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)

Questions

So are you ready for this?
I normally like to start out slow and tell a story or something then build on from there, but today I'm just not feeling it.
There are some things that have been bugging me, and I want to ask you all some questions.  Christian/Believer or not, I would like you to think about this one.

What does it mean to be "Gay"?


If your friend, brother, sister, daughter, or son came to you and said, "I'm gay."  What would that mean to you?  Would you automatically assume that they were a "homosexual" and destined for hell, if they did not quickly change their ways?  Would you feel an urgency to save them from their predicted destination and destruction?  I don't really want to know what you would do....I want to know, what would you think?  Because your thoughts will in turn shape your actions.

Perspective.  You'll notice that I changed the picture on the page.  I know it's just a play with mirrors and kind of lame, actually - yet it speaks volumes about this very subject.

I follow Jamie on Facebook.  Jamie is a Christian and he says that he's "gay".  (I keep putting that into quotations for a reason.  His definition, and yours might NOT mean the same.)  Jamie and I are not friends, in fact, I have no idea who he is except what I learn from him on Facebook.  I'm not even sure how we met.   What I do remember is why I "friended" him on Facebook.  He was inspiring.  He spoke much about what God was doing in his life and very little about being "gay" or the fight for gay rights.  And I found his overflowing joy for the Lord to be refreshing.  His simple little updates would inspire me to look at my day through the 'Love of the Lord' lens - to think less of myself and my own simple desires not being met, and to focus more on what God would want me to see, do, or think.

Yes, folks, you heard me right:  A 'gay" Christian has made me more focused and joyful for Christ.
Now how can that be? ....

It's hard to know where to start on this.  I try to be a peacemaker when it comes to this subject for probably more personal reasons than I would care to admit.  But I have to face it, I can be just as judgemental as the next guy.

Judging people isn't wrong, as some people would have you believe- no, not even according to the Bible.  The scripture that is quoted the most for this is Matt 7 :1-3 the King James version which simply says, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."  Although we typically hear the verse morphed into "Judge not, lest you be judged." And we walk away from that saying, "Yep, that's what it says: Do not judge others or God will judge you (condemn you, basically is what were thinking).   It's a good warning to remember, true- however, let's not take away from it that there is no such thing as righteous judgement, or we can't judge at all.  This is not a rule and the Bible doesn't say, "Don't judge." as if making any kind of pat statement on anything is a sin.  It is a caution, a warning.  That if you are going to make a judgement about someone, saying "This is wrong; you need to change."  then you are held accountable to that same criteria.  This is coming from the God that looks into and judges the hearts of men, so we shouldn't take it lightly, but if anyone says to you, "You are a Christian, so you can't judge me." they are mistaken.  Is a woman having intimate relations with another woman wrong, yes.  The Bible says it is (and vice versa with a man).  But does this entitle us (Christians) to put a finger in their face saying, "Repent of your wickedness."?  Yes?   How sure are you of this.....?

Bullying is nothing new.  It's been going on since time began.  It's a shame that it starts with children, but not that surprising.  Because as kids we are primarily driven by our emotions, and we feel helpless and small.  We want to be bigger than we are.  That's why kids like to play dress up and role play/pretend.  Bullying is about power.  Someone small wanting to make themselves bigger.  So why am I talking about this?   Maybe it's because I was bullied as a child.  Maybe it's because of how it relates to "Gays" being bullied in school and in the work place.  Or maybe it's just another perspective that we fail to understand, so we think them inferior to us, like we are so far above what they've done.

Honestly, I feel torn when I hear about the movements and organizations that have been established to educate and prevent "Gays" being bullied in school.  On one hand, I'm supportive of these new actions.  Bullying of any kind is damaging, and needs to stop, but they like to tweak the "stopping" with a little bit of applauding.  Just like everyone else they want to push their own agenda.   This causes me to walk away with-holding my support, yet I walk away from these reports asking, "Where is the church?".  We complain that they are teaching our kids wrong values and confusing the issues, but I don't see us in there defending anyone against the ridicule and pain that comes with being a kid and confused about who you are or where you fit.  Someone will find them and show them love (if it's not too late).  Will it be us?

Things are changing.  Our schools are speaking up about "Gay" rights and equality.  Two teenage boys might even be acceptably holding hands in the hallway of their school without fear.  You can't turn on the TV or go to see a PG-13 movie without some reference to someone who is "Gay" "Bi" or other.   I feel the push to accept this as normal, as I'm sure you do too.  No Christian wants to give up their values, their morality of their country or their family without a fight!  I'm not belittling that at all.  We are willing to stand up and fight for what we believe saying, "This is wrong!   And I will not be forced to say it's alright!"  I understand.   And as we feel pushed, we want to push back.  How do we "push" back in a Christian way?

(answer: next post/ don't worry, you won't have to wait a month for this one.)