A recent letter writer expressed disagreement with the decision of the United Methodist church to affirm their ban on practicing homosexuals serving as pastors. The writer correctly points out the message of love that Jesus Christ brings to a world in need of hope for inclusion in the family of God.
This hope is given to us by God in the form of His inspired word, which is the Holy Bible. Found in the Bible are God’s ways for living in this world that is sinful and corrupt, and preparation for joining Him after this life. The central theme of the Bible is the message of eternal life through salvation, which is the free gift of God from the sacrifice made by His son, Jesus Christ, as payment for our sins. The Bible is very specific and clear that unremoved sin is what brings our spiritual death, which results in eternal separation from God. What Christ paid for in His death and the victory gained in His resurrection was to wipe away the sins of those who put their faith in Christ, through confession and repentance of their sins, resulting in the eternal restoration of our relationship with a holy and loving God. Repentance is a change in attitude toward sin. This is where the letter writer is misunderstanding whether the decision of the church was correct or not.
The Bible is truth, and it is eternal and unchanging. Man changes, and tries to fit what suits his desires. In the case of practicing homosexuality, six passages in the Bible are very specific and clear that homosexuality is sin: Genesis 19:4-7, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Judges 19:22-24, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
Read these scriptures in the Bible, as God speaks to us through His word.
Snohomish
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