NOTE: I WROTE THIS AS A FACEBOOK NOTE, AS SO SOME OF THE WORDING IS MEANT FOR MY NON-CHRISTIAN FRIENDS WHO MIGHT HAVE READ IT. PLEASE JUST READ AROUND IT.
The Intro:
As most of my friends know, I am a christian, and being a christian i have a tendency to read the most important, best written, most researched, oldest and yet most sustained book in the world, the Holy Bible. If anyone reading this has ever read the Bible you will know that it raises a lot of controversy with aspects of our social community in America today. For example, the widespread idea that all religion is the same and what might be true for one person may not be true for another, may I say that that is total malarkey. If we assume this is true than we are saying that nothing can ever be true and that for one person, rape might be wrong, but for another rape might be okay, it's just what they believe is right isn't it?
The Body:
As mentioned earlier, the Bible raises a lot of controversy among the socially correct balance (or may I say off-balance) of American society. The passage that struck me hard after having a colorful conversation with a Lutheran friend of mine who believed that unrepentant sinners qualified to be pastors, and after a Gay friend of mine said that people shouldn't take the Bible seriously, is Romans 1:18-32
Romans 1: 18-32
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
I Continue...
As you may have noticed, that was a freaking scary passage of the Bible. Scary because it nearly perfectly reflects our socially and politically "correct" society today, me included.
I am proud to say that in America, it is actually difficult not to hear people speak of God and spread the news to everyone. Unfortunately this makes those of us who are not believers and who reject the word, without excuse for our actions. Let me tell you that those of you who read this and hear the great news that is coming at the end of this note and still reject and persecute those who believe, have another thing coming to you. In saying this I am not just talking about in the Afterlife ,although it will extend into that, if you continue to live without the acceptance of God's grace to you, you will live a hard and unsatisfying life filled with "wickedness, evil, greed and depravity...envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice." And doesn't that just sound delightful?
A Warning to Christians:
My brothers and sisters, and those of us who are unbelievers. May I warn you about looking for complete satisfaction in anything other than God.
Everyone who has ever breathed knows that sin is fun, sometimes it is A LOT of fun, but remember, it is only for a season. Take, for example, an affair. Undoubtedly an affair is fun and exciting, sneaking around for "true love" or even just carnal fun (these two things are the two things that most people get married for and it is the two things most people start affairs for) is exhilarating, but anyone who has ever been through the experience will tell you that it does not last. You get caught and it's not fun, you go home and are unable to look your wife in the eye: not fun, you live with guilt hanging over your head for the rest of your life: not fun. All sin meets that requirement, it's fun, but only for a season.
God offer's us a lifetime of satisfaction and peace, and yes unseasonal fun (take it from me I have a great time all the time); therefore I conclude this section with the firm belief that it is a logical and even common sense choice to choose God.
Note: this does not mean that if you follow God you will never have hardships but it does mean in those hardships you will have the peace of god which truthfully transcends all understanding.
A Difficult Pill To Swallow:
Well there is no point in dancing around this topic. Being homosexual (bi-sexual included) is a sin, and no you weren't born with it. I warned you it was a hard pill to swallow.
Before I start may I say that I know some wonderful Christians who struggle with feelings of homosexuality. I am not writing this to say that all gays are going to hell, I am simply trying to clear up some misunderstandings about the Bible's perspective on Homosexuality.
I find it difficult to understand how Christians can support homosexual behaviors and take the Scriptures seriously.
Where do they find evidence in the Bible that we can completely scandalize God's gift of sexuality (whether in heterosexual or homosexual ways) and have His approval. It doesn't make any logical sense! The passage above clearly states that if someone were to turn against God then he would let go of them and "[give] them over to shameful lusts." All they have to do is turn from sin and run into God's open arms and he will save them from their sin! Please note that I'm not saying this is easy, in fact I struggle with sin everyday but God forgives me when I slip up and turn from him.
As I said it makes no sense the way Christians have reacted to the sudden outburst of Gays in society.
The Conclusion:
For a final thought I would like to reveal the true meaning of all 2000 years of Christianity. It is found in one of the most famous passages of the Bible. John 3:16-21
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
If we simply accept God's forgiveness through Jesus, then, we are saved.
As a final example I will paraphrase Francis Chan's story about his daughter. One time way back in like 5th grade, she got an F on a test. Instead of punishing her Francis took her out to a nice dinner and a movie and washed it all down with some ice cream. This is how we should think of God when we have sinned. Every temptation is a test and every action is the grade. When we come humbly before God like Francis' daughter, instead of a punishment, God wants to take us out for our favorite ice cream.
- A humble believer