As Christians or followers of
Christ, we’re told in the Bible to love God above all others and love our
neighbors as ourselves.* Yet the more I look around, the more I see judgment
and condemnation of people. I see a lot of hatred for gays/homosexuals coming
from people who call themselves “Christian.” Yes, I know that Sodom and
Gomorrah were destroyed because the stench of their lifestyle reached heaven.
But think about this. God told
Abraham what He was planning to do and Abraham spoke with God and convinced him
that if there were even ten righteous men living in Sodom and Gomorrah, God
should not destroy the cities. He started with 50 good men and kept lowering
the number. Unfortunately, there weren’t ten good men to be found in the
cities.
This indicates to me that God
didn’t really want to destroy the cities, but the people had become so
entrenched in their sins, He had no choice. I once heard a pastor say that he
theorized that if Lot, who lived in Sodom, had truly lived his life before the
Lord as a righteous man he might have caused others to follow after God as well
and it’s possible that there could have been ten righteous men in the cities.
So, what does that say about those “Christians” who point their bony fingers at
the LGBT community in judgment and condemnation rather than showing them the
love of God?
If we as “Christians” or followers
of Christ started showing God’s love to the LGBT community and accepting them
where they’re at, I think some would start to change. I’m not saying all of
them will. There will always be those who will refuse, but if we show them
God’s love, there’s a greater chance they’ll accept Jesus into their life and
allow HIM to deal with their lifestyle.
I’m not saying homosexuals will
inherit the kingdom of heaven. I do know that hell is real and is reserved for
people who refuse to turn away from their sins. I’m saying that it’s not our
place to judge people based on what we see on the surface. Only God truly knows
what’s in their hearts and how or why people are the way they are. We love to
quote the scripture about “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you
judge, you will be judged and by your standard of measure, it will be measured
to you.” Matt 7:1-2 (NAS)
It’s easy to forget that in John
3:16 God wrote:
“For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.”
Let’s think about just how powerful
a statement that is. God sent his only
begotten son. Would you do that? Send your only begotten son to save a world
that had largely turned its back on you? God did. Now let’s look at the next
part. “…that whosoever believes…” “Whosoever”
is a really inclusive word. I don’t know how many times I read or heard this
verse before I realized that God didn’t make exceptions. He didn’t say,
“...whosoever except …” or “only the Jews” or “only the whites.” He said,
“…whosever…” That means that you and I don’t get to pick and choose who we show
God’s love to. That means that we are to show God’s love to people regardless
of who they are or what they’re doing. I’m not saying it’s easy, because I know
it’s not. I’m saying this is what God asks of us and that we are to do our best
when the opportunity arises.
Only after a person gives their
heart to God and seeks guidance about how to live for God should we tackle the
subject of their lifestyle. Even then, I would say do it gently and be sure
they’re ready. If they’re not, there’s a danger that they will backslide or
walk away. No matter what, allow God to deal with their heart and lifestyle.
Some people will be willing and ready the moment they allow God into their
lives, others will have to come to it as they walk with God.
One last thought, in Matt 5:43-44 You
have heard it was said, “you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But
I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you...” So
even if you struggle with showing God’s love, you can pray that they will allow
God into their lives and allow Him to heal their hearts. Prayer is a form of
loving someone, especially if you pray they will allow God into their lives
when you don’t like them.
* Matt 19:19, 22:35-40 Mark 12:30-31, 33 Luke 10:25-27
Romans 13:9 Gal. 5:14 James 2:8
