Answers

42.


This title "Answers", implies that I have some, when in fact, I just have conclusions..  But as you can see from the example of "42", a valid conclusion might be more valuable than an actual answer.

After all, we aren't solving for "y" here.  The big question is can a "gay" person still be a "saved" person?
Or to put it differently, "Can you be gay and still be a Christian?"

My conclusion is "Yes."

I know some of you are scratching your heads, and even more of you are shaking your heads, but I challenge you and your convictions/morals/principles to finish what we started last month, and hear me out.  I promise, I'm not trying to get in your head and brainwash you.  It was not that long ago that I was sitting where you are today, ready to change the channel.  But I need you to hold on for a little while and listen, because what I have to say is not just from me, but God's spirit that lives in me,  Test it and see that these things I'm about to tell you are true and valuable.

First off, we talked a little about the definition of "gay" last time, and how the Christian definition of "Homosexuality" verses the world's term "gay", do not match to mean the same.  "Gay" meaning a person who is a certain way, and a "homosexual" meaning a person who does a certain action.

All of this seems very technical, but it isn't.  The fact is, whether we want to admit to it or not, we all label people "gay" or "homosexual" the same way.  (When I say, "we" I mean Christians.)  Example: If you walk into your local Wal-Mart and there's a male greeter there that has a particular inflection in his voice when he says, "Hello, welcome!" or "Have a good day."  Or perhaps it's the ear studs, or the obviously dyed hair that he has given extra care to.  All of these characteristics are stereo types, and yet, without much hesitation you have formed an opinion about this man.  You believe him to be "gay".
So I ask you, was he engaging in a romantic action involving another male?  No, of course not.  He was a door greeter at Wal-Mart (surprisingly) doing his job.  It's even possible that if your assumptions under the world's definition of the word "gay" is actually correct, He might still be a virgin.  Maybe not even been out on a date with anyone, male or female, ever before.  But still you have written this man off, and so condemned him with just a thought.

 7If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’^a you would not have condemned the innocent.  -Matt 12 (NIV)

We frown on the whole West Boro Church and their "God Hates Fags" message.  They are the fanatics and we are more civil than that in our assessment.  Actually, we would not even compare ourselves to them, because doing what we ought, we say, "We love everyone just as God loves everyone and tells us to...(that's right!) love everyone."   I agree that "loving" someone does not mean that you agree with everything they do, or that you would even wish (or have to) be their friend.  Although, thinking someone is doomed to hell, even before you really know them, seems pretty close to our fanatic friends message.  Almost like saying, "God loves you.  I love you.  But you're still gonna fry someday."  I guess, saying "God hates Fags" just saves on lettering.  Oh and we support our troops... (that's a topic for another day).

The point is we are all guilty in this.  And yet we feel justified in our judgement even when someone points it out to us,  How many times have we all heard, "Sin is sin. They are all the same." but we don't live that way, do we?  We don't even think that way.  Our words don't match our thoughts at all, and I know this is true because we let the sin that is in our own life slide.  But if someone treats me bad or murders or kidnaps or steals or rapes  -nope, they are worse than me.  Paul the apostle admitted to himself, God, and others in and out of the church that he was the "worst" (1Tim 1:15-16).  There have been some that try to discredit the Epistles because of this, but the church as a whole continues to believe that the epistles are to be considered as much God's word, as anything else that has been canonized within the Bible.  I'm sure that there are some that even rattle off those words that Paul wrote about himself while having a moment of clarity and spirit-filled conviction thinking to themselves, well...he's just being hard on himself, and besides he's different now.  Paul was right.  He was the worst.  So am I.  So are you, as we all are.  Because a sin, one sin, (no matter what it is) is enough to keep you from Heaven.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  -John 8:7 (NIV)

My son is eight years old now, but has been talking about baptism for most of his verbal life.  We decided to postpone his baptism for different reasons at different stages in his young life.  My husband and I were both immersed when we were really young and didn't understand much about our decision or the commitment that we were making (not that we regret it) and we just didn't want him to feel the same later on.  One of our many discussions that my hyper inquisitive son has engaged us in, has been about what will his new life be like, as a Christian?  Talking about the Christian life and us becoming a "new creation", helped to learn a lot about the misconceptions that can arise from what is observed at church, and what is written in the Bible.  For instance:  The idea that after your baptism, you will be made perfect and will never sin again.  Well, although this seems obvious to the rest of us adults (hopefully) that this is NOT true, we do see some evidence of people with in the church that still believe that God more than wants us to be perfect, he expects it.  And for those that do not reach this ideal of "Christian living", the road is narrow at best.  For the grace of God can only extend, but so far before it gives up on you.   ---This is not true.  If you think that you are better than your brother and that you are without sin (even a recent wrong done), think again.  Either we are saved by Grace or we are saved by our right living (perfection), it can not be both.  Grace doesn't leave room for both explanations.

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 
-1 Corinthians 6:9 (NIV)

Every time you avoid a bum on the street, who's begging for change, and you say " Sorry, I don't have any" as you shove your hands in your pockets and walk away, perhaps feeling the clink of a couple quarters and/or crinkle of a few dollars and that you could have done without.  -That's a sin.
Every time you give away a secret that a friend confided in you, or some juicy gossip that you heard, in the name of  a "prayer request" and request it to all your friends that are on your cell phone list, it's a sin.
Perhaps your sin is in your debt to a company that you owe, and you've been trying to tell them you can't pay right now, but they won't take "No" for an answer- so you make a promise to call back, knowing that you actually have no intention to do so.
And the list goes on from there....
I know these sins seem minuscule.  I know I appear to be knit-picking or looking for loop-holes, but what I'm trying to establish is the framework for grace.  Some of us, Christians, have forgotten that we still need grace.  We have not been saved by our good deeds, and just because we are "saved" doesn't mean we're perfect.  So if, we are saved and not perfect, and all sin is sin and keeps us from God without the sacrifice of Christ- and "gays" are  still gay and Christian, then couldn't we believe that they could be "saved" as well?

I used to smirk at the term "Gay-Christian", or hearing that someone is a Christian, believes and worships God, and yet claims to be gay - I just found something funny about that.  It seemed artificial, like a made up religion.  Oh sure, they worship Jesus, but it can't be the Jesus of the Bible, because what they are doing is wrong - and they're justifying it.  Justifying...yep, that seems to be something common to all of us.  I guess you could say that "justifying" could keep us from grace.  It keeps us from forgiving, and it can keep us from feeling our need for God.  SO is that what I'm doing here?  On behalf of all gay Christians everywhere, am I justifying their sinful behavior?  No, certainly not.  But I am convinced that it is possible to worship the same Jesus, the same God, and find yourself repenting of sin in your life, all while still "justifying" a sin that you are unwilling or perhaps unready to give up.  Because any kind of growth is a process, even Christian growth through the Spirit.  But we can rest at ease with the knowledge of God's perfect timing for each of our lives.  He knows what's wrong and He knows just when we are ready to be approached to fix it.

It's hard to admit to myself, but I was this way once.  I didn't have all the double-talk and Biblical misunderstandings to back myself up on - in fact, I knew that homosexuality (meaning romantic relations with the same sex) was wrong, but that knowledge didn't stop my mind from wandering.  I know I've stated it here before, but for those who don't know me, I grew up Christian.  I was indoctrinated and a sold out believer from the very beginnings of my life.  I was baptised at the age seven and again at fifteen because I was afraid that I made that decision for the wrong reasons ( or rather I didn't understand) the first time.  I wanted to be sure.  But it wasn't until college that I started to be honest with myself and more importantly with God about my problem.  This is strange to think about because I can still remember exact instances when I was sitting in church (trying to concentrate on the sermon) praying that a girl in my youth group loved me too.  (I had a crush -pretty bad).  How delusional was I, to believe that that would be acceptable to pray about.  But God and I were close, I told him everything - I shared everything that was in my heart or on my mind.  ....But I just refused to consider that I was doing anything wrong.  My youth minister prompted the utmost respect for God and reaching for holiness in our lives, and my heart hung on every syllable, every word.  The Bible convicted me time and time again of my sin, and I would repent and ask God to forgive, but I wouldn't touch that part of my life.  I kept it close, but I kept hidden.

I know God cares about even the hidden sin that it is in our lives.  He wants us to be free, not shackled and bogged down by worldly desires and things that would damage our body and/ or mind.  God doesn't make up these rules to keep us controlled, anymore than a parent would tell their child not to stand on a chair -just to be controlling to them.  It's about safety.  It's about freedom, and it's about love.

God is love.
I hear that alot from the other side( the "gay-Christian" side).  And it would normally make me smirk, but not anymore.  I think they may have things confused in their lives, but they got that one spot on.  He is love, and that love is what draws us all to Him.  And it should be what teaches us all how to be like Christ to each other, to be a "Christian".  And if there is an answer to be had here: it is that.  Love.

. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.   -John15 (NIV)