LAWSON: I think Dr. MacArthur said it yesterday that our entry point is to address the sin,
and no one wants to be saved until they know they're lost, and no one needs a Savior
until they know they are under the wrath of God. And the Bible is very clear that no homosexual
and no effeminate will enter the kingdom of heaven or be a part of the kingdom of heaven. And so, it
would be a call to repentance, to repent of your sin and to turn away from it and to embrace the
forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as much as we would like to be a peacemaker and to extend
love, which we do extend love, we speak the truth in love. But that's the point,
we speak the truth. And it is a violation of the holiness of God at a very deep level.
And there must be the conviction…the
Holy Spirit alone can bring the conviction of sin. We cannot bring conviction of sin.
But as we'll even talk tonight, when we preach the word, 2 Timothy 4:2, the very first two things
you do when you preach the Word is to reprove and to rebuke, then you exhort with patience
and instruction. But the reproving is the exposure of the sin, and the rebuking is the
call for repentance. And then the instruction…or the exhortation is the persuasion and the summons
to leave your sin and to come to the mercy and the grace of God who alone can forgive sin.
And as it was quoted last night, Isaiah 1, verse 18, "'Come, let us reason together,'
says the Lord, 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they be
red like crimson, they shall be white as wool.'" And that's our point of address.
It's not because you're lonely. It's not because you need new friends. It's not
because you're feeling insecure. It's not because you were rejected as a child. It's not because,
no…it's you have sinned, and you're living in sin, and it is a gross and despicable sin in the
eyes of a holy God. But He is a God of much grace and mercy as well. And if you will confess your
sin and repent, He will give you a new start and, you know, "Forgetting what lies behind,
and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on to the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus." But you're going to have to forget it and turn your back to it.
KIM: Don't… no, go ahead, please.
GODFREY: I agree with what you're saying, but don't we have to make it clear in this kind of
situation that the gay person doesn't have to just repent of being gay, and then that will
be all that's necessary as if this is the only sin that matters in the eyes of God? I mean,
our message needs to be "The person who doesn't know Christ as Savior is alienated in every part
of life from God, and the whole life is sinful, not just one part of a life?" And to be sure there
has to be repentance for every part of a life that's alienated from God. But, I think, sometimes
people who wrestle with a very, from our point of view, obvious public sin, hear us saying,
"It's only that one sin that matters." And I think we have to be careful about that. It's the
alienation from God, it's the rebellion of God, it's the problem of the heart in resisting God.
LAWSON: Sure.
GODFREY: It manifests itself in this but in many other sins as well.
LAWSON: Absolutely. I mean, John 16, verse 8, "The Spirit has come into the world to convict men
of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Of sin, because they believe not." I mean,
the damning sin ultimately is the rejection of Christ. So, I totally, completely agree with you.
As the question is asked, though, it is a glaring sin. But it is, obviously, the sin of unbelief.
Your rejection of Christ and the free offer of His grace is you are trampling underfoot the precious
blood of Christ and insulting the Spirit of grace, and treating it as a common thing.
KIM: I agree with both men. I think there's lots of truth there we ought to keep in mind.
If I may add a caveat to this, one of the struggles that we have as Christians
is distinguishing and balancing the message with the manner. And I think this is some of
the generational struggles we have. There is the truth, how do we display and teach
that truth? I feel for the person who is asking this question. I can't imagine what he or she
feels as they see their child walk in sin. And to be honest, as our brothers point out, at the end,
prayer is, there is really nothing else one can do but to pray and to depend upon the Lord
for His Spirit to work in that person or that child's heart.
At the same time, as we approach, and I want to be careful how I say this, that we remember that
the person is still a bearer of the image of God. We also remember that like any other sin,
it requires the love and stick-to-itiveness of those who are around that individual,
to walk with that person as they journey and struggle through their sin,
to be able to display the love of Christ and the truth of Christ in their lives.
Now, it takes wisdom to distinguish what that looks like, what the clear message is and what
the clear goal is of repentance and rejection, and understanding that God calls us to a certain life
of holiness. Yet in getting there, our engagement is just as important as the message we proclaim.
The manner and the love with which we are able to display and discuss will be an impactful witness
in terms of helping that person see the love of Christ and the righteousness of Christ
in you as you minister to them and pray for them as well.
THOMAS:
I mean, this is one of the most difficult questions in our culture right now. And I think I
would want to…I agree with everything that's been said, but I think I would want to add a couple of
nuances, and I think I would want to distinguish between same-sex attraction
and actually acting out on that same-sex attraction. I think that because of our culture,
I think because of, I mean, some people have a disposition to be
hot-tempered, some people have a disposition to be prideful.
And I can accept the fact that some people struggle with same-sex attraction.
If this was a sibling of mine, I would want them to know that I love them,
I'm there for them, I'm going to help them through their life's journey.
I certainly want them to know, and they probably already know, that this is sin, that this violates
the commandments of God. But I'd also want them to at least
sense that if they are going to live a celibate life struggling with same-sex attraction
that there's help there, that the gospel can help them, that the gospel can empower them.
And without that knowledge, there's hopelessness. So, as well as the negative, as well as that this
is sin and unless you repent there are damning consequences, I think I also want them to know
that there's hope and there's power and there's strength in the gospel, and that Jesus
can actually help them overcome this struggle, which they may have for the rest of their lives.