The Homosexual Debate Continues

John R. Houk
© June 3, 2010

Steven said:

I actually said Matthew 7:1-5, not Matthew 5. It's going to be pretty hard to wiggle out of that one.

My initial response also referenced to another person’s comment that there exists Christian homosexual activists:

Oops. In any case it is still a case for Jesus condemning homosexuality as a sin. As to the "News Flash": I know. To Nicholas: indeed there are Christian homosexual activists however a homosexual who claims to be a Christian is not a Biblical Christian. Rather that is a Progressive Christian that does not believe the Word of God is Divine Scripture... See More. Progressive Christians are into the Moral Relativity thing and indeed are closer to Secular Humanism than to Biblical Christianity.

Steven I have to go back to Matt 7: 1-5. Without being there yet I am not concerned that there is an implication that Jesus did not consider the acts of homosexuality is not a sin as I demonstrated in the SlantRight.com post.

Steven the “Judge not, that you are not judged” is typical Secular Humanist hypocrisy. Let’s expand the reading of Matt. 7: 1-5 to include verse six:

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. (NKJV)

I don’t have to worry about wiggle room! I answered this in John 15: 1-17. To revive the memory the Father is the Vinedresser and Jesus is the Vine. Humanity is the branches and the fruit. The lesson is in judging the branch and the fruit. If the branch and the fruit are not good they are pruned. Pruning the vineyards in agriculture means the branches and fruit renew from the life of the vine into good fruit. You are correct in assuming Christians are not to be judgmental as in heaping condemnation. Jesus came to Save the world not condemn it, but those who disbelieve are condemned already.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[a] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:14-21)

So you see Christian judgment is about judging the fruit to better one’s self in the Light of Christ or to not fellowship with one who refuses the Light and rather chooses the darkness. Homosexuality would be a lifestyle that is part of the darkness. Is a homosexual condemned in their darkness? Not necessarily! The purpose of the incarnation of God as the Son of Man to pay the debt of Adam choosing self over the Light of God is to make the Light visible to those in darkness. Therein lay free will: There is a choice between remaining in the darkness or moving toward the Light.

Please note that verse six of Matt. 7 continues the thought of Jesus:

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

The thought of not casting what is holy to dogs and swine implies an individual ruled by his flesh (sarx) which entails the compelling self-capacity to eat one’s own vomit or to consume with joy any edible morsel a swine will be delighted to ingest.

Reading the same Chapter Seven of Matthew the point is driven home:

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matt. 7: 15-20)

Those who dilute or abandon the Word of God are false prophets (no animosity intended, just an observation according to the Word of God). Jesus tells us with great certainty for Believers to judge the fruit in order to know if they are in darkness or the Light. Believers are to point those in darkness toward the Light rather than condemn a person in the bondage of darkness. Once the Light is shown it is up to the individual to choose to remain in darkness (e.g. homosexuality) or journey toward the Light.

In a way you may actually be correct about “wiggle room” but not in the way you intended.

JRH 6/3/10