Church! Do you call yourself Christian?

I am going to touch on a subject here that is extremely controversial.  I would ask that if you read this, please read it carefully, regardless of your position.  I am a Bible believing born-again Christian who believes that the Bible is the truth and that it clearly delineates sin.  I am also a redeemed sinner.  I believe that God is the judge and not me nor you. I believe that homosexuality is a sin.  That does not mean that I hate homosexuals,  I do not hate adulterers, porn addicts, thieves, liars,
etc.  All of which are sins too.  I do not judge them.  Again, that is God's job not mine.

All that being said, I read today an article about the United Methodist Church "Coming Out" and it saddens me to see main stream protestant Christian churches allowing people, who are openly and proudly practicing homosexuality, to be leaders in their churches.  The Bible, which these denominations state they believe, is clear on the matter and is very clear on how the church members and especially leaders are to behave.  They cannot call themselves Christian churches, Christian meaning followers of Jesus Christ, and allow this.  They have expelled leaders in the past who have been caught engaging the services of prostitutes.  How is this different? Would they let practicing porn stars lead their churches?

Is this post a cry against homosexuals?  Absolutely not.  It is a cry against churches sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring what they know is a sin to continue in their fellowships.  Of what are you afraid?  That the government will force you to allow it?  It can't.  Remember separation of church and state (which is a misquote anyway since the U.S. Constitution never said that)?

So why churches, are you allowing this?  How can you say that God will bless your church when you know that the very same Word that you preach and teach also warns against allowing what it defines as sexual sin to be not just openly practiced but you are making leaders who are engaged in the practice. 

1 Tim 2:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

Rev 2: 18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Do you really want this for your churches?  Look, you don't have to believe this.  But don't call yourself Christian and then only accept what makes you feel good and ignore what believing Christians know as truth.

Please do not read this as a hate post against homosexuals.  It is not!  The Bible which Christians claim to believe clearly states that homosexuality is a sin.  The same Bible also clearly states that regardless of the sin, all humans with the exception of one, are guilty.  The one, Jesus Christ, taught us to love each other even though we are guilty of sin.  He paid the price for that sin. So again, homosexuals are not hated by me, nor are porn stars, or thieves, etc.

Here in America, homosexuals are more than welcome to start their own churches if they want. They can have all the benefits of being established as a church.  Just don't try and force my church to accept your sin as allowable and admirable and still call yourself Christian.  It is not. If you want to rally around the bigotry and intolerance flag, try being a practicing homosexual and join an Islamic church.  They believe you should be publicly executed.  We believe you should be loved. But part of that love, is the responsibility, if you call yourself Christian, is to not condemn nor condone but with loving hearts, help one another recognize, acknowledge and overcome the sins in which they may be participating through the power of the Holy Spirit given to us by God, Jesus Christ. THAT is Christian church.