September 23, 2008
TMI (Too Much Information)
I recently met a man who mentioned he’d gone to Seminary. I asked about his denominational background he told me that as a Lutheran he was first a liberal and then conservative, however he’s now back to being a liberal. He currently attends two churches, one of which is located in the metropolitan area. When I failed to react to the acronym for his downtown church he explained it was a gay church. I find it interesting that he forced the conversation down this path, even though I was just making conversation. I’m still wondering exactly what it he was looking for from me - was he wanting validation or rejection. Clearly, having gone to Seminary doesn’t disqualify one from being an infant, “…tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” (Eph 4:14 NIV)
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Gail;
-----I spent many of my youthful years inwardly debating whether my intellect should take the lead in my life, or my emotions. For a few years I even settled on the idea that I should be flexible and allow whichever more closely matches the message of the Word to move me the strongest. I still tend toward that idea, but have come to add to it a healthy skepticism about knowing (or feeling) most things with complete assurance. So I can relate to this man’s movement from liberalism to conservatism and back to liberalism.
-----But one caveat I will not discard holds that the Word contains several undeniable, direct, clear statements. One of those is that homosexuality, like fornication, like adultery, like lust, like many others IS sin. In fact those who do such things as drunkenness, strife, anger, even envy and jealousy will not inherit the kingdom of God. Oh my! I do some anger now and then. I even do a bit of jealousy, and some envy, occasionally. Maybe I do a bit of idolatry on a good football Sunday, according to some preachers. I am sure most of us are fingered by at least one of these deeds listed at Galatians 5:19-21. And the odds of that go up with the inclusion of the last item: “and the like.” In fact, just one single, smallest of sins disqualifies me from the Kingdom.
-----So Jesus said that all sin would be forgiven man except one. Blasphemy of the Spirit has received endless scrutiny as the lone sin on the will-not-be-forgiven list. Again, admitting that I reserve the right to be wrong, I have concluded for myself this blasphemy is simply usurping the Spirit’s place, or taking a place even higher than the Spirit by passing judgment upon Him. In as much as the Spirit wrote the Word of God through the hands of His servants, my claiming any part of it to be wrong is passing judgment upon the One who wrote it.
-----The church is full of the envious, the idolatrous, the angry, the jealous, and the likes. Those forgiven ones doing these things agree with the Lord that they are wrong, and call out for His mercy. “God help me!” might be their expressed feelings. But to form a Church of the Envious, or a Church of the Angry, or a Church of the Idolatrous, or a Church of the Likes, in full statement that there is indeed nothing at all wrong with envy, anger, idolatry, or the likes dangerously smacks of denying the Word of God, that is, the inspired communication of the Holy Spirit. “I am right about this, the Bible is wrong,” is the logic of the matter. I will have climbed above the Holy Spirit and passed judgment upon His message to mankind. Woe would I be!
-----As you have not done, Gail, neither will I do by saying anything more about this gentleman and the gay church he attends. All I dare to do is to share this kind of message with him and hope that he has an enjoyable life here on earth, if not a repentant attitude. For all enjoyment ends with this present age for any who are unwilling to see their own sin in the light of the Holy Spirit’s communications.
Love,
Steve Corey
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