The Bible says to go to him, advise him, if he persists, then bring him before the church, and if he still persists, he must leave.
I personally don't belong to his local church, so there isn't much I can do.
I can only pray for him, that he repent -
and begin to serve God again with a renewed and cleansed heart.
I went to his website and saw where he is going to the gay and lesbian churches now and performing. I can relate to that, being a one-time professional bar band musician. I honestly thought I could witness to people in bars!!! It is the confusion of satan, folks, pray for him. I cannot criticize him, I am a sinner just like him. I cannot question his salvation either. That is between God and him.
I think revmitch brought the Scriptures to bear on this already. I think if I wasn't in a bit of a foul mood when I wrote what I wrote, I would have explained myself further.
Every sodomite, drunkard, fornicator, liar, thief, hypocrite, et. are welcome to attend our church and sit under the preaching of the Gospel. But if a man or woman named a brother commit such things, they should be disciplined and if they refuse to repent, excommunicated...meaning, barred from the Lord's Table.
Well, Jesus said that we should do unto others ... etc. Seems to me that if Jesus said it then it is not a bad philosophy to follow. Guess Jesus' words are enough eh?
The problem I saw was Rev's interpretation of the scripture. His interpretation advocates one having to change in order to come to Christ. We all know that isn't correct, you come to Christ as you are and let him change you.
Address the verse I posted. You are misapplying that verse. God never said "if you would do things contrary to God's word then you should support them doing it also".
Perhaps not but scripture teaches if any man is taken in a fault, our first effort should be to restore them and not immediately toss them out the Church.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Yes... Ray would be welcomed in my church, but he would hear the Gospel, and hear that his lifestyle is not right.
He would be welcomed.. not affirmed..
DCorbett hit the nail on the head... Matt 18
If someone doesn't repent go to them
Take someone else the next time
Still no repentance, go before the church...
Still no repentance.. treat them like a lost person....
Hmmmm...
How should Christians treat lost people?
We Welcome them, but don't affirm their sin.
Instead of discipleship, we switch to evangelism...
Instead of viewing the unrepentant as a misguided child of God.. we view them through the eyes of evangelism.. THEY NEED SAVED.
Too many times, the church throws people away!
Shame on us...
The very people Jesus died for are the ones we attack.
Ray has a problem... If he continues unrepentant, we as Christians should treat him as a lost person...
Not hatefully, but caring, in prayer, having a burden for his salvation...
Yes... Matt. 18, says to treat the unrepentant as lost...
I don't know about you, but I welcome lost people to church...
But they know what the Bible says about their sin.. and I will not pat them on the back and say nothing is wrong...
I preach the truth...
God convicts..
The sinner repents...
God saves....
OK... that's my view...
The church is to be a hospital.. not a showcase...
Thankful of Jaime's situation. But that doesn't change the fact that there is also the church to consider as well as scripture that is being ignored in this situation. Those who are in the church and are holding on to unrepentent sin are to be dismissed regardless of how we feel.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Yep.
And I would hope every believer indwelt with the Spirit would want his sin brought to his attention and church discipline administered if he does not listen to the Word of God.
So I would certainly do to others what I would want done to me in this case.
Church discipline.