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Submitted July 1, 2005
CHRISTIAN JUDGMENT AND HOMOSEXUALITY
DIFFERING OPINIONS
Christian judgment is a concept that many struggle with today. Arguments and discords regarding Christian judgment have robbed many believers of their unity in the faith. With the rampant unbiblical life styles permeating society today, many Christians are at a loss how to address these issues. Some would say we aren’t to judge in any way the lifestyle of another. Others would say we are to judge and expose lifestyles in society that are unbiblical.
Those who live in direct violation of accepted biblical lifestyle patterns will argue intensely why they shouldn’t be judged. Some who seek to pattern their lives around biblical concepts will argue intensely why they should be able to expose and address the unbiblical lifestyle.
BIBLICAL ACCEPTABILITY PATTERNS
Before we go any further we need to determine biblical patterns of an acceptable lifestyle. Biblical basis must always be the constant. We cannot change biblical basis to make the subject more pliable to others. Sin is called sin. However, this absolute moral truth isn’t accepted in society because it has a different world view paradigm.
There are two world view paradigms in the United States today. The Judeo-Christian paradigm which teaches absolute truth as revealed in the Bible, and the moral relativist known as the naturalist, who believes that since there is no absolute moral truth we are free to create our own morality which must be accepted by society. The moral relativist wraps his message of a non-biblical lifestyle in the term tolerance, and demands acceptance in society. The tolerance group packages the unbiblical lifestyles of homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, man-boy love etc, and demands everyone accepts their lifestyle as normative.
THE CRISES IN CHRISTENDOM
The Christians have found their biblical beliefs under direct attack from society. They are called names like homophobic, a robber of a woman’s right to chose, judgers, and intolerant. These two lifestyles are in direct conflict with one another, and spiritual, philosophical war is happening. Christians have taken a beating in society regarding their desire to preserve patterns of biblical lifestyles. Court actions have removed the 10-Commandments from courts, prayer has been taken out of schools, and television is annihilating Christian values by inundating our younger generation with an acceptable lifestyle in direct violation of biblical patterns.
Colleges and Universities savagely attack our values we’ve tries to place within the hearts of our children. The liberal professor salivates at the chance to destroy Christian values in the lives of their students by openly embarrassing them and subjecting them to open classroom ridicule. The young child knows the faith of its parent but is woefully unable to defend the faith because of immaturity and non-exposure to this type of frontal attack against his/her faith.
Christianity in society has the bulls-eye-target painted on it because of the very essence of the society’s war efforts. If society can destroy those who hold to absolute biblical morality, they can snowball without obstruction toward their goal of creating a moral relativism utopia free of those pesky Christians who tell them this is not biblically acceptable.
Christianity has only one course to argue a God-lifestyle--the Bible. In order to articulate biblically acceptable lifestyles, the Christian must be able to know the cosmology of Christian judgment and discernment as shown in the Bible.
UNBIBLICAL CHRISTIAN JUDGMENT
There are several passages in the bible that speaks of judicial judgment. Judicial judgment is drawing a conclusion and implementing eternal consequences for non-biblical actions. The most important type of judicial judgment is given when a person’s eternal fate is handed down by God. This is the time when God will say, “well done good servant, enter into the joy of the Lord” [Matthew 25:21, Parable of the Talents], or He will say, “depart from me I never knew you” [Matthew 7:23]. This type of eternal judgment is reserved for God only.
Even if a person dies in circumstances which are consequences of an unbiblical lifestyle, we cannot presume to know if they are in heaven or hell. This is not our judicial calling. We can determine their lifestyle is in direct opposition to the Bible, but we cannot eternally condemn one to hell. This becomes unbiblical Christian Judgment.
This is why Jesus tells us during the Sermon on the Mount [Matt. 7:1], that we are to, “Judge not that ye be not judged”. The Greek word used here is translated as a judicial judgment decision (krima). By understanding Matthew’s use of this word we can get a clearer of picture of what he is addressing. Matthew is telling us we do not have the approval to judicially execute judgment on others—only God can do this.
Romans 2:2, also gives us a further indication of judicial judgment. We are told that God’s judgment is, “…based on truth”. Only God has the sovereign understanding of the whole picture. We are limited in our view. Judicial judgment can only be handed down by God because His very nature embodies the totality of perfection.
We can agree on the above principles of judicial judgment, but it also has another aspect. The believer, through zeal without knowledge, can create a judicial judgment in their hearts without even knowing. This is manifested in attitude. Often the believer can develop the self-righteous nature of the Pharisee. The sinner senses this unbiblical attitude and wonders why other Christians would think they would even consider this type of judgmental Christianity.
WHAT IS THE CORE ISSUE?
The core issue of a sinner is a heart separated from God. All the other issues are only peripheral. When the Christian becomes argumentative and judgmental regarding actions, he misses the causation of the action which is sin and separation. Without realizing it, the Christian begins promoting the philosophy of getting clean to take a bath! The point of contact in this type of evangelism becomes the sin action rather than God-separation.
CHRISTIAN DISCERNMENT
When Jesus was teaching at the temple courts, he was questioned about his healing of a man on the Sabbath day [John 7:21-21]. He concludes his statements in vs-24 by saying “Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment”. This passage shows the proper judgment Christians should make. The presence of sin’s actions isn’t necessarily what should preoccupy the Christian. This is where discernment comes in.
DISCERNMENT
Every believer has an unction through the Holy Spirit to understand what is and isn’t biblically acceptable. Discernment always starts there. Discernment is simply an understanding on biblical acceptability as revealed by the Holy Spirit. Discernment is also a gift given to the Church through which man can understanding the spiritual activity behind an action.
Discernment is the foundational understanding of how to approach a situation or lifestyle with God’s wisdom, with the end result producing positive biblical change.
JUDICIAL JUDGMENT IS FINAL RETRIBUTION FOR ACTIONS, SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT UNDERSTANDS THE CAUSES OF THESE ACTIONS! JUDICIAL JUDGMENT IS RESERVED SOLELY FOR GOD; SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT IS THE WISDOM OF GOD RELEASED IN THE HEART AND MINDS OF THE BELIEVERS PRIMARILY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONVERTING OTHERS TO CHRIST---WHOSE LIFESTYLES ARE IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO BIBLICAL PATTERNS.
CHRISTIAN DISCERNMENT IN DEALING WITH HOMOSEXUALITY
#1. The argument the homosexual will use:
A person living in a lifestyle outside of biblical patterns (homosexuality) will argue that Jesus never condemned homosexual actions. This statement is partially true, but its logic is nonsensical. If we hold this logic we have to then assume that because Jesus didn’t teach on sex between a father and a daughter, then it must be acceptable. Also, if we hold this logic we have to assume that sending astronauts to the moon is sinful because Jesus never taught on this subject. This type of logic is weak, faulty, and doesn’t support the homosexual lifestyle.
The Bible isn’t one book written by one man. Nor is it four books written by four apostles. Rather, it is 66 books written by many authors who were overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and wrote according to the wisdom of God.
#2. The argument the Christian will use:
Some Christians will attack the homosexual life style with a passionate hatred because they feel they have biblical support. This also is partially true, but its logic is scripturally faulty. The Bible clearly demonstrates that the homosexual lifestyle is not accepted by God [Romans 1:24-32, I Corinthians 6:9]. However, the only way we can convert a homosexual to Biblical Christianity is to deal with the core issues of the sin action.
#3. Possible reasons for the Homosexual lifestyle:
There are many reasons why homosexuals practice their lifestyle. Many have been abused as children. Many have had very poor male/female parenting roles. Some have been exposed to this lifestyle by others promoting it during a crucial time in their lives. Today, television has become the leading media exposure to this type of lifestyle promoting it as a healthy choice. It a person doesn’t fit in well and is socially struggling, a viable outlet for them is to become involved in the homosexual circles where acceptance and support is found. And there are many more reasons.
CONCLUSION:
Those involved in the homosexual lifestyle do not need preaching to. They already know what the Christian stands for. They don’t need to be judged. They already have been by many Christians. They don’t need to know what the Bible says about homosexuality. Most already know, and those who don’t know have a skewed understanding which has been promoted by those supporting their lifestyles.
What the homosexual needs is someone who can demonstrate God’s love toward them, see them as God sees them, know the science behind their actions, reach deep into their souls with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and love them out of a sinful lifestyle into a biblical lifestyle filled with God’s blessings.
In Summation:
1. Discernment understands the causes behind an action.
2. Discernment understands biblically acceptable patterns.
3. Christianity recognizes our values are under attack in America.
4. Judicial judgment is reserved only for God.
5. Discernment is seeing things as God sees.
6. Evangelizing the homosexual lifestyle requires deep discernment, love, and God’s wisdom.
America is slowly sliding further and further away from the Biblical values it was founded upon. As this slippery slope continues the very foundation of our Country hangs in the balance. You cannot have America without God. God has raised up some who are leading the campaign to stand for Biblical values in a morally decadent society. They do so knowing that their purpose is to point men and women toward Christ and restore a personally relationship with them and their God. They publicly don’t judge but stand for Judeo-Christian values as Biblical patterns are being compromised in Washington and the Courts.
Our calling is to recognize our God-opportunities and spread the Gospel message with those whom God brings in our paths. At times this will mean addressing their lifestyles as unbiblical and at times demonstrating God’s love while waiting for an opportunity to share Christ. The most important thing to remember is that lifestyle actions are only extensions of the heart’s condition. This is called authentic evangelism.
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