Affirming sin is cruel, not kind. Affirming sin is an act of hate, not love. I was once asked by a student if I was "affirming." I replied that I tried to be a positive, encouraging teacher to my students. Back then I had no clue that "affirming" was some sort of code word for approving of sinful lifestyle choices.
Affirming Sin
Affirming
sin shows a complete disregard for the well-being of another human. Affirming
sin reveals a lack of either true belief in or correct understanding of God. The first chapter of the book of
Romans gives a lengthy dissertation about the dangers and consequences of
abandoning God’ design for sex. Verse 32 warns against affirming sinful
homosexual behavior and the other issues that grow out of it:
Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who
practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to
those who practice them.
A
decree is a judgement or sentence. Those who continue in rebellion against God
will not receive eternal life. They will die a physical death and suffer the
second death, the death of the soul, in the Lake of Fire. The word translated
as give approval is suneudokeo. It means
to give consent, to agree with, to applaud and even take pleasure in seeing
someone else sin. It means to support and affirm. When you affirm sin, you are
applauding people on their way to destruction and that is evil.
Diversity
Diversity
is good when it means accepting people whose skin is a different color than our
own as brothers, sisters and equals. Diversity is evil when it means accepting
sinful LGBTQ behaviors and false religions as our society is pressuring us to
do.
Revelation
7:1 describes what it will look like in heaven:
After this I looked, and there was a
vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, which no one
could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed
in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud
voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne and to the
Lamb!
People
with every beautiful variety of skin color from all over the world who trust in
Jesus for salvation will be saved and will be in heaven. There is a popular quote that says Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America. What a horrifying reality if that is true. Much work needs to be done in the Kingdom of God to foster brotherhood and unity. Embracing diversity in the church means that my brothers and sisters in Christ are more important to me and take priority over my allegiance to any nation, organization, group, creed or cause. For this reason, I cannot stand idly by and allow sinful factions such as the advancing LGBTQ army to foist their agenda upon the struggle for racial equality and justice.
Inclusion
Inclusion
is good when it involves loving, supporting and celebrating people with differences
in appearance, physical differences or disabilities. This honors our fellow
human beings, respects them as equals and acknowledges that they were created
to be image bearers of God. Inclusion becomes evil when it involves celebrating
and abiding with sin because this disrespects and defiles humanity.
I
was deeply offended to see a commercial at the movie theater yesterday that
compared a talented artist without arms painting with her feet to people with
sinful sexual orientations and gender identity choices. It was disrespectful, exploitive
and inappropriate. In the same way, when the LGBTQ movement compares their
sinful lifestyle choices to the struggles of People of Color, this is ugly,
exploitive, nasty racism.
All
people are descended from our original parents, Adam and Eve, the first human
beings, who God created in his own image. Mankind has continually degraded
ourselves through sin, divided ourselves into ethnic groups by skin color, and
excluded those with disabilities. But there is only one Creator, God. And there
is only one race, the human race.
With the tongue we bless our Lord and
Father, and with it we curse people who are made in Gods likeness. Blessing and
cursing coming out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things
should not be this way. Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the
same opening?
All
people should be treated with dignity, honor and respect. This means that all
people deserve to be told the truth that Jesus loves them and gave his life so
that they could be saved, if they will turn away from their sins and toward him.
We have to tell the truth. But we must constantly strive to do it in a way that
is respectful and winsome, extending grace and kindness.
Sin
causes division and exclusion. Sinful attitudes toward people with disabilities
must be repented of and replaced with appreciation, love and respect.
Sinful
behaviors, including degrading sexual behaviors must be repented of so people
can be forgiven and brought into fellowship. This includes turning away from LGBTQ
sin, but it equally includes repenting of heterosexual activity outside of
marriage, pornography and all manner of sexual manipulation, harm and abuse. In
his letter to the Corinthians, Paul warned about the ultimate source of
exclusion, Sin:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God.
Affirming
homosexuality is like affirming theft or alcohol abuse or adultery or wild
partying or usury. The most inclusive action a person can take is to include someone in the family of God. This requires inviting them to turn
away from sin and toward Jesus, to ask him to come into their heart, save them
and change them through the power of his Spirit. There is only one way to find
true unity and inclusion and that is through the redemptive work of Jesus
Christ who is restoring things to the way they were meant to be through His
church.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one
body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given to drink of
one Spirit.
True Compassion
Compassion
and Empathy should lead us to speak difficult truths in the most respectful way
possible, NOT to affirm and encourage sin.
Here’s
the twist: Compassion and empathy are frequently preyed upon by those with agendas.
People seeking approval for their sinful choices and actions often manipulate
those who exhibit these admirable qualities. For example: it is commonly reported
that suicide rates are higher among individuals who identify as LGBTQ and this
fact is used to elicit support and affirmation. But encouraging someone to live
a lifestyle that is likely to lead to their suicide is evil…
Affirming
someone in their choice to rebel against God causes pain and hurt in this life
and ultimate judgement against their souls in the next. Don’t be fooled, applauding
someone in their sin and in their harmful, self-destructive decisions is not
kind at all. In reality, it is cruel and lacking in true compassion. Jude, the
brother of Jesus wrote:
Have mercy on those who doubt, save
others by snatching them from the fire, have mercy on others but with fear,
hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
The
most loving thing you can do is to tell the truth and rescue people from sin.
Conclusion
It
is not appropriate to compare sexual sins to the color of someone’s skin. It is
not appropriate to compare sinful lifestyle choices to someone’s disability or
physical difference. To do so is exploitive, prejudiced and sinful.
Affirming
sin is actually the most heinous type of hate speech. It shows a complete
disregard for the well-being of our fellow man.
Calling
people to turn away from sin is an act of love. Inviting people to come to
Jesus so that they can be included in the family of God is an act of kindness,
compassion and respect.
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Here is a link to detailed explanations of Biblical teaching about human sexuality:
The Trustworthy Word: IDENTITY CRISIS: Created In The Image of God as Male and Female
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