can homosexuals be saved?

[Cuddles333]

From a scriptural standpoint, I do not see how we can answer the question of the Opening Post. The reason is because the word homosexual and homosexuality are not in either the Old or New Testament. Some scholars 'think' or are 'pretty sure' the word was coined by the Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 6:9 and 1Timothy 1:10

I am going to hold off judgment until the scholars find that this word used by Paul was used out in the general public of his day to refer to gays and their lifestyles. I am suprised how with all the technology available today at one's fingertips, that we Christians cannot discern through studying the many pryor debates, that we still are blind in seeing that hedonism is what the Apostle Paul was describing to us in Romans chapter 1. My lands.....look at their kids! They are just like the kids today! We still can't see it though.

So yes, gays can get saved just like any other person.

 

[lovernotafighter]

That may be the most ironic (or contradictory, not sure) statements I have ever read.

Oh really?
Please, do explain.

 

[SoldierOfSoul]

Oh really?
Please, do explain.

I will quote what you said again:

This thread makes me really sad.

What should make you sad is the fact that there are people (such as homosexuals) who are living in known sin and are destined for judgement unless they turn from their evil ways.

This does not by any means mean that only homosexuals are in danger of judgement. No, all who refuse to repent and trust the Lord Jesus for the remission of sin will be forever lost and condemned.

Such intolerance from God's people.

I hope and pray that the church remains intolerant to sin, not to the sinner, but to the sin. The sinner is loved, the sinner is welcomed but the sin is not, nor should it be. We are to be a holy people for God is holy.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,thieves, greedy people, drunks, slanderers, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:11)

Jesus came to earth to save people from their sins, to free them from oppression and sinful addictions. He came to save our souls for eternity but He came to free us from our sins hold on us as well. Homosexuality is a sin and like many other sins, it takes over the individual. These people need a great Saviour to set them free from this horribly deep bondage and the only One who can do this is Jesus Christ.

So what I meant by your statement being a contradiction, was that the so-called intolerance you speak of, is the very thing thing the homosexual needs. He/she is told by the WORLD that "everything is OK, just be yourself, just be happy the way you are, if it feels good do it." The Christian is to say: "we love you, God loves you, but you must repent from your evil ways and commit your life to the blessed Saviour so that you can be saved from the wrath to come and from your sinful ways."

What, may I ask, do you think Jesus came to earth for, if not to free the sinner from sin?

 

[er72]

The thing I love about Christians is their open-mindedness.

 

[Ishraqiyun]

The Valentinians say that the Romans 1 verse about "homosexuality" is actually a spiritual metaphor for those with ears to hear:

"Rom 1:26-27: Therefore God gave them up to the suffering (pathe) of dishonor, for their females exchanged natural relation for that contrary to nature, and likewise the males, having abandon the natural relation with females were consumed in their lust toward one another, males with males, effecting what is inappropriate and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error (plane)."

"In this passage the apostle reveals that the Father has yielded his creation into suffering (pathe) which form the elements of cosmic existence. In the process those who became psyhic, having fallend victim to "error" (plane) were separated from the pneumatics , who , being divinly chosen, remained secretly related to the Father. Originally, these two were part of the same being: they belonged together; but now they have been separated, their natural relationship disrupted, and both suffer from this alienation. According to Theodotus, this is the mystery hidden in the story of Adam and Eve. Although originally they were one being, Eve's separation from Adam typifies the psychics' separation from the pneumatic elect (as "females" separated from the "males"). Now (as Paul explains through the metaphor of homosexuality in 1:21-25) the "males" and the "females" group themselves separately, instead of uniting to one another in loving relationship."
-The Gnostic Paul, Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Epistles by Elaine Pagels.

 

[lovernotafighter]

What, may I ask, do you think Jesus came to earth for, if not to free the sinner from sin?

He definitely came for that.
Hmmm.
I'm going to drop this before I get myself into trouble.

 

[er72]

Don't worry. According to Jesus it's nigh impossible for rich people to get saved either. Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

And in our world, most people (if you make over 30k a year U.S.) would be considered rich compared to the world itself. So most people who think they are saved, well... Jesus said it was nearly impossible if you are rich, so take heed lest you fall.

 

[SoldierOfSoul]

Don't worry. According to Jesus it's nigh impossible for rich people to get saved either. Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

And in our world, most people (if you make over 30k a year U.S.) would be considered rich compared to the world itself. So most people who think they are saved, well... Jesus said it was nearly impossible if you are rich, so take heed lest you fall.

Are you trolling now?

 

[er72]

Are you trolling now?

If that is another term for speaking the truth, okay...

 

[PaladinValer]

I'm going to let Jesus speak for Himself.

St. John 3:16 (NRSV): "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life."

And the next verse, which goes right along with it, goes like this:

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Anyone who condemns anyone to hell is rejecting what Jesus teaches. Anyone who condemns anyone by saying "X cannot be saved" is rejecting what Jesus teaches.

You want to do what Jesus did? You want to believe as Jesus believed? You need to stop living a life of condemnation and embracing a life of the hope of salvation.

Those who condemn reject this basic Christian teaching.

The pastor needs to reread his Bible.

 

[NvxiaLee]

From a scriptural standpoint, I do not see how we can answer the question of the Opening Post. The reason is because the word homosexual and homosexuality are not in either the Old or New Testament. Some scholars 'think' or are 'pretty sure' the word was coined by the Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 6:9 and 1Timothy 1:10

There's nothing confusing about this: Rom1:26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

The word used in 1Co6:9 means homosexual. There's no honest way for anyone to dispute that. Paul uses a combination of two Greek words, one meaning male and the other is an euphemism for sex.

Liberal who deny that the Bible condemns homosexuality are total liars.

 

[Dorothea]

Homosexuals can change.
It's engaging in sinful behaviour, it's not some "genetic" birth defect..
any more than being a drunk is some sort of "disease"
You'll find that they say the same thing about obesity now too.
Everyone wants to pin their weakness on science.
God calls it bondage and bondage can be overcome.

I agree, to a certain extent. I'm working on my own issues by eating less and eating healthier. I found the root of most passions comes from the stomach. Yes, it sounds weird, but I've been reading up on this, and this is the core issue in most cases for many of the passions, including lust, and sexually immoral thoughts and stuff, and also for bad dreams. We are only supposed to eat until we are satisfied, not to the point of feeling "full." And I feel also I've been somewhat in bondage to my stomach - to my lousy diet. So I can relate to the bondage thing. I've asked for God's help and am working on this. I found I no longer have to settle for "well, that's just the way I am," finding excuses. No, darn it, I can beat this with God's help! And beat any other struggle!!

As far as homosexuals being saved. Anybody can be saved by repentance and living the life of Christ. Pick up our crosses and follow Him. Turn away from our sins.

And I know people say this all the time that the only good sexual relations is within the blessed sacramental marriage of a man and woman. But just because they are married doesn't mean they can do anything they want, either. That's another subject all together, though.

 

[Montalban]

This thread makes me really sad.
Such intolerance from God's people.

God doesn't tolerate sin

 

[hedrick]

I would like to respond to several of these postings, but as I understand it, the rules of CF do not permit presenting the other side. Could a moderator comment?

 

[CryptoLutheran]

Perhaps what bothers me the most in conversations like this is the way in which we treat this one thing as some ultimate form of sinfulness while allowing ourselves to completely justify certain actions and behaviors--or at least making excuses or lessening the trouble of said actions and behaviors--which are consistently spoken against within Sacred Scripture and the historic teachings of the Church.

For all that God has said against the abuse of power, against greed and hoarding wealth, against affluence in the face of poverty and hunger and apathy toward the poor and the hungry there is level of outrage against these like there is against two consenting adults of the same sex in their own bedroom.

There is no outrage against the rich agenda, there is no outrage against the abomination of mistreatment of the poor. There are no picketers or organized groups claiming "God hates rich people" or "God hates those apathetic toward justice". We don't have crazy preachers saying that this earthquake or that tornado or this hurricane is the result of God's wrath against our social apathy, our haughtiness, our perverse affluence, our militarism and violence.

And despite the fact that each and every one who reads this post knows danged well what the Scriptures teach about how God feels about these things--because it's so very, very clearly written about in His word--there will be some who will shrug this off as some "liberal" blah blah blah instead of genuine Christian concern for the very soul of Christ's Church and what it means to call oneself a Christian.

God have mercy on us all.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[JacktheCatholic]

I heard a pastor say no. Because romans one calls homosexuality unnatural, meaning it's such a bad sin it isn't even in the sin nature. God also gave the homosexuals over to their desires, meaning he's given up on them completely.

Really? I also thought of God as being Merciful. Also, that baptism washes away all sins. So, I have a problem with relating to this view of condemnation.

 

[Frogster]

God doesn't tolerate sin

Really? he has been tolerating this whole darn planet for a long time. Mull that one over.
If a gay gets saved, then they can go to God for help, but their transition, or what some call sanctification, may take a while.

Should they be hated by other Christians in the mean time?

 

[simonthezealot]

-The Gnostic Paul, Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Epistles by Elaine Pagels.

I'm surprised this forum allows people to quote heretical pro-gnostic authors like Pagels.

 

[Lion King]

I'm surprised this forum allows people to quote heretical pro-gnostic authors like Pagels.

Welcome to the new age, no more false-teachings just a case of different theologies, that's all.

 

[JacktheCatholic]

I'm surprised this forum allows people to quote heretical pro-gnostic authors like Pagels.

Does any one in GT take the Gnostic writings seriously?