One Reason We Fail to Show Compassion to Those Struggling With Homosexuality

All human beings are sinners. Some of us have been saved by the grace of God. Despite this, we all still sin. When we reach heaven some day it will be easy to not sin. For now, however, the struggle continues.

Since we are all sinners, it seems that we would show compassion to other people struggling with sin. We do this, but not equally. While the church (the body of Christ) in general sympathizes with some sin struggles, it doesn't with others. Sins are not treated equally. Sexual sins are seen as the worst. Homosexuality in particular is viewed as a sort of "king of all sins." Why is this?

(I'd like to clarify something for a moment. I'm not suggesting that homosexual behavior is acceptable. It is in fact sinful. In this post I'm not talking about people who have fully embraced the homosexual lifestyle. Instead, I'm specifically talking about folks who struggle with homosexual temptations and may even engage in homosexual behavior from time to time. These people are struggling with it, fighting against, but occasionally give in to temptation.)

I believe we fail to show compassion to those struggling with homosexuality because most of us have never faced that kind of temptation.

We like to say that we are against homosexuality because the bible condemns it. However, let's be honest for a moment. We speak harshly against homosexuality because we are grossed out by it. It just seems yucky to us. Therefore, we show little compassion toward people who struggle with it.

Let's take a different example. What about bitterness? Ephesians 4:31 says, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." How do we treat those who tend to be bitter? We show them all sorts of grace. We rarely speak out against it. Why? The reason is that almost all of us are tempted toward bitterness about something in our lives. We understand the temptation. It doesn't seem so vile to us because we fall prey to the same sin.

As we think about how to respond to those with homosexual temptations, we must be truthful with ourselves. We have a problem. That problem is lack of compassion. We must speak the truth in love. Our tendency is to speak about homosexuality with no love whatsoever. Who set us up as judge and jury? God is the judge.

Let's first take the plank out of our own eyes. Only then can we speak both truthfully and lovingly. We ought to treat sins the same, and respond to them as led by scripture. Homosexuality is a sin, but so is bitterness. Do we condemn the one but give the other a free pass? Ironically, bitterness may actually do more damage to the church than homosexuality.

We must be careful not to lump together those who are struggling with homosexual feelings with those who embrace the homosexual lifestyle. Both groups need the grace of God. Both need to repent. However, there is a significant difference.

To sum up, let's not let our own gross out tendencies determine how we respond to sin. Let's speak truthfully and compassionately to those struggling with homosexuality. Let's show them the love of Christ. Only through him will they overcome this temptation.

A Streaker in the Castle

This past week we traveled as a family to St. Augustine, FL for a mini-vacation. St. Augustine is the oldest European-settled city in the lower 48 states, having been founded by the Spanish in 1565. As a bonus, it is only about three hours from Savannah.

It was wonderful to simply spend time together as a family while visiting some interesting places such as Castillo de San Marcos (pictured above), the St. Augustine Lighthouse, Flagler Collge, and of course the beach. We also enjoyed hanging out in our motel room in the evenings while watching the Olympics.

Despite all our fun, one disturbing event keeps coming to mind. Soon after arriving in St. Augustine, we went to Castillo de San Marcos. It is a Spanish-constructed fort from the late 1600's. We had only been inside the fort for a minute when a completely naked man streaked past us with blood running down his forehead. All five of us, along with all the other tourists, stood there in shock. The man, who was yelling loudly, ran across the fort's courtyard and up some steps. He entered an upstairs room and proceeded to jump up and down just behind a window opening. Unfortunately for all involved, everything was visible.

The police soon arrived and, with what sounded like a taser, subdued the streaker. During the arrest the man fell down some steps about 12-15 feet and had to be airlifted to a local hospital. It turns out that prior to entering the fort, the man had crashed his vehicle into a drawbridge about 1/2 mile away. I'm not sure why he chose to run to the fort.

Our guess is that the man was either mentally ill, on some sort of illegal drug, off of medication that he needs, or demon possessed. It could be some combination of the above. Regardless of cause, it is clear that this is a very troubled individual. I certainly hope he gets the help he needs.

The entire episode illustrates what a sin-ravaged world we all live in. I have no idea whether or not the streaking man knows Jesus Christ. However, his actions are the results, one way or another, of sin. This is not how this world was created. Somewhat ironically, Adam and Eve were both naked. However, that was at a time of innocence. Ever since they picked the fruit off the tree sin has been at the heart of rebellious man. Only in a sin-marred world does a man crash a vehicle, tear off his clothes, flee from the police, bare himself to everyone around, and require a taser to be calmed down.

Incidents like this one remind me that things are going to get better one day. Jesus is going to come back to rescue his church. He will restore/renew his creation. At that time it will be easy for us not to sin. We will get to enjoy our king's presence for eternity. I can't wait.

Until that time we have a job to do: make disciples. Although things will get much better some day, for now they are not. Every day we will see the effects of sin on this world. It won't always be as obvious as when a man runs past your family in the buff. However, it will be clear nonetheless.

Let's do our job while enjoying living in Christ. We have hope that sin is not victorious. Christ wins.

"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:22-23

An Annoying Little Question

Here's the question, "Why do we do things that we don't see in the bible?"

This little question makes us squirm because we all know that we all do things that we don't see in scripture. This pertains to us as individuals and as the church as a whole.

We do things that we are commanded not to do. We don't do things that we are supposed to do. We do things that are not modeled for us, while at the same time not doing other things that are modeled.

Why do we do this? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense as followers of Christ to act on what we see in the scriptures?

Some of the things that we do (or fail to do) are simply sin. When we violate what is commanded, we are sinning. Sin is lawlessness.

What about the things that are modeled for us but not commanded? This is where it gets a bit more difficult. Are we free to do what we don't see in the bible or not do what we do see (as long as it's not commanded)? Or, must we follow the scriptural model?

I have what may seem to be a simplistic answer. Despite this, I believe it is a good idea. Let's follow both what is commanded and what is modeled in scripture (in areas of life with any theological significance). When we do this, we can be certain that we are correct in what we are doing.

When we venture outside what is modeled, the best we can say is that we don't know whether or not we are correct. We might be pleasing God, but we might not. We simply cannot know.

Is that good enough? Is not knowing if we are pleasing God - either as individuals or as the church - acceptable? How can that be good enough?

Let's do what we know is pleasing to God. How? Follow what's commanded and modeled for us. It really is that simple.

Unpopular VBS Theme

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is an annual tradition that descends upon evangelicalism in the summer time. Regardless of denomination or location, every church that I have been a part of has had some sort of VBS. It is ubiquitous.

In my experience, most VBS themes are too man-centered. The pre-packaged material often tells kids how great they are, that they can have a friend in Jesus, and that the gospel is a really good idea. There is often very little, if any, discussion of sin.

I'm suggesting that next year all churches use SIN as their VBS theme. It would be unpopular, but boy would it be biblical. It could be called something like, "You're a Rebel Who Deserves Hell." I'm not sure how that would go over, but it would certainly be fun.

For the typical 5-day VBS the daily core truths could go something like this:

Day 1 - God is infinitely holy and perfect.

Day 2 - You have sinned. You are a sinner.

Day 3 - Sin is infinite rebellion against holy God.

Day 4 - You deserve eternity in Hell.

Day 5 - Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord.

I could see some parents not being too keen on this theme. Also, some of the kids might be upset when they go home after Day 4 in particular. However, I bet they would be motivated to hear about salvation on Day 5. Of course, if they don't come back on Day 5 that would be a bummer.

I write this post a bit tongue-in-cheek. However, I'm serious as well. VBS is a microcosm of the modern church as a whole. In evangelicalism (to say nothing of mainline churches), we downplay sin. We don't like to talk about it, and if we do we speak in generalities. We enjoy discussing the love and grace of God, but shy away from His holy wrath.

We need to talk about sin much more than we do. When we do this, we are being biblical. Also, when we discuss our sin, it causes us to gaze with even more wonder upon the mercy of Christ.

So, for those of us involved in VBS, let's all agree to use SIN as the theme next year. Sure, our attendance will be way down, but at least we'll be biblical. Some kids might even actually get saved in the process.

Today's Theology Question

While we were at the Ligonier 2010 Conference, R.C. Sproul dealt with the questions of what evil is and where evil comes from. Better him than me - those are certainly difficult ones. To read about his answers, click here.

As Sproul talked, he spent some time in Genesis 3. Not surprisingly, he focused on Eve's exchange with the serpent. The serpent famously lies to Eve, contradicting God by saying, "You will not surely die."

That got me thinking back to Genesis 2:15-17. In these verses, God instructs Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he does, God tells him, "You shall surely die."

We know from scripture that death comes from sin. Since no one had ever sinned in Genesis chapters 1-2, there could have been no death up to that point. So here is my question for you: Since Adam had never seen death of any kind, how did he know what God was talking about when God told him that if he ate of the tree he would surely die?

What do you think?

A Reminder That Sin Has Consequences

Look at that poor guy's face. He knows he's about to get tased.

I have loved the Philadelphia Phillies since I was a small child. I've remained a fan despite many losing seasons. I'm thrilled that the Phillies are in the middle of a renaissance.

Over the years there has always been one constant when it comes to the Phillies. Their fans are some of the craziest and most difficult in all of sports. Ask anyone. This is not an overstatement. Last night lived down to that reputation. A 17-year-old male (pictured scared above) ran onto the field. Why did he do this? I have no idea. He probably just wanted to get on TV. I doubt he knew that he would get tased. Just watch below:

This is a simple reminder to all of us that sin has consequences. The consequences may not be immediate such as in the above video, but in the end we will not get away with it. Let's think about this the next time we are tempted to sin.

Let's also be amazed that Jesus Christ took the eternal consequences of His followers' sins upon Himself on the cross. Praise be to God!


By the way, that kid will probably soon be putting one of these bumper stickers on his car:

A Great Definition for Sin

Sin is a concept and a reality that we do not talk about enough. Our own sin, in particular, is something we tend to avoid. Why is this? The answer is that we avoid thinking and talking about our sin because we are sinful.

As I write this, I am not condemning anyone. Trust me - most of the time I feel like I (not Paul) am the chief of sinners. This is probably because when I dare to do so, I can see into the depths of my own heart much better than I can anyone else's.

One problem we may have is that we do not have an accurate definition of sin in mind. If you have time someday, take a look on-line at a variety of different church websites. Where they tell what they believe, see if they define sin. I guarantee that you will find definitions that vary a great deal.

So what is a great (and more importantly - biblical) definition of sin?

The Baptist Catechism published by Desiring God Ministries (which is patterned on the Westminster Catechism) defines sin as well as I have seen it. It reads, "Sin is transgression of the revealed will of God which teaches that we are to act in perfect holiness from a heart of faith to the glory of God."

I have never seen sin defined any better.

As a family, we use this catechism as part of our family devotional time. I am thrilled whenever I hear my three children rattle off this definition for sin. My hope is that by knowing what sin is, they will be less likely to commit it.

Sitting Ducks in a Fallen World

Our house backs up to a small pond in our subdivision. Because of this, we have all sorts of fowl around our home. Some of the most interesting visitors are Muscovy Ducks. These are large, decorative ducks that become very tame when living near homes.

For the last few weeks, we had a female Muscovy sitting on a nest that she constructed near a front window of our house. We enjoyed watching her sit on her eggs. She was so protective of her eggs that she didn't move as I mowed the front yard, coming within two feet of her at one point. I wouldn't say we became emotionally attached to the duck, but we did enjoy her presence.

I'm sad to report that I now know at an experiential level what the term "sitting duck" means. Last Monday at about 6 A.M. I wandered outside to go for a run. I came upon a dead duck in our front yard. It was the female Muscovy. Something rather large must have killed her during the night because her body was moved about 6-7 feet from the nest. There was no doubt - she was dead. Her neck was broken, and her body was not moving at all. I don't know what killed her or why. The eggs remained in the nest.

I decided to leave the body there and go for my run. When I returned I saw something sad. A male duck (her mate?) was standing next to her body looking confused. It did not know what to do. After a bit, it wandered away.

What to do with a dead duck body? We (to be accurate, my poor wife, because I was at work when we found out that we had to dispose of the body) put it in a bag and threw it in our trash. This was Monday. The trash truck comes on Thursday. Every day last week reached near 100 degrees. Yuck.

The stench of death reigned for a few days anywhere within 5-10 feet of our trash can. It was nasty. We tried to avoid it, but still fell prey occasionally to the wretched stench. On Wednesday, when I took the trash can to the curbside, I held my breath the entire time. Alas, the overpowering odor still managed to get inside my nostrils. Therefore, when I finally took a breath...well, it was not peaches and cream.

Why describe this unpleasant situation in detail? The reason is that the death of this duck reminded me that we live in a fallen world. Only in a fallen world is there death. Death is a consequence of sin. Consequently, only in a fallen world is there the stench of death. Only in a fallen world does a mother duck get killed for protecting her eggs. Only in a fallen world does a duck have to stand over its dead mate.

This was a stark reminder to me of the fragile nature of life on this earth. Life can end very quickly. Not only in the animal world, but also among humans life can be extinguished in the blink of an eye.

Our dead duck reminded me that my life is a vapor. What am I doing to advance the kingdom of God today? I may not have tomorrow.

Our dead duck also reminded me that we have something much better to look forward to. As followers of Christ, we have eternity with Christ, free from the stench and reality of death. That is a great hope.

We are not sitting ducks, but we also can't count on 30, 40, 50, 60 or more years on earth. Let's live today for Christ, knowing that death is a reality in this fallen world.

Complaining, Sin, and the Sovereignty of God

We live in a society that complains about everything. We live in an era that is the most advanced technologically in history, yet we complain. We have machines to do nearly anything for us, but we gripe and gripe and gripe.

I understand why non-Christians complain. Because they do not know God, they are concerned primarily with themselves. When focus is on self, that person will complain.

But why do Christians complain? We have been told very clearly not to complain. In Philippians 4:14, Paul writes, "Do all things without complaining and disputing." This passage follows immediately after the great Christ Hymn of 2:5-11. In light of the context, we ought to be serving rather than complaining.

I believe there are at least two reasons why Christians (including me) complain:

First, we do not really grasp the depth of our sin. If we truly thought biblically about the holiness of God and the utter rebellion that our sin is, we would also see that we deserve absolutely nothing good in this life. John tells us that sin is lawlessness. What we do deserve is an express ticket to the Lake of Fire.

Second, we do not really believe that God is sovereign. I must admit that I give lip-service to God's sovereignty, but I'm not consistent in acting like I believe it is true. If God is sovereign, then this means that He controls all my circumstances. Since that is the case, I have nothing to complain about.

We complain because our focus is inward instead of Godward. We would do much better by focusing on meeting the needs of others instead of thinking about what would make our lives easier.

The Joy that Comes from Pondering Our Forgiven Sin

It is safe to say that most, if not all, people in this world are chasing after joy. In our culture, the majority of the population seeks joy through the pleasures of the flesh. This comes in various forms, but the result is the same. Fleshly pursuits may lead to temporary, surface level happiness, but they do not bring sustained joy.

As we see in Genesis 3, fleshly pursuits often lead to anything but joy.

On the flip side of this, most people in our culture would rather do most anything but ponder their sin. In fact, avoidance of thinking about sin is very common. This is why so many people are seemingly always talking on the phone, texting friends, listening to music or playing around on Facebook, etc. These distractions keep them from having to be silent. When we are silent, we have time to both think about and feel guilt. When this happens, we must ponder our indwelling sin.

Many Christians do not even like to discuss sin. If you visit many churches today, the idea of sin is almost never mentioned. "Salvation" presentations go something like this, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Just trust in Him, and He will bring you joy and fulfillment as you receive His favor." That may sound nice, but it is not what we find in the bible.

In scripture, one chapter that stands out to me when thinking about sin is Romans 7. In this chapter, Paul struggles with the sin he still has in his life. We must keep in mind that this was an individual that we would probably all like our lives to emulate. Despite this, Pail admits to still struggling with sin. Toward the conclusion of Romans 7, Paul writes, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" The beauty for the Christian, of course, is that we have an answer to this question.

In Romans 7:25, Paul famously writes, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Then, in Romans 8:1, Paul says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." For Paul, joy comes after pondering his sin. Why is this?

The reason seems to be that Paul knows just how wretched sin is. He understands that He is totally unworthy of salvation and is still in desperate need of a Savior. Paul certainly remembers that he was dead in sin prior to God regenerating his soul.

When Paul ponders the depths of his sin, he can then rejoice greatly when he thinks about what an amazing salvation Christ has given him. Since Paul realizes what he deserves, and knows what he has received from Jesus, he has great joy.

If we will do as Paul did, we will also have great joy. We ought to spend time thinking about the depths of our sin and the great gift of salvation we have received.

If sin is "no big deal," then neither is salvation. However, if sin is an infinite abomination against a holy God, then salvation amounts to an infinitely valuable gift. This should bring us great joy.