Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
You ignored what dccorbett and tiny tim posted from the scriptures. It's Matt 18 and 1 cor 5. If a Christian persists in sinning without repenting, and you go to him/her but he/she does not repent, they are to be put out of fellowship. So if this Ray Boltz guy (whom I never heard of) came to church but openly endorses his lifestyle or openly practiced it and did not repent after being confronted, he could not stay.
My pastor talked about this last Sunday - putting someone out of the church that is behaving like this is an act of love because it gets the person to see their sin. Once they repent, they are to be taken back and lovingly restored. This is what we are commanded to do in scripture. If you read through 2 Cor, you see how they were allowing sin in the church to be openly practiced with no rebuke or discipline and it was destroying them spiritually and morally.
TT, do you think it impossible that Ray is saved?
Certainly this revelation gives us reason to question his salvation but is it not possible that he is lost but in a backsliden position?
Is it possible for a Christian to be tempted sexually?
Of course it is, if your not check your pulse.
Is it possible for a Christian to sin?
Ditto.
Is it possible for a Christian to committ a homosexual sin?
It has to be, fornication is fornication.
If it is possible for a Christian to commit sin with a member of the opposite sex then it is possible for them to commit sin with a member of the same sex.
Just because you may not be tempted in this manner don't assume no Christian ever is.
I realize that Ray's apparent lack of repentance and conviction give convincing arguments that he may not be saved we cannot know the heart of any man.
I have to disagree with you TT.
If Ray goes to hell it will not be because he is a homosexual, it will be because he has refused the salvation offered him in Jesus Christ.
Good for you my friend, your couarge and willingness to hear God's call speaks volumes that other Christians should hear relating our so-called closet sins and there are many.
Michael English, whose affair was just the beginning of his long and sad "fall," did what should be done:
He repented, submitted himself to the accountability of others, and has gone through a process of repentance and restoration.
That takes a while, and ain't the least bit easy.
If Boltz wants to go there (and apparently now, he doesn't)...it'll be a long road.
Yes, he has been a homosexual for many years, now making it publically know, the homosexual community will use to to say homosexuality is ok, 'hey I'm christian, homosexual and I don't have to change.' Thats a stumbling block.
He's been a homosexaul for 30 years. Knowing Christ, being a christian, means we are made new, we beome new creatures. We do sin as christians, but we don't love it, prefer it, andmake that same old sin a pratice in our lives. If nothing changes we were never saved, we were never christians. Seems God was and is awfully slow in making Ray Boltz a new creature and hasn't done it yet.
no we don't go to hell for our sinful actions, but when we prefer sin over God, and make that same sin a pratice in our lives, we were never christians in the first place. It sin't the sin that we go to hell for, but we have never been saved if we are pleased to continue in our sin without change without remorse without repentence for that sin.
Isn't there a 3 page limit in this forum? Or does it matter what the topic is as to whether or not a thread is closed at 3 pages? Meaning the 3 page limit rule is subjective, depending on the mood of the mod today, or what?
I think you misunderstand me. A stumbling block to christians approving this sin, or to people who beleive they are christians, when in fact they are not. A stumbling block making homosexuality look acceptable.
Donna, what is going on... your posts lately have been very inpatient... not like you at all.. PM me if you have something going on that I could pray for.