What Does the Bible Say?
Gospel-Driven Disciples
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Send your bible questions to askpastorgregg@gmail.com
Pastor Gregg,
With the Bible (the Word of God) so clear on the subject of the sin of Homosexuality, how do Christian denominations (i.e... United Methodist church, American Episcopalian church, and the Evangelical Lutheran church of America) accept homosexuality? I left the ELCA because of this issue.
I realize that this question may be too controversial for your blog, but you can always reply to the e-mail.
Blessings, Brian Todd
This is a good question Brian and the answer is easy though not pleasant. As a matter of fact there will many who think the answer is not loving, kind, or even nice. Our standard however, is the bible and not what we “feel” is nice but what does the bible say?
First, we need to realize that not everybody who claims to be a Christian or who claims to follow the bible actually is a Christian.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'” (Matt 7:21-23, ESV)
Only believers have the Holy Spirit of God. One of the duties of the Holy Spirit is to teach God’s truth to His children. One of the signs of being a true believer is loving and desiring the Scripture, not to mention obeying the Scripture. There are at least two ramifications possible if one does not have the Holy Spirit; first, an individual does not belong to God and second, one has no one to teach the truth of God. As a result one becomes very susceptible to false teaching and their own emotional and subjective reasoning.
Most, if not all main-line denominations such as the United Methodist, American Episcopalian, and the ELCA have long ago abandoned the scriptures as inspired and authoritative. Unbelieving individuals, regardless of how moral, well meaning, and intellectual have infiltrated these and other denominations. As a result, for quite some time mainline and liberal denominations have not been Christian in the sense of being redeemed, Christ-like and Christ followers as prescribed by the New Testament. Unbelievers will always reject, alter, or miss-apply the truth of Scripture because they do not have the Holy Spirit to teach them correctly and to prevent heresy or doctrinal error.
So, Brian, the answer as I said is easy. Liberal and main-line denominations stopped treating the bible as divinely inspired and authoritative. They no longer interpret the bible with the same hermeneutics as you or I. We believe God said what he meant and meant what he said. When the plain sense of scripture makes sense, we are to seek no other sense. The bible is to be interpreted from a literal, historical, grammatical and contextual hermeneutic. Most main line or liberal denominations interpret scripture from differing hermeneutics, such as spiritual or allegorical rules of interpretation.
Of course, many people simply discard and reject anything that does not agree with their reason or sensibilities. When man becomes the judge of what Scripture says rather than letting God say what he said, the result is similar to the experience of the children of Israel during the period of the judges:
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:24, ESV)
You have denominations and individuals rejecting God’s laws and standards and establishing their own sense of scripture. Sense they have rejected God’s laws and standards God rejects them and allows them to go their own way, for a while. Remember there is coming a day of judgment when God will set the crooked path straight and make all things right!
Thanks for your question! Thanks for reading the Gospel-Driven Disciples.
8 comments:
Thank you Gregg for this message of truth from God's Word. As believers this really shouldn't be surprising being we are in the end times. God's blessings. Lloyd
It's sad when the truth is not pure anymore. And a lot are accepting and being deceived by it. God bless.
Brother Gregg, You are so right! When people stop using the Bible as the final authority in their lives, they will fall into all sorts of wickedness and evil.
They don't seem to realize they're bringing judgment upon themselves and the ones they lead astray. A "BIG WOE" is coming upon them! Isaiah 5:20-24
Good answer.
I would only add that such liberal churches are drying up while conservative denominations are thriving.
In support of this I would offer this entry I made awhile back in which Dinesh D'Souza cites some very interesting statistics.
Great post, but a sad fact. I think it all fits in with the mentaliity of polical correctness, self-esteem, new ageism, and feel-good philosophies. Everybody wants to justify their behavior so they can continue doing it. Nobody wants to feel bad about themselves and if one is in rebellion, the Bible is going to make you feel bad if you take it literally. So I keep hearing passages twisted to say something other than what they say or justify things as not being applicable to modern times. Churches are so afraid of losing members and attendees that they are willing to compromise on God's words and laws. Compromise dilutes and changes the message which is what the Bible tells us not to do. The outcome is not going to be a good one for the adherents of these religions.
Lee
Tossing It Out
There are a lot of conflicting messages going around in so called churches. Personally, I say that Christians should spend more time going and doing and less time worrying if someone gay is allowed in the door...because quite frankly, if someone is living such a destructive lifestyle in your church such as homosexuality, adultery or any other harmful sexual behavior and if your church doesn't have the power of God in it and people are comfortable coming and going and living a lifestyle that is morally and physically harmful then no matter what kind of church it is then its quite dead. Seriously, if a church is open about allowing these lifestyles in then so be it but whats going on in your church or your church or your church where there is big time moral decay amongst your leaders and people in it and the church has so little life in it that they can be living like they want to all week and feel absolutely nothing on Sunday... the church may say they don't condone homosexuality but goodness gravy what kind of stuff do they got brewing and even breeding in their own pews????? Who knows if those sitting next to you are secret about it? Its one thing to openly say you allow it in your church and not much of a leap if you say you don't allow it yet there is all kinda bacteria in your pond and nobody even feels a thing.
Which is more deadly?
Thank you for answering the questions that are on the hearts of Believer's. John 1:12 says, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. As a child of God and citizen of the kingdom of heaven, we, as Ambassadors for Christ, learn, abide by and bring the customs, habits, morals and etical standards of our Lord from home. Our desire is to please Fther God, not please man. The Word of God is the "final" authority on every subject and it's a matter of obedience or compromise. I am delivering the devotional at my dad's church's Men Breakfast tomorrow and shall use your message's point in mine. Blessings.
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