Posted on 07/11/2016 6:03:05 AM PDT by Gamecock
I read about 100 articles a month, and my favorite piece last month was Girl in The Picture, by Emily Thomes. Originally posted on The Gospel Coalition, Thomes shares her inspiring story of lesbianism to follower of Christ. Today, Thomes stops by the site to share more of her story and give advice to Christians ministering to those who identify as LGBT. You can read the full interview below.
Emily, thank you for taking time to stop by the site. I’ll start broadly. Tell us a little about your life before God saved you.
Before God saved me, I was an incredibly selfish person. I was pretty well liked by most people but had a tendency to overstep boundaries and act impulsively. I did what I perceived was best for me. This lead me to sleeping around, smoking marijuana, and doing other destructive behaviors. Even when it looked like I was helping and serving others, it was actually for my glory and pride. I had very little respect for others but knew how to act “upstanding” outwardly that few people saw the depths of my poor behavior. In short, my driving factors before conversion were pride and self-exaltation.
Take us through your conversion experience. Do you remember the moment you realized that you had become a Christian?
I do.
I was in my apartment sitting on the floor with the book from the Bible study I was participating in when I realized I was now a believer. I had been in a study only for a couple of weeks and was learning about the attributes of God. Slowly but surely my view of God and of myself began to change and the balance tipped to where God was bigger and mattered more than I did.
I read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and saw that I was in the “will not enter the kingdom of Heaven” group but that He could save me and make me new. In those verses I understood my need for Him and His offer to me; it was really incredible.
I remember feeling terrified and at peace at the same time. I realized where I had been until that instant and that scared me. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t understood before what was so clear to me all of a sudden. But there was no denying it and no suppressing it any longer. I didn’t know what I was going to do or what my life was going to be like but I knew what I wasn’t going to do. I wasn’t going to defy Him any longer. His will was my new life.
That’s very encouraging to hear. Now let’s talk about outreach. When you see the church attempt to reach those who identify as LGBT, what are things that encourage you? What are some concerns?
Seeing the church reaching out with truth and love to the lost has been the greatest encouragement. I’ve seen Christians be humble and open with their struggles against sin with others. I’ve seen them acknowledge their own need for grace with those who have not yet received it. Believers should discuss their own fleshly pull towards sin while making it clear that in Christ we deny ourselves and follow Him.
There are two major concerns I see in how the church reaches out to those in the LGBT community.
The first is when churches speak with no love at all. We cannot approach those outside the church like they’re believers who refuse to repent; they’re lost. We must approach them with the gospel — all of it. We explain that He is holy and that we are fallen and in need of forgiveness and a heart change. Both the law and grace must be presented for either to make any sense.
The second concern I see is when Christians cast aside what His word says on homosexuality in attempts to “love” those who are lost. God’s word stands forever; what He deems as sin will always be sin. To ignore that truth is incredibly unloving. Those who do not repent will not inherit the kingdom of God. Pretending that one can remain in sin and belong to Him is deceptive and cruel.
So what do you think are some of the biggest obstacles in our outreach strategies?
A poor understanding of sin in general, homosexuality specifically, is by far the greatest obstacle I’ve seen in our attempts at outreach.
A mindset has developed (whether Christian or not) that homosexuality is linked to identity. Obviously, the LGBT community embraces that wholeheartedly, but most Christians don’t realize that they have also embraced that idea. Believers inadvertently reinforce an unbiblical understanding of homosexuality when they treat those who are same-sex attracted as a segregated class of sinners who are more depraved than ‘normal’ people. In doing so, well-meaning Christians are unwittingly buying into the notion that homosexuality is part of one’s identity, much like one’s race or gender. Basic Christian principle regarding things like sin, repentance, and obedience are cast entirely to the side when dealing with homosexuality to the detriment of both the lost and those in the faith. An inclination towards a certain sin doesn’t mean that one is destined to walk in that sin; it means that they, like all other people since Adam, are born bent towards sin and are in need of forgiveness and a new heart.
Thankfully, our God offers us that in the cross. We can be born again and made new.
What are some practical resources you can recommend to help?
The short answer is the Bible. We’ve got to be consistent and biblical in our dealings with all sin.
On another note, some practical tools I’ve found helpful are ministries like Rosaria Butterfield and Matt Moore and Desiring God. Butterfield and Moore were both radically saved out of homosexuality and offer much insight into various circumstances and struggles.
So the three links I’d recommend are:
Moorematt.org
Rosariabutterfield.com
DesiringGod.org
Finally, Emily, what’s your #1 biggest piece of advice for Christians who are trying to reach those who associate as LGBT?
To put it simply, do not elevate or diminish the sin of homosexuality, and be humble and transparent in your own battle against sin.
The second concern I see is when Christians cast aside what His word says on homosexuality in attempts to “love” those who are lost. God’s word stands forever; what He deems as sin will always be sin. To ignore that truth is incredibly unloving. Those who do not repent will not inherit the kingdom of God. Pretending that one can remain in sin and belong to Him is deceptive and cruel.
+1. That one jumped out at me too.
Laus tibi, Domine.
Our niece “came out” several years ago. It’s still heartbreaking.
We watched a Q & A session with Dr. Voddie Baucham yesterday. One of the the questions was on homosexuality. He listed the ways in which it is a unique sin.
Incredibly difficult situation.
Wonderful testimony! Warms my heart to read of Christ’s loving transformation of those who are willing to see it His Way.
I’ve got 2 uncles living like this. One pushing 70 and the other pushing 60. They think they’ll see us in Heaven.
I get scolded every time by my MIL for being “hateful” when I make clear that isn’t what God’s Word says. She’s actually being more hateful to them by nodding and approving of their choices.
:: In those verses I understood my need for Him and His offer to me; it was really incredible ::
And, that dear Christian FRiends, is how the Holy Spirit works in mankind.
Note that she was by herself, studying Corinthians and the realization of the need for a Savior -our Savior- over came her.
Did she cite a local “community church” and their rock-band service as an inspiration? No. Did she reference her journey to the local charismatic altar for a “conversion experience”? No. Did she say that she “asked Jesus into my heart” No.
The pneuma blows where it will.
Now, the next question is, is she baptized? “He who believes and is baptized, shall be saved.”
Some are baptized as infants and that's not the same. Depending on the individual circumstance, she may want to consult her pastor on how to proceed. I can't tell from the story about what she should do, nor would I make a blanket statement on a course of action.
:: Some are baptized as infants and that’s not the same ::
So, are you saying that baptism is ineffective in some cases? Why would that be, given the words of our Resurrected Lord and God?
The very breath (pneuma) of Christ (Mark 16:16) carries these words, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.”
The words of the Creed of the Universal Church states, I believe in the Holy universal church, I acknowledge ONE BAPTISM for the remission of sins...(ff)[my emph.]
I see no command from our Lord, Jesus Christ, to ^wait^ for baptism. Nor, do I see in Scripture a command for “further baptisms” such as the “need shall arise”.
Matthew 28 tells His church to “baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
If we add to Scripture, we can become accursed (Revelation 22:18).
Because as you so stated,,,”believe and be baptised” can a newborn child believe? Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace.You seem to feel we should reverse the process and batise first and hope later that they will believe.
Instead of looking at it as a person who struggles with homosexual temptation, people do consider it an identity.
People who struggle with theft or lying don't walk around bragging about how they are *Christian liars* or *Christian thieves*, or even *Christian adulterers in their hearts*.
So why is homosexuality different? It's a sin, not an identity.
Psst.... Didn't see anywhere where she talked about Jesus or accepting Him. She talked about being *in Christ* once.
There’s much truth here. It’s profoundly cruel to call God a liar, telling them they’re OK, when God says the opposite. But in reality whoever says such a thing is heading to hell themselves, because they’re committing the crime against God of false prophecy, claiming God didn’t say something He said, and claiming God said something He didn’t say.
But homosexuality is also rather unique in that it’s a sign that a culture is under severe judgment from God. It’s among the final acts of cultural rebellion before the hammer drops. See Romans 1.
And there’s also the problem of homosexuals claiming they’re inseparable from their sin, that it’s not what they do but who they are. As long as that’s their attitude, as long as the Holy Spirit hasn’t moved in their lives, that sin will cling to them like glue and doom them at Judgment.
That narcissistic love of their sin tends toward violence toward those who tell them the truth. The most loving thing anybody could do for a homosexual is to warn them of God’s wrath to come, so they’ll repent and have faith in Christ and be saved from that fate. But they call such love “hate,” turning reality on its head. They project their own hatred of God, Christ and Christians onto Christians, who love them so much they don’t want them to undergo God’s eternal merciless torture. Sort of like one group warning another group that the drink they love so much is poison and will result in a prolonged and excruciatingly agonizing death, and those warned calling them “haters” for telling them the truth. They’re simply not spiritually sane, until and unless the Holy Spirit does a mighty work in them.
Homosexuals see themselves as homesexuals. Their gayness is a huge part of who they are.
Heterosexuals don’y do this. I don’t feel the need to tell people that I am straight.
Do you drink poison, handle snakes and lay hands on people for healing?
Because I've noticed that people often quote that passage to support either salvation by baptism, or the pentecostal stuff, and ignore the part they don't like.
And honestly, Jesus rebuked them for hardness of heart? That sure isn't the way He treated Thomas, nor is it the way He treated anyone else in the gospels who were struggling.
Mark 16:14-20 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]
Footnotes:
Mark 16:9 Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8; others include verses 9–20 immediately after verse 8. At least one manuscript inserts additional material after verse 14; some manuscripts include after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. These manuscripts then continue with verses 9–20
I’ve noticed that.
Heterosexuals don’t make their sex life their identity.
Is there any timeline that directs us to “be baptized” and “believe”. Does that disqualify infant baptism because of OUR time? Are we in control of the Spirits action?
Very perceptive of her! I've seen so many queers and they are the very nicest people you will meet. But it is fake and there is an agenda.
I love this girl’s testimony!
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