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Re: Sunday, August 3, 2003
I believe you're being overly simplistic in your representation of Scripture, Doc. Christ's message didn't stop with "let he who is without sin". He goes on to tell the woman to sin no more. John 8:9-11 (see below). His message is not one of tolerance. It is one of turning away from sin and sinful behavior. I also believe you're wrong in stating that God is tolerant. On the contrary, He is very intolerant. Not of His people, but of our sin. The book of Exodus speaks to this. In the context of Israel's tendency to worship other gods, God states that He is a jealous God. Exodus 20:5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God Similarly, Joshua condems the people of Israel for the same reason. Joshua 24:19 Then Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins." Sins unconfessed to God will not be forgiven. The other god I believe is at work here is the belief that we can set our own rules - that the rules of God, as stated in the Bible, are not absolute and that we can ignore those rules with which we do not agree. The Bible is very clear that homosexual behavior is sinful. Here are two of the verses that make this clear. Leviticus 18:22 - NASB "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." Romans 1:27 - NASB "and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." Never mind that Jesus also raised the bar on adultery by stating that if you lust after someone who is not your spouse, you have committed adultery with that person in your heart. This is coupled with the Biblical definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman. In other words, lustful thoughts and behavior outside the bounds of marriage is adultery, which is sin. I don't know Andrew nor have I read his weblog much at all. But I do know that he is just as sinful as I am (no more or no less). I don't know you, either, but I do know that you, too, are just as sinful as I am (again, no more or no less). I know this because every human is sinful. It is our nature. But just because we are hopelessly sinful does not mean that our situation is hopeless. Forgiveness comes with admission of sin and repentance of sinful behavior. You're right in that the church of today doesn't get it, but not because the church isn't tolerant enough, but rather because it is too tolerant of sin and too willing to redefine for itself what really is sinful behavior. Thanks for your writing, Doc. I do appreciate it. John 8:9-11 (9) And they which heard [it], being convicted by [their own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, [even] unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. (10) When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? (11) She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. [KJV] Gary Petersen gary at countrykeepers.com http://www.countrykeepers.com/weblogs There are responses to this message:
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