Posted on 07/26/2008 9:19:38 AM PDT by marbren
Question:
I am a born-again Christian, having come to faith 10 years ago when I admitted to Christ I was a sinner, believed that Christ is God's Son and that He died for me and rose again, and choosing to live my life with Him as my Savior. I have a problem with your response to the homosexual question. You write that homosexuals do not go to heaven. If homosexuals do not go to heaven, then neither do boasters, adulterers, self-centered people, thieves, liars, or anyone for that matter.
You write that "So, you see, there is hope for anyone, homosexual, adulterer, drunkard, etc., to become one of God's family. But when a person does become a believer, the homosexuality ends." I'd like to examine the last of those two sentences...You say that when a person becomes a believer, the homosexuality ends. I would pose this question to you...When a prideful person becomes a believer, does his pride end? When a selfish person becomes a believer, does his selfishness end? When a liar becomes a believer do his lies end?
Answer:
Thanks for these thoughts. I do agree with you in one sense. However, I'm trying also to work with the biblical language. The Bible states that homosexuals do not go to heaven, in a variety of ways and passages. What that means is that a person who is a believer is really entirely different, including the way he thinks of himself. Many religious people have borrowed from the therapeutic view related to alcoholism that a person is merely a "recovering alcoholic" or in this case, a "recovering homosexual". This is not true for true Christians as far as the Bible is concerned. "Such were some of you" (1 Cor. 6:9-11), means that lifestyle is in the past and the old man has died. You are not a homosexual any more. You are a Christian. But you might be a Christian who still has some problem with remaining habits and sins. In fact, we all do. You are substantially different, as indicated by your behavior. The fact that the old you has died, however, is a necessary assertion, from Romans 6. And sin is an aberration and an infiltrator. You are not what you were, but your are new. And your behavior validates that if your salvation is real.
May God give you continued hope and help as you trust Him.
Jim
Welcome to the family of God.
It’s a joke ...
And I'm not Christian.
Is it the responsibilty of Christians to be the moral policemen for unbelivers?
If I had to guess, I’d say probably not, since discussions like this tend to be a little too esoteric for me. The only answer that comes to mind is that only God can answer it, and clearly I’m not His spokesman. Beyond that, loving and praying for neighbors is the job to do; that and trying to keep my own house in order.
“It’s a joke”
I didn’t think it was funny.
In fact, your joke was actually “... laughing at another man’s calamity” (surely being trapped in such a vile lifestyle can be considered a calamity ..??).
And .. the Bible is quite clear that when you do laugh at another man’s calamity .. you WILL NOT GET YOUR PRAYERS ANSWERED.
So .. suit yourself.
I have personally witnessed to a homosexual dying of AIDS (I found out he had received Jesus when he was just 7 years old - but look what the devil has done to his life) .. and at the last moment, he repented and ask God to forgive him. When he died, God allowed me to see a vision of him in heaven - dressed in white - smiling - no longer stricken with AIDS. It was my distinct honor to reveal that vision to his grief stricken parents.
God tells us that when He asks us to witness to someone and we do not .. and they die - still in their sin - then their blood is on our hands. That doesn’t mean that we must witness to everybody .. it means that when God specifically tells you to witness to someone .. He will give you the words to comfort them and lead them to Him. When we do that, and they still reject Him, then their blood is no longer on our hands.
I agree.
If you are afflicted with the Same Sex Affection Disorder, but do not allow your self to fall, then yes you can go to heaven.
If you play church while being in a homosexual relationship, then I doubt it.
But the same can be said for any sex outside of marriage.
Get a life ...
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
“Get a life ...”
I already have life eternal .. and you ..??
Note to self ... do not post on humorless Taliban like religious threads again
Pleased to report that God is NOT politically correct nor does he sway to the libs pressure to “please”
My understanding of scripture is pretty clear on this... and nice, honest, reverent gays.. well, bless their souls, just dont have the right formula for heaven
If I can overlook scripture & literal interpretation, then .. well, hey.. let everyone in.. murders, rapists, etc. That is NOT my understanding.
Grace covers w/o works.. but Christianity is defined by grace AND LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE to see if the conversion is real.. Faith w/o works is indeed DEAD
flame away. I am not a fighter.. will not engage.. just stating my view.
I love you all FReeper friends.. gay, straight, blue , black or white.
I worked in Houston with the AIDS community as a hospice chaplain.
It is /was a difficult ministry. To be loving to the patients & true to your God.
Death process reveals a lot of soul searching on MANY areas.. sexuality being just one.
I must say there were a lot of changes in soul journeys on this issue.
Most truly did NOT know scripture.. Just KNEW God loves everyone & all are okay for him (libs really do their jobs well)
I became very close to those in the gay community & did most of their funerals....they knew I was NOT an appeaser & were grateful for it. The families appreciate honesty over sugar coating.
The truth will make you free, indeed.
If one doesn’t accept scripture as valid then one can believe whatever they chosel... easily..
I would be VERY afriad to go that route personally
Pricking your conscience .. am I ..??
Hmmmm ..?? I never understood why people couldn't understand that God loved them so much .. He even gave them the power NOT TO CHOOSE HIM.
Good luck with your choice!
Romans 14:23(b)NIV..."and everything that does not come from faith is sin"
THAT is about the best summation I have ever seen. We live in meat machines that tell us a variety of things are fun, and overcoming those addictions is decidedly NOT fun. But though Christ's sacrifice, all is possible.
Another wonderful and accurate wording. As I have note in other postings...it is an addiction that transforms people from being brothers, sons, sisters, daughters, bowlers, athletes, boaters, singers, etc. who happen to be homosexuals into GAY PEOPLE where the chosen sin colors every aspect of their lives until nothing is left but a pair of Gay-Colored-Glasses where every action of the world is viewed in that context. It is the disease that eats the victim alive. (Sorta like the Black Spidey Suit, eh?)
God decides who gets to heaven, and no one else, so in reality, no one can answer any question about who gets in and who doesn’t.
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