This month I’d like to continue to examine Matthew Vines’ novel interpretation of the six biblical texts that traditionally have been used to prove God’s disapproval of homosexuality. If you haven’t read last month’s e-teaching, I suggest you read that first. A professing Christian and author of the new book God and the Gay Christian, Matthew Vines boldly declares on his website that homosexuality is not a sin, and he “proves it from the Bible.”
Category Archives: Blog
The New Gay Bible
Note: This e-teaching is for adults only.
I did not intend for this series on homosexuality to continue beyond three months, but in light of current events, as well as the feedback I’ve received, there seems to be a need to proceed further. You may have heard that World Vision, the world’s largest Christian humanitarian organization, last month announced a change in its employment policy, allowing the hiring of homosexuals who are legally married and “committed Christians.” Days later, World Vision’s board reversed their position, obviously due to donor displeasure. The issue is not only dividing professing Christians, but also dominating world headlines due to anti-homosexual developments in Russia and Uganda.
Hairy Men and Smooth Men
The response to last month’s e-teaching, A Homosexual You Will Love, like the response to the previous month’s, I Love Homosexuals, and I’m Frustrated, was plentiful. Many folks shared their stories and insights. Many wrote to compassionately tell me that they were praying for “Jean Claude,” whose poignant story I shared in that e-teaching.
I also received a number of responses from good folks who cited first-hand examples of homosexual orientation that could not be attributed to any environmental cause (suggesting a biological cause). Others wrote who believe that homosexuality is the result of demonic oppression or possession, and that it can be cured by exorcism (although none cited any supportive Bible passages or personal success stories of delivering homosexuals through exorcism). A few wrote expressing blanket condemnations upon all homosexuals. And finally, some wrote to affirm that my amateur attempt to diagnose the roots of Jean Claude’s same-sex attraction wasn’t too far off track.
A Homosexual You Will Love
If you didn’t read last month’s e-teaching titled I Love Homosexuals, and I’m Frustrated, you missed what has proven to be, based on the feedback, one of my most popular e-teachings ever. I was encouraged by the sheer volume of positive feedback, and I was blessed by how many Christians expressed genuine love for the homosexual community. (I only received one strongly critical response, predictably from a professing Christian.)
This month I want to share one particular email response that I received, in hopes that it might contribute to further understanding between homosexuals (and their advocates), and those who, like me, believe that God condemns homosexuality (along with a host of other sins of which just about everyone has been guilty) but that He also offers forgiveness and freedom through Jesus Christ.
I Love Homosexuals, and I’m Frustrated
As I’m writing this, the two-week suspension of Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson by A&E over remarks he made that were offensive to homosexuals is making headlines. The incident has ignited a nationwide debate regarding homosexuality, and naturally, lots of people are taking sides and expressing their opinions.
With this article, I hope to make a small contribution to the understanding of folks on both sides of the issue, whom I will refer to, for simplicity’s sake, as homosexuals and their dissenters. (I realize, of course, that there is a variance of opinions on both sides, but I intend to stick with the fundamental differences.)
Food Facts and Fads—Whom Should We Trust?
It is certainly tempting to become cynical about the claims of nutritionists when what is touted as being unhealthy one year is deemed healthy the next, or vice versa. Chicken eggs, once villains, are now good guys. Avocados were also once scorned due to their high fat content. Then it was discovered that some fats, like those in avocados, are very good for us.
Not only do we receive conflicting information year to year, but there are always so many “experts” contradicting one another.
The Inward Voice
Although the Law of Moses was given to the descendants of Israel sometime around 1440 B.C., God had already given the entire human race another Law that predated the Mosaic Law by at least 2,500 years—a Law that He wrote upon every human heart. To that Law He held every person accountable, and against that Law every person sinned, which is why people died from Adam until Moses. As Paul points out:
So death spread to all men, because all sinned—for until the Law [of Moses] sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses (Rom. 5:12b-14a).
The True Grace of God
Thanks to all for the feedback, as well as questions, which I received in response to last month’s e-teaching titled, Five Modern Myths About Jesus’ Conversation with the Rich Young Ruler. Over the next few months, I’ll address some of those questions. This month, I’d like to tackle the most common one, which could be paraphrased, “How does what you taught last month harmonize with the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace and not works?”
Allow me to begin by rephrasing that question to, “How does what Jesus said to the rich young ruler harmonize with the doctrine of salvation by grace and not works?” I didn’t write the Bible, and it wasn’t me who had a conversation with that rich ruler 2,000 years ago. All I did last month is take Jesus at His word, something that consequently exposes the myths so commonly believed relative to His conversation with the rich ruler.
Lord, Please Bless This Poison
I’m hoping to live to be 100. So far, so good! At 55, I’m more than half-way there—although statistics indicate that my chances of reaching my goal decrease annually. Since I’ve learned that there are currently 53,000 people in the United States who are over age 100, however, I know my dream is possible.
Why do I want to live to be 100? First, more years mean potentially more fruitfulness for God’s kingdom. Since God entrusts those who are faithful with more, then more years mean more opportunity to earn His trust, in hopes that He might grant more opportunities, responsibilities and spiritual gifts. More years also means more Bible study, prayer, experiences and mistakes, all of which means more wisdom. I could then help 55-year-olds avoid mid-life folly!
A Lot of Profit from a Little Exercise
At the close of last month’s e-Teaching titled Lord, Please Bless This Poison, I promised that this month I would reveal a simple exercise for weight loss that requires very little effort and only requires seconds each day. So I’m going to keep good on my promise.
The secret to effortless weight loss is obviously something that interests many of us, judging from the numerous articles in supermarket magazines with titles such as, “Lose Ten Pounds in Ten Days…by Eating Twice as Much!” In the United States, the weight-loss industry is huge. In the quest to slim down, Americans annually spend $60 billion on diets and weight-loss programs.