Washed, Sanctified, Justified

“The  opposite of homosexuality isn’t heterosexuality. It’s holiness.” Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, wrote these words in his book entitled Leaving Homosexuality.¹ This is a hot topic nowadays as so many homosexual activists are touting that they should have certain rights that others in heterosexual relationships have. There have been six different states who have legalized “gay” marriages and the trend seems to be catching steam. Businesses such as Home Depot are openly pushing an agenda to accept homosexuality as a norm. Even the President of the United States, Barack Obama, has pushed for acceptance of homosexuality.

Chambers, who just received World Magazine’s Daniel of the Year award, was a former homosexual. He is charged by his critics on a regular basis as they say that he is denying what comes naturally to him. Interestingly, Chambers agrees with his critics. But read what he says: “For Christians, every day we’re called to a life of Biblical self-denial. We take up our cross and follow Christ, and we deny what comes naturally. Those who reject the concept of self-denial haven’t reaped the joys that come with it.”

 

His perspective is correct. For Chambers, his journey began 20 years ago this past September in a Florida chapter of Exodus International (EI). EI is one of the largest organizations in America that ministers to the homosexual community. Chambers first sought help there and is now serving as the President of EI. Sitting in his office with his staff, a staff of about nine people, they read cards with handwritten prayer requests sent to the ministry. These cards come from a newsletter EI sends to its mailing list. On one card, a set of parents asked for prayer for their daughter to overcome homosexuality. Another offered the same request for a son. A third card came from a man asking for prayer as he and his wife raise their newborn child. “I’ve struggled with my sexuality all my life,” he wrote. “Pray that I’ll set a good example of holiness and sexual purity for my daughter.”

 

Chambers admits that EI does not exist to “fix” people. Rather, EI exists to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, “What’s our mission? It’s not to fix people. It’s to point them to Jesus. He’s the one who changes people’s hearts and lives.” Chambers further says, “I chose to look at gay pornography, to go to gay bars, and to have sexual relations with other men.” He eventually stopped indulging, but only because he pursued inward change through the Lord Jesus Christ and holiness in every part of his life—not just his sexuality. In his estimation, any temptation for any sin can be resisted when one is seeking and pursuing the Lord Jesus.

 

So how should we in the Christian community respond to those living in homosexual lifestyles? We are to treat those living in this lifestyle as we would anyone else living in a sinful lifestyle. Read what Paul the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God.” The words that Paul used in these verses applies to everyone. All of us have been unrighteous in some form or fashion. But the good news, just as it is with Chambers, is that the Lord Jesus Christ can wash anyone of us clean, He can sanctify and make us holy in Himself, and He is the One who can justify or declare us to be righteous. Can a homosexual change? Yes, just as any other unrighteous person can through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

¹http://www.worldmag.com/articles/18908

Amusing Ourselves to Death

In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman asserts that America will not be destroyed from without but from within. He considers George Orwell’s book, 1984, and Aldous Huxley’s book, Brave New World. Postman wrote, “Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think….In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared what we love will ruin us.”¹ 

It wasn’t but just a few short weeks ago that I witnessed two young ladies texting on their cell phones. I asked them if they were texting each other as opposed to just speaking out loud. “No, we’re texting our other friends.” Interestingly enough, one of them actually told me about one of their teachers at their high school that actually writes his notes on the marker board in “text language.” It is a totally different language than what you are reading right now in this article.

 

I witnessed another phenomenon. The phenomenon of “gaming” is what I mean. This idea that our children need Xboxes and iPads and Droids and Wiis is beyond anything that I ever saw as a kid. They have all their toys and games that they can carry in their pockets. Do you remember the days when all you had to play with was a stick and an empty bottle? I do! My mother told us over and over again that arcade games were just a waste of money. Now you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home if you have game boxes and other things. Kids are getting fat because they don’t exercise enough due to sitting and playing games on their TVs in their bedrooms.

 

Then there’s the sporting events. That’s right! You read me correctly! People are willing to spend hundreds of dollars just to go and watch a bunch of sweaty, smelly men throwing a “pigskin” around. Then there’s baseball. We know of people who say they can’t sit in a church service for one hour but they can sit on metal seats at a stadium for a good solid nine innings or even more if it goes into overtime. And what about Nascar? Does anybody realize that Nascar is a bunch of people driving in a big circle? Granted they’re driving 200+ miles per hour, but it’s still a big circle! What about hockey? Well, because it’s my favorite sport there’s nothing wrong with spending a bunch of money and time to watch a game! (I hope you understand that I am joking about hockey!)

 

Let’s face it, friends, we truly are amusing ourselves to death. Whether it’s watching TV, movies, playing games, being involved in sports or anything else, we are a society that seems to love what we have and do rather than keeping our priorities straight.

 

Read what the Lord Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-40: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Our ruin is that we love other things rather than loving God. People are falling apart because we don’t love them as we love ourselves. The society in which we live is becoming more and more dangerous as we love other things rather than loving God and people.

 

So what can we do about it? First, we can get those things that distract us from the Lord out of our lives. It doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun or be amused at times, it just means that we are ridding ourselves of distraction. Second, we can encourage each other to love and good works (cf. Hebrews 10:24-25). Let’s stop amusing ourselves to death and let’s start loving the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind.

¹ Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Viking, 1985, vii-viii.