I am a liberal. Does God still love me?

I am a liberal Christian.

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It will be the happiest day of my mortal life if the terms liberal and conservative, in the modern political sense, ever stop being pinned and tied to Christianity. The Christian faith isn't right or left. It is neither politically conservative, nor politically liberal. It is apolitical save for the individuals and groups of Christians who make it otherwise by only being able to think in modern, mostly American political terms. There was no Democratic or Republican party in 1st century Judea. Jesus is the son of the living God. The second person of the trinity. His teachings were about right and wrong, not right and left. Good is inherently and objectively good, and so is evil.

I am not hardcore like fundamentalists.

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Okay

think in gray rather than black and white, because real life isn't like that.

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Okay.
You're in good company.

1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

I don't think homosexuality is a sin either.

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While you certainly shouldn't judge or scandalize those who experience same sex attraction, it is still a factual statement that the acting out on that impulse is always sinful. But even the actively sinning homosexual is to be loved and treated with all due respect. If nothing else, it is a sexually immoral act as it CAN, (doesn't always) involve sodomy. But even without that, it is the same sin committed by millions of heterosexuals on a routine basis. It is sexual union outside of the bond of marriage. It is a breaking of the chastity which we are all called. to. Instead of trying our best to remain chaste, save for the marriage embrace which God has ordained between a man and a woman, we make ourselves believe through the deception and glamour of the world that we can simply make a sin disappear through manipulation of our conscience, and worse yet, man's civil courts, which have no bearing on God whatever. God is immutable and unchanging. There is nothing morally sanctified now that wasn't at the beginning of mankind. All that has changed is man's earthly penalties against man for the sins. We don't do a lot of stoning these days. That doesn't make something less of a sin, or make the sin disappear. It is just variations in mankind's governments.

Can I still grow closer to God?

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By the grace of God only do we even have faith at all. If Jesus knocked, and you opened the door, then you have been granted the gift of faith. Believe on Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will bring you ever closer to God. If you're worried about His love, you need not be. God love you perfectly, and He love you as you. He loves you some much that He gave His only begotten son to take your sin and die for you. He asked three things of us, which most of us, including myself do poorly. Love the Lord God with all our being, Love our neighbor as ourselves, and to pick up our crosses, whatever they may be to us, daily, and follow Him.

Does He still love me even though I am not as hardcore as fundamentalists?

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He loves each and every one of us as if we were the only creature He ever created.

Instead of tagging yourself a liberal, why not find the truth in any situation, and do your best to understand, and adhere to the truth. The truth is Jesus Christ. Sometimes being Christian will mean SEEMING to be a liberal in the eyes of modernist culture, when it's really only being a Christian. But it cuts both ways. Sometimes being Christian will mean SEEMING like a conservative to the modernist culture as well.

Regarding modern culture, and political parties, there are Christian principles which are abhorrent to liberals and there are Christian principles which are abhorrent to conservatives as well.

This is why Jesus tells Christians that they will be hated by the world, as He was hated by the world. Because we live by principles that the world of man despises, and we're not supposed to "change" or back down, even when the state does. Because the state is not of God. God's kingdom is not here on this earth. This is why governments embrace and try to canonize sexual immorality, killing of the weakest among us, etc. (the list goes on and on).

But we can be of good cheer. Jesus conquered the world, and even death itself. The worst the world can do to us by us standing firm on our Christian principles is take our mortal lives. They can not have our souls. We belong to our Father in Heaven. Not the world. We were bought with a price.

May the almighty God bless and protect us,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

Thanks for sharing, steven .. enjoyed reading what you wrote.

stevenfrancis said:

While you certainly shouldn't judge or scandalize those who experience same sex attraction, it is still a factual statement that the acting out on that impulse is always sinful.

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Wrong. It's an opinion, not a fact.

Celticroots said:

I am a liberal Christian. I am not hardcore like fundamentalists. I think in gray rather than black and white, because real life isn't like that. I believe that evolution has validity. I don't take the Bible literally, but I believe the Gospel.

I don't think homosexuality is a sin either.

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Welcome to the club.

I'm pretty liberal by any yardstick, an occasional cannabis-smoker and believe in legalization of recreational drugs. I lie, gossip, slander, falsify statements, drink like a fish, have licentious thoughts, have fornicated with stranger women, nurture feelings of hatred and mistrust towards a lot of people although God's Word strictly instructs me to love EVERYONE (1 John 4:7-8)

You see everytime I look myself in the mirror, I see a horrible monster, a habitual sinner. But I know I'm not alone:

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Despite being a repeat offender who can in no way be justified with his presence before God, I get down on my knees and thank God for sending his only Son, Jesus of Nazareth to die on the Cross for my sins (past, present and future). I take inspiration from this act of supreme sacrifice, and there isn't a day I didn't beg God to have mercy on my soul.

In the words of St. Augustine, "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us."

Celticroots said:

Can I still grow closer to God? Does He still love me even though I am not as hardcore as fundamentalists?

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Yes, Yes and Yes. God loves you despite your sins and He does not love you any less than those who you feel are more devoted and live closer to God's commandments. The Bible confirms it.

1 Corinthians 13:4 - Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

1 John 4:19 - We love him, because he first loved us.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 4:10 - Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, evenwhen we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—



Psalm 86:15 - But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Psalm 136:26 - Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Marius27 said:

Conservatives here will often tell you no, but yes you can. The biggest group Jesus criticized were religious conservatives. He's probably not too happy with Fundamentalists these days.

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The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector comes to mind.

Marius27 said:

Wrong. It's an opinion, not a fact.

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Rather than get into a generally useless "Yes it is/No it isn't", so called debate, let me instead ask you, (rhetorically-you need not respond to me. I am dust), what evidence leads you to the opinion that the acting out of sexually immoral behavior is not, in fact, and in truth, objectively disordered? Is this idea of it being an opinion based on an emotional state? Or is it based on historical, scientific, philosophical and theological research? If it is strictly an adopted emotional response to the way in which objective truth is often presented, here is a heartfelt resource that was recently shared with me, that has no overt agenda, or anything else of that nature. It is just a thoughtful meditation based on the lives of some real people who have a story to tell which appeals to our emotional side. I recommend this heartily to anyone of any persuasion, religion, creed, etc. to watch with no preconceived notions.

https://everlastinghills.org/movie/

God bless,

Steve

Yes, I think God is liberal too