And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served (that were beyond the flood) or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but I and mine house will serve the Lord.
Then the people answered and said, God forbid, that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods.
Joshua 24:15-16 The Holy Bible, Geneva 1599
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Christian Leaders Say Gays Can Go To Heaven… What’s the Bible Say?
Posted by RevJoseph on July 5, 2012, 3:26 pm
By Matt Moore
This is such a hard question to answer… not because the answer isn’t clear in Scripture, but because of the radically differing opinions of people in the Church. When this question is asked, division immediately is introduced. But for the sake of souls, the deception must be confronted and the truth must be proclaimed.
This morning I ran across these articles:
Evangelical Calls on Alan Chambers to Step Down Over ‘Gays Can Go to Heaven’ Remarks
Gay Bishop Commends LGBT Presbyterians For ‘Confusing’ the Church on Homosexuality
So it’s evident that many influential leaders, and consequently much of their following, really believe that those active in the gay lifestyle can simultaneously have a relationship with Christ and be destined for Heaven. From other comments I’ve read from this point of view, it seems as though they believe the grace of God covers the lifestyle of unrepentant, active sinful behavior.
This sounds great. I mean, I want people to go to heaven… I want all people to go to heaven. I wouldn’t wish Hell on my worst enemy. But my only problem with this point of view is what the Bible actually says.
“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?… just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”- Romans 6:1-2,4
“Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”- Romans 3:31
“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”- 1 John 1:6
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”- 1 John 3:4-6
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
This all ultimately comes back to the question, what is the Christian life supposed to look like? The Scriptures are clear that those who are legitimate Children of God are radically transformed. They live a life of faith, in continual repentance from sin and they grow in holiness. But many voices from within the Church deny these truth’s by saying a simple profession of faith with the mouth is all it takes to be saved…… again, this sounds great, but not true. There is such thing as vain faith, and it will not save.
“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”- John 2:23-25
Mere acknowledgement that Jesus is the Son of God is not saving faith or biblical belief. Faith given by God always results in a changed life. Faith given by God always results in repentance. So can an unrepentant gay person go to heaven? Absolutely….. if God grants them repentance and they turn from their sin.
As for the unrepentant sinner, the Scripture warns: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”- Hebrews 10:26-27
It’s hard to tell people that they are going to Hell if they don’t repent. It’s hard to tell people that they aren’t okay with God in their sin. It’s hard to tell people that if they do not turn, they will be eternally rejected by God and suffer endless conscious torment. But it’s the truth. God has called us to know the truth, to proclaim the truth and not waiver from the truth.
If you are a person active in homosexual behavior, and claim Christianity, please hear me when I tell you this: Jesus does love you, but you don’t love Him. You love an idea of Jesus you’ve created with your imagination that condones your sin and doesn’t ask to you to repent. That Jesus isn’t real. Please, get into the Bible, and just start reading. Ask God to help you.
“Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”- Mark 1:14-15Rev. Joseph Holmin
Re: Christian Leaders Say Gays Can Go To Heaven… What’s the Bible Say?
8 Go now, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, so that it may be for the time to come as a witness for ever. 9 For they are a rebellious people, faithless children, children who will not hear the instruction of the Lord; 10 who say to the seers, ‘Do not see’; and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, 11 leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’ 12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because you reject this word, and put your trust in oppression and deceit, and rely on them; 13 therefore this iniquity shall become for you like a break in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse, whose crash comes suddenly, in an instant; 14 its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a sherd is found for taking fire from the hearth, or dipping water out of the cistern.
It has been foretold."Here is the patience of the Saints: those here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12 (Geneva 1560)
I fail to see any grey area on this subject. There are numerous references in the Bible on the subject of homosexuality and they all refer to it as a sin. Will God allow a sinful person into heaven? I really do not believe I need to elaborate on the obvious answer.
Re: Christian Leaders Say Gays Can Go To Heaven… What’s the Bible Say?
Amen. In this there is no hate, only love. Thank You Brother!"Here is the patience of the Saints: those here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12 (Geneva 1560)
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 ESV All rights reserved. Praise, I said praise The Lord!
on July 5, 2012, 3:26 pm