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The Nashville Statement and Acting in Love Toward our Neighbor

Just a couple of comments on one of the articles in the Nashville Statement

ARTICLE 10
WE AFFIRM that it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness.

WE DENY that the approval of homosexual immorality or transgenderism is a matter of moral indifference about which otherwise faithful Christians should agree to disagree

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If I may add my 2 cents to Article 10:

Those within the visible church who APPROVE of homosexual immorality are not acting in love toward our neighbor but, for fear of man's opinion, are denying him or her the gospel, which is the only hope for any of us. Those churches who approve are, therefore, guilty of doing harm and/or murdering souls.

If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand." - Ezek 3:18

I have seen some theologically left-leaning comments online which attempt to paint the Nashville Statement as intolerant and hateful since, they say, in the gospel "all are welcome to the table." Of course this is to twist the gospel enough to simply make it a message of universal acceptance and not a message of Jesus coming to liberate us all from our captivity.  The Nashville Statement essentially makes the point that the gospel declares forgiveness of sins is available to all who believe, but we cannot cling to our sins (basic historic Christianity). The progressive alternative wants you to be forgiven and be totally affirmed in your sin.

Many of our churches have brothers and sisters who struggle with same sex attraction (including mine),  just like we have people that struggle with other sins - they are all welcome to the table, but if, by grace, a person come to Christ, the sinner not only calls on Him to deliver us from the guilt of sin but also its power. A Christian is granted a new heart which is broken over their sin, has no hope in himself, and by the grace of God needs a Savior to rescue him from its bondage.  The reason that homosexuality is set apart here in the Nashville Statement is because there are currently some within the visible church who are attempting to change what Christians have always believed about this since its inception simply for the sake of remaining relevant to the culture.  But this will not do. The Bible does not leave this issue up to  our personal preferences. Rather, all people everywhere are called by the gospel to come to faith in Christ, regardless of their sin. And all who come by the grace of God have a new heart that loves God and have the power to overcome their sin (1 John 5:2-4) Those who are teaching that people who struggle with same-sex attraction don't need the gospel like the rest of us are creating a special class of people. Why? What kind of teaching would hold someone back from the only Person who can redeem them?  This is why such teaching should be branded as utterly outside the boundaries of Christian orthodoxy. There is nothing I can think of more unloving that that.

As a friend

Wed, 08/30/2017 - 14:18 -- john_hendryx

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