodomy and effete behavior is visceral, it is also very rational. We don't wallow in excrement because it is disgusting and unhealthy. We don't swim during a thunderstorm because it makes us susceptible to lightning. And in general we don't hang out with suicidal maniacs. But sodomy is like swimming in an open sewer during a thunderstorm. Sodomites are proud, self loathing blind men who want to defile everything around them while begging God for their own destruction.
They need a lifeguard, but the lifeguard ain't us. We all need a lifeguard and he is Jesus Christ. Our sins are inconvenient and they come from our prideful and willfully ignorant reprobation. The revulsion we feel for homosexuals should give us a tiny taste of the revulsion that our Holy and Just God has for our heap of stinking sins. Mohler is right, sodomy is not "a choice" is is "inconvenient reprobation" and we need to pray for God's amazing grace and love in the way we deal with those despicable reprobates because some of them are His and God forbid that we continue to call unclean what He has made clean. We all need to humbly retain God in our knowledge or we will surely fall under the same terminal curse.
God’s grace in Christ is ENOUGH for any sinner to be saved and to become a child of God!
I’ll see him in church this Sunday...I’ll be tempted to confront him on this subject.