I don’t like fornicators – those who indulge in extra-martial sex. Nope, they have no self-control, giving into lust and desire, partaking in fleshly delights. The same goes with adulterers. They are covenant breakers, taking the holy example and profaning it before the world and for what? Is the pleasure that they receive lasting?
And prostitutes? They are filthy people, selling their bodies for lucre. I bet they don’t even tithe.
I do not much care for those who worship idols, even those that are supposed to be of God. They deny Christ, they deny the one true God, and instead find something created to give praise to, denying the Creator.
thieves? Don’t trust them.
Greedy people? They are selfish, conceited, better than anyone else. Who needs them?
The people who cheat others, who abuse others, or perhaps abuse themselves with addictions? Really? Worthless.
And then there are the gay people, homosexuals or whatever name you want to call them. Sodomites, I guess, if you want to be ‘biblical.’ They do not belong in Church, next to our children, with us on Sunday morning. This people are against nature, against God, and I don’t want to be near them. Put them all on an island and they will eventually die of extinction. They are an abomination. Evil.
Have you ever said things like that? Thought them? Have you ever heard others say those things and let it go by? I am not saying that we must affirm every sin – but what if we closed the doors of the Church house to these types of sinners? What if we had them in our midst? Should be call them out? Should we ignore them? Do we allow them in leadership positions of any kind?
What if WE were one of THESE?
Don’t you know that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves , or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people –none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT)
Everyone of US was guilty of sins – every one of US. God calls us from these sins, and yet, we does not call us from sinners. We have been set apart from the things of this world; The Church is not a human institution, but a holy city, the Body of Christ. While we must be careful not to bring a reproach on the Church bu ignoring sins, we must be careful not to bring a reproach upon the Church by ignoring sinners – afterall, where do you think WE once were?
Remember what Jude said –
Show mercy, but do not be contaminated with their sins.
Mercy is not ignoring – mercy is compassion and not forgetting where we came from.
June 15th, 2009 9:21 am
Refreshing. I appreciate this distinction.
I have a question that is somewhat related. Do you acknowledge the imputation of sin via our federal head? In other words, do you affirm original sin?
June 15th, 2009 9:47 am
Well said. I wish the church as a whole would get this.
June 15th, 2009 12:27 pm
Amen! I seem to think I read some mention of removing dirt from our own eyes before trying to specks from others … but I don’t hear that from a lot of the big, loud names in Christendom.
That must be from that Commie Bible, too, huh?
June 15th, 2009 4:29 pm
Ephesians 2:12
remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
June 16th, 2009 12:29 pm
Excellent P!
Sounds like a podcast in the making! What say you?
June 16th, 2009 10:32 pm
Pardon my persistence, but do you affirm imputed righteousness?
June 18th, 2009 6:53 am
What is your opinion of conservative(read: biblical) Trinitarians?
June 18th, 2009 4:30 pm
That is the problem when we get all tied up in Religion. We can’t see anything for looking for the bad in others. None of us can make it except for Grace. I don’t remember which song it came from but there is a phrase that says “He wouldn’t be accepted in my church. The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet”. Keep up the great work
Dave http://dadtalk.wordpress.com
December 22nd, 2009 10:27 pm
Love the dont ignore sin nor sinner!
December 22nd, 2009 11:57 pm
I was specifically referring to this line from your post:
“While we must be careful not to bring a reproach on the Church bu ignoring sins, we must be careful not to bring a reproach upon the Church by ignoring sinners”.
We shouldnt ignore sins. But neither should we ignore sinners. We love people where they are, while sharing the gospel with all.
June 15th, 2009 11:22 am
I do believe in original sin, as far as I understand it – further, I believe that we are all depraved, and cannot, of ourself, come to God – but responds, freely, when He calls.
June 15th, 2009 11:23 am
Thanks, Peter.
June 15th, 2009 9:13 pm
Thanks, Wickle – did you get the gift yet?
Great point, Jeff.
June 16th, 2009 11:20 am
If you believe in orginal sin, do you affirm the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the believer? (That is to say, at the point of salvation, the Christian is credited with the very righteousness of Jesus Christ in a singular event. This being distinguished from the process of sanctification.)
June 16th, 2009 9:49 pm
Do I think that that salvation is given at one singular point in a person’s life and thus nothing else done? Yes. No.
Do I believe that we can earn salvation – no. Do I believe that we must maintain it, less we neglect it and it slip away, yes.
June 16th, 2009 11:22 pm
Sure, what Christ did was enough for salvation – and yet, I believe that we must maintain that salvation, and endure until the end.
June 18th, 2009 8:14 am
F.W., everyone’s ‘biblical’ – please take this to the Discussion page