Every human is made in the image of God and to be respected. All people have had that image marred to some degree because of sin--and as society continues its deterioration, it goes from bad to worse. Just read Romans 1. Yet, that is why we have the Gospel. In a cultural climate of overwhelmingly bad news, there is the overcoming good news, that saves from the gutter-most to the uttermost.
Just today, I was made aware of this business in our county:
How do we respond Biblically?
Some might want Christians to respond with anger--bullhorns and picket signs. That would be counterproductive.
Those transgendered and queer folks are not our enemies. Paul told us in Ephesians 6 that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. It is the spiritual forces behind them that are the enemy. So, when the Apostle tells us to suit up in armor, he does not tell us to march on a sidewalk with a sign, or retreat to our church and hide--no, he commands us to get on our knees and pray. Spiritual walls are broken down and captives are freed in the warfare of prayer. Those who are transgendered can be transformed by the Gospel. Those who are queer can become peculiar--God's peculiar people. Here is our hope::
Increasingly, there are those so cozied up to culture as to embrace it. "Love wins!" these church folks say. It is not truthful or loving, but is patting people on the back on the way to hell.
So, what do we do? Jesus commanded us to let our light shine and our salt season--to be in the world, but not of the world. Thereby, we make the greatest difference in the world. Paul told us to speak the truth in love. Sinners need the Gospel. We are beggars telling another beggar where to find bread. Christ was the paragon of truth and grace--compromising neither, but harmonizing both. It is not easy, but this must be our goal.
Those transgendered and queer folks are not our enemies. Paul told us in Ephesians 6 that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. It is the spiritual forces behind them that is the enemy. So, when the Apostle tells us to suit up in armor, he does not tell us to march on a sidewalk with a sign, or retreat to our church and hide--no, he commands us to get on our knees and pray. Spiritual walls are broken down and captives are freed in the warfare of prayer. Those who are transgendered can be transformed by the Gospel. Those who are queer can become peculiar--God's peculiar people. Here is our hope:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor.6:9-11, NKJV, emphasis added)
We pray for the spiritually dead to live, those blind to truth to see, those deaf to the Gospel to hear, those morally paralyzed to walk, the oppressed of the devil to be freed. Will you pray?
This is going on the offensive without being offensive. Yet, your manner being inoffensive does not assure that your message will not offend. We dare not compromise the truth or fail to love. Embracing one and excluding the other on either side is to ultimately contradict both. Here is what I know:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. (1 Tim.1:15-16, NKJV, emphasis added)
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