Stop Sinning

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church recently voted to affirm the rules from the Book of Disciplines that no gay or lesbian people can serve as clergy, and same-sex marriage is forbidden. The local Methodist Church, who is committed to inclusiveness, is rebelling against the decision. The sign at the entrance to the church reads, “WE LOVE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.” Certainly, we all come to the Lord as sinners and imperfect people and the Lord, as well as the church, accepts us as we are at that moment. However, once we become a Christian we can no longer remain in our sin, but we are a new creation and we are to take on the likeness of Christ. In many respects we are all like the man by the pool at Bethesda. Jesus asked the invalid if he wanted to get well and then healed the man. “Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (John 5:14 NIV).