When I read the letter, “Blatant insult to God” (May 12), my heart broke, partially because I used to harbor the same opinion until I began searching the Scriptures for the way God expected us to act toward those who practice homosexuality.
In Leviticus 18:22-23, God calls homosexuality an abomination, and in Leviticus 20:13, He states that it is punishable by death. But doesn’t He say the same for all sin? The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). That includes us all (1 John 5:17; Romans 3:10). When God looks at sin, one is no different than the other (1 Samuel 15:23). There are no little sins and big sins (James 2:10). God also says He hates the putting away of a spouse (Malachi 2:16; 1 Corinthians 7:11-14), so does that mean anyone who is divorced won’t get into heaven, either?
God lists a whole multitude of sins that would keep someone from entering heaven: adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, murderers, liars, etc. We are all guilty of one of those sins at least once in our lifetime, if not more than once. I believe when Jesus looks down at the sinners below, the ground is still level at the foot of the cross.
I am not saying we should condone homosexuality, but God tells us to hate the sin, not the sinner. If God looked at us with hatred and malice, then He would have never sacrificed His only son for us. It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that God the Father can even look at us. Doesn’t His blood cover all sin?
Teaching that God only loves the sinless would be a blatant insult to Him. God says in John 3:17: “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” And when asked what was the greatest commandment, didn’t Jesus say that to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” was the first, and the second greatest commandment was to “love your neighbor as yourself”?
We will never bring the lost to Christ through hate, even if they seem to hate us. God calls us to be different. He refers to us as being a peculiar people, as being like salt and light, and not to love like the world loves (conditionally). God calls us all to be a witness for Him. We are supposed to let Christ live through us, to walk in His footsteps.
Sadly, sometimes we are the only Christ some people see. What we have to ask ourselves is whether or not that example draws people to God or drives people away from Him. If you really want to know what God says in His Word, you can’t just look at certain pieces of Scripture – you have to look at it all. If you need further proof, just read John 3:16.
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