Posted on 05/10/2018 9:43:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It's the question I'm asked over and over again. It's the question that's dividing churches and separating family members. It's the question that must be answered: Can you be gay and Christian?
Well, if you claim to be a Christian, that means that Jesus is your Lord and the Bible is your authority, so the real question is: What does Jesus have to say about this? And what does the Bible – God's Word – have to say? That's what we need to find out.
Of course, we understand that every Christian struggles in some area, whether it be pride or anger or lust or jealousy or greed. But we also recognize that these desires and attitudes are sinful, and so we say No to them and Yes to the Lord.
In the same way, some Christians struggle with same-sex attractions, saying No to those attractions and Yes to the Lord. That's their area of temptation and battle.
But what about those who say, "God made me gay, and if I'm in a committed relationship, the Lord is pleased. After all God is love, and love wins. What the Bible opposes is abusive relationships, like homosexual pederasty and prostitution and promiscuity. That's what the Scriptures condemn. But the Lord blesses committed same-sex relationships."
Is this true?
There's only one way to answer this question. With humility, we must come to God and His Word and say, "Father, whatever You say, we will obey. We only want Your will."
So, what does God's Word have to say? Can you practice homosexuality and follow Jesus at the same time? And does God's Word
We've put together a 6-minute video that answers this head on, clarifying misunderstandings, dispelling myths, and offering hope.
Can you gay and Christian? You'll find your answers here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l_GY6mXgQg) .
A more correct statement is Roman Catholics make up what they think John 20 is about.
This is the real question that many people are not answering.
I have a problem with people who say they are Christians and yet are staunch Democrats. Every position of the Democrat party opposes the Bible.
If A person is openly gay and has redefined God to be OK with that. I'm not going to be sharing communion with that person, per 1 Corinthians, though only God knows that person's actual spiritual state.
No, he didn’t have to do it. Remember that he was headed to Damascus to arrest and kill people like Ananias. Even with being knocked off his mount and blinded, and Jesus speaking to him directly, he did not have to self-abase and pray as the record in Acts shows that he clearly did; he could have continued to rebel.
Also, John the Baptist was constantly dressed in sackcloth during his ministry (his camel’s hair garment). It’s also mentioned in Revelation that the two witnesses will wear sackcloth.
Jesus’ manner of death, and His prayers in the garden before that, are extreme shows of abasement.
And with all due respect, no separating the New from the Old; Jesus never did. All through the so-called “Old” part of the Bible, it was foretold of a new covenant (or “testament”; the Greek word “diatheke” means both).
BTW, aren’t we getting too far afield from the subject of the original post? It’s clear that the Bible condemns homosexuality, whether in act or in mind.
None of the examples you offer have anything to do with the Roman Catholic notion of penance....that is having to do something to “atone” for a sin....but keep trying.
I think in your post #50 you brought up penance. It’s how the threads flow on FR sometimes.
I agree that homosexuality, along with all sin, is condemned by the Bible whether in word or deed.
Well, that’s another matter, if it really is. I said “abasement” anyhow, and in previous posts I was pointing out that the word “penance” has roots in the Latin word that means “repentance”. And most Catholic penance revolves around prayer besides.
No, they are not saved. From the moment Satan and his angels sinned, there was no chance of ever reestablishing their relationship with God. It’s possible many demons may have initially wished to return to fellowship with God, but it was too late. They had permanently crossed the line, and were irrevocably comitted eternally, to follow their leader, and the course they chose, and they were completely taken by surprise, when Jesus died for us sinners. Now, do demons “believe?” No they do not. They know about Jesus. They know what He did, and they know about their eternal destiny, but they do not “believe” to the saving of the soul. Real “saving belief,” as opposed to mere head knowledge about Jesus, are light years apart.
I think humans are perfectly capable of having a certain knowledge about Jesus, while not believing, to the saving of the soul.
And what does it mean?
...can a serial fornicator? How bout a serial adulterer? Serial liar?
You don’t have to teach a child to steal. You have to teach a child not to steal.
God begins sanctifying us the moment we accept His son our savior. We are all in various places in our walk.
“Show me the verse that says we are not forgiven until we confess to a priest in the Roman church and HE forgives us.”
Not only is that not the process, “priest” is not a New Testament office of the Church. It is all false.
Your right to believe as you wish, but there is no sacramental system taught in Scripture that confers grace. It is made up.
Out of the 7 taught by Rome, Christ only commands baptism of believers & believers practicing the Lord's Supper until He returns.
I would. Catholics recognize seven Sacraments:
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I suspect that’s a difference in definitions. Lutherans like myself define a sacrament as a promise of salvation from God connected to a visible element. So Baptism and Communion, yes. Confession and Absolution, while being a promise of God, don’t have a physical, visible element to them.
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If we believe that our minister or priest is the modern embodiment of Jesus’ Disciples then His commands in John 20 make perfect sense.
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This is true, with the emphasis on God’s promises.
Not only is that not the process, “priest” is not a New Testament office of the Church. It is all false.
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Well if you’re a guy who wants to get technical about it (and I am that guy), Priest IS an office... just that it belongs to Jesus as High Priest, and all believers being priests under him as well.
No special class of Levite priests who are the go-betweens between human and God any more; thanks to Jesus we all have direct access to the Father.
All believers are priests, because there is no office of priest.
Christ is not an officer holder in the Church. He is Head of the church and is a High Priest and He worshiped by the chuch.
Which is NOT the same thing as the difference between repentance and penance.
Yes, if someone repents, they will change their behavior.
However, the change of behavior follows the inward repentance (change of heart) as the natural outworking of repentance, not performing certain acts of contrition to prove to God how sorry we are for our sins so He can forgive us.
Penance is BUYING *forgiveness*, which actually nullifies forgiveness in the first place.
Forgiveness is freely given. It's a gift from one person to another. It cannot be earned.
If it's not freely given, it's simply a debt fully paid.
Paying off a debt one owes cannot gain forgiveness.
Yes, if you repent and battle the urges. Easy? No. What about life is?
Yes. Most of that penance involves saying a certain number of Hail Mary's....another un-Biblical concept.
It is error begetting error.
True nuff. You pretty much put what I meant.
As I said, I’m just ‘that guy.’
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