Let's leave semantics behind....what I am asking is simply this: Should a person, who is saved from sin, born-again, continue to refer to themselves as "gay?"
Is there such a thing as a born-again homosexual?
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by righteousdude2, Jul 21, 2013.
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Yes, it is their perogative! (explain)
2 vote(s)10.5% -
Absolutely not! (explain)
8 vote(s)42.1% -
Who would it hurt? (explain)
0 vote(s)0.0% -
Once born-again, you are a new creation in Jesus
11 vote(s)57.9% -
It would be a witness to the homosexual community (explain)
3 vote(s)15.8% -
It gives God a black-eye (explain)
3 vote(s)15.8% -
It is not Scriptural (please explain)
3 vote(s)15.8% -
It is strictly up to the person (explain)
2 vote(s)10.5% -
I see no harm in doing this (explain)
1 vote(s)5.3% -
As long as they stop the sin, what's the problem? (explain)
4 vote(s)21.1%
Multiple votes are allowed.
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righteousdude2 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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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.
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Of course not. To be a homosexual means to have a perverse and deviant sexual appetite, even if one never engages in the act.
Are there saved gluttons? Are there those who covet and yet are saved? Good grief. If the absence of sin is the indication of one's salvation, who can be saved? -
Should a person, who is saved from sin, born-again, ever commit adultery, lie, steal, gossip, entertain addiction (drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, excessive shopping, eating, clothes-buying, etc.) or engage in any other sinful behavior? No.
Will they? Yes.
Does that make them a "non-Christian"? No.
Willful, deliberate sin -- that sin which is committed in spite of biblical truth teaching against such behavior -- is an abomination before God. It denies His power in the life of the believer, it sets our flesh against His spirit within us, it breaks fellowship with Him and, ultimately, may force the local church to break fellowship with that believer (see 1 Corinthians 5:2-7) until he/she repents (see 2 Corinthians 2:2-5).
Does homosexual behavior end a believer's life in Christ? No. Neither do any of these other sins listed above. It becomes the responsibility of the believer to be accountable for his/her actions. It becomes the responsibility of the church body to reach out in love to each and every believer struggling with sin. It becomes the responsibility of the church to disciple each and every believer in life in Christ, emphasizing the truth that, until we harness our fleshly appetites in any of these areas, we are of little value to God.
It is not our goal to get to heaven. Heaven is our reward. Our goal is to make disciples of others and serve the Lord all our days. We do that be being living testimonies to what He has done in our lives -- especially delivering us out of such sin -- and being able to shine His light on others who are not as far down the path as we are, showing them the way.
Homosexuality, murder, theft, forgery, adultery, gluttony, pride -- none of these things are pleasing to God. But for those who deliver themselves into the hands of a merciful, loving and grace-giving God, though they may for a time continue to struggle in their sin, are delivered into His kingdom. It is a matter of how willing His other saints are to reach out and help them along.
Criticizing, demeaning, condemning (which is not our purview) is not the way of Christ. It is the way of the flesh. Love is the way of Christ, love for all sinners and a commitment to help those who surrender to Him.
Even "gays." Should they, or any sinner, insist that we accept them in their sin, what should we do? We should gently, lovingly, but firmly preach the truth, that sin cannot stand before a holy and awesome God. It may take awhile for that message to set in, perhaps years. That doesn't mean we should stop preaching it, or throw up our hands and walk away. It means we should continue to love them, never give up, never surrender. Keep preaching the gospel. That is nothing but love. -
If you're living a life in obedience to Christ, does it matter what you call yourself as long as your witness is one of obedience?
I know folks who get mad because some folks identify as Christian Muslims or Christian Jews. -
I trust that the spirit of God will be at work in His believers.
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I never understood why folks wanted to be known as anything but a follower of Christ. But if they are living in obedience and their lives are a testimony for HIM, who really cares what they call themselves? -
As Zaac's posts border on hallowing deviant sexual appetites, I think it behooves me to clarify my stance. Are there homosexual's who are saved? Yes. But this poses the question, how do we know that one is a homosexual? It's by his fruits—no pun intended, but go ahead and chuckle. I did.
Homosexual acts should be punishable by the state, just as acts of murder, rape, pedophilia, etc. -
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Scripture should make us pause as to making someone else's stripes deeper.:thumbsup: -
righteousdude2 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Well Said....
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righteousdude2 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
That is an "A+" in my grading of your answer!
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But it is no more a sin than lying, gossiping, etc., or for that matter, murder, adultery, rape, etc. Any of those things are also sin. So how do you expunge them so the guilty party can be cleansed? Oops, wait a minute ...
... if those sins were expunged, then the person would already by clean, and therefore would not need a Savior.
You just argued yourself into a vicious circle you cannot escape. The obvious answer is, anyone can be saved, and they come to Christ in sin, but are washed clean, not by themselves, but by His shed blood. God does not say homosexual behavior permanently and irrevocably separates the sinner form God. No sin accomplishes that.
Start over, Fred. You're off the path. -
righteousdude2 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
When We Moved From Detroit to Cali....
I think I heard this spoken about when a few school friends talked about it on the way home from school one day, and of course, as a naive 6th grader, I politely agreed with them, and proceeded to ask my parents what sodomy was?
I do not remember when this law was removed from the statutes within the state, but it must have been the beginning of what is now a full-out assault on morality! -
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Why this incessant need to determine who is and isn't actually saved? When did any of us become the Holy Spirit? Stop it and move on
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For those who say it is a sin like all the others (I agree) however unlike all the others you don't hear people state their sin as a proud title. "Hi, I am Lying Christian", Or "Hi, I'm an adultrous christian". And why not? because people are (and should be) ashamed of their past sinful lifestyles.
And yes, while we should be encouraging and strengthening those who have come out of sin, the church is still required by God to judge open and/or private sin in which the believer is currently involved in and not repentant.
To answer another poster as well. There is no true Muslim who converts to Christianity that will EVER call themselves a Muslim Christian or Christian Muslim. I know this because many of our closest friends are ex-muslims and their friends and many of their families as well. They will tell you fast and quick, the Muslim god is NOT the same as the Christian God and they would never merge the two names because they cannot co-exist anymore that Satan and Christ can be best friends. Those who do merge the names are either liberal Muslim who know little to nothing about the Muslim faith, or they are still Muslims trying to change and/or seek out week Christians to change their views. This is not just me who says this but many, many others, in many parts of the world. Check out "thestraightway.org", he is a well known ex-Muslim apologist who is trying to help Muslim know the truth about what they claim to believe, as well as non-Muslims to know the truth about Muslim views from the Koran and Hadith.
for a bit of personal information, my own daughter (first born) is named after our dearest friend who is an ex-muslim from the Middle East. Her own brothers (who by the way are in the Muslim Brotherhood) have told her that if she ever comes back they will personally cut off her head with their fathers knife and stick it on a pole, in turns, in front of each of their homes.
It isn't about symantics, it is about truth.
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