[CS-FSLUG] God Didn't Say That

[Timothy R. Butler]

>> 	To an extent I agree. I've gone on the record saying that we ought
>> 	to love homosexuals, that we ought to reach out to them, etc. BUT, I 
>> say
>> this because we should reach out to all sinners. I'm a sinner as well.
>> At the same time, WE SHOULD NOT attempt to distort the Bible to argue
>> that what they are doing is not sin. What we should do, is lovingly
>> help them show the fruits of the Spirit and escape sin... just like I
>> hope others do for me.
>
> But, are we to demand that they be free of their sin before welcoming
> them?  Many homosexuals feel that they are shunned by Christendom, and
> by extension God, because of what they feel they are unable to cope
> with.  Is there some way to say, "At some point this must be worked on,
> but when that point comes, you will realize it is workable."?  After
> all, Christ did not come to save the righteous, but the sinners.  If
> there is a way, what is the proper way to do it?

	I wholeheartedly agree. It is impossible to repent without God's help 
of something we really don't want to (or at least terribly hard). The 
first thing is to let them know about the love of God. To welcome them 
into fellowship for support. Maybe a good approach is to say "we love 
you and welcome you, but we feel that this thing that you are doing is 
wrong" and "we hope you will help us to confront our sins too." The 
thing is, as you note below, I bet everyone has sins they haven't been 
convicted of yet or are having a hard time quitting. If we even the 
playing field with the person by showing that we are sinful and 
constantly trying to improve, it seems less like high-and-mighty 
judgment.
>

> True dat.  Does one have to repent of all his sins immediately?  I 
> mean,
> I'm constantly realizing that things I hadn't thought about when I was
> first a Christian have very sinful roots.  I don't believe that my
> ignorance of them, willful though it likely was, invalidates my
> Christianity during those times.

	I agree. Personally, I believe in the preservation of the saints, so I 
think that repentance is part of "working out salvation" (Ph. 2:12) -- 
i.e. showing fruit... not a requirement to receive the gift of Grace. 
If it is, then I think virtually everyone is lost... after all, do I 
have one thought that is completely pure? I doubt it, and if it isn't, 
I can never hope to successfully repent of everything prior to my 
death.

	-Tim

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